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My Escapes Portugal Another Lovely Trip to Portugal! Lisbon Dipping Into Lisbon Lisbon's Old Trams
Lisbon's Old Trams
Lisbon maintains a fleet of old trams in excellent functioning condition.
A plethora of vintage trams criss-cross the Portuguese capital's old streets.
They're attractions by themselves and also efficient means of transportation - you can hop on and travel between hotspots.
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Lisbon's first trams entered service in 1873, but they were all horse-driven. Imagine that!
In 1901, the first electric trams started operating in the city. One year later, the entire network has been electrified.
Today's trams are part of an amazing fleet of vintage vehicles. They're analogue to Cuba's "yank tanks".
Besides admiring the beauty of these old heritage trams, you might want to ride them as well.
I omitted this in Lisbon, but I compensated when I rode Porto's heritage tram number 22.
Consider using a Lisbon tram map if you want to hop on and off.
Otherwise, the Praça da Figueira, the Largo Chiado area, the Praça do Comércio are good places for hopping on.
Lisbon's most revered one is tram number 28.
Why tram 28?
It passes some of the most scenic streets and many of the main attractions. It will take you to Alfama, the Miraduro Portas do Sol, Bairro Alto, the Feira da Ladra flea market (open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from morning 'till evening).
Thus, a ride on tram 28 will give you a taste of Lisbon's warmth and diversity.
You can hop on and hop off from any station (there are more than 30 along the way!).
Rides are more rough than on a modern tram and somewhat slower.
Noisy tourists tend to flock to embark these tram, so expect crowds.
I'd recommend boarding at an early hour in order to avoid the sardine in a can feeling (if you know what I mean...).
But, I must warn you: beware of pickpockets, who specifically board these trams or, gather around its doors, targeting the foreign tourists/travelers.
They tend to push and shove while they "operate".
Usually more of the thieves embark and keep pushing people while they empty their pockets, cut their bags with delicacy.
But this shouldn't hinder you from trying this experience. It's not a horror ride and in many parts of the World it gets a lot worse.
Most trams are yellow, but some are red. Some have two cars, but most have a single one.
If you want to know the tram numbers and the stations they stop at, then I recommend you check this Lisbon trams guide by LisbonLux.com.
Admire more photos of Lisbon's trams below...
Number 12 at Praça da Figueira
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They're rather small and tend to get crowded
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Chiado. Too bad they covered it with ads. Some looked even worse.
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Alfama. These heavy things blustered down the line like tanks.
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Chiado. Red tram with the Portuguese flag and Lisbon's flag.
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To me, the red trams seemed more stylish
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It's a single tram with two cars
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A yellow tram passes me by in Chiado
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About the Author:
Escape Hunter, the young solo traveler in his early 30's explores the World driven by curiosity, thirst for adventure, deep passion for beauty, love for freedom and diversity.
With a nuanced, even humorous approach to travel, an obsession for art and design, Escape Hunter prefers to travel slowly, in order to learn and "soak up" the local atmosphere...
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Tram 28 in Alfama