The city on seven hills is spectacular at street level, but you’ll feel less enthusiastic about those hills as you explore Portugal’s capital on foot. Enter Lisbon’s trams, which transport you from valley to hill in style, adding a little nostalgic magic to the urban transportation experience. Lisbon’s tram network expanded rapidly after 1873, but only six of the original 27 lines survive, operated by sunny yellow cars that exuded Art Deco elegance.

best route

Connecting Martim Moniz to Campo Ourique via Graca, Alfama, Baixa and Estrela, Tram 28 is Lisbon’s dream ride, using wooden-trimmed Remodelado cars from the 1930s.

how to

carris.pt; tickets €3.10 (£2.58)

Where to stay

Vintage Lisbon (00351 21 040 5400) has brightly colored double rooms from £220 per night including breakfast.

6. Prague, Czech Republic

Prague’s tram network is living proof that public transport can be nice. Sleek, modern trams pass Modernist landmarks, while Cold War-era cars weave between brutalist public buildings and Bohemian masterpieces that give Prague its unique architectural identity. The first trams entered the city in 1875, expanding to 26 lines and reaching every corner of the city. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more appealing vantage point from which to admire Prague’s iconic street corners.

best route

Tram 23 connects Vozovna Žižkov to Královka using 1960s Tatra T3 cars, bringing to mind images of spies trading secrets behind replicas of these cars. Rude Pravo newspaper.

how to

pid.cz; tickets 30 CZK (£0.99)

Where to stay

Andaz Prague (00420 227 341 234) offers doubles with magazine-worthy interiors from £246 excluding breakfast.

7. Budapest, Hungary