Lisbon is appearing on every bucket-list, Pinterest board and travel Instagram account lately. And after spending 4 days there, I completely understand why.
Despite my high expectations, this rainbow coloured city did not disappoint.
If Lisbon isn’t already on your ‘must-see’ list, change that ASAP.
Before you go, I want to share 10 lisbon lessons that I learned during my trip, to help you have the best possible experience in Portugal’s capital city.
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Wear comfortable shoes
One thing I did not anticipate, were the HILLS. Holy smokes, I was not prepared for how many mini mountains disguised as cobbled streets we would climb in our short stay. Even on the rare flat street, the sidewalks are often made from beautiful, but uneven and slippery, mosaic tiles. It’s definitely a city best explored by foot, just a foot in a supportive comfortable shoe.
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Avoid the tram queues
The yellow tram is to Lisbon as the Colosseum is to Rome. A must-see, with the queues and tourists to boot. The number 28 tram is the most popular tourist attraction the city offers, and the ride through the streets of Lisbon is great, but there are a few things you can do to avoid/ minimise your wait.
- Go early in the morning or late at night. This isn’t new or revolutionary information, but the queues don’t lie.
- Instead of starting at Martim Moniz, take the metro to the end (Campo De Ourique) and ride the tram in reverse. When we de-boarded, the queues at CDO looked a lot smaller.
- If you’re not super fussy about riding the number 28, there are a number of other trams around the city that look the exact same and were way quieter on board.
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When on the tram, stand at the back.
The seats on the tram are rather rickety, and if you don’t have a window seat your views will be pretty minimal. By walking to the back and standing you get a panoramic view as you wind through the streets.
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Get an Airbnb with a rooftop
Getting an Airbnb in the old town (Alfalma) is a must. Not only does having a kitchen mean you can save money by cooking your own breakfast & dinner, you’ve also got a private space to admire the sunset, relax with a drink at the end of a long day (if weather permits) and of course, shamelessly take 1,000,000 pictures against the infamous backdrop of terracotta rooftops.
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Eat as many pastel de nata as possible
Often translated as egg or custard tart, this Portuguese specialty is a pastry filled with creamy custardy goodness. Usually homemade, and small enough that you can totally have more than one in a day, need I say more?
(I don’t have a picture of any pastel de nata, but in true The Jenna Way form, I do have gelato…)
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Don’t trust Google maps
I rely heavily on Google maps when I travel (thanks 3 Mobile for international data plan!) But in Lisbon, you should add 50% extra onto whatever time it suggests, to factor in the concrete-Everests that may appear around any corner. At one point, our directions took us up such a steep of stairs, the council is in the process of installing an escalator into the street! If someone could invent a map that allows you to calculate the flatest route instead of the shortest.. that’d be much appreciated!*
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Take a day-trip to Sintra
While technically not a Lisbon tip, if you have the time, a day trip to Sintra is highly recommended. The place deserves a blog post to itself, but in summary, you can get there for around 5 euros by train and it takes about an hour. There are beautiful gardens, ancient buildings and a brilliantly colourful castle to explore. It’s photography heaven… except on the day I went when the fog was so thick I could barely see 3ft ahead #TheStruggleIsReal.
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Order multiple coffees
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the coffee cups in Europe are TOO SMALL. As someone who functions on 5-6 mugs of the good stuff a day, I have learned my lesson and now order multiple coffees at any meal (or any opportunity I get).
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Don’t rent bikes (Or anything that involves being on the road)
I absolutely love renting bikes to explore a new city, particularly in Europe, but Lisbon is the exception. In addition to the previously mentioned excessive inclines, there are uneven surfaces, tram tracks and generally crazy driving that leads me to strongly discourage anyone trying to operate anything with wheels in Lisbon. Stick to walking (see points 1 & 6).
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Use the metro
When walking is just too far, or steep, Lisbon has a really efficient and extensive Metro system. A single ride is less than 2 euros and there are day passes available if you plan on using it a lot. The stations are easy to navigate and the displays indicating when the next metro is due is specific to the second. It actually counts down in seconds. Mind blown. On 2 journeys we also experienced live music from buskers, so even underground you can’t escape the incredible atmosphere Lisbon has to offer.
I hope that you found these tips useful and that you can learn from my experiences and avoid some of my mistakes. Leave a comment below if you’ve been to Lisbon and I’ve forgotten anything! Oh, and let me know what you think of it when you visit, I know you’re going to love it.
