20 Travel Tips To Memorize Before Visiting Lisbon

On my trip to Lisbon, the biggest mistake I made was to not book tickets in advance. In particular, I’m referring to when I took a day trip to Sintra. I went to visit the palace and waited in line for over an hour to just get the ticket and then another hour just to get into the palace. Although I would’ve still had to wait, having a ticket in hand would’ve saved me a whole lot of time. Book tickets online to save yourself money (there are discounts online) and time when you visit attractions. 

Lisbon is filled with many great areas for nightlife, so choose your accommodations carefully. If you’re someone like me who loves to sleep, you won’t want to stay in those areas filled with nightlife or bars since you’ll be up all night. Opt to stay in Baixa, Chiado, or Marques de Pombal for quiet. 

I chose to stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon since it is a quiet area and is within walking distance to both Bairro Alto and Chiado. The hotel’s rooms were all recently redone (and look gorgeous) and we had an incredible balcony that overlooked the entire city. 

The Portuguese love their pastries—and their most famous one is something you can’t miss. Pasteis De Belem, the original pastry of the city, is the same as the Pasteis De Nata. It’s a puff pastry shell filled with a cream filling and it’s absolutely delicious. However, the Pasteis De Belem is the original pastry of the city with a secret recipe that nobody knows aside from the bakery. My tour guide told me that on their busiest day, the bakery can sell 35,000 of them. 

From what I experienced, Lisbon isn’t great with credit cards. When visiting, your best bet is to exchange some money to make sure you always have Euros on hand. 

Walking around the city is the best way to discover it. I opted to walk *just* about everywhere and loved seeing the shops, sites, and cute streets up close. It’s something I’d definitely recommend upon visiting any European city. 

Lisbon is famed for its seven different hills, so keep that in mind when selecting your shoes. Comfortable sneakers will be best, in my opinion, but choose whatever you’d be the most comfortable walking in. In addition, the tiles on the ground can also be uneven and slippery, which is something to keep in mind, too. 

IMO, you should always take lots of photos when visiting a new (or previously visited) international destination. It’s not only an affordable memento that’ll have you smiling from ear to ear when you reminisce on visiting.

To avoid the crowds, head to attractions like the Belem Tower, Praca De Comercio, and the palace in Sintra as early as you can. You’ll beat the crowds and get to take your time visiting the site. Overall, it’s an easy trick that’ll make the experience much, much better. 

Places get pretty full at night, so opt to make reservations in advance if you’re looking to eat at specific restaurants. You can try your hand at walking into restaurants, but it may be too full for them to take you so beware. Research Lisbon ahead of time and make reservations, trust me! 

As when visiting any city, it’s important to have a few Portuguese words in your arsenal. Bom dia means good morning, Boa tarde means good afternoon, and Boa noite means good night. Other important words to know are Ola, which means hello, Obrigado, which means thank you, and de nade, which means your welcome. 

Taxis in Lisbon have a tendency to overcharge customers and go the long way to hike up the bill—especially to Tourists. This personally happened to me twice, so I learned my lesson to take Ubers instead. They’ll cost less and save you from worrying about being overcharged. 

Spring in Portugal is the best time to visit Lisbon, IMO. Not only is it before the busy season, but it has nice weather and good rates, too. You’ll save money and get the city all to yourself. 

While Tram 28 is considered one of the big tourist attractions, many advised me to skip it. Not only is it often overcrowded, but it also has long lines and will often show you views and sites that you can see on your own. 

Chiado, an area within Lisbon, ended up being my favorite neighborhood in the city. It’s filled with cute shops, yummy restaurants, and is easy to walk around. After my first visit, I found myself heading back there a lot so I highly recommend taking a stroll around it. 

The plugs in Lisbon require plug converters, so don’t forget to pack them. You’ll need them for your chargers and other devices, which is why packing them is imperative to your trip. 

Cascais, a beach town in Portugal, is just a quick 50-minute ride outside of Lisbon. It’s a fabulous day trip and will show you a different side of Portugal. My hotel advised me to take a trip here and it was so relaxed—and a quiet alternative to the bustling city of Lisbon. 

The city’s signatures are pastel-colored buildings and hand-painted tiles, so make sure to take note of them. It adds to the charm of Lisbon and was absolutely endearing to look at. The tiles date back to the history of the city and bring you back in time to how Lisbon used to be. 

Lisbon is small and easily navigated, which means you won’t need tons of time there. A week was *way* too much time, even with the day trips planned. Plan for 3 or 4 days here and another few days in another city in Portugal, if you plan to spend a week there.