Hi all,
We are due to fly to Lisbon (from Canada) in 17 days. We've all been reading the horror stories about airports lately. Anyone with a recent arrival story to share? How long did you spend in the immigration/customs line if you were a Canadian or American traveller (not EU or UK)? Trying to figure out when to book our Welcome Pickup transfer as we're heading straight to Sintra. We are taking carry-on only, so hopefully that speeds things up a bit!
Posted by
Hudson Valley
2267 posts
Not connected to the recent stories popping up, but Lisbon has long been notorious for long, slow immigration lines.
One upside is that you almost certainly won’t have to wait for your luggage—it’ll be out and waiting well before you clear immigration.
Posted by
Virginia
6 posts
Arrived today DC to Lisbon. They redirected our entire flight to go through some EU lines that were empty so it took about 5 minutes.
The main arrival area was packed, easily several hours wait.
No check of anything other than passport and purpose of trip. No check for vax card or test
Posted by
North Carolina
91 posts
Arrived on the 9th (3 days ago) around 9:15am local time and we had about a 30 min wait in immigration lines. There were three stands open for non EU passport holders. No one was ever waiting in the EU line with its single immigration stand.
Posted by
Marquette, MI
104 posts
I just transited through Lisbon on 05/29/2022. I was headed from Madrid to Toronto. My flight out of Lisbon was delayed 4 hours, so I had quite a bit of time in the airport. I could see the passport control lines from my terminal (separated by glass), and I don’t ‘mean to sound alarmist, but I have never seen a line like that. I’m sure it was a few hours long. I actually took a video and sent it to my husband. I assumed it was a matter of multiple large flights arriving at the same time, limited staff, etc… but I have never flown out of Lisbon, so have nothing to compare it to. I’m sorry for the negative report.
For what it’s worth, I will also report that the condition of the Lisbon airport was noticeably bad. It was quite dirty (as in, old coffee spilled down the wall, trays/plates piled up on the few tables available near a food court, etc…), and in disrepair (broken floor tiles - with holes large enough to step into), I was honestly fairly shocked. I don’t know if this was confined to the terminal I was in, or if the entire airport fairs similarly. I tell you this simply so that you are prepared. Bring a good mask, a book, and get some water.
We spent two weeks in Portugal in 2012 (flew into/out of Porto), and had a wonderful time. It’s a beautiful country with so much to see and do. My review here should only reflect on the Lisbon airport! I hope that your arrival goes smoothly and that you have a wonderful time.
Posted by
Missouri City, TX, USA
18 posts
We arrived in Lisbon (US traveler) on the 15th and were prepared for the worst. While the line seemed long it moved quickly and we cleared customs and picked up our luggage in 45 mins. Since you mentioned Sintra, buy ahead. Long lines and crowded buses to get up the hill to the Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle. Took us over an hour waiting for a bus to get down the mountain and into the town. Go early or late otherwise it is just one long line winding through the palace.