Practical Information

Geographical situation
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and lies on the north bank of the Tagus Estuary, on the European Atlantic coast. It is the westernmost city in continental Europe. Greater Lisbon has an area of approximately 1,000 km2. The city lies more or less in the centre of the country, approximately 300 km from the Algarve in the south and 400 km from the northern border with Spain. Lisbon offers a wide variety of options to the visitor, including beaches, countryside, mountains and areas of historical interest only a few kilometres away from the city centre. 

Language
Portuguese is Latin in origin and the third most widely spoken European language in the world. It is the mother tongue of about 200 million people. Portuguese is the official language in several countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe in Africa, and Brazil in South America. In Portugal itself a considerable number of people can understand and communicate in foreign languages. 

Demographical information
Approximately 600,000 people live in Lisbon. However, if one includes the various satellite towns, the population of Greater Lisbon rises to approximately 1.9 million people.  

Weather
Lisbon is one of the mildest European capital. Summer months are mostly sunny, dry and hot with temperatures between 16°C to 36°C and autumn is mild and unsettled with temperatures between 8°C and 23°C. On average, there are 3300 sunny hours per year and 100 days with rain per year. Lisbon's climate is strongly influenced by the Gulf Stream.

Electricity
Voltage: 220/380 volts at a frequency of 50 Hertz. All sockets follow European standards. To use American-type plugs, a 220-volt transformer should be used together with an adapter plug. 

How to get there

Lisbon is easy to get to. It is a short flight away from most European cities, and is just as easily accessible by road, railway or sea.

By air
Lisbon International Airport, 7 km from the city centre, has daily flights to and from the major cities in Europe and the world. The Portuguese airlines TAP - Air Portugal and PGA - Portugália Airlines, as well as major international airlines, fly to and from Lisbon. 

By road
Arriving in Lisbon by road is a pleasant experience, as the visitor can enjoy the beautiful countryside along the way. The city has good road accesses and the most frequently used routes are: the A1 motorway. the 25th April Bridge, the new Vasco da Gama Bridge, and the CREL, the outer ring-road for the Lisbon region. 

By rail
Scores of national and international trains arrive in Lisbon every day. In addition to Santa Apolónia terminal station, the city now has the new Gare do Oriente, which opened in 1998 adjacent to the Parque das Nações. Both stations have direct bus or underground connections to the city centre.

By sea
The Port of Lisbon is the busiest port on the European Atlantic coast. It has three terminals for cruise ships: the Alcântara, Rocha de Conde d'Óbidos and the Santa Apolónia terminals. Lisbon is often a port of call for many cruise ships (coming from many different places). Furthermore, the city also has marinas for pleasure boats in the docks of Belém, Santo Amaro, Bom Sucesso. Alcântara and, most recently, the Olivais Docks.

Pavillon Portuguese
Alameda dos Oceanos
EXPO Area
Lisbon

The closest public transport to the venue is:

Please have a look at the official map [Link to map of Lisbon public transportation]