Early morning flight: getting to Lisbon Airport
Many flights leave Lisbon before seven in the morning, which means being at the airport in the middle of the night. At that hour the city does not work the way it does by day: the metro is closed and the airport itself has night-time rules.
This guide brings together what is open, what is closed and the ways of getting there, so you can plan the night before without surprises.
The airport at night
Terminal 1 is open 24 hours, but between 00:30 and 03:00 only passengers with a boarding pass or booking, staff and crews may enter.
Terminal 2 is closed between 00:30 and 03:30, and the shuttle between terminals only starts running again at 03:30. If your flight leaves from Terminal 2 and you arrive early, you wait at Terminal 1 until T2 opens.
Check-in and bag drop desks open according to the airline. Check the time on your ticket or on the airline's website.
Metro and bus: little help for an early flight
The Lisbon Metro runs from 6:30am to 1am, every day. For a flight at six or seven in the morning, the first train arrives too late.
City buses stop near Arrivals, but they only take luggage up to 50 x 40 x 20 cm, which rules out most checked suitcases. If you are counting on them, check on the Carris website whether your route runs at that hour.
Taxi, ride-hailing or a lift
Taxis and ride-hailing apps work at any hour and are the simplest way to get there without a car. At night it is worth booking with time to spare, and the way back is another trip just like it.
Ride-hailing passengers are dropped at the drop-off areas by Departures. If someone gives you a lift, they can use Kiss & Fly at Departures, free for up to ten minutes as long as the driver stays in the car.
By car: where to leave it at night
Driving yourself solves the timing, as long as the car park will take you at that hour. The airport car parks are open all night, and online bookings must be made at least six hours in advance.
At a private car park with transfer, check beforehand that the car park and the transport run at night, because not all of them do. At Check-in Park they run 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and so does the operations line, +351 915 489 501. You leave the vehicle at the car park and our van takes you to your flight's terminal; with valet, you hand the vehicle over at the terminal itself.
We recommend booking your drop-off at the car park 3 hours before the flight. If your flight is from Terminal 2, remember that the terminal only opens at 03:30.
The night before
Check the terminal and the flight time on your boarding pass. If you are driving, book with your real drop-off time and save the operations line number in your phone. If you are taking a taxi or a ride-hailing car, decide beforehand how you will get back.
To see what the car park costs for your dates, put them into the simulator.