Two days in Lisbon

[artnbarb]

Yes, I know it isn't slow travel, but this is just a little bonus at the end of our 11 week stay in Italy! We're taking the ferry from Rome to Barcelona, then taking a transatlantic cruise back to Tampa. We usually take whatever ship is leaving from Rome, but this year we'll not only spend more time in Barcelona than our usual one day stop, we'll also get TWO full days in Lisbon! Lisbon seems to be the hot new European city, and this will be our chance to check it out.

Trying to make the most of our time in Lisbon seems a little intimidating to me. The four historic districts: the Baixa, Bairro Alto, Alfama, and Belém, seem to be quite spread out. I realize we'll have to use public transportation due to the distances - and the hills! - but I'm still trying to figure out a logical plan for the 2 days. Normally I would start with a walking tour, and there are many to choose from, but each covers only one area, so I'm not sure it that's the best use of our time. We've also taken a sightseeing bus to get an overview, but I'm not yet sure what's available. I find the HOHO busses to be pretty pricey, but perhaps with 2 days we might get our money's worth.

I read the trip report written by @Kathy (Trekcapri) , but she had a lot more time there than we will! Anyone else have information on Lisbon?

 

[Andrew]

Largely outdated, but it gives me an occasion to find out that my 2000 trip report is still available on my former employer's server. If @Pauline can locate my 2007 report on SlowTrav on Portugal and Bilbao, the three days at the end were mostly a return to favorite places in Lisbon, and that might be useful.

 

[artnbarb]

I couldn't get the transportation link to open, but the information is probably outdated by now. I enjoyed reading your report, and appreciate your honesty when admitting that local transportation can be challenging!

 

[Andrew]

The official site for the public transportation system is http://www.carris.pt/en/home/ , and there's another informational page at https://www.lisbon.net/general-information

 

[Kathrynj]

You can see a fair amount in two full days in Lisbon. And, the areas you mention are all pretty close together. There is an elevator to assist you getting to Alfama from Baixa. You can find it by googling Elevador de Baixa, or by asking your hotel. You can also get from Baixa to Chiado by walking straight through the Baixa-Chiado metro station and taking the escalators up to Chiado.
Ascensor da Gloria is another way of getting from the Rossio area up to Barrio Alto.
If you want to visit Belem, the best and least crowded way is to take the train from the Cais de Sodré train station. It’s just a few stops and much less crowded (and prone to pickpockets) than tram 15.
‘Your friend in Lisbon’ does very good walking tours that Include Baixa, Chiado and Alfama. They also show you most of the elevators to assist you with the hills.