Practical information for Lisbon

The session begins on the morning of June 8th in Lisbon at the main campus (Alameda) of Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). Talks will be in Room 3.10 in the Mathematics building, which is number 24 on the campus map. There is no registration fee for this portion of the session. To learn more about Lisbon as a tourist destination, check out the official tourist information site. We've also gathered some practical information specifically tailored to attending the session in a pdf so that you can download it before you come. Of course, you may have other questions, in which case you should just ask!

Arrival, departure and getting around:

IST is easy to access from Lisbon Airport and from the train stations. From the airport, you can take the metro directly to IST on the Red Line (linha vermelha), exiting in Alameda or Saldanha station. The trip takes 15 to 20 minutes and costs € 1,25 plus € 0,50 for the rechargeable "viva viagem" card. A taxi from the airport to IST costs about € 10 and takes 10 to 15 minutes.

Trains to and from Porto arrive at Oriente station and take about 3 hours. There is a Red Line metro stop at Oriente, so that IST is directly accessible via metro. A taxi to or from Oriente should cost about € 10 and take about 10 minutes. We can arrange taxi pickup(s) at IST on the 9th for those who would like to take a taxi directly to Oriente to travel to Porto. There are very limited direct flights from Porto to North American destinations, so returning to Lisbon by train and departing from Lisbon Airport may be the best option for participants arriving from and returning to North America.

IST is convenient to the Yellow (Linha amarela), Red (Linha vermelha), and Green (Linha verde) Lines on the metro at either the Saldanha or Alameda stations. See the metro website for more information.

There is also an extensive city bus and tram network, and the Carris website has schedule and route information.

Accommodation:

• The Hotel Turim Alameda is a four-star hotel located just steps from the entrance to IST. For a non-refundable room only (no breakfast) for 1 person, their website is currently quoting a price of 60 euro per night. Emily has stayed here and can recommend it!

• The Holiday Inn Lisboa is another four-star hotel located steps from IST. For a non-refundable room only (no breakfast) with double bed, their website is currently quoting a price of 72 euro per night.

• The Hotel A.S. Lisboa is a three-star hotel located about a 10-minute walk (uphill) to IST. For a non-refundable single room without breakfast, their website is currently quoting a price of 56 euro per night.

Eating:

• Supermarkets: There is a large Continente supermarket (on Av. Praia da Vitória, near the corner with Rua Dona Estefânia), a medium-sized Pingo Doce (on Av. Duque D'Ávila, near the corner with Rua Dona Estefânia), and a large but expensive supermarket in the basement of El Corte Inglés (corner of Rua Marquês de Fronteira and Av. António Augusto de Aguiar).

• Quick bites: There is a food court in the mall (Monumental) at Praça Duque de Saldanha. There is also a food court in the basement of El Corte Inglés (corner of Rua Marquês de Fronteira and Av. António Augusto de Aguiar). For a quick bite or pastry, Açúcar & Canela (Avenida Duque d'Ávila, 6A) is open daily from 6h to 22h. Two cafes/restaurants with a range of options from light to heavy are Mexicana (Av. Guerra Junqueiro 30) and Galeto (Av. da República 14).

• Restaurants: Note that most restaurants in Portugal do not start serving dinner before 20h. For a more substantial meal, try À Parte (Avenida Defensores de Chaves 14C, near Saldanha metro stop) for reasonably-priced Portuguese food near IST. The Decadente near Bairro Alto and Tasca da Esquina near Estrela are two good restaurants that are downtown. If you go to Belém, the restaurant Este-Oeste at Centro Cultural de Belém is a good bet.

Being a tourist:

• A comprehensive walk: 1. Start at the top of Parque Eduardo VII, which is a 20-minute walk from IST. From there you can see most of the old city, which is close to the river. You can also see the organized avenues emanating from Marques de Pombal (the statue with the Lion), named for the man who oversaw the rebuilding of much of the city after the 1755 earthquake. An ambitious goal would be to get from where you are to the river at Terreiro do Paço and then up to the castle, but note that Lisbon is very hilly. 2. Go down through the Parque and walk down Avenida da Liberdade which continues after Marques de Pombal. This is where the most expensive shops are. Keep walking to Restauradores, a nice old square. (Alternatively you catch the subway at Marques de Pombal and get out at Restauradores). There is a nice pastry shop close by called Confeitaria Nacional if you are hungry. This is downtown. 3. Proceed along Rua Augusta till you reach the arch. This is the door to the Terreiro do Paço and one of the most beautiful places in Lisbon. There is a restaurant called Martinho da Arcada which serves typical Portuguese food if you want lunch or dinner. 4. Go back to Rua da Conceição (perpendicular to Rua Augusta and parallel to the river) and catch the 28 tram---there should a big line full of tourists. This will take you to the part of Lisbon that survived the tsunami. You can get off at Miradouro de St Luzia, a viewpoint for the city. Walk around if you still can and see the castle. Come back down either by walking or take the tram again and get off at Martim Moniz. Tram info available here.

• A comprehensive ride: Take the metro to Rato and walk for 10 minutes to catch the 28 tram at Estrela. See the city by getting on and off where you feel like it.

• Outside of downtown: You can spend a day at Belém if you are into the so-called Portuguese Discoveries. See the monastery, the Belém tower, the Maritime Museum or the Coach Museum. The nicest way to get to Belém is to take tram 15 from Praça da Figueira (take the subway to Martim Moniz and walk for 3 minutes). It is obvious where to get off, as the monastery is a gigantic Gothic-looking building. This is a very nice ride along the river. The tower and the museums are also easy to spot. If you want lunch, a nice and convenient place is Este-Oeste at Centro Cultural de Belém, which is to your left as you face the monastery. If you want a snack, find the famous Belém pastry shop to the right as you face the monastery---there will probably be a line.