Lisbon (Lisboa in Portuguese), the capital of Portugal and a legendary city with over 20 centuries of history, is now a magnet for visitors on business or holidays. The combination of a pleasant atmosphere, reasonable prices and modern infrastructures is responsible for Lisbon’s 5th-place ranking in world congress locations.

Geographical Situation

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and lies on the north bank of the Tagus Estuary, on the European Atlantic coast. It is the westernmost city in continental Europe. Greater Lisbon has an area of approximately 1,000 km2. The city lies more or less in the centre of the country, approximately 300 km from the Algarve in the south and 400 km from the northern border with Spain. Lisbon offers a wide variety of options to the visitor, including beaches, countryside, mountains and areas of historical interest only a few kilometres away from the city centre.

How to get to Lisbon

Lisbon is easy to get to. It is a short flight away from most European cities, and is just as easily accessible by road, railway or sea.

By Air

Lisbon International Airport, 7 km from the city centre, has daily flights to and from the major cities in Europe and the world.
For further information please visit the official website of Lisbon International Airport : http://www.ana.pt

By Road

Arriving in Lisbon by road is a pleasant experience, as the visitor can enjoy the beautiful countryside along the way. The city has good road accesses and the most frequently used routes are: the A1 motorway. the 25th April Bridge, the new Vasco da Gama Bridge, and the CREL, the outer ring-road for the Lisbon region.

By Rail

Scores of national and international trains arrive in Lisbon every day. In addition to Santa Apolónia terminal station, the city now has the new Gare do Oriente, which opened in 1998 adjacent to the Parque das Nações. Both stations have direct bus or underground connections to the city centre.

Language

Portuguese is Latin in origin and the third most widely spoken European language in the world. It is the mother tongue of about 200 million people. Portuguese is the official language in several countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe in Africa, and Brazil in South America. In Portugal itself a considerable number of people can understand and communicate in foreign languages.

Climate

Due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon has a pleasant climate throughout the year. The agreeable temperatures in the summer months are an open invitation for a walk by the river, or to spend an afternoon in one of the many street cafés to be found all over the city. Although the temperatures may fall somewhat in the autumn and winter months, sunshine is almost always a constant feature.

	Maximum	Minimum
Lisbon weather in May	22°C / 72°F	13°C / 55°F

Demographical Information

Approximately 600,000 people live in Lisbon. However, if one includes the various satellite towns, the population of Greater Lisbon rises to approximately 1.9 million people.

Religion

Portuguese culture is greatly influenced by religion. Although Catholicism predominates, other religions may be freely practiced.

Electricity

Voltage: 220/380 volts at a frequency of 50 Hertz. All sockets follow European standards. To use American-type plugs, a 220-volt transformer should be used together with an adapter plug.

Currency

The unit of currency in Portugal is the Euro €.

Schedules

Opening hours in Portugal are similar to those in the rest of Europe. The visitor has access to all normal services at any time of the day and on all days of the week - not only in Lisbon, but also in the rest of the country. Pharmacies keep the same opening hours as the rest of the shops but, in order to guarantee 24-hour service, some stay open after 7 p.m. Generally speaking, restaurants are open for lunch from 12 noon to 3.p.m and for dinner from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cinema showings begin at around lunch-time, and at some cinemas there are sessions until 2a.m. Theatres and other shows usually start between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Working Hours

Buses: Every day 6.30 a.m. - 12 p.m./10 a.m. 
Banks: Mon-Fri. 8.30 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Shopping Centres: Every day 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
Shops: Mon -Fri. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. 
Embassies: Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Post Offices: Mon. - Fri. 8.30 a.m. - 6.30 p.m. 
Pharmacies: Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. - 7 p. m. also: 24 hour (night) service 
Meal times: Lunch: 12 a.m. - 2 p.m.                          
Dinner: 8 p.m. - 10 p.m
Underground: Every day 6.30 a.m. - 1 a.m.

Time Zones

(GMT/UTC GMT/UTC +1 in Summer) 

Austrália Canberra +10h 
Brazil Brasília -3h 
France Paris +1h 
Germany Berlin +1h 
Holland Amsterdam +1h 
Italy Rome +1h 
Japan Tokyo +9h 
Norway Oslo +1h 
South Africa Cape Town +2h 
Spain Madrid +1h 
Sweden Stockholm +1h 
UK London = 
USA Chicago -6h 
USA Los Angeles -8h 
USA New York -5h 
USA Washington -5h

Equivalent measures

1 cm = 0.39 inches 
1 metre = 39.37 inches / 3.28 feet / 1.09 yards 
1 km = 0.62 miles 
1 inch = 2.54 cm 
1 foot = 0.39 metres/12 inches 
1 yard = 0.91 metres 
1 mile = 1.60 km 
1 sq. foot = 199 sq. inches / 0.0929 m2

Get more information about Lisbon at  www.visitlisboa.com