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-   -   Guided city tour or Lisboa Card (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/guided-city-tour-or-lisboa-card-842351/)

lol May 29th, 2010 08:05 AM

Guided city tour or Lisboa Card
 
Hello all,
My husband and I are headed to Lisbon at the end of July for a week. I thought that a guided city tour is good idea as they are time efficient and would give us a taste of the city but my husband is not very fond of being "guided" but can be persuaded. My question is: should we take the 4 hour-tour or better get a 24 or 48 hours lisboa card and do things at our own pace.

Thanks a lot

Sher May 29th, 2010 02:18 PM

These are my thoughts.
There are some orientation tours that do not have to be signed up ahead of time and are of short duration. So you could get the lay of the land so to speak without being tied down for a long period of time.
I thought the Lisboa Card was expensive given the inexpensive public transportation. Even taxi rides are really reasonable.
I would just buy a transit pass for the day and reload it as needed. I myself would not invest in the Lisboa Card. Any good guide book will give you walking itineraries of Lisbon and directions to Belem, Sintra, Cascais etc.
I thought that in order to get the benefit of the Lisboa card we had to be on a non stop sight seeing tour. We did it once for one day and did not feel it was worth it.
Maybe someone else will have a different experience.

lol Jun 1st, 2010 01:28 AM

Thanks a lot Sher for the reply and the info.

kleeblatt Jun 1st, 2010 01:44 AM

Lisbon's magic can be found in the small alleys and tiny streets throughout the town, places where the buses don't take you. I'd go on a guided tour.

elina Jun 1st, 2010 02:25 AM

I had a Lisbon card for 3 (or was it 4) days. We stayed in Cascais and with the card train rides were free. And so were busses and metro. And many museums and other attractions (even restaurants) gave discounts. The card certainly payed itself back.


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