Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and its largest city. This guide offers helpful hints about many aspects of Lisbon, a favorite destination for business travelers.
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Getting To Lisbon From The Airport
Business travelers from overseas usually arrive in Lisbon by air, at Aeroporto da Portela, just four kilometers from the centre of Lisbon. In order to reach the city, you can rent a car, take a bus, or hire a taxi. Alternatively, if you are staying in a Lisbon hotel, it may offer a shuttle service to and from the airport. Regular shuttle buses also run between the airport and popular centres such as Estoril and Cascais.
To approach the city by car from the airport, take the Avenida Cidade do Porto to the Rotunda do Aeroporto. From there, you can follow the Avenida do Brasil to the centre of Lisbon. If you don't need to hire a car, you'll find plenty of taxis outside the airport terminals.
Bus transport provides another easy option when you need to travel between the airport and Lisbon. If you have luggage, the best choice is AeroBus 91, on which you can buy a ticket that will be valid for the same day for transport on Lisbon buses, trams, and funiculars. The Aerobus runs frequent services and is provided with screens that can help you find the most convenient stop. If you don't have a lot of luggage, you can take a number of other buses, including Nos 44, 45, and 83, into various areas of the city.
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Getting To Lisbon By Car
For business travelers approaching Lisbon by car, several main highways provide access to the city. If you are coming from the south, you will be on the A2, while drivers approaching from the east will be on the A6, the main highway between Lisbon and Madrid. From the west, you will be on the A5, connecting with Estoril and Cascais, while the main highway from the north is the A1.
If you want to get to the centre or west of the city of Lisbon, the A2 is the road to take. It will take you to the 25 de Abril Bridge, often compared in appearance with San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. This bridge connects Lisbon with the municipality of Almada. Be prepared to encounter heavy traffic if you approach the bridge at peak hour.
Drivers who want to get to the east or north of Lisbon can connect from the A2 with the A12. This takes you to the Vasco da Gama Bridge which usually has less traffic than the 25 de Abril. While you're driving across the Vasco da Gama Bridge, it's interesting to reflect on the fact that it is Europe's longest bridge, measuring a total length of more than 17 kilometers. Another major highway for people traveling to and from Lisbon is the A8, connecting Lisbon with a number of Portuguese centres including Torres Vedras, Caldas da Rainha, Leiria, and Albocaca.
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Train Services From Lisbon
When you are traveling in Portugal on business, you will often find the city of Lisbon your most convenient base. At the same time, you may want to travel outside the city at times for business appointments or sightseeing. A network of train services from Lisbon makes it easy for you to undertake such journeys.
The city of Lisbon has five railway stations, with Santa Apolonia Station providing the main point of departure for central and northern Portugal and for destinations outside the country. Bus line 46 will take you to this station. For people wanting to visit the historic town of Sintra, trains leave the Rossi station in Restauradores at regular intervals. Cais do Sodre station is the station from which you can travel to Cascais, Estoril, Oerias, and Belem. Bus line 58 or metro Cais de Sodre, known as the Green Line, will take you to Cais do Sodre station.
For travelers wanting to visit such southern Portuguese destinations as the Algarve region and Costa Azul, the starting point from Lisbon is Barreiro station. You can reach this station by ferry from the Terreiro do Paco in the city square known as Praca do Comercio. Trains to Fogueteiro, Setubal, Evora, and Lagos leave regularly from Entrecampos station in the centre of Lisbon.
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Getting Around Lisbon
If you are visiting Lisbon on business, it is quite likely that you will have a number of people and business establishments to visit. These people and businesses will probably be located in different areas of the city. Rather than trying to drive yourself around, you will find it easier and more convenient to use Lisbon's efficient public transport system.
One of the easiest ways to travel around Lisbon is on the Metro subway train system. This is fast and cheap, with trains running daily between 6am and 1am. You can buy a ticket to any station on the network or save money by purchasing a book of 10 tickets.
Other options include the buses, trams, and funiculars operated in Lisbon by the Carris transportation company. All provide great ways to see Lisbon as well as convenient and quick ways of getting around to business appointments. For any of these services, you can save money by buying tickets in advance. These can be purchased in the Carris kiosks in railway stations and main metro stations. If you are planning an extended stay in Lisbon, you can also buy tourist passes that offer you unlimited travel on the Carris system. It's also easy to travel around Lisbon in the city's beige colored taxis that are available for reasonable rates.
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Accommodation In Lisbon
Whether you want to enjoy your time in Lisbon camping in a forest setting or luxuriating in a five star hotel, the city can meet both your requirements and your budget. The city's hotels, from two to five star, offer a variety of services including business facilities. Among the business services provided by some of Lisbon's hotels are high-speed broadband connection in guests' rooms, business centres with computers and Internet access, secretarial and translation services, and well-equipped meeting rooms.
Business travelers who don't need to spend a lot of time working in their rooms may prefer the more personal touch of a bed and breakfast establishment, or you may opt for the privacy of an apartment, either budget, deluxe, or somewhere in between. All types and standards of accommodation are available in Lisbon. A word of warning: if you think you have scored a bargain when you find a budget hotel with a stunning view, think again before you book. Such apartments are easy to locate in Lisbon, but the streets that lead to them are steep. Make sure your fitness level is up to the task!
If camping is your scene, a four star camping ground called Lisboa Camping is located in Monsanto in Lisbon. This is an attractive site in a 900-hectare wooded area with modern facilities including a swimming pool, television lounge, tennis court, supermarket, laundry, mini-golf, and basketball. Lisboa Camping offers camping bays, bungalows, and tent space. While Lisboa Camping is the only camping ground in Lisbon, there are many others about an hour from the city.
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Restaurants In Lisbon
After a busy day of meetings and appointments, the last thing you want to do is worry about where to eat. In Lisbon, there is no such problem. Wherever you are staying in the city, you will find a wide range of restaurants to suit a diversity of tastes, appetites, and budgets. The only problem will be deciding between the many choices available to you.
Among the areas of Lisbon that offer excellent restaurants in colorful surroundings is Bairro Alto in the centre of the city. Striking interiors combine with quality food in the restaurants of this area, where you can dine on anything from traditional Portuguese meals to international cuisine. Another popular Lisbon area for eating out or enjoying a late afternoon drink is Docas, the dock area in Alcantara under 25 de Abril Bridge. Bars, restaurants, and clubs have been created from a former warehouse area to provide a cosmopolitan atmosphere where you can relax after a day of business in Lisbon. To get to Docas, take the Cascais train from Cais do Sodre Station and get off at Alcantara. The bridge is a short walk from the station.
Another area popular with business visitors to Lisbon is the city's Parque das Nacoes, an area of eastern Lisbon that has been created from the Expo 98 site. Restaurants, bars, and a modern casino are among the features of this area. Using the metro is the quickest and easiest way to get to the Parque das Nacoes and enjoy its many attractions.
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Things To See And Do In Lisbon
When visiting Lisbon on business, it is quite likely that you will have some leisure time or even a few spare days here and there between appointments. At such times, you will find more than enough to see and do in Lisbon and the surrounding areas. As well as being a beautiful, historic city, set on seven hills beside a river, Lisbon is one of the most economical cities in Europe, making it even more enjoyable to explore and experience its cultural diversity.
If you've had a busy morning attending business meetings, relax afterwards with a stroll along the wide, tree-lined avenues for which Lisbon is well known. The city's architecture offers a blend of the old and the new, from castles, fortresses, and palaces to contemporary buildings such as the Vasco da Gama Bridge and Tower and the Belem Cultural Centre where you can view international exhibitions before relaxing in the centre's terrace café that overlooks the river.
Lisbon is also noted for its parks and gardens, offering pleasant settings in which the business traveler can relax and enjoy some quiet moments. If you're then in the mood for shopping, head for downtown Lisbon, known as Baixa, the city's main banking and shopping area that extends from the Avenida da Liberdade to the river. You'll also find plenty of shopping malls in the uptown area of Lisbon, a district that is mainly residential, but also offers some excellent museums including the well-known Gulbenkian Museum with its outstanding collection of international art.
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Nightlife In Lisbon
After a day of business sessions, it's time to relax and enjoy the varied nightlife Lisbon has to offer. The city's mild, equable climate makes it the perfect place for a pre-dinner drink at one of the many outdoor cafes before a leisurely dinner in one of the popular restaurant areas such as Bairro Alto, Docas, or Parque das Nacoes. With Lisbon offering great quality for excellent prices, you'll usually find you can get a three-course meal with wine for less than 20 euros per person.
Once you've had dinner, it's time to enjoy the fascinating and diverse nightlife of Lisbon with a visit to one of the city's fashionable bars and clubs. If you really want to make a night of it, head down to the Docas area under 25 de Abril Bridge where you will usually find a venue that stays open until dawn. For those who like classical music, Lisbon has various concert halls as well as theatres and operas at the San Carlos Theatre.
Essential enjoyment for the business traveler in Lisbon is a night out at a Fado restaurant. A type of Portuguese folk music, Fado offers a unique cultural experience for visitors to Lisbon. You'll find some of the most authentic Fado music at restaurants in the city's Alfama and Lapa districts.
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Practical Information For Business Travelers In Lisbon
If you are visiting Lisbon on business from another country, there is various practical information you will need to have at your fingertips. First and foremost, you should make sure you know how to contact your country's embassy in Lisbon. This could help you greatly if you have a problem with documents such as a passport, or encounter legal problems. Your embassy should be your first port of call in such circumstances, so keep its phone number and address handy at all times.
It also helps to understand the currency in Lisbon when you are visiting the city on business. The euro is now the currency in Portugal, but you may still hear Portuguese people referring to the escudo, which was their currency before the introduction of the euro. It's easy to access your money in Lisbon, with 24-hour ATMs widely available and major credit cards accepted in most places. For money exchange, banks are the best option.
Business travelers in Lisbon may be initially surprised that a number of businesses close for lunch, often for two hours between 1pm and 3pm. Some shops may not open until 10am, but remain open into the evening, with some shopping malls remaining open until midnight. It is also important for a business traveler visiting Lisbon to be aware that most banks open from 8.30am until 3pm on weekdays and are usually closed on weekends.
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