We arrive at the Lisbon airport mid morning, and are looking for suggestions for transportation to an AirBNB near the Marquês de Pombal There are two of us & will have luggage. I have read varying opinions on Bus vs train vs Uber vs Taxi. I would love to hear people's thoughts.
Thanks
We used a taxi to get from the airport to our hotel also located near the Marques de Pombal. We think the taxi driver over charged us; however, I would still recommend taking a taxi, or I suppose Uber. We have never used Uber. I don't like taking public transportation with luggage. I prefer convenience over saving a few dollars. When we flew home from Lisbon, our hotel called us a private shuttle van they use, and that was less expensive than the taxi.
I took the metro into town to Rossio square (required one change). If the bus gets you almost directly to your destination, it may be easier. I didn't consider it because I prefer trains to buses and didn't mind changing.
Go on Google Maps and punch in the address of the lodging and get directions to the airport (change the depart time to about the time you'd be arriving at the airport) and see what public transit options it gives you. If you can do it with one connection and the metro stop at the end gets you very close, maybe it's worth going that way.
Let me preface this by saying I’m a public transit junkie. I love to figure out transportation options in every new city I visit, be it metro, tram, bus, ferry, you name it. I very rarely ever resort to Uber or taxi to get around with one exception....to and from Lisbon airport. Taxis are cheap in Lisbon. I was there in January. The taxi ride from the airport to Inspira Santa Marta hotel (about 10 blocks south of Marques de Pombal) was less than 10 euros. To get from the airport to Marques de Pombal on the metro is very doable but you will have to transfer from the red line to either the blue or yellow line. Coming off jet lag and with luggage this can be a pain. Splash out for the incredibly cheap taxi ride to and from Lisbon airport and remind yourself it’s less than the cost of most European public transit options to airports like Heathrow, Malpensa, Charles de Gaulle, etc for a single person by comparison. BTW- Lisbon has great public transit too. I highly recommend the free app “citymapper” to navigate metro, busses, trams, etc. Enjoy your trip. Lucky you!
I have used all of the transport options you mention. If you are coming from the States, I would suggest taxi or Uber so you don’t have to think too much.
Don’t get in the taxi line, though, as it can be very long. If you take the escalator in the arrivals hall up to departures, you can catch a taxi (dropping someone off) with no wait.
They are cracking down on Uber at the airport with a new limit on the number of times anyone can drop off or pick up at the so called ‘kiss and fly’ area. It’s across the street from where taxis drop people off. Since this is a new rule and I don’t know how it will play out, I would suggest a taxi over Uber.
rt,
I prefer using a Taxi as I want the quickest and easiest solution after arrival in a new city in a jet lagged state. The Taxi drops me at the front door of wherever I want to go, unlike a bus. I vaguely recall a note in the RS Portugal guidebook that suggested walking upstairs to the "Departures" area and finding a cab there as it might be a bit cheaper. However I haven't tried that method.
When we stayed in Lisbon recently we used a taxi. We priced out Uber beforehand, the taxi worked out cheaper and was very convenient. We also saw the Aerobus in Rossio square. This can be boarded right in front of the terminal and makes multiple stops in central Lisbon. But be careful there are two routes and be sure to catch the right one. The Ti booth at the airport can help.
But for our group of 4 taxi was more convenient and cost the same.
We also took the taxi from the Lisbon airport. 2 things to watch for...the meter may be set up to only show on the rear view mirror. Second, if you don't see the meter ask to see the meter before you start... I heard 2 other couples say that when they got to the hotel the taxi asked for 10 Euros over what was showing on the meter, and that happened to us as well. And none of us had excess luggage, all we had was carry on's. Our concierge said if that happens again just say no, you will only pay what is on the meter and you will call the police. Or have the hotel door man come over and negotiate for you... this over charging is a scam.
Taxi. Uber is great in the city but there is some rules restricting where they can be at the airport.
Last year we used the Aerobus. Easy pick up at the airport, took us to Praca do Commercio where we used a taxi to take us to our flat. Seems to me it was under 5 euros, and the ticket gave you access to the buses and funiculars for the remainder of the day. Luggage rack on bus.
In Athens we used Welcome Pickups and they operate in Lisbon. The driver was in contact via text and on time. Checked a quote for a trip next spring to Lisbon and an 11 AM pickup with 4 people and same # of bags is 21 euros. We were very pleased with them.
