Lisbon Travel Tips: Know Before You Go

Lisbon Essentials at a Glance

Before You Go

Entry Requirements

Portugal is in the Schengen Area. US and Canadian citizens can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and since April 2026, the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU travelers' fingerprints and photo at the border. Check the latest rules before you travel.

Health and Insurance

EU visitors can use their European Health Insurance Card at public hospitals and health centers. Visitors from outside the EU should take out travel insurance that covers medical care. For non-urgent health advice, the SNS 24 health line is available around the clock on 808 24 24 24.

Money and Tipping

• Currency. Portugal uses the euro. Cards, including contactless, are widely accepted, but carry some cash for small cafés and markets.
• ATMs. Use the Multibanco cash machines run by banks, and avoid independent machines and exchange bureaus with high fees.
• Pay in euros. When a card machine offers to charge you in your own currency, choose euros, as the conversion rate offered is usually worse.
• Tipping. Tipping is appreciated but not mandatory. In restaurants, leave around 5 to 10% for good service or round up the bill. In cafés, leave small change.

Tourist tax. Lisbon charges a municipal tourist tax per person, per night, for guests aged 13 and over, up to a maximum of seven nights. It is paid to your hotel or rental, often at check-in or check-out.

Phones, Data and Electricity

• Plugs. Portugal uses Type C and F sockets, at 230 V and 50 Hz. Travelers from the US and Canada need a plug adapter. Most phone and laptop chargers work on both voltages, but other appliances may need a converter.
• Mobile data. Visitors with EU phone plans pay domestic rates under the EU's roam-like-at-home rules. From the US or Canada, roaming day passes can be expensive, so an eSIM or local data SIM is usually cheaper.
• Calling. Portugal's country code is +351, and Lisbon landline numbers start with 21.
• Wi-Fi. Most hotels, cafés and restaurants offer free Wi-Fi.

Safety

Portugal ranked 7th of 163 countries in the 2025 Global Peace Index, and Lisbon is generally safe for visitors. The main risk is pickpocketing, especially on Tram 28, on Tram 15 to Belém and in crowded parts of the Baixa.

• Keep your wallet out of your back pocket and your bag closed and in front of you.
• Do not rush to board a packed tram. Waiting for the next one is safer.
• Leave valuables and passports in your hotel safe, and carry only what you need for the day.
• If you are robbed, report it to the PSP tourist police station at Palácio Foz, on Praça dos Restauradores, and keep the report for your insurance.

Getting Around

The metro runs from about 6:30 am to 1 am, with trains every few minutes, and links the airport to the center. Trams and buses climb the hills, and suburban trains go to Sintra and Cascais. Pay with a reloadable navegante card, or a contactless bank card on the metro. Lisbon's historic elevators, including Santa Justa and the Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars, have been closed since September 2025.

Opening Hours

Hours vary, so check the specific place before you go. Closed pharmacies post the address of the nearest duty pharmacy, the farmácia de serviço, on their door.

Food and Drink Tips

• Lunch is the main meal for many locals, and many restaurants offer a good-value prato do dia, the dish of the day.
• Watch the couvert. Bread, olives and butter brought to your table before you order are not free, so send them back if you do not want them.
• Tap water is safe to drink. Ask for água da torneira.
• Stand at the counter in cafés. A coffee at the bar is the local way, and often cheaper than at a table.

What to Pack for Lisbon

• Comfortable shoes with good grip, for the hills and slippery cobblestones
• Layers, as evenings can be cool even in summer, and a light rain jacket from October to April
• Sun protection from spring to autumn
• A Type C or F plug adapter and a power bank
• A copy of your passport, with the original in your hotel safe
• Travel insurance details and your accommodation address

Useful Numbers

Note: SEF, the former border and immigration service listed in many older guides, was closed in October 2023. Its functions were split between the police and AIMA, the agency for migration.