eSIM for Lisbon
Use a Portugal eSIM for Lisbon. The same plan works in Sintra, Cascais and everywhere else in the country. Four days is a common stay, so a week-long plan leaves some room. Add the eSIM to your phone at home over Wi-Fi, then switch it on when you land at Humberto Delgado airport.
Plans for Portugal cover the whole country, including Lisbon.
For a 4-day visit
How much data for 4 days in Lisbon
- Light (maps and messages): about 1 GB
- Normal (plus social media and browsing): about 2.5 GB
- Heavy (video and video calls): about 6 GB
An estimate from typical use, not a measurement.
Arriving in Lisbon
Humberto Delgado airport, also called Lisbon Portela, is just north of the centre. Metro line red (Linha Vermelha) connects it directly with Alameda and the city, and city buses also run from the arrivals area. Taxis and ride apps reach the centre quickly because the airport is so close. The main stations are Santa Apolonia (long-distance and regional trains), Oriente, Rossio, and Cais do Sodre for the Cascais line.
Because the city is hilly and the street layout confusing, it helps to have a working map from the start. Scan the eSIM's QR code at home on a Wi-Fi connection, well before the flight. On arrival, select the eSIM as the line for mobile data and enable data roaming for it, keeping your home line's data off.
Getting around
Lisbon has a Metro with four lines, Carris buses, the historic trams and funiculars, ferries across the Tagus, and CP suburban trains. Public transport is paid for with a rechargeable Navegante card, which you can buy and load at Metro machines. Carris and the Metropolitano de Lisboa publish routes and times on their official sites. Tram 28 is the one most visitors have heard of, and it is often busy.
Bolt, Uber and FREE NOW all operate in Lisbon, which can be useful at night or for the steepest hills. Gira is the public bike share run by the city, with docking stations in many neighbourhoods and an app for unlocking. A phone with data also makes it easier to buy timed tickets for popular sights such as Belem Tower and the Jeronimos Monastery.
Where you'll use data
Visitors usually spend their time in the old districts of Alfama and Baixa, on the viewpoints of Graca and Bairro Alto, and in Belem for the tower and monastery. The riverside near Cais do Sodre has restaurants and the Time Out Market, and LX Factory and Parque das Nacoes appeal to those who want something away from the old centre. An offline map is a good backup in the narrow lanes of Alfama.
Many day trips stay in Portugal and are covered by the plan: Sintra with its palaces, Cascais and Estoril on the coast, Setubal, Obidos, Evora and Nazare. A trip across the border into Spain, for example to Seville, would leave the country, and the Portugal plan does not cover it there. A Europe plan can cover several countries, but check its country list on our Europe page, since regional plans can leave countries out.
For a longer stay
Common questions
- Will the eSIM work when I land at Lisbon airport?
- Yes, if you installed it before leaving. Switch the eSIM line on and enable data roaming for it. If it does not connect, turn airplane mode off and on again.
- How much data do I need for four days in Lisbon?
- Around 2.5 GB for normal use: maps, messaging, tram and train apps, photos. With a lot of streaming or video calls, plan for about 6 GB. The estimate appears next to each plan on this page.
- Can I pay for transport with my phone in Lisbon?
- The usual way is a rechargeable Navegante card, loaded at Metro machines. Check the Metro and Carris websites for any newer phone payment options. Tapping at the gate does not use your data plan.
- Will I get a Portuguese phone number?
- No. These plans are for data only. Use WhatsApp or similar apps for calls and messages. Keep your home SIM on for text-message codes, with its data off.
- Is a day trip to Sintra or Cascais covered?
- Yes, both are in Portugal. A trip over the border into Spain is not covered by a Portugal plan.