From Lisbon airport to the centre
1 h route4 stopsBest: All yearUpdated July 2026
Humberto Delgado is one of the big airports closest to its city centre: seven kilometres, practically inside Lisbon, with a metro station in the terminal itself. That makes arriving easy and cheap… except for a misunderstanding that almost every guide carries.
The misunderstanding is the AeroBus, the express bus straight to the centre that shows up in blogs, forums and printed guides. It no longer exists: it was withdrawn in 2022 and hasn’t returned. If you look for its stop in the terminal, you waste your time. The real options today are the metro, the Carris buses and the taxi.
The route, stop by stop
4 STOPS- 01
The metro, red line
The Aeroporto station sits inside Terminal 1 and starts the red line. It’s the cheapest option and traffic-proof. The important caveat is that the red line doesn’t pass through the historic centre: it ends at São Sebastião, so for the Baixa you change at Alameda to the green line, or at Saldanha to the yellow.
With light luggage it’s the best option. With two big cases and a change in between, a taxi may pay off.
It’s worth having the card loaded or checking the metro app before leaving the terminal.
- 02
The AeroBus that’s no longer there
The AeroBus spent years as the direct express link from the airport to the centre and the hotels, which is why so many blogs and guides recommend it. It stopped running in 2022 and hasn’t been revived. It’s the perfect example of a fact copied from one source to the next long after it stopped being true. We note it here precisely so you don’t look for it: no desk, no stop, no ticket. What replaces it is the combination of metro and Carris city buses.
- 03
The Carris buses
The ordinary Carris city buses stop at the airport and run on a normal transport ticket, cheaper than any shuttle. By day, the 744 goes down to Marquês de Pombal via Gare do Oriente. The 783 heads west. They’re slower than the metro and you carry the bags, but they leave you central.
Through the small hours, when the metro closes, there’s the 208 of the Rede da Madrugada, connecting the airport with Oriente, Santa Apolónia and Cais do Sodré roughly between 00:30 and 05:00. For a flight landing at night, it’s the cheap alternative to a taxi.
- 04
Taxi, Uber and Bolt
With the centre only seven kilometres off, a taxi is quick and not unreasonable. The ranks are outside Terminal 1.
From the airport a small luggage surcharge is sometimes applied, which is legal. Ask for a receipt and, in a taxi, that the meter is running.
Uber and Bolt (here, and across Portugal, called TVDE) work normally and usually pick up in a marked area of the terminal. With luggage, at night or in a group, it’s the most convenient, and the price is known in advance in the app.
Frequently asked
Does the AeroBus still exist in Lisbon?
No. The AeroBus was withdrawn in 2022 and hasn’t returned, though many guides and blogs still recommend it. To get from the airport to the centre today there are the metro (red line), the Carris buses and taxis or the TVDE apps.
Does the airport metro reach central Lisbon?
It gets close, not direct. The red line leaves Terminal 1 and ends at São Sebastião. For the Baixa you change at Alameda to the green line or at Saldanha to the yellow. It’s the cheapest and traffic-proof, but with luggage and a change it can be less convenient than a taxi.