Glória Funicular — Attraction in Lisbon

First, there is a certain confusion with the name, for the line featuring antiquated, partially wooden street cars, is sometimes referred to as Ascensor da Glória, other times as Elevador da Glória, and, finally, Glória Funicular in English. The line is quite old; it was inaugurated almost 135 years ago. It connects the Praça (Square) dos Restauradores at its downhill starting point and gets you to Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara at its terminal point, a few steps (literally) away from the Jardim (Garden) and Miradouro (observation point) São Pedro de Alcântara. We both walked up and down the "route", called Calçada da Glória about 3 times, and took the tram car once. Even though it was the only time we experienced the famous Lisbon tram (the rest was done by foot or very cheap local Uber), we are not sure taking funicular is in any way more advantageous or even justified. See for yourself, unless you have moving restrictions or limitations, the entire line is about 900 feet or less (270 meters) and the walk, depending on your age and/or physical endurance, takes anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. Now, the web resources we consulted gave us the fare of 2.90 euro. That's incorrect and outdated. The current cost is 3.70 euro pp, which makes the 3-minutes' (or less) trip worth over 7 euro for 2 ppl. Of course, there are cheaper ways by buying special transportation card, but that wasn't our case, 5 days all walking or Uber. We are talking about the price of getting the tickets from the driver, of course. Also, the drivers don't seem to take into consideration the overall amount of seats, and our ride was nothing short of being as tightly packed as the Portuguese favorite food, a can of sardines, with some passengers having to stand in the absence of seats. Moreover, by climbing (or walking down) the Calçada da Glória, you will have a chance to observe lots of urban art, mostly on the right (in the uphill direction). That is because the area generally, and particularly its midpoint Largo da Oliveirinha (the tram doesn't stop there, by the way), is the site dedicated by the Lisbon municipality for the legal street art. So, skip the tram and...

From Praça dos Restauradores, the funicular climbs up Calçada da Glória towards the Bairro Alto neighbourhood. It’s a fun ride, and in a couple of minutes you’ll be looking at Lisbon’s rooftops from the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara at the top of the hill. This is probably the busiest funicular in Lisbon, serving local residents, tourists and hipsters, mostly on weekends, on their way to the Bairro Alto bars. Glória Funicular was established in 1885, a few years after the Lavra Funicular, the first of its kind to open in Lisbon, and a few years before the Bica Funicular.

 Elevador da Glória

Initially moved by the water counterbalancing system, the funicular soon became steam powered, and rides at night were lighted by stearin candles. Later, in 1915, it was converted to electrical power.

Route: Praça dos Restauradores (Baixa) – São Pedro de Alcântara (Bairro Alto)

Timetable: every 10 – 15 minutes (approx.) 7.15am – 11.55pm Monday to Thursday, 7.15am – 0.25am Friday, 8.45am – 0.25am Saturday, 9.15am – 11.55pm Sunday and...

Short and sweet but may not be worth the money in some cases

Good - If you have never ridden a tram and want to try it out but not in the mood to commit to a longer route, this is a good option for you. The tram takes you up to the overlook. The street is uphill with a steep grade worth checking out the old architecture. If you have the Lisbon day pass, this is covered under it. If not, you can purchase the ticket onboard (check their website for up-to-date pricing).

Bad - My buddy had to buy his ticket on board and in my opinion it is not worth shelling out good money for that short of a ride. If you have the day pass, it's covered. The tram gets packed so watch out for pickpockets. The trams also have signs posted...