One of the famous landmarks and activities in Lisbon is a travel with one of the famous funiculars in town. These are mostly attractions and sights and one use them to skip some walking and for the experience.
The funiculars do not look like a traditional funicular, because these look like normal trams, just climbing upwards (and downwards), pulling one another up and down. There are three traditional funiculars in Lisbon, and there is one so called elevator. If you have a public transportation card valid for 24 hours then you can travel with all these for free, so that is real good value considering the fact that a daily 24 hour ticket cost 6 Euro, while a single ride on the funiculars cost more than 3 Euro and using the elevator cost 5 Euro.
Let us take a closer look at the three funicular lines and the elevator.
Elevador da Bica
This is a funicular taking you between Calçada do Combro/Rua do Loreto and the Rua de S. Paulo. As you walk in the Rua de S. Paulo it can be very hard to find, because it is hidden inside a house, but keep that in mind, and you will probably find it. The ride lasts for about 3 minutes and it is a nice ride in a very small wagon, meaning that if 10 people travel at once, it is packed! You can travel with this using your 24 hour public transportation card, which gives you much better value for your money than buying a single ticket for the ride.
Elevador da Gloria
This funicular travels between the Restauradores square and the Bairro Alto. It is a nice ride, and worth a trip if you have a public transportation card and if you want to go up to the hill using one of the spectacular funiculars in Lisbon. This one is quite a bit bigger than the Elevador da Bica as it has space for 22 passengers (seated).
Elevador da Lavra
The Elevador da Lavra connects Câmara Pestana with Largo da Anunciada. The size of the carrier is just the same as the size of the Elevador da Gloria. This is also a very nice ride, and almost scary as the two carriers get really close to one another as they meet half way on the ride. Your public transportation ticket is good to be used for this ride as well.
Elevador da Santa Justa
So far we have written about three different funiculars, but the Elevador da Santa Justa is quite different. This is a real elevator taking you to the top of a nice tower from which you can enjoy a view towards the city center and most important shopping area of Lisbon.
If you want to enjoy this elevador you will need to stand in line for quite a long time, often 30 minutes or more. It is possible to visit the top without using the elevator, so if you are willing to do so, then you just need to walk the stairs. If you have a Lisbon public transportation card (24 hour card) it is free to use the elevator, so considering that it has a price of 5 Euro in itself, and the 24 hour card cost 6 Euro (and then you can also use the metro system, travel with tram 28 and much more), you should for sure invest in the 24 hour card instead of buying a single ticket to this elevator.
Elevador de Santa Justa can be found in the heart of Lisbon, just walk along the Rua Augusta until you meet the Rua de Santa Justa, and you will see the elevator at once!
