The Alcantara cruise dock is over a mile from the city centre. There are various public transport options to get there and back. (There is another cruise ship dock on the same stretch of river at Rocha Conda, so check which on your ship uses as the information below is not relevant to the other one!)
You can of course take a cab - they queue up outside the terminal whenver a ship arrives!
Bus and tram services are operated by CARRIS - website www.carris.pt where most information can be seen in English. Single journey cash fare is €1.35 but day passes are available - please read on.
BUS
For all buses, cross the single line railway track outside the terminal and cross the tree-lined square.
Bus 12 runs from the stop at the right hand side of the square right outside the cruise terminal. This runs 3 or 4 times an hour between 520am and 920pm. It runs around to the north of the city centre but serves some of the major hotel areas eg Campolide, Marques de Pombal and Sapadores before ending at the Sta Apolonia railway station.
BUS 28 runs from the Avenida do India (the next street, parallel with the railway line) serving Belem in one direction (destination RESTELO) and the city centre in the other (destination PORTELA) buses 4 - 6 times an hour on weekdays, 3 - 4 times an hour at weekends until about 10pm.
There are many other buses from Alcantara to all parts - consult the Carris website.
TRAMS/STREETCARS
Trams 15 and 18 run along the Ave 24 de Julho towards the city. The journey takes about 15 minutes.
You will need to use the foot tunnel under the electric railway tracks to get to the tram stops, in all about 400 yards/metres walk. These trams operate frequently all day seven days a week. You can pay cash fare on board, but keep your ticket as it is rechargeable for later journeys. There is a kiosk selling day passes etc at the main road close to the tram stops.
In the other direction, the number 15 tram goes to Belem and Alges, the 18 to Ajuda.
TRAINS
Train services are operated by CP, Portuguese National Railways. Website www.cp.pt with information in English by clicking on the small flag icon next to where it says 'Acesso Rapido'
ALCANTARA (MAR) station is right in front of you as you cross the square. There are trains every day,every 10 - 20 minutes, to the city's Cais do Sodre station, about a 5 minute journey. In the other direction the trains run to the resorts of Estoril and Cascais, taking about 35 - 40 minutes. Cais do Sodre is an isolated station in the sense it has no direct connections with other lines except it has a Metro station adjacent.
ALCANTARA (TERRA) station is about 10 minutes walk from the cruise terminal along a well sign-posted but somewhat neglected walkway. Trains from that station run every 30 minutes on weekdays only, to the other Lisbon stations of Campolide, Sete Rios, Entrecampos, Oriente etc offering connections to Sintra and more distant places.
LISBON METRO
The Lisbon Metro does not go to Alcantara but is useful for travelling round other pasrts of the city. Information at www.metrolisboa.pt
