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Portugal

Lisbon

A city of seven hills above the Atlantic. The yellow trams that climb them are sights in themselves.

Taxis (táxi) and ride-hailing (TVDE)

Taxis and apps price in opposite ways. Taxis run on a nationally fixed meter tariff - night rate all day at weekends and holidays. Uber and Bolt price freely, though surge is capped at twice their 72-hour average.

Updated on August 5, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Take a taxi at a rank or flag one down
    Ride only in a licensed car with a lit roof sign and a meter; app cars cannot be picked up on the street.
  2. 2
    Check the meter is running
    Make sure the meter is switched on as you set off; if the driver will not run it, do not stay in the car.
  3. 3
    Book ride-hailing only inside the app
    By law Uber and Bolt rides must be booked in the app - never go with a driver who approaches you.
  4. 4
    At the airport, meet your app car at P2, level 2
    Order a Bolt or Uber at the airport and meet it in car park P2, level 2 (arrivals); taxis queue outside the terminals.
  5. 5
    Crossing a city boundary changes the tariff
    Leaving the municipality - for Sintra, say - ends the urban tariff, and the driver must tell you when the tariff changes.
  6. 6
    Paying and the receipt
    App rides are paid electronically only; in a taxi always take the receipt when you get out.

Typical costs

Fixed-price routes1

Taxi Voucher (prepaid fixed price from the airport)
Three zones inside Lisbon - 16 to 27.90 by day, 19.20 to 33.50 at night and at weekends, up to 4 people
16〜33.5 EUR ≈ $19–39

How the meter adds up6

Taxi flag fall (bandeirada)
3.25 on weekdays 06:00-21:00; 3.90 at night and all day at weekends and holidays, covering the first 990 m
3.25〜3.9 EUR ≈ $4–5
Taxi distance rate (per km)
0.53 by day and 0.64 at night and weekends for up to 4 passengers; 0.67 and 0.80 in larger cars
0.53〜0.64 EUR ≈ $0.6–0.7
Taxi waiting time (per hour)
The waiting-time part of the meter - 16.50 by day, 19.80 at night and at weekends
16.5〜19.8 EUR ≈ $19–23
Luggage and pet supplements
1.60 each for a bag in the boot or a pet; items under 55x35x20 cm, wheelchairs and guide dogs are free
1.6 EUR ≈ $2
Phone or radio dispatch supplement
Added when a taxi is ordered by phone or radio dispatch; not charged at a rank or when you flag one down
0.8 EUR ≈ $0.9
Per-km rate once you leave the municipality
Past the municipal boundary the urban tariff ends; this is the rate when the driver returns empty
1.06〜1.27 EUR ≈ $1

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

Taxis can be taken at a rank, flagged down or phoned; Uber and Bolt may legally be contracted only by booking in the app.

Payment

Tap to ride
The apps run on a registered card; check whether a taxi has a card terminal
App tickets
Uber and Bolt handle booking and payment inside the app
Cash
Cash works in a taxi; by law ride-hailing must be paid electronically

Tap for where to get the app

Quick facts

Fares from
16 EUR+

Heads-up

  • The taxi fare rules are being replaced - start date unknown

    Lisbon's taxi tariff is due to be replaced outright and the new rules are already published in the official gazette, but as of August 2026 they still have no start date. They cut the flag fall to 2.00 euros, charge distance and time together across the whole trip, abolish the luggage and pet supplements while keeping only the dispatch fee, and shift the day/night boundary from 06:00 and 21:00 to 07:00 and 22:00. The start was first set for 19 June, then put back twice after the trade bodies objected; at the end of July the regulator retied it to the 30th day after the new ride-hailing (TVDE) law takes effect - and that law has not been published either. So check the figures in this fare table right before you ride.

  • Never hire a driver who approaches you, and check the meter

    Whether at the airport or on Avenida da Liberdade, do not agree a price on the spot with a driver who comes up to you. The airport operator states that taxi and TVDE rides are contracted at the proper place or through an app and never through someone approaching you in the terminal. Ride-hailing cars may legally be contracted only through the platform, and operating outside it costs a company 5,000 to 15,000 euros. In a taxi, check the meter is running from the start; if the driver will not run it, the regulator's own advice is to end the ride and find another taxi.

Timetable

Typical duration About 20 minutes by road from the airport to the city centre; the narrow, hilly old town clogs up easily
Check the official site for the latest times and service status