Web Summit, Lisbon: The Essential Guide for Visitors

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Written by: | Last updated on February 29, 2024 | Est. Reading Time: 10 minutes

Since its inception in 2010, Web Summit has rapidly grown in size and influence, attracting attendees from over 170 countries. Each year, thousands of participants flock to the host city, captivated by the promise of valuable insights, transformative discussions, and game-changing partnerships. With its vibrant and dynamic atmosphere, Web Summit has become a hotbed for innovation, propelling both established companies and emerging startups to new heights.

Regardless of whether it’s your first time visiting or you’ve been here plenty of times before, this guide will help you make the most of your time in Lisbon.

Thinking about Portugal for your next startup? Check out Portugal’s HQA visa.

Where to stay during Web Summit Lisbon

Web Summit takes place the MEO Arena and Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL), which are next door to each other in the Parque das Nações neighbourhood. If you want to be near the conference centre, look for hotels in this area (which we’ve listed below).

However, a lot of the after hours activity at Web Summit takes place at the bars in Central Lisbon, in neighbourhoods like Cais do Sodré, Chiado, and the Bairro Alto. If you think you’re likely to hit a few of the city’s best watering holes, you may want to consider staying closer to them.

Parque das Nações (Expo)

If you want to roll out of bed and walk straight into the conference, it’s worth booking a room at the following hotels:

  • Tivoli Oriente Hotel –  This hotel is 350m (5 minutes walk) from the arena, right beside the Oriente train station. It’s got a gym and spa, perfect for working out and winding down.
  • Tryp Lisboa Oriente – This hotel is 400m (5 minutes walk)  from the MEO Arena, and is great for business travellers: it has an executive floor.
  • Hotel Ibis Lisboa  – Trendy chain hotel 500m (6 minutes walk) from the MEO Arena.
  • VIP Executive Arts Hotel – Located 800m (10 minutes walk) from Web Summit, this hotel has a self-laundry: ideal for those travelling with just hand luggage.
  • Myriad by SANA – This 5-star hotel is 1km from the venue (about 15 minutes walk), and perfect if you want to treat yourself. It has a Turkish steam bath and 24-hour room service.

Near/At Lisbon Airport

Hotels near Lisbon Airport are ideal if you’re flying in for one day and night at the summit, because they’re on the red metro line.

Alemada

If you want to stay in downtown Lisbon, hotels near Alemada metro station are the best bet in terms of public transport. Not only is this metro stop on the red line, which goes to Web Summit and the airport, but it also connects with the green line. The green line goes to Baixa-Chiado, perfect for getting to the Bairro Alto or for continuing onto Cais do Sodré (metro map below).

  • Empire Lisbon Hotel – Situated just 550m from Alameda metro station, this affordable hotel as all of the essentials that you need for a comfortable stay in Lisbon.
  • Gaspar House – Gaspar House is noted for its exceptional service, and it’s one of the top-rated accommodation options in Lisbon.
  • Chalet D´Ávila Guest House – Another guest house, and another guest house noted for its exceptional service.

Central Lisbon

Central Lisbon offers a plethora of co-living and digital nomad-friendly options for those attending Web Summit. From vibrant neighborhoods to well-equipped communal spaces, these accommodations cater to the needs of modern travelers seeking a comfortable and connected experience.

  • Selina Lisbon – Combines a vibrant hostel atmosphere with private rooms, coworking spaces, and a range of amenities.
  • Raw Culture Art & Lofts Bairro Alto – New York-style lofts in Lisbon’s central Bairro Alto district.
  • Outsite Lisbon – Provide a seamless blend of work and leisure with their stylishly designed coliving spaces, complete with high-speed internet, communal work areas, and engaging social events.
  • Home Lisbon Hostel – Boutique hostel that gives their guests free use of their onsite co-working space (normally €8 per day).

Getting around Lisbon during Web Summit

Public transport

The nearest train and metro stop is Oriente. This modern neighbourhood is a bit out of the way, and the easiest way to get here from downtown is the metro.

Buses, metros, trams and boats in Lisbon all use the Viva Viagem card. You can buy them from any ticket machine or ticket office, and they last for a year. The cards cost €0.50, and can be reloaded.

Don’t Worry: Most metro maps will have a Web Summit sticker next to the stop you need to get off at. It’s also pretty easy to spot all the other Web Summiters, and it’s quite hard to get lost. 

By Taxi

Lisbon taxis are very affordable compared to cabs in other European capitals, and you’ll recognise them by their black and turquoise livery. Uber is also available in Lisbon, but if you’d prefer not to use it, other apps like Bolt are also available (some of which offer free ride credit when you use them for the first time).

It’s all about the networking

The talks at Web Summit are great, but you can actually watch them after the event is over: everyone is sent a link to the video downloads. That link often gets shared to people who didn’t attend the conference as well, so is there actually any point in going?

Yes. Web Summit is all about the networking, and that’s not something you can do unless you’re there. Even the conversations on Twitter – and there are many – rarely lead to anything.

In contrast, the real life conversations lead to new jobs, clients, partnerships, and more. They don’t always take place at the conference. More often than not, they take place in the evenings at Lisbon’s many bars and restaurants.

Networking is hard work, and it’s important to prepare mentally for it. Often this means missing some of the talks during the day to catch up on sleep but, as mentioned, you can get access to those videos later. Your main priority while you’re here is simply to start conversations with strangers and hope they lead to exciting new places.

What to bring to Web Summit

If you decide to stay at the airport or in town, it’s unlikely that you’ll be heading back to your hotel once you reach the conference. Pop the following in your bag: after all, it’s better to have something and not use it, than not have something and need it.

Business cards

Definitely not outdated. You’ll be surprised at how often people still ask for cards. It’s much sleeker than scribbling your name down on a scrap of paper, or quickly trying to add someone to LinkedIn with a poor Wi-Fi connection. If you don’t have any cards already, you can quickly whip some up at Moo.com (follow our link and get 20% off your first order).  Patrick Bateman, eat your heart out.

Powerbank

Live-tweeting, selfie-snapping, and instant-messaging: Web Summit is hard work for your phone’s battery! Pop a portable charger in your pocket and you won’t need to interrupt your networking session to plug in.

Snacks

Although the queues for food aren’t too bad, it’s always a good idea to have a cereal bar on hand – especially if you’re lining up for an event for 90 minutes. If you’re on a gluten free, vegan, paleo or other strict diet, we recommend packing lunch too.

On that note, did you know that Lisbon has lots of vegan and vegetarian restaurants? You can even get a vegan pastel de nata.

Re-usable water bottle

There are lots of places to fill up in the conference centre, so don’t waste time queueing for mineral water. Anyway, you never know who you’ll get chatting to around the water cooler…

Comfortable shoes

Lisbon is a hilly, cobbly city and the streets are slippery when it rains (always a chance of it in November). Opt for smart, practical and comfortable footwear with a good grip.

Waterproof clothes

Lisbon gets 300 days of sunshine a year, but unfortunately a fair chunk of those 65 wet days fall in November. And when it rains in Lisbon, it really rains. A packaway jacket or an umbrella is a good idea.

Notepad and pen

It might seem nerdy, but you’ll be glad to have something to jot down notes with. You’ll be hearing so many great speakers and meeting so many brilliant people, you’ll never be able to remember everything.

Top Tips for the Day of the Conference

The Guardian describes Web Summit as “Glastonbury for Geeks“, and they’re not far wrong. It’s definitely more like a music festival than a conference, so keep the same principles in mind. For example:

Have a plan of attack

The arena is huge and crowded, so give yourself plenty of time to get from session to session. Top tip: try to choose events based on where they are in the arena, so you don’t go mad running around.

Arrive early

There are literally thousands of delegates, so don’t expect to stroll up ten minutes before a huge tech rockstar begins speaking and expect to get a prime seat.  Aim to arrive at least 90 minutes early for morning sessions, and no later than three hours before the opening event.

Know the queuing system

Day ticket holders queue in a different place than those with full tickets. Confusing, right? It’s not very clearly marked, so double-check before getting in line.

Don’t rely on Wi-Fi

When thousands of people are gathered in one place, Wi-Fi can get a little sluggish from time to time. When those thousands are all tech-heads? Forget about it. Being able to fall back on 4G will make your day run smoother (especially when you’re trying to find that cool bar in the Bairro Alto all agreed to meet up in later).

Focus on networking

As great as all of the talks are, the key to Web Summit is networking. This can be done in person or through the Web Summit app. It can be done during the day, or at night during Night Summit. Many people even skip the talks (they can be watched later online) in favour of more networking time during the day.

Sightseeing in Lisbon after Web Summit

Lisbon is a really beautiful city, so it’s well worth adding an extra day or two onto your trip for a bit of sightseeing. As Parque das Nações itself isn’t the most impressive area of the city, we recommend heading into Baixa and going walkabout in those comfy shoes you bought.

If your work has sent you to Web Summit, perhaps you can convince them to let you spend a few more days working remotely from Portugal? Lisbon has some fantastic co-working spaces, so you don’t need to hang around in your hotel lobby.

Written by

James Cave is the founder of Portugalist and the author of the bestselling book, Moving to Portugal Made Simple. He has visited just about every part of Portugal, including Madeira and all nine islands of the Azores, and lived in several parts of Portugal including Lisbon, the Algarve, and Northern Portugal.

You can contact James by emailing james@portugalist.com or via the site's contact form.

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There are 4 comments on this article. Join the conversation and add your own thoughts, reviews, and stories of life in Portugal. However, please remember to be civil.

Comments

  1. Hello James,
    I have just been informed that I will participate in Web Summit and as you can expect while I am checking the recommended hotels most of them are already fully booked. I am looking for a good 3 stars hotel can you recommend one please?

    Thanks in advance,
    Lamiaa

    Reply
    • Hi Lamiaa,

      I don’t have one that I can personally recommend, but I think staying on the metro line is a good idea – somewhere where you can easily get on the red line to Oriente.

      A lot of the focus of Web Summit is the nightlife, which mainly takes place around Cais do Sodré, so it’s good if you can be in between Cais do Sodré and Oriente. Somewhere on the green line like Alameda would be ideal.

      Reply
  2. Hi,

    What should be my budget considering 5 days stay in Lisbon including hotel(affordable hotel/hostel like Airbnb), food and travel ?

    Reply
    • Hi Deepak,

      It’s difficult to estimate as everyone’s spending habits are different. Some people will eat out every meal, for example, while others won’t eat at a restaurant for any of their meals. Other people are happy to walk most places, while others will want to take the metro or even a taxi.

      Are you visiting during Web Summit? If so, accommodation prices will likely be higher (especially if you don’t book in advance).

      For cheap accommodation, you should expect to pay an average of €30 per night. It’s possible to find cheaper accommodation, but €30 is a good estimate (especially as you didn’t say when you’re visiting). If you stay in a dorm room in a hostel or even a room in an Airbnb, you can usually find cheaper options.

      For cheap restaurant meals, I would estimate would €10-15 per meal. You can find cheaper restaurants, and you can even avoid restaurants altogether, but this is a good estimate for the lower priced restaurants. You may want to factor in money for coffee and snacks in between meals as well.

      When you say travel do you mean public transport? A public transport ticket is €1.50 and you can get a 24h daypass for €6.40.

      Hope that gives you some idea of prices here.

      Reply

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