Few hours in Lisbon

You're not going to see much in two hours. The Gulbenkian alone takes longer than that. You could take a taxi (they're cheap in Lisbon) to some of the viewpoints, or a tram through the Alfama. You don't have time for Belem, which has one of my favorite sights anywhere, the Monasterio. Suggest you pick up one of those guidebooks that claim to list the Top 10 sights. Or Rick's guide and start at the top of his list.

Kathy is right, 2 hours just isn't time to do much of anything. And I hope that doesn't include travel time to and from the airport. But with 2 hours, I'd suggest strolling the pedestrain area and then taking the tram or a taxi up to the castle which has great views.

Yes, with two hours, I would not attempt anything. The possibility of getting stuck in traffic, lost, etc is too high to rick, in my opinion. There are currently no rail links to the airport. On the other hand, taxi's are cheap, and the airport is close to town, so theoretically it is possible to hire a taxi, drive through the town, stop at a viewpoint and go back to the airport. I suppose that might cost you 50 Euro or so for two hours of taxi time.

Kathy, Doug, Mike: Thanks for you replies. I get the picture. It will be a short taxi ride, a little walking, and going up to the castle to see the view, eating somewhere and then back. I have downloaded the top 10 spots to see but I doubt we can cover much in our drive by sightseeing tour.
A very brief overview will be better than nothing for us, though. Genie

Lisbon is one of my favorite cities, with lots to see. It's a real pity you don't have longer. Are you going back to the airport or picking up a cruise? If it's the airport make sure you leave enough time for check-in and security - the food at the airport isn't too awful.

Thanks Kathy: We are going to a hotel for the night...our flight takes off early the next morning for Madrid...we wanted more time in Lisbon but the flight choices trapped us.
After Madrid we go to Venice and a cruise but again flights between these two cities are such we have to go the day before not the day of the cruise thus robbing us of our day in Lisbon...had no idea at the time but I should have booked backwards and the international flight last of all not first! Being in Lisbon for just one evening is not worth it but there's nothing to be done about it. The couple of hours is all I think we'll have the stamina for after being on the go for 24 hrs. Hopefully we can go back to Lisbon some day and enjoy it at leisure. Genie

Well, if you are going to be there in the evening, then you are right, it is worth it! There are some great restaurants all over the place and the city is beautiful. We just got back last week, so if you want any tips, feel free to PM me.

My favorite place to eat in Lisbon is totally down-market - Bomjardin, just off Praca dos Restauradores. Serves fabulous roast chicken and fries with hot sauce on the side for around 10 euros. If you're still awake, ride the funicular up and visit Solar do Vinho do Porto, Rua de S. Pedro de Alcântara, 45, for port by the glass - try the Ferreira Duque de Braganca 20 year tawny - divine and worth much more than they're charging. If you're out on your feet stop round the corner from Bomjardin for a glass of ginjinha. This site is helpful: http://www.golisbon.com/

I second Kathy's advice. You'll find that to be a relaxing, enjoyable evening after a long travel day.

Mike Kathy, Doug: I've made a note of all your pointers and I'm sure that's going to enhance the quality of our brief time in Lisbon. Thanks so much for being so generous with your experiences there...who knew we would need to book our Europe trip backwards and THEN our International flight to get the time we wanted to spend in each city. One does live and learn and so I'll post on this subject in a day or two to help fellow travelers. Genie