Navigate Lisbon by car with ease! Discover essential tips for driving in this charming but car-challenging city. Learn about parking solutions for a smoother experience.
Maybe you’ve been to Lisbon before and you kind of have a clue of how the situation is, but if you’re going to Lisbon for the first time, and especially if you’re thinking of either going by car or renting it, you better be aware of how things are in the Portuguese capital.
We’re going to be straightforward in saying this: Lisbon is, in general, not made for cars. The main reason for this is that the streets are usually super narrow, some of them are in very steep hills and trams are going around and also buses making the streets busier and the traffic even crazier.
Considering the latter, and the size of the capital, driving in Lisbon is many times unnecessary since the distances are usually not that long and the city is well connected by public transport and if you want to hear the truth, the city is best explored by foot. However, if you want to go and explore further than just Lisbon city, going around by car makes a lot of sense to reach nearby smaller cities and beaches.
Considering the latter, and the size of the capital, driving in Lisbon is many times unnecessary since the distances are usually not that long and the city is well connected by public transport and if you want to hear the truth, the city is best explored by foot. However, if you want to go and explore further than just Lisbon city, going around by car makes a lot of sense to reach nearby smaller cities and beaches.
Let’s start with a fact that’s not obvious to everyone, in Portugal people drive on the right-hand side of the car and also on the road, the use of seatbelts is compulsory and the alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l when driving which means a maximum of a small beer. Locals are a bit impatient when driving so if you take it chill and calm, maybe you could be a bit surprised by the way that Portuguese people drive.
Before we talk about the best parking spots in Lisbon it’s important you familiarize yourself with EMEL, the company responsible for managing parking in the city and distributing fines. The following information is crucial to get an idea how parking works in Lisbon:
In Lisbon, there are designated resident zones in the city center where parking is reserved primarily for residents with valid parking permits. These zones are made to facilitate the process of finding a parking spot for residents. Non-residents who park in these areas without proper authorization may be subject to fines or penalties. Later in this post, we will explain how to get a parking permit, if applicable to your living situation.
We would advise you to never try to ignore EMEL’s rules. EMEL takes parking enforcement seriously, especially in resident zones. They regularly patrol these areas to ensure compliance with parking regulations. If you park in a resident zone without a valid resident parking permit, there is a high likelihood of receiving a parking ticket or having your vehicle towed. They have physical patrol officers who monitor parking activity and issue fines when violations are detected. They utilize electronic systems and license plate recognition technology to identify unauthorized vehicles.
EMEL allows you to ask for a permit for the parking spots in your residence and in a nearby residence. With this permit, you will be able to park without constraints in the appropriate places. Each address can have up to 3 permits and it’s valid for 1 year. The requires documents are the following:
You will find them around central Lisbon, there is a maximum number of hours you can be parked at these spots, and prices are defined by fare zones, all of them charged every 15 minutes slots, green fare costs €0.80 per hour with a four-hour limit, the yellow fare is €1.20 per hour with a four-hour limit, the red fare price is €1.60 per hour with a two-hour limit, the brown fare is €2 per hour with a two-hour limit and the black fare costs €3 per hour with a two-hour limit. Red, brown, and black fares are areas with the biggest demand, which include Lisbon downtown, that’s why the price is higher. It depends on which fare zone you park, but parking meters are in effect from 9 am to 7 pm and some till 1 am during the weekdays. However, black and brown fare zones have the meters in effect on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm. And all fare zone meters are, usually, not in effect during Sundays and public holidays.
To make use of the meters, first, be aware that they only accept coins or it is also possible to pay by the ePark app on your phone, then after you park your car find the closest meter on the street, confirm the parking time limit with the green button then the ticket should be visible on your car.
Be careful when parking on the street around Lisbon though, there are parking lots, especially for the use of residents only, and some others for people with disabilities, you just have to be aware of the signs on the parking spaces.
Since the parking spaces on the streets are very limited, there are diverse private and public parking garages in the Portuguese capital, most of them open every day of the week, 24 hours a day. The prices vary depending on where the garage is located, but in downtown, you could expect to pay around €2.00 for the first hour.
Some of the parking garages that you can find in Lisbon center are located in Baixa-Chiado, Praça Luís de Camões in Chiado, Praça do Município in Baixa, Martim Moniz, Marquês de Pombal.
To make use of a parking garage just approach the entrance and you’ll find a machine where you’ll need to pull a ticket out that you’ll have to keep until you pay the parking fee in the machines, using cash or card, before getting back to your car.
Now that we mentioned the different parking options you have, we will talk about specific parking spots. When it comes to parking, it is common that some hotels, Airbnbs, or other kinds of accommodations don’t have their own parking space for guests so if you are in the city by car, you’ll need to find one on your own. In general, it is super tricky and difficult to find a parking spot, especially in the city center but on the outskirts of Lisbon, it’s quite simple to find parking areas. Despite this, we will tell you about the parking options in important zones of Lisbon:
Located in the east of Lisbon, this is one of the newest areas of the city and a very interesting place to visit. Although it is very difficult to park for free in the center of Parque das Nações, there are some very interesting alternatives that are close to public transport, in this case the Sacavém train station and bus stops. Between Sacavém station and Moscavide there are some streets and parks where you can leave your car, then head to the city center by public transport. Here you can leave your car near the Parque do Rio urbanization, very close to Colégio Pedro Arrupe. The free parking is at the end of Via do Oriente and Passeio dos Heróis do Mar, in the south-north direction.
Near the Lx Factory and the Carris Museum you will find a series of streets and avenues where you can park freely. For example, Rua Luís de Camões is one of the few streets where parking on the sidewalk is still allowed. However, please keep in mind that this may not be the best option due to potential parking restrictions and limited availability. We recommend considering alternative options in parallel streets. Examples of these streets would be Rua da Esperança, Rua da Travessa, or Rua das Janelas Verdes. In this zone, you also have a parking garage in “Rua dos Lusíados 5”. The garage has the capacity of 97 cars. For the first 15 minutes the cost is 0,7€ and after this period, each additional 15 minutes it’s an extra 0,30€. The maximum daily cost is 25€. You can also buy the monthly pass which is 75€ and you can park from 8am to 20pm.
Being one of the most iconic and visited zones in Lisbon, it’s normal that finding a parking spot close to monuments such as “Padrão dos Descobrimentos”, can be challenging. However, it’s one of the zones where you will find the biggest amount of free parking options. In “Rua da Junqueira” (in the entire area of Belém gardens and Praça do Império, as well as in front of the National Palace of Belém) you will find a parking meter but in most of the other streets the parking is free. Some streets you might want to keep in mind that are free are Rua Dom Lourenço de Almeida, Bartolomeu Dias, dos Jerónimos, Vila Correia, João de Bastos, Calçada Galvão.
To be completely honest, parking in Lisbon's old town, particularly in areas like Alfama, Mouraria, and Bairro Alto, is a complete mess. The narrow streets and limited parking spaces make it difficult to find available parking in these areas. It's advisable to explore alternative transportation options or utilize parking facilities located outside the old town. A good alternative to parking in these zones is parking in the city center and benefit from convenient public transport connections.
For that, you have these options:
Lisbon has several Park and Ride facilities located on the outskirts of the city. These parking lots are well-connected to public transport, such as metro or bus lines, allowing you to park your car and easily reach the city center. Examples include the Oriente Park and Ride near Parque das Nações or the Sete Rios Park and Ride near Jardim Zoologico.
Some metro stations in Lisbon offer parking facilities, including Jardim Zoológico, Pontinha, and Colégio Militar/Luz. These parking lots allow you to park your car and conveniently continue your journey using the metro network.
In case you decide to go around Lisbon by car, we hope this information is useful for your stay!