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# Lisbon public transport tickets: navegante, zapping and 24-hour passes
- URL: https://roadme.io/blog/lisbon-public-transport-tickets-zapping-day-passes/
- Published: 2026-10-24T22:36:47.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T22:36:47.000Z
- Author: RoadMe
- Tags: Recommendations

For a short stay in Lisbon, choose between a loaded Carris/Metro ticket, prepaid zapping credit and a 24-hour ticket according to the journeys you will actually make. A contactless bank card is another way to pay on the Metro, with its own fare. The reusable navegante occasional card is the support for a ticket or balance: buying the card alone does not pay for a journey.

The important distinction is between a card, a ticket and an operator. A tram and a Metro train can share a combined ticket without sharing every payment rule. A ferry or suburban train may accept the same support card while charging separately. Decide where you are going first, then select the product that covers the whole connection.

## Which Lisbon transport ticket should you choose?

For occasional Metro journeys, compare zapping with a direct bank-card payment. For a connection combining CARRIS and Metro within the permitted hour, consider the loaded Carris/Metro single. For repeated journeys over a busy 24-hour period, compare the day ticket with the separate fares you would otherwise pay. None is automatically cheapest for everyone spending three days in Lisbon.

> Planning in [RoadMe](https://roadme.io/?ref=roadme.io) is more convenient than assembling disconnected recommendations: the app develops a personal trip plan around your interests and pace. Try identifying the places you actually want to explore before choosing transport tickets, so the pass fits your trip.

| Your situation                        | Compare first                                      | Check before paying                                          |
| ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| A few separate Metro journeys         | Zapping or contactless bank card                   | Card purchase cost, unused balance and payment compatibility |
| CARRIS plus Metro in one connection   | Carris/Metro single ticket                         | 60-minute rule and no consecutive Metro entries              |
| Many journeys in the city             | 24h Carris/Metro                                   | Actual separate charges within the same 24 hours             |
| CP suburban railway or Cacilhas ferry | Separate fares or the matching extended day ticket | Exact operator and line; extensions are different products   |

CARRIS operates Lisbon’s city buses and trams. Carris Metropolitana is a different regional network: a similar name does not prove that your city ticket covers a particular regional bus. CP operates rail services, and the ferry connections have their own operators and fares. Always read the service and operator shown for the connection.

## Current fares: the card is separate from the journey

The following are ordinary 2026 fares, checked in October. The new navegante occasional support costs €0.50 separately. Keep a usable card for later journeys rather than buying it again each time. The amounts below do not make every service around Lisbon part of one unlimited regional ticket.

| Product or payment                           | 2026 price | What it covers                                                                     |
| -------------------------------------------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Carris/Metro single loaded on a support card | €1.90      | Eligible CARRIS/Metro travel within 60 minutes, without consecutive Metro journeys |
| Zapping on Metro                             | €1.72      | One Metro journey, paid from stored credit                                         |
| Bank-card contactless on Metro               | €1.92      | One Metro journey paid at the gates                                                |
| 24h Carris/Metro                             | €7.25      | CARRIS and Metro for 24 hours from first validation                                |
| 24h Carris/Metro/Transtejo (Cacilhas)        | €10.35     | Those networks plus the Cais do Sodré–Cacilhas ferry connection                    |
| 24h Carris/Metro/CP                          | €11.40     | CARRIS, Metro and the specified Lisbon urban CP lines                              |
| Bus ticket bought on board                   | €2.30      | The bus on which you buy it; it ends when you leave                                |
| Tram ticket bought on board                  | €3.30      | The tram on which you buy it; it ends when you leave                               |

Buying on board is therefore different from loading a combined ticket in advance. Bank-card payment on a CARRIS vehicle follows CARRIS’s onboard product and fare; it is not the Metro’s €1.92 fare transferred to a tram. Follow the payment options shown on the actual vehicle rather than assuming every machine accepts the same method.

![2026 fare comparison: Carris/Metro €1.90, Metro zapping €1.72 and 24h Carris/Metro €7.25](https://roadme.io/blog/content/images/2026/10/roadme-image-6500.webp)

## Navegante occasional, Viva Viagem and zapping

You may see the older name Viva Viagem in guides or on sales information. The current Metro visitor information calls the rechargeable support navegante occasional. Use the name printed on your card and ask staff about compatibility if an older support is involved. The personalised navegante used for frequent travel is a different product.

Buy or reload the occasional card at Metro ticket machines or ticket offices. Each passenger needs their own support for simultaneous travel, even if one card holds several tickets. A couple cannot use the same card twice to pass through the gates together. Keep the purchase and loading receipt: it helps staff investigate a card that stops reading.

The support can be reloaded for one year after purchase. The validity of the card and the validity of its loaded ticket are separate matters. Check both before reusing a card from an earlier holiday. Keep it flat and away from damage, and do not put it against the reader together with a wallet full of other contactless cards.

Zapping means stored travel credit. Each participating operator deducts its own applicable fare when you validate. It is convenient for separate journeys because you are not buying a new paper ticket every time, but the balance is not a promise that all transfers are included. The Metro’s current zapping fare is €1.72.

A change from Metro to CARRIS means a new operator charge under zapping. Within CARRIS, its own zapping time conditions apply. Do not interpret the word “hour” as one shared free-transfer window covering every operator. When checking a connection, count the charges that apply to its actual product, not just the number of vehicles.

The minimum zapping load is €3, with other offered loading amounts displayed at the machine. Load moderately near the end of your stay: unused credit is different from money saved. If changing from zapping to a different product, check the existing balance and loading conditions with staff instead of assuming incompatible products can be mixed on one support.

## How the 60-minute Carris/Metro ticket works

The loaded Carris/Metro single permits eligible travel in the two networks during 60 minutes from first validation, with the limit measured between the first and last entrance validations. It does not allow consecutive Metro journeys. An interchange inside the paid Metro network is different from leaving through the exit gates and entering again for another Metro journey.

That distinction matters when you stop for coffee between two Metro trips. Do not expect the remaining minutes to authorise an immediate second Metro entry. Likewise, a Metro-and-bus connection must meet the combined ticket’s timing and validation rules; walking a long distance before boarding can change whether the ticket still applies.

For a practical comparison, write the complete connection as operator names and required validations. If it uses CARRIS and Metro, compare the combined ticket with the separate zapping deductions. A lower advertised price for one Metro journey need not produce the lower total for a two-operator connection.

Validate at every required point even when no new amount should be charged. A time-based ticket is not permission to skip a bus validator. If the reader rejects it, check the response with staff before continuing; a previous successful journey does not establish that this boarding is covered.

## When a 24-hour ticket can make sense

A 24-hour product starts with first validation, rather than ending at midnight. Choose the starting moment deliberately: buying a support card is not the same event as starting its loaded ticket. Check the issued product before the first use, especially when the machine offers several day-ticket variants.

Compare the day ticket with separate fares for exactly the journeys you intend to make. The number of boardings can mislead you: some transfers belong to one valid combined ticket, while a change of operator on zapping can mean another charge. Use chargeable journeys under each option as the comparison unit.

Keep the €0.50 support cost consistent. If both options need a new occasional card, include that same cost on both sides. If you already have a valid usable card, do not charge yourself for another in only one column. When comparing with direct bank-card payment, account for whether unused zapping credit would remain after departure.

A quiet day spent mainly walking does not become cheaper because the ticket allows unlimited rides. Nor should you add unwanted tram trips simply to make a day ticket appear worthwhile. Convenience and freedom to change plans can justify a small difference, but describe them as benefits rather than invented cash savings.

## Bank card or phone: use exactly the same medium twice

Lisbon Metro accepts compatible contactless VISA, VPAY and Mastercard cards. Some cards may not be enabled for this use, so confirm with your bank if yours fails. Paying directly at the gate starts a bank-card Metro journey; it does not load zapping credit onto an occasional card.

Use the same physical card or the same device at entry and exit. A phone and the plastic card linked to the same bank account are different payment media for this purpose. Entering with your phone and leaving with the card can create an incorrect journey record. The same applies when switching between a phone and a watch.

Each passenger needs their own card or device. Keep the chosen medium accessible throughout the trip and show it if an inspector asks. A phone used for validation needs enough battery to remain available. Take only the intended card out of your wallet so another card is not charged accidentally.

A bank notification may show a temporary authorisation different from the final fare. Check the completed journey and settled transaction before assuming a duplicate charge. The operator provides a MYTRIPS service for checking contactless journeys and payment records; for a gate problem, use the Metro Help Point.

Availability depends on the actual issuer and card setup, rather than the language you speak. Keep another accepted means of obtaining a ticket if your card cannot be used abroad or at these validators. Do not repeatedly tap different media to force a closed gate; ask for help and keep the failed-payment details.

![Conceptual diagram: same device at entry and exit, with a separate payment medium for each traveller](https://roadme.io/blog/content/images/2026/10/roadme-image-6501.webp)

## Sintra, Cascais and ferries: choose the right extension

The €11.40 Carris/Metro/CP day ticket includes the Lisbon urban CP services on the Sintra, Cascais, Azambuja and Sado lines. It is not an intercity ticket to Porto or a pass for every train in Portugal. Check the relevant station, line and service before entering the railway platforms.

The €10.35 Carris/Metro/Transtejo (Cacilhas) day product covers the Cais do Sodré–Cacilhas river connection. It does not mean all Tagus ferry routes are included. If your destination uses another crossing, compare that crossing’s own ticket or eligible zapping fare instead of buying the Cacilhas extension by habit.

The two extensions are alternatives with different coverage; do not assume the CP version also includes the ferry version. For a day involving both, add the uncovered part separately and compare the complete cost. Leave room in the schedule for station access and the return service rather than relying only on the outward connection.

Lisboa Card is a separate sightseeing product combining transport with attraction benefits under its own conditions. If considering it, compare the places you would actually enter and their availability. A transport ticket does not become a museum ticket because both use the word “card”. Avoid buying overlapping transport coverage without first checking what you already hold.

## Plan for hills, service changes and the final walk

The Metro was inaugurated in December 1959 and grew from an initial Y-shaped network into a major part of Lisbon’s everyday transport. It is useful for longer movements, but an underground connection does not remove the final climb to your accommodation. Check the walking approach, stairs and entrance you need, particularly with a suitcase.

Normal Metro operation is 06:30–01:00, subject to service changes. For a late connection, check the journey as a whole, including interchange time and the walk after leaving the station. Some secondary station entrances close earlier. Do not assume every entrance remains open for the full operating day.

Use the operator’s current network diagram and live notices. Planned extensions shown in old travel articles are not proof that a new line is already carrying passengers. If step-free access matters, check lift operation as well as the accessibility symbol: a station can have lifts while an individual lift is temporarily unavailable.

At the October 2026 check, CARRIS’s service notice lists its historic funiculars and lift as out of service during testing. Do not build an essential uphill connection around Bica, Glória, Lavra or Santa Justa without checking the current notice. Consult the replacement service for the actual date rather than assuming an old sightseeing recommendation still works.

> [RoadMe](https://roadme.io/?ref=roadme.io) makes it easier to shape a personal plan around your interests, available time and preferred pace. Try balancing longer moves with nearby visits and rest breaks, then verify the operator’s current services for the connections that plan needs.

Our guide to [public transport tickets and validation abroad](https://roadme.io/blog/public-transport-abroad-tickets-zones-validation/) explains the general checks behind these local rules. For a late flight, use the separate advice on [arranging a late-night transfer and accommodation access](https://roadme.io/blog/late-night-arrival-how-to-arrange-your-transfer-and-check-in/) before relying on the final Metro connection.

![Traveller compares journey costs using a calculator and miniature transport models](https://roadme.io/blog/content/images/2026/10/roadme-image-6502.webp)

## Before your first journey

- Identify every operator needed, including a ferry or suburban train.
- Choose the loaded product or direct payment deliberately; the support alone is not a ticket.
- Give each passenger their own valid support or accepted payment medium.
- Keep the same bank card or device for Metro entry and exit.
- Check balance, validity, required validations and the current service notice.
- Keep the card and receipt, and ask at a Help Point when a gate refuses access.

Choose a ticket that covers your actual connection, with its transfer rules understood.