Hi:<BR><BR>We’ll be arriving at Lisbon on November 24, 2002 on a cruise ship (Wind Surf) at 11 am. We’re told that it will be too late to catch a flight to return to US on the same day, so, we need advice on transportation and spending the day before our return flight on the next day.<BR><BR>1. We were told we will be arriving at Rocha Passenger Terminal. Is it the only pier the cruise lines use?<BR><BR>2. What nice and reasonable priced hotel would you recommend for one night? Hopefully it will be centrally located to sightseeing spots.<BR><BR>3. Is taxi fare reasonable and do we have to negotiate with the cab driver before we get in?<BR><BR>4. How far is the airport from the pier as stated in (1) above?<BR><BR>Your help is greatly appreciated.<BR><BR>Stephen<BR>

topping... anyone?<BR>

Took taxi twice in Lisbon. Drivers didn't speak English. Both times they didn't seem to know the city - (or was this a ruse to get more money?).<BR> We ended up directing them! (One spoke Spanish so I was able to communicate with him.)<BR> I believe there are a lot of independent cab drivers in Lisbon so they may not have any standard requirements for drivers (like knowing their way around Lisbon!). Ours didn't know how to get to the bus station! <BR> Sorry, don't know anything about the Rocha Passenger Terminal.<BR> As to hotels, we stayed at a Best Western, which was O.K. - & later stayed at the Hotel Britania, which we really enjoyed (more expensive than the BW).

Greetings, so...need help right ? let´s see:<BR>1 cais conde da Rocha it's not the only pier for BIG cruise boats. There are two more, but that one is in Alcantara (the name of that part of Lisbon), which is rather central (let me put this way - the centre of Lisbon is not far from the river, but the river is a natural "border" so we have to move a little to get to the centre )<BR>let´s now skip to nº 3 - You do not have to negotiate with the taxi driver, the taxi cab MUST have a VISIBLE counter. Do taxi drivers speak Portuguese ?...well, mostly can hardly speak portuguese (at least some intelligent Portuguese)´cause if they could...they wouldn't be driveing a taxi ( I'm sorry, but as you, i like to travel, but travellers "biggest" enemy is a taxi driver with little honesty ). But it's a "risk" one has to go to.<BR>4 - the airport is "far" from the pier, but you can make a "detour". You can catch the aero bus from the airport to Rossio, in the Baixa, then there catch a cab, which will (from there) cost around 4 euros (From the airport till there it would be around 10-15 euros.<BR>Finnaly...the answer I won't answer is the nº2, and why ? because I live in Lisbon, so I never slept in a hotel, but a rather central one very often seen here is Hotel Mundial, but a check here www.maisturismo.pt can be interesting.<BR>So...you already have some tips, and also my site URL (up...in the name), and from there, you can (if you like) ask more things.<BR>Have a great time

Hello, for accomodation in lisbon check in www.lisbonow.com and book on line...<BR>About taxi look counter, but quite all taxi divers that drive from the airpot to town they wiil tray to cheat you... see counter always....<BR><BR>Regards<BR>kido

We took a bus/shuttle from the airport to our hotel in Lisbon & back to the airport. Don't recall the name but there was an information desk right at the airport that helped us . It was very easy. (Think it ran every 30 - 60 minutes.)

When I stayed in Lisbon in January we looked at a nice-looking hotel that was VERY central called the Hotel Metropole. It is right on the Rossio, next to a great cafe (name...?). I think around $130/night. Walking distance to the Baixa, the Bairro Alto and easy to walk to the tram to get up to the fort atop the city. We were on a slimmer budget so stayed at the Florescente but for someone coming off a cruise (presumably with lots of luggage and such) I recommend the Metropole.<BR><BR>Also, our experience with cab drivers was not bad, but I speak Portuguese so that probably helped. However, there are tons of British tourists that come to Portugal so it's not that hard to find English speakers. Certainly at the Metropole they speak it fine.<BR><BR>caveat: I have been in the lobby of the Metropole but have not seen an actual room.<BR><BR>Best of luck!