One of the difficulties of traveling by car to Lisbon is finding a place to park. But the situation can get a little more complicated if we have little budget.
However, although it is a difficult task, it is not impossible. There are some areas where you can park your Lisbon car for free, or, in the worst case, at a much lower price than private car parks. We explain all the options to find free parking in Lisbon
Free parking in Lisbon
These are some of the free car parks that you can find in Lisbon. Below I leave you a map with the locations of the neighborhoods.
Benfica
Benfica is a residential area where it is usually easy to find a place to park for free, especially since it is far from the center of Lisbon. It is close to many public transport stops, so it will not be a problem to get around the city. Free parking can be found from the Agência Lusa , by the Fonte Nova Shopping Center, to the church or the Puerta de Benfica .
It is one of the best free parking areas in Lisbon except when Benfica plays at home. There it is almost impossible.
Belem
Most of the Belém area usually has free parking, such as Rua da Junqueira or Restelo . The only place where you won’t find free parking is on the street where the Pastéis de Belém is located , one of the most touristic spots in Lisbon.
Altos do Moinho Laranjeiras
Only one area of ​​this neighborhood has parking meters: the area that covers the Loja do Cidadão to the Externato dos Maristas . In everything else you will find free parking, unless you go during the game season at the Estadio da Luz, at this time almost all the parking you will find will be paid.
Penha de France
Penha de França is in an intermediate state, neither too far nor too close to the city center. So it is normal to find a lot of paid parking. But it is also possible to find free parking from Praça Paiva Couceiro , through Avenida General Roçadas and the Alto de São João cemetery until reaching Graça .
Alcantara
Alcântara is a business area so it is a bit difficult to find meter-free zones during business hours. It is easier to find free parking in the area that goes in the direction of the Higher Institute of Agronomy .
Graça / S. Vicente de Fora
The car parks in this area are divided into two types: some areas exclusively for local residents and free areas for visitors.
Graça and S. Vicente de Fora are located in a strategic location that will allow you to visit the historic area of ​​Lisbon or easily get to the center by public transport.
Saints / Lapa / Madragoa
In this area it is a bit difficult to find free parking in Lisbon, even for the residents themselves. Even so, there are some strategic places where we can find free zones, such as in the streets near Rúa Remédios and Rúa do Meio , or near the ISEG , next to the Jardin de S. Bento almost reaching Assembleia.
Telheiras
Unlike the previous one, Telheiras is full of parking meter-free zones. It will be very easy to find free parking, especially near Avenida Padre Cruz and 2º Circular do Eixo Norte-Sul . The only exception is on the streets around the Alvalade Stadium or during business hours at Escola Alemã. It is also a great area to park for free in Lisbon.
Map of neighborhoods with free parking in Lisbon
How parking meters work in Lisbon
If you cannot find a place in a free car park in Lisbon, the most normal thing is that you have to go to a regulated parking lot. Parking meters in Lisbon are divided into three types: green zones, yellow zones and red zones. I’ll explain how each one works:
- Parkland. It covers some neighborhoods on the outskirts of Lisbon and is the cheapest parking area. Their prices range from €0.25 for 15 minutes to €3.80 for 4 hours. The latter is the maximum time spent in these areas.
- yellow areas. It covers all the streets of the city center and also has a maximum time of 4 hours . The price is between 0.35 and 4.60 euros .
- Red zone. In these areas you can only park for 2 hours and its price ranges from 0.35 to 4.80 euros . It covers the street of the neighborhoods: La Baixa and Chiado. In addition, there are also the main streets of the city such as: La Berna, La Liberdade, Jão XXI and some parts of La República.
The only ones that do not pay to park in Lisbon are electric cars that have the EMEL badge, which can be requested through its official platform and has a price of €12, valid for 12 months.
Outdoor car parks
Another option to try to spend as little as possible on parking in Lisbon is to find an outdoor car park . These have a lower price, 3 euros per day . A big difference if we compare them with covered car parks that can cost up to 20 to 30 euros per day.
Public car parks
Another way to save money is by finding public car parks. These are usually a little cheaper than the private ones, although not always, sometimes they are even worth the same.
By the way, if you park in Lisbon don’t forget to pay . Not only will they fine you, but they could block your car with a clamp and spoil your vacation.
