330east

We are an elderly couple visiting Porto and Lisbon. I saw that Lisbon is all hills. Are there some streets or avenues that
are flat?

KarenWoo

The Baixa neighborhood is flat. We were in Lisbon in April. I am 68 and have some mobility issues due to arthritis. We didn't take the elevators or trams because they were always crowded. We did use a tuk tuk once. We stayed a little further away from the center, near the Edward VII park. Twice we walked from there to the center, and then took a taxi back. Other times we took a taxi to where we wanted to go, such as the Alfama, and then walked around at our destination. Taxis are inexpensive, so you can always hail a cab if you are getting tired. Hope this helps.

northie

We are 77 and 75 and I had just had major surgery when we went to Lisbon last November . We stayed just near the Rossio station and walked around quite easily . We did do the hop on hop off bus as it was easiest for me to get around . We did travel on Gloria - the funicular - just got there at 8.30 am as I couldn't stand in the long lines . I took the slight hills around our accommodation area slowly .

Seamus

Just back from Lisbon with a mobility impaired companion. Yes, there are lots of hills and stairs but there are some flatter areas, too. His limitations ruled out a couple things like Castle S. Jorge and Pena Palace, but we were able to have a great time anyway. We also stayed near Parque Eduardo VII in the Marquês de Pombal area and found it a good base. Walking down Avenida Liberdade into the centro is downhill and can be a pleasant stroll.

• The hop on hop off bus is not my favorite thing, but in this case was OK to provide a general overview. They can get crowded in high season. From our experience, the Red bus is better than the yellow bus in terms of frequency.
• Uber is your best friend! We used it several times per day, never waited more than a couple minutes to be picked up, nice vehicles and friendly drivers and fares were quite low - usually below 5 € . If you do not have an account yet, set one up before you depart.
• A little planning can maximize enjoyment and minimize burden - cluster visits in a sequence that minimizes backtracking. Some museums have cafes that offer decent lunch options and let you relax before heading to the next place.
• There are areas like Rossio that are pretty easy to navigate and feature lots of shops and restaurants. Alfama is notoriously full of narrow streets and stairs but you can wander through parts of it, especially the part closest to the river, if you take it at a relaxed pace.

BTW, Porto is, IMO, even hillier than Lisbon. Strolling along the ribeira is pretty easy, and the waterfront across the bridge in Gaia offers loads of vendors, cafes, port houses. The port wine tasting tour offered by Porto Walkers was great. Their free morning walking tours involve a lot of hills and stairs but the afternoon port wine tour is pretty much on flat terrain. We also used uber extensively in Porto, and found it great.

HappyTrvlr

The Sofitel and Avenida Palace hotels are in a relatively flat part of the xity. Use the lifts and funiculars to go to the top of the hill areas. Use Elevador Santa Justa to go to top of hill to Barrio Alto.

330east

Thank you. I appreciate your answering.

330east

So helpful! Thank you.