Thirty extra minutes on Bus 722 buys you a hyper-local ride
Carris Bus 722 runs from Lisbon Airport T1 into western neighborhoods, but locals on r/Lisbon say it mainly serves residents who already know the route. It’s a standard city bus, part of the Carris network, and not an airport‑branded line. Expect a slow, stop‑heavy trip that can run 30–50 minutes depending on traffic, often longer than the metro or the 744/783 airport buses.
The 722 stop sits outside T1 on the public road, alongside other Carris lines like 744 and 783, and uses the same yellow city buses. You’ll pay the regular Carris fare (check current tariff, usually under €2 per ride with a Viva Viagem card) instead of the pricier dedicated airport shuttles. Buses typically run every 15–30 minutes in the daytime, with thinner service at night, and boards show “722” plus the final destination in Portuguese.
Routing is built around local neighborhoods rather than hotel clusters, and Reddit users point out that 722 often misses typical first‑timer bases near Baixa, Chiado, or Avenida da Liberdade. You’ll pass through residential areas and smaller squares with lots of intermediate stops, which is why residents describe the line as slow and circuitous from the airport. For most visitors, metro red line from Aeroporto or bus 744/783 gives a more direct path into central Lisbon.
Ticket machines at T1 sell Viva Viagem cards for around €0.50 plus load, which you then tap on board 722 at the front door. Drivers usually accept contactless payment on board only if the system is active on that specific bus, so have a loaded card as backup. Signage and stop announcements lean Portuguese‑first, and a few non‑locals on Reddit mention missing their stop because street names were hard to catch from the window.
Regulars on r/Lisbon frequently tell short‑stay visitors to skip 722 and focus on metro plus one or two clearer bus lines like 744 or 783 from the same airport curb. 722 mostly makes sense if your accommodation sits directly on its corridor and you’ve already confirmed the exact stop name on Google Maps. If you still pick it, download the Carris or Moovit app over airport Wi‑Fi before leaving T1 so you can follow the stop list in real time.