negotiating Lisbon with walking handicap

Lisbon is a lot like San Francisco if you are familiar with that city. IMO, stay in a central location and use the buses, trollies and trams to get around. Cascais was charming and on the ocean so not so hilly if you stay in town. I’m not sure how to avoid hills in Sintra since the town is built on the side of a hill.

The ideal area to stay is the Baixa. It is flat, has good access to public transport (trams, metro). Uber or Bolt is widely available and very affordable and can easily drop you directly where you need to be.

I agree with the other comments. I have had knee problems since living in Cascais and am able to manage quite well using the bus system and walking on the flatter areas. Baixa is flat but you will want to see the other areas. I use Bolt and Uber when I go to Lisbon these days. One word of caution about that, though. Don’t call for transport in a large plaza, as they have trouble distinguishing exactly where you are. Go up or down a street a bit to a specific store or restaurant before calling. That way you can message the driver the name of that establishment if needed.

I recently took a Tuk Tuk with a visitor so they could see an overview of the city. That works quite well. But, they aren’t a very comfortable ride on the cobblestones.. And, that is only a one time thing, not good to use regularly.

I would recommend avoiding the metro. There are elevators and escalators in most, but it’s common to find at least one not working.

Portugal is very far behind the U.S. when it comes to handicap accessible, but it is doable. I still love living here, despite the challenges.

Thank you for your suggestions! I’ll start looking for a place to stay in Baixa.