Parking in Lisbon: Zones, Prices, Car Parks and Apps

Driving into central Lisbon is rarely worth the hassle, but if you arrive with a car, you need to know where to leave it. Here’s how EMEL street parking works, what the main car parks charge in 2026, and the cheap park-and-ride option most visitors miss.

Quick answer: don’t drive in the old centre. Street parking is run by EMEL: about €0.85 to €2.10 an hour, for 2 or 4 hours at most, usually charged on weekdays from 9am to 7pm and free on Sundays. Pay with coins or the ePark app. Most central car parks cost about €13 to €30 a day, or park at Colégio Militar for under €3 and take the metro.

Do you need a car in Lisbon?

Usually not. The old centre is steep, the lanes in Alfama and Bairro Alto are barely wider than a tram, and the metro, buses and trams reach almost everywhere. A car makes sense for day trips or a stay outside the centre.

• Historic quarters: Alfama, Bairro Alto, Santa Catarina/Bica and the castle area are restricted-access zones, monitored around the clock by EMEL. Without a permit you can’t drive in. EMEL’s €25 visitor card gives 30 free minutes, then charges €15 for the first hour and more after.
• Low emission zone (ZER): on weekdays from 7am to 9pm, very old cars are banned from the Avenida da Liberdade, Baixa and a wider central zone. Rental cars easily meet the rules.

EMEL street parking: zones and prices

Each pay zone has a colour, shown on the meters and signs. New prices began rolling out on 4 August 2026, so a few meters and apps may still show the old rates, 5 to 10 cents lower.

Zone	Price per hour	Maximum stay
Green	€0.85	4 hours
Yellow	€1.25	4 hours
Red	€1.70	2 hours
Brown	€2.10	2 hours

Some outer green and yellow zones sell a signposted daily ticket instead: €2.15 or €3.15 for a weekday.

When you have to pay

• Most zones: Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm.
• Some busy zones: until 1am on weekdays, and a few on Saturday mornings too. Check the sign.
• Sundays and public holidays: usually free.

How to pay

• Meters: coins only, no change given. Leave the ticket on the dashboard.
• ePark app: EMEL’s app lets you start, extend and stop parking from your phone and charges only the time used (minimum 15 minutes), with a warning 10 minutes before time runs out. Top up by credit card or PayPal.
• Other apps: Telpark, EasyPark and Via Verde Estacionar also work.

Spaces to avoid

• Resident-only bays (exclusivo a residentes): these apply 24 hours a day.
• Night-time resident bays: some pay bays are for residents only from 7pm (or 1am) until 9am, so read the sign before leaving a car overnight.
• Loading bays (cargas e descargas), yellow kerb lines and pavements.

Fines, clamping and towing

Not paying, or overstaying, can bring a fine of €30 to €150. Park illegally and the car can be clamped or towed, with EMEL fees (since 1 March 2026) on top of the fine:

• Clamp: €87. Call EMEL on 21 780 31 31 to have it released.
• Tow: €111, plus €32 storage per 24 hours.
• Car gone? Text “Reboque”, a space and the number plate to 3838 to find out if it was towed and where to. EMEL’s pound is at Azinhaga Santa Susana, in the north of the city. Bring your licence, passport and the car’s papers, and call your rental company first.
• Hire cars: unpaid fines usually reach the rental company, which adds an admin fee.

Central car parks

Posted 2026 prices; most are open 24 hours.

Car park	Area	First hour	Day maximum
Restauradores (Telpark)	Rossio, Avenida	€3.30	€29.90
Marquês de Pombal (Telpark)	Top of the Avenida	€3.40	€27
Camões (Telpark)	Chiado	€2.85	€27.90
Calçada do Combro (EMEL)	Bairro Alto	€1.45	€13.05
Chão do Loureiro (EMEL)	Below the castle	€1.45	€20
Campo das Cebolas (EMEL)	Below Alfama	€1.50	€25
Praça da Figueira (Bragaparques)	Baixa	€3	None: about €48.50 for 24 hours

EMEL’s car parks are the cheapest. Height limits are often about 1.90m to 2m. Telpark and Parclick take online bookings, handy in summer, but compare with the posted day maximum.

Park and ride: the cheap option

Leave the car by a metro station and ride in for €1.90 a trip, or €1.72 with zapping credit. See Lisbon public transport.

• Colégio Militar (EMEL): 415 spaces opposite Benfica’s stadium, by Colégio Militar/Luz station on the blue line, about 20 minutes from Restauradores. €2.60 a day at most, open 8am to 2am. The advertised free parking is only for registered monthly-pass holders. Expect crowds on match days.
• Campo Grande station (Telpark): about €10 a day, on the yellow and green lines.
• Oriente station (Telpark): 750 spaces, €9.90 a day, on the red line.

Belém and Parque das Nações

Belém: EMEL’s small car park (76 spaces) on Rua de Belém, opposite the Pastéis de Belém bakery, charges €1 for the first hour and €5.60 for four. It fills fast at weekends, so tram 15 or the train is often easier. See Belém.

Parque das Nações: the riverside core is a restricted-access zone. Telpark’s Oceanário car park charges €2.40 for the first hour and €20.90 a day; Oriente station is cheaper for a full day. See Parque das Nações.

Hotel parking

Few hotels in the old centre have parking. Those that do usually charge extra, often about €20 to €30 a night, so book a space with the room. Hotels on the Avenida, in Parque das Nações or by the airport are far easier with a car than Alfama or Bairro Alto. See where to stay in Lisbon and airport hotels.

Day trips and hire cars

The best plan: explore Lisbon on foot and by public transport, then rent a car only for the days you leave the city.

• Airport pick-up: the main firms have desks at the airport, which sits inside the city near the ring roads and the A1, so you avoid the old centre.
• In town: Sixt and others have city offices, including one inside Oriente station, usually with shorter opening hours.
• Sintra: take the train. Drivers should use the free Lourel car park outside town; private cars can’t drive up to Pena. See Lisbon to Sintra.
• Tolls: the bridges charge only heading into Lisbon. See Portugal tolls explained.

Renting only for the day trips? Compare airport and city pick-ups on Discover Cars, which searches international and local firms at once. Book early for an automatic.

FAQ

Is parking free in Lisbon on Sundays?

Usually, yes, in EMEL pay zones. Resident-only bays still apply, and car parks charge as normal.

How much does parking cost in Lisbon?

On the street, about €0.85 to €2.10 an hour. Central car parks charge about €1.45 to €3.40 for the first hour, and most cost €13 to €30 a day.

Can I drive into Alfama?

Not without a permit. Park at Campo das Cebolas or Chão do Loureiro and walk up. See Alfama.

What do I do if my car is towed in Lisbon?

Text “Reboque” and the number plate to 3838 to find it. Expect the fine plus €111 for the tow and €32 a day for storage.

More: driving in Portugal and Portugal car rental.

See also: Lisbon airport to the city centre, day trips from Lisbon by train, Portugal without a car and parking in Porto.

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