© Henry Ren・Unsplash License

Portugal

Lisbon

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

Elétricos (trams), ascensores and funiculars

Tap a bank card and you ride, but at the on-board fare of 3.30 euros; load zapping first and the same ride is 1.72, with an hour of the whole CARRIS network included. Of the famous funiculars, only Graça is running.

Updated on August 5, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Get a navegante ocasional card
    Buy one at a metro ticket machine or a CARRIS shop, then load a single ticket, a 24-hour ticket or zapping onto it.
  2. 2
    Signal with your hand at the stop
    Trams don't stop unless you ask - raise your hand to signal as the one you want approaches.
  3. 3
    Validate the moment you board
    Hold a single card to the validator by the door and wait for the green light - never tap your whole wallet.
  4. 4
    No card? Buy the fare on board
    Buy from the conductor; on articulated trams use the machine in the middle of the car (some of those take no cash).
  5. 5
    At the funicular, pass holders board first
    At the Graça funicular, navegante pass holders get priority in the queue; occasional tickets wait behind them.

Fares

Single fares4

Tram fare bought on board (1 ride)
Bought from the conductor or the on-board machine; it dies when you step off, with no transfers
3.3 EUR ≈ $4
Ascensor/funicular fare bought on board (up to 2 rides)
Up to two rides the same day on the same line; the Graça funicular is the only one running
4.3 EUR ≈ $5
Pre-loaded single ticket (CARRIS/Metro)
60 minutes of unlimited CARRIS and metro travel from your first tap; no consecutive metro re-entry
1.9 EUR ≈ $2
Zapping (per trip)
One tap buys an hour across the whole regular CARRIS network; top up from 3 euros
1.72 EUR ≈ $2

Passes & multi-ride2

24-hour ticket (CARRIS/Metro)
24 hours from your first tap; 10.35 euros adds the Cacilhas ferry, 11.40 euros CP suburban trains
7.25 EUR ≈ $8
Lisboa Card (24/48/72 hours)
Free travel on CARRIS, the metro and CP's Sintra and Cascais lines; children pay 21-35 euros
31〜62 EUR ≈ $36–72

Card itself1

navegante ocasional card
The blank card you load tickets or zapping onto; valid one year and one product at a time
0.5 EUR ≈ $0.6

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
VISAMastercardMaestro
Tap the validator to pay the on-board fare; one card covers up to 10 people
IC card
Load a single, 24-hour ticket or zapping onto a navegante ocasional card
App tickets
Only MB WAY and Via Verde work, and both need a Portuguese bank account
Paper tickets
On-board fares print on thermal paper and expire when you step off that vehicle
Cash
Paid to the conductor; not on some articulated trams or the Graça funicular

Quick facts

Hours
5:40-23:50, varies by line
Frequency
Every 10-40 min by line
Fares from
3.3 EUR+
Inside a Lisbon tram: no-smoking and pickpocket warnings are posted above the door, and the woodwork is lettered with the capacity - 20 seated, 38 standing. Taken Jul 2023 © tomislav medak・CC BY-SA 2.0

Heads-up

  • Three ascensores and the Santa Justa lift are closed

    Glória, Bica and Lavra - all three historic ascensores - and the Santa Justa lift are out of service for testing, with no reopening date announced. Only the Graça funicular is running; CARRIS operates routes 51E, 22B and 19B as substitutes.

  • CARRIS itself warns riders about pickpockets on board

    CARRIS's own good-practice page tells riders in as many words to watch out for pickpockets (carteiristas) and to keep an eye on their belongings - on a crowded tram, keep valuables in front of you.

Timetable

Operating hours 5:40-23:50, varies by line
Typical duration The way up Lisbon's hills - faster than walking them
Check the official site for the latest times and service status