Lisbon Airport Departures

Lisbon Airport is only 7km from the city centre so it is cheap and simple to get there by public transport. The Metro has direct access to Terminal 1 and the bus stops are directly in front of the terminal. The car parks are a short walk away from T1. If you are departing from Terminal 2, you will need to take the free airport shuttle bus.

Both of the Aerobus lines stop at T2 and there is a drop-off zone if you are arriving by taxi but private vehicles are not supposed to drop passengers there. Instead, you should use the Kiss & Fly lanes in P1 or P2 and take the shuttle bus to the terminal.

Check-In

There are two check-in areas in T1 one with thirteen desks and the other with sixty-eight desks. The smaller T2 has twenty-one check-in desks. For some airlines, there are also kiosks in both terminals at which you can check in yourself and your baggage. The number of check-in facilities, along with many airlines now allowing you to check in online or on a mobile device via their apps, means queues at the check-in desks have been reduced.

However, there can still be long delays at security, particularly at busy times, so you should follow the airlines' guidelines on how long before your flight you should arrive at the airport. Generally, it is two hours before short-haul flights within Europe and three hours for intercontinental flights.

To find which desks have been designated for your flight, check the information screens situated around the departures hall.

If your check-in desk is not open there are a number of outlets selling hot and cold food and drinks and free Wi-Fi is available in all areas. You can also buy newspapers, magazines and books, etc. The staff at the check-in desk will need to see your passport and your boarding pass or booking reference. Your checked-in bags will be weighed and some airlines might weigh and measure your hand luggage. Check their rules before you travel as you can be penalised for being oversize or weight.

Some goods cannot be taken on an aircraft, and other items are restricted. The details of these and other rules of carriage are on the CAA website.

Security Screening

In the security area, you will have to empty your pockets, take off watches and jewellery, and remove any jackets. All the items are to be placed in the plastic trays for screening. If you have a large electrical device such as a laptop, it will need to go through separately. Any liquids must not be in containers larger than 100ml with no more than one litre in total and they have to be in a sealable, transparent plastic bag.

After you've walked through the metal detector you can collect your belongings at the other side, provided that nothing suspicious has been found.

Departures Lounge

You might think that you have plenty of time to spend in the departures lounge, but if you are boarding an international flight you should bear in mind that you will have to pass through passport control to get to the boarding gate. This can involve long queues and you should allow enough time.

While you are waiting for your gate number to be displayed on the information screens there are shops, restaurants, fast food outlets and bars. The facilities in T2 are a little meagre compared to T1, but they are sufficient.

free unlimited Wi-FiThe free unlimited Wi-Fi can be accessed in both terminals and there are charging points for mobile devices.