How to get to Lisbon Airport by Train

Lisbon Airport is also known as the Lisbon Portela Airport, due to its location, and is differentiated from other airports by its code of LIS. This is the main airport in Portugal, with over 29 million passengers per annum, and is also one of the larger airports in Southern Europe. Lisbon Airport is found between Lisboa, the capital city of Portugal, and Loures, and approximately halfway up the western coastline of the country. The terminal buildings of the airport are well equipped for the needs of passengers, and a number of transport options are available, but there are no direct Lisbon Airport train connections. However, by train remains a popular way to travel in Lisbon and Portugal in general, and there are many railway stations in and nearby the city.

Lisbon Airport is one of the few airports in Europe that are situated within a major city. This airport is surrounded by urban development, and is only approximately 7 km from Lisboa city centre. Nearby the airport are the areas of Portela, Campo Grande and Musgueira, and the airport also provides access to the popular tourist areas nearby, of Estoril, Cascais and Almada. There are two terminal buildings at the airport, and bus stops which can provide connections to the nearby train stations are easily located outside the arrival areas. The public transport system in Lisbon, made up of trains, buses, trams and the Funicular, offer an excellent way to travel the city, and are often considered as something which should be part of every tourist’s ‘to-do’ list.

Even though trains are not directly available from Lisbon Airport, buses provide transport to the railway stations of Entrecampos, Cais do Sodré and Oriente. These buses are referred to as the Aerobuses, and are available every twenty minutes to half an hour between early morning hours and later evening hours, in both directions. Tickets for the buses can be purchased from the bus driver, or from the Tourism Information Office at the airport. There are also bus services offered by the Carris Bus Company, to many areas of the city, but the Aerobus is a better option if you have luggage to load, as the Carris buses will accept only luggage with minimum dimensions.

The three train stations linked to Lisbon Airport by bus are very nearby, approximately only a fifteen to twenty minute journey for Oriente and Entrecampos, and a little longer for Cais do Sodré, found towards the south of Lisboa, on the coastline. The Oriente Railway station is one of the main stations in Lisboa, and is located to the west of the airport, while Entrecampos is to the south of the airport, in the Campo Grande area. Oriente is the nearest to Lisbon Airport, and is found in the popular and modern area of Parque das Nacões. All trains with various destinations in Portugal pass by the Oriente Station, although their main departure point is the Santa Apolonia Station, nearby the city center. This Station by Alfama is Lisbon’s largest railway station. From Lisbon Airport, train stations can also easily be reached by taxi, as there is a taxi rank available at the airport.

In general, the Entrecampos train station can be used for connections to Sintra, the São Sebastião for the Gulbenkian Museum and the Colegio Militar-Luz for the Colombo shopping mall and the Benfica Stadium. The Jardim Zoologico is nearby the Sete Rios bus terminal for all express buses travelling to destinations across the country, and the Cais do Sodré station offers regular connections to Cascais and Estoril, which are two popular seaside areas in Portugal, to the west of Lisboa. The Oriente railway station has connections to national and international train services, and all the Parque das Nacões attractions.

Other forms of transport in Lisbon include the tram and funicular services. There are five tram lines in the city, all offering a wonderful way to get from one point to another, and also to admire many of the city’s tourist attractions. Three of the five tracks still operate the traditional trams which were manufactured between 1936 and 1947. Tram 28 is one of the favourite routes in the city, and is often traveled by tourists as it passes many of the ‘Old Town’ Lisbon attractions and other interesting sites, including monuments, churches and garden areas. The Tram 15 is a good option for reaching Belem from downtown Lisbon, and can be taken from Figueira Square or Comercio Square. The funiculars are a unique aspect of Lisbon which link the lower city to the residential areas in the hills, and Santa Justa’s Elevator is a popular way to reach Trindade, on top of the hill.

From Lisbon Airport, train, bus and tram tickets can be purchased from the Tourist Information Office. The same ticket can actually be used on all the public transport services in Lisbon, and some of the cheaper and more convenient options include the Lisboa Card and the rechargeable ‘7 Colinas’ cards, or Viva Viagem Cards. The Lisbon Card is useful and more economical for those who will be extensively using the public transport services, and who will be interested in visiting the many museums, art galleries and other attractions in the city. There are also multiple-day tickets available, allowing unlimited travel for 24 hours, and an unlimited pass useful for travelling for a week or more on the metro, tram or bus services.