We are planning a long weekend in Lisbon, travelling from London in late March 2023. A family of four, including parents, a 6 year old and grandfather. We are looking at AirBnBs, but are confused about which neighbourhood to focus on, perhaps a family friendly area not in the city center but with good metro or tram access to highlights of Lisbon. Thanks in advance for any hints, even if it’s just to tip us in the right direction.

If you'll be in Lisbon for just 3 nights (long weekend?), you might want to consider sticking closer to the city center for walkability, so as not to lose some valuable touring time using the metro or trying to find seats for 4 on the (almost always) very crowded trams 28 and 25.

The only non-city center neighborhood where I've stayed is the leafy, modern Saldanha district to the northeast of the top end of Avenida da Liberdade. There I did have to rely on the metro for touring with a line change, so I haven't repeated that stay. But here you could walk in the gardens of the Gulbenkian Foundation, and Eduardo VII park is within easy reach.

Thank you!

I've looked at the airbnb Lisbon listings and don't see any in Saldanha, but you might find something further south, around the Marqués de Pombal square, at the very top of the leafy Avenida da Liberdade (modeled in the 19th c. after the Champs-Elyseés). This square is right at the southern end of Eduardo VII Park.

On airbnb I would put Lisbon-Marqués de Pombal square in their search engine.
Here you also have a metro with a direct line to the center, to Baixa-Chiado and several bus lines. It will still be a good 30-minute walk to the Praça do Comércio at the river's edge, but it's a lovely walk with benches all along the Avenida and several refreshment quiosques where one can rest.
(Note: it's not the city's least expensive area, if that matters)

Thank you, Maribel. I’ve passed that info on to the planner of the family. Anyone else have suggestions?