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Visitors at the Miradouro de Santa Luzia looking over the terracotta rooftops of Alfama towards the Tagus on a clear day.

Where to stay in Lisbon

Photo: Dale Cruse from San Francisco, CA, USA, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Lisbon

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About Lisbon

Lisbon's old quarters are for walking, and several of them are closed to cars by camera. Where to sleep depends on how much of the trip is on foot and how much is behind the wheel.

Portugal. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), about 7 km north-east of the historic centre, and about 7.5 km by road to Praça do Comércio. Source
Tourist tax
EUR 4 per guest per night, at most 7 nights per stay, for guests aged 13 and over, in hotels, Alojamento Local and other tourist lodging. Paid at check-in or check-out. Source
Short-term rental rules
An Alojamento Local (AL) must show its name and registration number in its advertising (Decreto-Lei 128/2014, art. 17), so a legal listing carries an AL number. Source
Guest registration
Lodging providers file a registration form (boletim de alojamento) for every foreign guest, EU nationals included (Lei 23/2007, art. 15). Source
Parking with a rental car
EMEL street parking from 4 August 2026: EUR 0.85 to 2.10 an hour by zone colour, with a 4 hour cap in green and yellow zones and 2 hours in red and brown. Alfama, Bairro Alto, Santa Catarina and Bica, and Castelo are camera-controlled access zones. Source
Monthly stays
A month in an AL stays an AL stay, and the tourist tax stops after 7 nights. A lease for a transitory purpose can run under a year if the purpose is written in; the deposit on a lease may not exceed two months' rent (Civil Code art. 1076). Source
Emergency number
112 Source

Areas of Lisbon

Looking south over the rooftops of the Baixa to the Rua Augusta Arch and the Tagus estuary, with a ferry crossing the river.
Photographed in 2012. Photo: David Broad, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Baixa and Chiado

The flat grid from Rossio down to Praça do Comércio and the river, with Chiado on the slope above. It suits first-time visitors who want to walk to the main sights, the trams and the ferry piers. Busy and central rather than quiet.

Airport by road
about 8 km
Praça do Comércio
under 1 km
Carcavelos beach by road
about 24 km

Car and parking

Street parking is EMEL-metered with a 2 to 4 hour cap, and Chiado borders the Bairro Alto and Bica camera zones. The EMEL car parks at Campo das Cebolas and Chão do Loureiro sit on the edge of the area.

Alfama seen from São Jorge Castle, with the white Monastery of São Vicente de Fora and the dome of the National Pantheon above the river.
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Alfama

Old Lisbon on the hill below the castle: viewpoints, fado houses and steep lanes and stairs. It suits visitors who want character and do not mind climbing; it is a poor fit for heavy luggage or anyone who needs step-free access.

Airport by road
about 7 km
Praça do Comércio
under 1 km
Carcavelos beach by road
about 26 km

Car and parking

Alfama and the Castelo area are camera-controlled access zones, closed to cars without a permit 24 hours a day. A EUR 25 Visitor Card gives 30 minutes of access, then EUR 15 for the first hour and EUR 30 an hour after that. Parking outside, at Campo das Cebolas, is the practical answer.

Príncipe Real and Bairro Alto

Restaurants, gardens and nightlife within walking distance. Bairro Alto is the nightlife quarter and can be loud; Príncipe Real, above it, is calmer. It suits couples and repeat visitors.

Airport by road
about 8 km
Praça do Comércio
about 1.5 km
Carcavelos beach by road
about 23 km

Car and parking

Bairro Alto is a camera-controlled access zone; Calçada do Combro is the nearest EMEL car park selling the Visitor Card. Príncipe Real is outside the listed camera zones, with EMEL metered street parking.

Avenidas Novas

Saldanha and Campo Pequeno: a 20th-century grid of wide avenues with metro lines into the centre, closer to the airport than the old town. It suits business trips and longer stays more than a first look at the city.

Airport by road
about 6 km
Praça do Comércio
about 3 km
Carcavelos beach by road
about 24 km

Car and parking

Outside the historic camera zones, with EMEL metered streets. EMEL sells monthly subscriptions in parts of its car park network, and each car park lists its own terms.

Riverside boardwalk in Parque das Nações with the cable car overhead and the Vasco da Gama Bridge on the horizon.
Photographed in 2020. Photo: Jules Verne Times Two, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Parque das Nações

The former Expo 98 site: modern, flat and on the river, with a long promenade and a cable car. It suits families, conference visitors and early flights, and is the closest area to the airport. It is far from the old town.

Airport by road
about 4.5 km
Praça do Comércio
about 8 km
Carcavelos beach by road
about 32 km

Car and parking

Parque das Nações has its own restricted zone for authorised vehicles; outside it, EMEL street rules apply.

Belém

The monuments and museums west of the centre, on the river. It suits visitors who want a quieter base and plan to spend time on that side of the city.

Airport by road
about 15 km
Praça do Comércio
about 6 km
Carcavelos beach by road
about 19 km

Car and parking

The EMEL car park at Belém is hourly only and does not sell monthly subscriptions.

Cascais

The coast town at the end of the A5 motorway and the Cascais train line. It suits beach stays and road trips along the coast, and guests who are happy to visit Lisbon as a day out.

Airport by road
about 34 km
Lisbon, Praça do Comércio
about 25 km
Praia da Conceição
under 1 km

Car and parking

Cascais runs its parking through the MobiCascais app, with more than 6,000 street spaces and nine covered car parks.

Guides

Questions

Which Lisbon area is best for a first visit?

Baixa and Chiado put the main sights, the trams and the river within walking distance. With a rental car, plan on a car park at the edge of the area rather than street parking, where stays are capped at two to four hours.

How much is the Lisbon tourist tax?

EUR 4 per guest per night for guests aged 13 and over, charged for at most 7 nights per stay. It applies in hotels, Alojamento Local and other tourist lodging and is paid at check-in or check-out.

Can a guest drive to an apartment in Alfama or Bairro Alto?

Not without a permit. Alfama, Bairro Alto, Santa Catarina and Bica, and the Castelo area are camera-controlled access zones, 24 hours a day. Park outside, for example at the EMEL car park at Campo das Cebolas, and walk in.

How can a guest tell a Lisbon apartment is licensed?

Portuguese law requires an Alojamento Local to show its registration number in its advertising, so a legal listing carries an AL number. A listing without one is worth a question before paying.