Lisbon Airport Guide: Terminals, Arrivals and Transfers

This Lisbon Airport guide covers the thing most airport pages skip: the two-terminal trap that makes people miss flights. Humberto Delgado (LIS) handles every arrival in Terminal 1, but a large slice of departures leave from Terminal 2 — a separate building with no metro station, no walkway and a shuttle bus as the only way to reach it. Get that wrong and no amount of arriving early will save you. Here is the whole airport: terminals, arrivals, every route into the city with 2026 prices, departures, facilities and the mistakes that catch people out.

The basics

• Name: Aeroporto Humberto Delgado, also called Lisbon Portela.
• Code: LIS.
• Distance: about 7 km from the city centre — roughly twenty minutes on the metro.
• Terminals: two, T1 and T2, connected only by a free shuttle bus.
• Metro: Aeroporto station, the eastern terminus of the Red Line, attached to Terminal 1.

The defining fact about LIS is that it sits inside the city, with a single runway, handling more traffic than any other single-runway airport in mainland Europe. That produces two consequences you will feel: the transfer into town is unusually quick and cheap, and the airport runs at or beyond capacity for large parts of the day, which is why LIS has a reputation for delays. Portugal has committed to a replacement airport at Alcochete across the river, but that is a project measured in years, not seasons — plan around the airport that exists.

Terminal 1 and Terminal 2: the thing to get right

Terminal 1

The main building, and the one where every arrival is processed regardless of which airline you flew or which terminal it departs from. Immigration, baggage reclaim, customs and the arrivals hall are all here, as are the metro station, the taxi rank, the bus stops and the car hire desks.

T1 also handles most departures, including TAP Air Portugal, easyJet, British Airways and every long-haul carrier. It has the wider choice of food, shops and lounges, plus the left-luggage lockers.

Terminal 2

A smaller, more basic building on the other side of the airfield, used for low-cost departures only. The carriers based here are Ryanair, Wizz Air, Transavia, Eurowings, Vueling and Norwegian.

What matters about T2:

• It is departures only. Even if you fly out of T2, you will land back at T1.
• There is no metro station and no pedestrian route. The free shuttle bus from T1 is the only way there.
• The shuttle takes about three minutes and runs roughly every ten to fifteen minutes.
• Facilities are limited compared with T1 — fewer places to eat, fewer shops, less seating.

The mistake people make

Two versions of it. The first is arriving by metro, walking into T1, and only then discovering your Ryanair flight leaves from T2 — you now need to find the shuttle stop, wait for it and ride across, which realistically costs twenty to thirty minutes including the wait. The second, worse version is a taxi or Uber that drops you at T1 by default because that is where the driver always goes.

Check your terminal on your boarding pass before you leave your accommodation, and if it says T2, tell your driver explicitly. Cars can drive directly to T2. If you are taking the metro there is no alternative: you arrive at T1 and take the shuttle, so build the extra half hour in.

Arriving at Lisbon Airport

Immigration

Everything lands at T1. If you are arriving from within the Schengen area there is no passport control at all — you walk from the gate to baggage reclaim. From outside Schengen, you pass through border control, where EU, EEA and Swiss passports use the separate, faster lane and everyone else queues in the third-country lane.

That third-country queue is LIS’s weakest point and can be genuinely long at peak times. If you have a tight onward connection, this is the part of the journey to worry about rather than the flight.

The paperwork side — ETIAS, the EES biometric checks and passport validity rules — is covered in our Portugal entry requirements guide.

Baggage and customs

Reclaim is straightforward and the belts are well signed. Customs is the usual green and red channel arrangement. Coming from another EU country you will normally walk straight through.

The arrivals hall

Compact and easy to navigate. You will find ATMs, car hire desks, a tourist information point and the usual cafés. Two pieces of advice:

• Use a bank ATM, and always decline the machine’s own currency conversion. The standalone yellow-branded machines in airport halls apply poor rates. Our money and currency guide explains the trap properly.
• You do not need to buy a SIM at the airport. Prices are better in town and most visitors are fine on EU roaming anyway — see our SIM and wi-fi guide.

Getting from the airport to the city

Metro — the default answer

The Red Line (Linha Vermelha) starts at Aeroporto station, directly beneath Terminal 1, and reaches the centre in about twenty minutes.

• Cost: €1.90 for a single, valid one hour across metro and Carris buses. There is no airport supplement.
• The card: you must first buy a rechargeable Navegante ocasional card for €0.50, valid a year, from the machines in the station. One card per person — it cannot be shared.
• Day ticket: €7.25 for 24 hours on Carris and the metro, worth it if you are going straight out sightseeing.
• Changes: the Red Line does not go to Baixa directly. Change at Alameda for the Green Line to Rossio and Baixa, or at São Sebastião for the Blue Line to Restauradores and Avenida.

The honest assessment: cheap, quick, frequent and completely reliable — and awkward if you have a large case and a hotel up a hill, because you will be carrying it up steps at the far end and Lisbon does not do flat. Our metro guide covers the network properly.

Taxi

The rank is directly outside arrivals and the queue moves quickly. Lisbon taxis are metered, and the 2026 urban rate is €0.96 per kilometre with a minimum fare of €3.32. Between 21:00 and 06:00, at weekends and on public holidays, that rises by around twenty per cent to €1.21 per kilometre with a €3.98 minimum. There is a €1.60 luggage surcharge on top.

In practice a ride into central Lisbon comes to roughly €15 to €20, and more in traffic or at night. Insist on the meter, which is the law, and be wary of any driver who quotes a flat price before you get in.

Uber and Bolt

Both operate at LIS and both are typically a little cheaper than a metered taxi, though surge pricing on a busy evening can flip that. The important practical detail is that ride-hail cars do not collect from the taxi rank — there is a designated pickup area, signposted from arrivals, and your driver will direct you to it. Our Uber and Bolt guide has the specifics.

Buses

Carris city buses serve the airport and cost the same €1.90 as the metro, or €2.30 if you pay the driver on board. They are slower than the metro and involve luggage on a crowded bus, so they are a niche choice — worth it only if a single bus happens to run to your door. Note that the dedicated Aerobus shuttle was discontinued in 2022; if a website is still recommending it, that website is out of date.

Private transfers

Pre-booked cars cost more than a taxi — typically €25 to €40 for a saloon into the centre — and buy you a fixed price, a name board at arrivals and a vehicle sized for your group. Genuinely worth it for families with young children, for groups of four or more where the per-head cost lands near a taxi’s, and for very late arrivals. Not worth it for a couple with hand luggage.

Car hire

Desks are in the arrivals area, with the pickup garage a short walk or shuttle away. The real question is whether you want a car at all: central Lisbon is a bad place to drive and a worse place to park, and everything inside the city is better reached on foot or by metro. Hire on the day you leave the city, not the day you arrive. Our car hire guide makes the case in detail.

Which should you choose?

• Light luggage, staying centrally, daytime: metro. It is €1.90 and twenty minutes.
• Big cases, or a hotel on a hill: taxi or Bolt. Ten euros to avoid dragging a case up Alfama is money well spent.
• Family or group of four-plus: a taxi or a pre-booked transfer, on cost per head alone.
• Arriving after midnight: taxi or ride-hail. The metro stops running around 01:00.

Our dedicated airport to city centre guide goes deeper on each option and on journey times to specific neighbourhoods.

Departing from Lisbon Airport

How early to arrive

Two hours for a Schengen flight, three for anything long-haul or non-Schengen, and add half an hour on top if you are flying from Terminal 2, purely to absorb the shuttle. LIS security queues are unpredictable — often ten minutes, sometimes forty at the morning and early-evening peaks — and the airport’s capacity problems show up here more than anywhere else.

The Terminal 2 shuttle

The stop is outside Terminal 1, signposted, and the bus is free. Ride time is about three minutes and services run roughly every ten to fifteen minutes, but the bus fills up, and at peak times you may watch one leave without you. Budget thirty minutes from stepping off the metro at T1 to standing in the T2 check-in queue.

If you are taking a taxi or a ride-hail car, skip all of this: tell the driver Terminal 2 and they will drop you at the door.

Check-in and security

Standard European procedure: liquids in a bag, electronics out unless the lane says otherwise. Portugal applies the usual duty-free rules for non-EU departures, and the VAT refund desks for third-country residents are in T1 — allow extra time if you are claiming, because that queue is separate and slow.

Storing bags before your flight

There is a bank of self-service lockers landside on the Terminal 1 departures floor, before security, open around the clock. They cannot be booked in advance and are allocated first come, first served, with pricing by locker size and duration.

For a full day, though, storing centrally is usually cheaper and much more useful — you get to spend the day in the city rather than in a terminal. Our luggage storage guide compares the options.

Facilities

Eating and drinking

Terminal 1 has a reasonable spread airside and landside — Portuguese chains, international coffee, a few sit-down restaurants. Terminal 2’s offering is thin: a handful of counters and not much seating. If you are flying from T2 and you want a proper meal, eat before you cross, or eat in town.

Airport prices are airport prices. A coffee and a pastel de nata that costs about €2.50 in the city will cost noticeably more here, which is annoying rather than ruinous. If you have an hour and a strong view about custard tarts, the versions on sale airside are perfectly decent chain output rather than the real thing — our pastel de nata guide is about where to find the latter, and none of those places are in a terminal.

Lounges

T1 has lounges accessible via airline status, business-class tickets and the usual pay-per-visit membership schemes. T2 has essentially nothing in this category. If lounge access is part of your travel routine, that is another reason to check your terminal early.

Wi-fi and charging

Free wi-fi is available across the airport. Charging points exist but are not abundant at the gates, particularly in T2 — bring a power bank rather than relying on finding a socket.

Accessibility

Assistance is available and should be requested through your airline at least 48 hours before travel. The terminals are step-free, and the metro station at T1 has lifts. The one thing to flag is that the T1–T2 shuttle adds a transfer that step-free travellers should factor in — arrange assistance rather than assuming you can manage the connection quickly. Our accessibility guide covers the city side.

Onward connections

To the islands and the rest of Portugal

LIS is the hub for Madeira and the Azores, and those flights go from Terminal 1. They are domestic in the sense that there is no passport control, but they are still full flights with hold luggage, so treat them like any other departure rather than a hop.

For the mainland, flying is rarely the right call. Porto is faster and far more pleasant by rail than by air once you count both airport transfers, and the Algarve is a comfortable train ride. If your itinerary has a second Portuguese city in it, look at the timetable before you look at flights.

Our Lisbon to Porto train guide makes the comparison properly.

Meeting someone at arrivals

The T1 arrivals hall is small enough that a vague “meet you at the airport” actually works, which is not true of most European hubs. There is a single main exit from customs into the public hall, with the café and car hire desks in front of it. Tell your driver or your friend to wait there rather than trying to name a specific spot, and remember that they cannot meet you at Terminal 2 — nobody arrives there.

Staying near the airport

There are hotels within a few minutes of the terminal, and for a 06:00 departure they make sense. For any other trip they do not: the airport sits in an unremarkable residential and commercial district with nothing to walk to, and the metro puts you in the actual city for €1.90. If you are picking a base, do it on the merits of the neighbourhood — our where to stay guide compares them — rather than on proximity to the runway.

Layovers: is it worth leaving the airport?

Almost always, yes — LIS is one of the easiest major airports in Europe to escape from. Twenty minutes and €1.90 puts you in the city centre.

• Under 4 hours: stay put. Once you have allowed for immigration, the round trip and the return security queue, there is nothing left.
• 5 to 6 hours: feasible. Metro to Alameda, change for Baixa, an hour walking around Praça do Comércio and Rua Augusta, a coffee, and back. Take hand luggage only or use the lockers.
• 8 hours or more: a genuinely good half-day. Add the castle or Belém, and eat properly.

Two rules: leave the airport in the direction you actually want to go, and be back through security ninety minutes before departure. Our one day in Lisbon itinerary compresses well into a long layover.

Common problems and how to avoid them

• Turning up at the wrong terminal. The single biggest cause of missed flights here. Check the boarding pass, not your memory of last time.
• Underestimating delays. One runway, heavy traffic, and a knock-on effect that builds through the day. If you have a same-day onward connection elsewhere, an early departure is far safer than an evening one.
• Arriving after the metro stops. Services finish around 01:00. A late landing means a taxi or ride-hail, and that is fine — just do not plan on the metro.
• Airport currency exchange. Rates at the exchange desks are poor. Withdraw euros from a bank ATM and always decline conversion into your home currency.
• Assuming the Aerobus still exists. It does not. It was withdrawn in 2022 and a surprising number of guides have not caught up.
• Forgetting the tourist tax. Nothing to do with the airport, but it is the other charge that surprises people — see our tourist tax guide.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Lisbon Airport from the city centre?

About 7 km. The metro takes roughly twenty minutes for €1.90; a taxi is typically €15 to €20 and takes fifteen to thirty minutes depending on traffic.

Which terminal does my flight use at Lisbon Airport?

All arrivals are at Terminal 1. Departures are at Terminal 1 for most airlines, including TAP, easyJet and all long-haul carriers, and at Terminal 2 for Ryanair, Wizz Air, Transavia, Eurowings, Vueling and Norwegian. Always confirm on your boarding pass.

How do I get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2?

By the free shuttle bus, which is the only connection — there is no walkway and no metro station at T2. The ride takes about three minutes and buses run roughly every ten to fifteen minutes. Allow thirty minutes in total including waiting.

Is there a metro at Lisbon Airport?

Yes. Aeroporto station is the eastern terminus of the Red Line and sits directly under Terminal 1. There is no station at Terminal 2.

How much is a taxi from Lisbon Airport?

Usually €15 to €20 into central Lisbon on the meter, plus a €1.60 luggage surcharge. Fares are about twenty per cent higher between 21:00 and 06:00 and at weekends and on public holidays.

Does Lisbon Airport have luggage storage?

Yes — self-service lockers landside on the Terminal 1 departures floor, before security, available 24 hours. They cannot be booked online and are first come, first served.

How early should I arrive at Lisbon Airport?

Two hours for Schengen flights, three for long-haul or non-Schengen, and add another thirty minutes if you are departing from Terminal 2 to cover the shuttle.

Does the Aerobus still run from Lisbon Airport?

No. The dedicated Aerobus shuttle was discontinued in 2022. Use the metro, a Carris bus, a taxi or a ride-hail car instead.

Can I leave the airport during a layover in Lisbon?

Yes, and it is one of the easier airports in Europe for it. With five hours or more you can reach the centre and back comfortably; under four hours, stay in the terminal.

Bottom Line

Lisbon Airport is small, close to the city and easy to use — with one trap. Every arrival lands at Terminal 1, but a large share of departures leave from Terminal 2, which has no metro and no walkway and is reachable only by a shuttle bus that takes half an hour of your day once you count the wait. Check your terminal before you set off. Beyond that, the Red Line into town costs €1.90 and takes twenty minutes, a taxi runs €15 to €20 on the meter, the Aerobus no longer exists, and a five-hour layover is enough to see Baixa properly. Arrive two hours before a Schengen flight, three for long-haul, and half an hour more from T2. The rest of the transport picture is in our Lisbon transportation guide.