How the Lisbon Metro Works: Lines, Hours, Fares and Expansion

The Lisbon Metro (Metropolitano de Lisboa) has four lines, blue, yellow, green and red, and is open from 6:30 to 1:00 every day, including weekends and public holidays. As of November 2026, one Metro trip costs €1.72 with zapping credit, €1.92 by contactless bank card, and a 60-minute Carris and Metro ticket costs €1.90.

Frequent riders pay much less with a monthly Navegante pass, from €30 for the city of Lisbon. Prices and hours below come from the operator’s own pages on metrolisboa.pt, as of November 2026.

Which lines does the Lisbon Metro have?

The network has four lines that meet at six main interchange stations. Each line is known by its color.

The interchanges are Marquês de Pombal (blue and yellow), Baixa-Chiado (blue and green), São Sebastião (blue and red), Campo Grande (yellow and green), Saldanha (yellow and red) and Alameda (green and red). For trips from the airport, see our guide to Lisbon airport to the city centre.

What are the Metro’s opening hours?

The Metro is open from 6:30 to 1:00 every day. Anyone who enters a station by 1:00 is guaranteed a ride to any station on that line, according to the Metro.

Some secondary station entrances close earlier, at 21:30, including the north entrance at Jardim Zoológico, the south entrances at Marquês de Pombal, Avenida, Picoas, Alvalade, Areeiro and Arroios, and the Rossio east entrance. Train frequency varies by line and time of day; the Metro publishes average intervals for each line on its timetable page.

How much does a Metro ride cost?

Occasional fares are loaded on the reusable Navegante occasional card (navegante ocasional), or paid with a contactless bank card or phone at the gates.

Zapping can be topped up in amounts from €3 to €40 and works with other operators in the Lisbon region, at each operator’s own fare. Each card or bank card is for one person per trip; groups cannot share one. The full fare list is on the Metro’s tickets and prices page.

Is a monthly pass worth it?

For more than 17 Metro trips a month, the municipal pass is cheaper than zapping. The personal Navegante card holds monthly passes, which can be bought for the next month from the 26th.

• Navegante Municipal: €30 a month, valid inside one municipality: Lisbon, Amadora or Odivelas.
• Navegante Metropolitano: €40 a month, valid across the Lisbon metropolitan area.
• Navegante +65: €20 a month for people over 65.
• Young people up to 23 travel free with the youth pass, and a family pass caps a household at the price of two passes.

Our guide to the Navegante pass in Lisbon covers how to get the card, discounts and who travels free.

Is the Metro accessible?

Many stations have lifts, but not all, and lifts can be out of service. Before you travel, check the Metro’s page on the status of lines and lifts (estado das linhas e elevadores) and its accessibility diagram, which shows step-free stations.

The Metro also runs a phone assistance service at its lifts for passengers who need help. If a lift you rely on is down, plan a route through a nearby station or use a Carris bus.

When will the Circular line and the Alcântara extension open?

The Circular line will link Rato to Cais do Sodré through two new stations, Estrela and Santos, turning the green and yellow lines into a loop. The Metro said in late July 2026 that it expects the line to open in the first quarter of 2027; the original target was 2025. Some stations have closed for short periods for the works, including Cais do Sodré from 8 to 26 August 2026.

The red line extension from São Sebastião to Alcântara is planned with four new stations: Campolide/Amoreiras, Campo de Ourique, Infante Santo and Alcântara. The project fell behind its original end-2026 deadline, and as of November 2026 there is no confirmed opening date.

Bottom line

Buy a Navegante occasional card for short visits and switch to a personal card and monthly pass once you live here; at €30 the pass pays for itself within a few weeks of commuting. When the Circular line opens, routes from the yellow line to Cais do Sodré will change, so check the network diagram again before relying on an old route.

FAQ

Does the Lisbon Metro run all night?

No. It closes at 1:00. Carris runs night buses (rede da madrugada) for late journeys.

Can I pay with my phone?

Yes. The Metro accepts contactless bank cards and phones with contactless payment at €1.92 a trip, one person per card or phone.

Is the Metro the fastest way to Oriente station?

From the airport, yes: Oriente is on the red line, a few stops from Aeroporto with no change. From the center, take the green line to Alameda and change to the red line.

Do children pay on the Metro?

Young people up to 23 can travel free with the youth pass on a personal Navegante card. Ask at a Metro ticket office about the documents needed.