Car Hire at Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station - In the heart of the city

Nestling on the banks of the River Tagus, Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station is a major railway terminus for a large number of suburban, national and international services entering and departing from the Portuguese capital. Located on the southern edge of the city's ancient Alfama district, it is the oldest train station in both Lisbon and south-west Europe as a whole.

Situated just a 20-minute walk from Lisbon's oldest quarters, Santa Apolónia is managed by the state-owned Comboios de Portugal (CP) and derives its name from the convent that once stood on the same spot. It's a bright, airy station with plenty of space and a good complement of on on-site amenities and facilities, including some renowned gourmet restaurants close to the main entrance.

With its old world charm and cosmopolitan atmosphere, Lisbon is one of Europe's most affordable travel destinations with a wealth of museums, monuments and attractions packed into its compact city centre. Along with the Gulbenkian and Ancient Art Museum, no visitor will want to miss the historic centre of Belém from where many of the ships departed during Portugal's golden Age of Discovery.

With a car rental from Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station you can quickly and easily discover the city with the added benefit of being able to relax on the beach and swim in the Atlantic on the city's long sandy coastline. There are several places of immense interest in Lisbon's outlying areas, chief amongst them Cascais (a vibrant seaside resort), Estoril (famous for its glitzy casino) and Sintra, popular for its verdant landscape and fairy-tale palaces.

One of the world's leading car rental firms, Auto Europe prides itself on its service and value for money, the best since 1954. Due to the strong working relationships we have developed with all the top vehicle suppliers, no other company offers such an extensive selection of cars, large and small, or as many convenient pick-up and drop-off points all over the world, including Portugal. You can book online instantly and get yourself the cheapest deal for your trip.

Station Information

Officially inaugurated on the 1st of May 1865, Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station began operating with its first local line in 1873, culminating in high-speed services to key destinations all over Portugal and beyond more than 150 years later. Besides its convenient location close (within walking distance) to the city centre, it is a stress-free station of a relatively compact dimension with just eight spacious platforms (four tracks) meaning that passengers can move around freely and easily, even when the trains arrive or are about to depart.

Where to pick up a car rental at Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station

Due to its excellent location and efficient transport connections, more and more travellers nowadays are choosing to pick up their car hire at Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station. A good selection of reputable rental companies are located either within the station complex (such as Europcar) or within a short distance of the main entrance. In order to speed up the collection process, it's always best to have all the necessary documents to hand when you arrive at the provider's check-in desk, namely your car hire voucher, credit card (in the main driver's name), passport, insurance details and a valid driving licence.

	Avis at Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station Praça Martim Moniz Lisbon, Portugal 1100 +351 21 317 42 31	Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-1pm and 2.30-6.30pm (closed Sat & Sun)
	Europcar at Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station Av. Infante D. Henrique Lisbon, Portugal 1149 +351 21 887 5472	Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-1pm and 2-6pm (closed Sat & Sun)
	Sixt at Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station Av. da Liberdade Lisbon, Portugal 1269 +351 255 788 199	Opening Hours: Daily 9am-6pm

Station facilities

Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station is a well-equipped, medium-size transport hub with a wide range of services and amenities available, both on-site and in the surrounding areas. The station is wheelchair accessible with lifts and other facilities, including a specially adapted WC. There are luggage lockers, a large ticket office with ticket vending machines, shops, cafés, small sit-down restaurants, ATMs and a comfortable waiting room. The station's well-stocked supermarket alongside one of the platforms is an excellent place for travellers to pick up provisions prior to departure, such as bottled mineral water, fruit, sandwiches, snacks and toiletries. The station building also houses a good quality hotel and across the road opposite the main entrance passengers will find gourmet restaurants and a renowned delicatessen.

How to get to and from Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station

Few large capital city railway stations in southern Europe are as well located and accessible as this one. Travellers choosing to rent a car at Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station have several ways of reaching it either from the centre (reachable on foot) or Lisbon Airport just a few kilometres away. The station is very well connected to Lisbon's efficient public transport system, with Santa Apolónia station being on the Blue line which connects with Praça do Comércio, Avenida da Liberdade and Marquês de Pombal in the heart of downtown Lisbon. Several bus routes stop outside the station and almost all the trains arriving or departing at Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station stop at Lisbon Oriente Train Station (another of the city's major railway hubs) en route. There's also a taxi rank located outside the main entrance with cabs available, day and night.

Parking tips

When trying to park your car rental at Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station it is worth remembering that most parking around the city is paid. The sign for paid parking is a square blue sign with a white P and parking metres can be found all around central Lisbon and beyond, with a maximum number of hours for parking in these spaces and prices are defined by fare zones. In order to pay for street parking, just look for the metre and pay for the amount of time you will leave the car parked there (note that you will need to display the ticket in your car, preferably on top of the dashboard). It's important to remember that there are designated residents' zones in heart of the city centre where parking is reserved primarily for residents with valid parking permits. There are also several paid parks throughout the city in convenient locations both in the centre and suburbs, many of which are operated by Emel. There are plenty of other paid parking opportunities at Lisbon Oriente Train Station to the east and Lisbon Airport a short distance to the north of Santa Apolónia.

Useful links

Lisbon Santa Apolónia Train Station