2020-03-01_Wanderlust

wanderlust.co.uk March 2020 175

Lisbon is not only one of the world’s oldest cities, rich in culture, it’s also this year’s

European Green Capital and leading the way in urban eco-living, says Robin McKelvie

Before you arrive
The Portuguese capital may be
in Europe, but walking through
the city you could almost be in
Africa, Asia or Latin America,
with the country’s former
colonies weaving their exotic
inluence into the urban fabric.
One of the world’s oldest
cities, Lisbon boasts a riot of
historic castles, palaces and
churches. Sitting on the banks
of the River Tagus and
overlooking the Atlantic Ocean,
the hilly metropolis is green in
more ways then one. It snared
the European Green Capital
Award for 2020 in recognition
of the strides it has made
developing green spaces,
waste management, its cycling
infrastructure and an e• icient,

environmentally friendly public

transport network.

Planes tend to ly over the

River Tagus, so those seated on

the right-hand side will get the

best irst sight of the city.

At the airport

Wizz Air lies direct from London

Luton from £26 return; journey

time is around three hours.

Lisbon Airport lies 7km north-

east of the city centre and has

ATMs, car hire and free Wii.

There are plans for a new airport

to open in 2022.

Getting into town

There is a metro station at

Terminal 1 for fast, easy,

20-minute connections to the

centre; single ticket €1.40 (£1.17).

Pocket

FIRST 24 HOURS IN...

LISBON,

PORTUGAL

Green with envy

A view over Lisbon

with São Jorge Castle

on the hill

ASK A LOCAL

“On Tuesdays and

Saturdays, take the

morning to visit Feira da

Ladra, Lisbon’s most

iconic lea market. You

can buy most kinds of

productfrom Portuguese

tilest fridge. Just

ng to

tiate. It’s

y and fun.

ter, visit the

anteão

Nacional.”

Luana do Bem,

comedian

@luanadobem

Your cut-out and keep travel companion

Regular buses service the

airport, but have limited

luggage capacity. The Aerobus

o– ers more space, free Wii and

USB chargers for €6 return (£5).

Outside rush hour taxis take

under 20 minutes – check the

meter is on. The fare is around

€15 (£12.50). The metro is

usually the best option durin

rush hour. Or go even greene

and rent a bike to ride the cit

90km cycle network.

Other ways to arriv

Most long-distance trains sto

at Lisbon’s Oriente station,

which has fast rail

connections. It takes around

10 minutes to get into the cit

centre. The national rail opera

is Comboios de Portugal (CP ⊲