Lisbon's most photographed icon is not a monument, but its cheery yellow trams.

The small single-carriage Remodelado trams have been screeching through the twists and turns of the old quarters since the 1930s. No other European city still runs anything so old, yet these trams have become the face of Lisbon, and I am sure you will want to ride one during your visit.

I live in Graça, and from my window I overlook the 28E tram route, which is also the only public transport serving my neighbourhood. I have ridden the trams as both a resident and a visitor: during rush hour trying to get to a meeting in Alcântara, and as a tourist outing with my sister’s family and my young nieces. The downsides of tram travel are just as familial: my Portuguese mother-in-law struggling with her shopping, my older parents unable to get a seat, and a tourist losing their wallet to skilled pickpockets.

Having explored Portugal since 2001, and after years of living in Lisbon with my Portuguese wife, I have learned how the trams work, which routes are worth riding, and how to avoid the hour-long queues. This guide will help you get the most from your tram ride and navigate the quirks of the system, from fares and timetables to those long queues.

The classic Remodelado trams that rattle and screech through the streets of Graça

The modern Articulado trams that operate along the flat waterfront between Baixa and Belém

Before I go into depth with the advice and information, here is a quick overview of Lisbon trams:

Onboard ticket price: €3.30
Cheapest fare: Zapping, €1.72 (explained in detail later)
Bank card: contactless payment can be made using the ticket validator. (I would always carry cash as a backup.)
Accessibility: Only the 15E route

The routes:
28E - Martim Moniz to Prazeres (Campo de Ourique): This is the famous route that you have probably already heard about. It covers a surprisingly large section of the city, passing through Graça, Alfama, Baixa and Estrela on its scenic route. Being the most famous, it is packed every hour of every day, and for me, as a resident of Graça, I don’t even consider taking it as I know I won’t be able to get a seat or even space to board. My guide to the E28 tram

15E - Praça da Figueira to Algés: The route connects central Lisbon to the Belém district and much of the western side of the city. This service uses longer, modern trams, as the route follows the flat land along the banks of the Tejo estuary. I use the 15E the most, travelling to Santos, Alcântara or Belém. Unfortunately, it also gets extremely busy and is the route most plagued with pickpockets.. My E15 tram guide.

24E - Praça Luís de Camões to Campolide: If I am doing the touristy thing of riding a traditional yellow tram with friends or family of any age, this is the one I would choose. It uses the Remodelado trams but is far less busy than the 28E. It is also an enjoyable route, with plenty of places to hop off as it passes through the neighbourhoods of Príncipe Real and Bairro Alto. For a ride you will simply enjoy, this is my recommendation. E24 tram

12E - Martim Moniz to Praça Luís de Camões: The cut-down version of the 28E service, which ends in Bairro Alto. Heading eastwards it skips the entire Intendente/Graça section, while the westward route follows the 28E exactly. The 12E is always quieter than the 28E, as most visitors are unsure where it goes and skip it. If you are presently standing in a long queue waiting for the number 28E, and the 12E turns up, I would recommend jumping on it. E12 guide

25E - Praça da Figueira to Campo de Ourique: The ‘hidden gem’ of the tram routes, but its issue is that it only operates Monday to Friday. It departs from Baixa, passes in front of Praça do Comércio, through Cais do Sodré and Santos, before climbing to Estrela and its grand Basílica. With traditional Remodelado trams, I rate this route highly, but it lets me down when I want to show people the city, as it doesn’t run at the weekend.

18E - Cais do Sodré to Cemitério da Ajuda: The service that adds extra capacity along the busiest middle section of the 15E, from Cais do Sodré to Alcântara, before climbing into the pleasant residential streets of Ajuda. Useful if you are heading to LX Factory and the 15E is crowded, or if you want to visit the Ajuda Palace, though I’ve only ridden it a handful of times.

To help you visualise the tram routes, I created the map below, with the routes 28E (green), 15E (blue), 12E (purple), 24E (yellow) and 25E (grey) marked on it.

Key: 28E 15E 12E 24E 25E

Insight: Each Lisbon tram route is given a number followed by an E, which stands for "eléctrico" (electric).

The number 28 tram as it whizzes through the São Bento district

The number 28 tram outside the Sé Cathedral is the classic photo of Lisbon

Insider Tip: The E28 is one of the best tours of Lisbon but is standing room only between 10am-6pm. The best way to get a seat is to board the tram at either of the departure locations at Martim Moniz to Campo Ourique.

All of Lisbon’s trams and buses are operated by Carris and the fare system covers all tram routes.

A single tram ticket purchased onboard the tram costs €3.30. On the Articulado trams, tickets are purchased from the on-board ticket machines while on the older Remodelado they are bought from the driver.

Purchasing a ticket on the tram is more difficult than it sounds, both types of trams are always very crowded, and on the Articulado tram, the ticket machine needs exact change.

A much better option is to purchase the 24-hour public transport ticket, which costs €7.25 and includes all trams, metro and buses in Lisbon. The only inconvenience is that the 24-hour ticket can only be purchased from metro stations. The ticket is charged to the Navegante reusable card, which costs €0.50 for the initial purchase of the card. With this ticket remember to validate it when entering the tram.

Insider Tip: For tourists, this 24-hour ticket is exceptional value, as it includes the funculars (€4.30), Elevador de Santa Justa (€6.20) and all of Lisbon’s trams - a whole day of sightseeing for just €7.25!

The Elevador da Bica

The tram is an important part of Lisbon’s public transport network and the operational hours reflect the importance of each route. For the 15E and 28E, the services start early in the day (7am) and continue late into the night (11pm) with at least four hourly departures.

The 12E continues until 8pm, while the E18 routes finishes after the evening rush hours and does not run on Sundays. The 25E is the most limited, as it does not even operate at the weekends… The exact timetables can be seen on the Carris website:
www.carris.pt/

Even if you know the exact times, the trams have regular delays due to traffic, staffing issues or badly parked cars. At all of the major tram stops, there are digital information boards which accurately display the departure time of the next tram. These boards are much more useful than the timetables.

Tourist insight: The unspoken rule of Lisbon’s trams (the older Remodelado style) and buses is that you board at the front by the driver and exit to the rear. If you try to exit a bus or tram at the front, expect disapproving stares from older Portuguese

The Lisbon tram number 28, at Portas do Sol in Alfama

It is very sad that a whole section must be dedicated to pickpockets who plague the popular tourist tram routes. The pickpockets tend to target very crowded trams such as the 15E and 28E and tend to steal from people close to the exits. These pickpockets are only ever opportunists (never aggressive or violent) and only target tourists who fail to use common sense or are simply being careless.

Always wear bags or backpacks on your front, never leave expensive cameras hanging from shoulders (cords can be cut) and always place valuables in bags. The pickpockets are as equally likely to be women as men…

The tourist trams provide a more relaxing but expensive means to see the city

No other city in Europe employs such old trams as the Remodelado trams, which originally date from the 1930s. The reason why they still operate in Lisbon is that the streets are too tight for longer trams, and too undulating for multiple bogie vehicles.

Most normal tram routes have shallow or no inclines, with wide turns and plenty of space, but not in Alfama! The tram tracks in Alfama are the world's steepest, while the turning circle of the single carriage only just miss the edges of the ancient overhanging buildings.

When the entire tram network was upgraded in the 1990s, only the 15E route could be switched to modern trams. As part of the project, it was deemed more appropriate to upgrade the historic trams with new engines, brakes and electronics; hence the trams were re-modelled (Portuguese Remodelado)