Legal

Privacy Policy

This policy explains what data Lisbon by Rail collects, how we use it, and what rights you have over that information. Our goal is to be transparent and to collect the minimum data necessary to run the website.

1. Who we are

Lisbon by Rail (the “Site”, “we”, “our”, “us”) is an independent editorial project covering public transport in Lisbon, accessible at https://lisbonbyrail.com. The Site is operated from Spain.

For any privacy-related questions, contact us at hello@lisbonbyrail.com.

2. What information we collect

We collect the minimum information necessary to operate the Site, understand how visitors use it, and serve relevant content. Specifically:

2.1 Information you give us directly

When you contact us through email or any future contact form, we collect your name, email address and the content of your message. We use this information solely to respond to you and to keep a record of the conversation.

2.2 Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, our servers and third-party services automatically collect:

• Your IP address (anonymised before analysis)
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited, time on page, and navigation paths
• Referring website (how you arrived at the Site)
• Approximate geographic location (country and region level only)
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)

2.3 Cookies

The Site uses cookies and similar technologies. A cookie is a small text file stored on your device that helps the Site function and helps us understand how visitors use it. We use:

• Essential cookies: required for the Site to function. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: set by Google Analytics 4 to measure traffic and reader behaviour in aggregate. IP addresses are anonymised.
• Advertising cookies: if and when we display advertisements (e.g. via Google AdSense), advertising partners may place cookies to serve relevant ads and measure their performance.
• Affiliate cookies: when you click an affiliate link (e.g. to GetYourGuide or Booking.com), the partner may place a cookie on your device to track conversions. We do not control these cookies.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies entirely or be notified before they are set. Disabling cookies may affect how the Site functions.

3. How we use your information

We use the information collected for the following purposes:

• To operate, maintain and improve the Site
• To respond to your enquiries and provide customer support
• To analyse Site usage and improve our content (in aggregate, anonymised form)
• To display advertisements that may be relevant to your interests
• To detect and prevent fraud, security incidents and abuse
• To comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not share your information with marketers without your consent.

4. Legal basis for processing (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, our legal bases for processing your personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation are:

• Consent: for non-essential cookies (analytics, advertising), based on the choice you make in our cookie consent banner.
• Legitimate interest: for essential cookies, security monitoring, and aggregated analytics that help us improve the Site.
• Performance of a contract: when we respond to your direct inquiries.
• Legal obligation: when we need to retain certain data for compliance reasons.

5. Third-party services we use

To operate the Site, we rely on several third-party services that may receive your information. Each of them has its own privacy policy, which we recommend you review:

• Google Analytics 4 — for traffic analysis. Privacy policy.
• Google AdSense (when implemented) — for displaying advertisements. Privacy policy.
• Cloudflare — for content delivery and security. Privacy policy.
• WordPress hosting provider — for hosting the Site.
• Affiliate partners: GetYourGuide, Booking.com, Welcome Pickups, Amazon Associates and similar networks may place cookies when you click their links.

6. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected:

• Email correspondence: up to 2 years from the last interaction, unless ongoing.
• Analytics data: aggregated and retained for up to 14 months (Google Analytics 4 default).
• Server logs: up to 30 days.

7. Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Right of rectification: request that we correct any inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure: request that we delete your personal data.
• Right to restrict processing: request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: object to certain types of processing, particularly direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent: where consent is the legal basis, you can withdraw it at any time.
• Right to lodge a complaint: with your local data protection authority.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@lisbonbyrail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Children’s privacy

Lisbon by Rail is not directed at children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. International data transfers

Some of our service providers (Google, Cloudflare, etc.) are based outside the European Economic Area. When data is transferred internationally, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses or the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in applicable law. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically.

11. Contact

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data: