Lisbon

• Best use: Pick one Lisbon: central streets and a view, Belém's pastry-and-river outing, or the Gulbenkian with a cod lunch. Each gives you a reason to leave without spending the day crossing between them.
• Starting point: Choose the area around your main stop, then check both journeys. Central Lisbon has steep streets; Belém is a different journey, not a quick extra.
• Big mistake: Spending a short awake window queuing for Tram 28 or planning on a closed funicular.
• What to skip: Sintra on a short window, a second hill when tired, and an extra museum simply because it is nearby.

Getting back before pickup

Set your accommodation as the start and end of the outing. Check both journeys, waiting and any connections before leaving. Set a leave-by alarm that gets you back with time for rest and preparation before your required crew pickup. Cut the extra stop if the return becomes uncertain.

• Tickets: The EUR 1.90 Carris/Metro ticket lasts 60 minutes after first validation, but cannot cover consecutive separate metro journeys. The EUR 7.25 Carris/Metro 24-hour ticket starts on first validation; it does not include CP trains to Sintra or Cascais. Check the current ticket options before loading a card.

• Funicular closures: Do not rely on Bica or Glória. CARRIS lists 22B as the Bica alternative and 51E as the Glória alternative. Check stops and service on the day; a replacement route is not the same ride or view.

• Money: Keep a backup card and small cash. Read ATM fees and the offered exchange rate before accepting; choose EUR rather than an unwanted home-currency conversion.

• Walking: Check gradients and current lift access if steps are difficult. Wet cobbles are a reason to shorten the route or take a car.

• Simple metro payment: An accepted contactless bank card costs EUR 1.92 per metro journey. Use one card or device per person and the same one at entry and exit. This is a metro fare, not a Carris/CP through-ticket.