Learned the hard way in Lisbon: bus pass over train pass, here's why

Just got back from 9 days in Portugal and I need to warn anyone heading there about the transit pass choice. I had to pick between a 3 day train pass (around 40 euros) and the Lisboa Card (27 euros) and went with the train pass since I figured I'd do day trips. Big mistake, the train pass did not cover the metro or the trams in the city at all, so I ended up paying twice for buses and the 28 tram. My buddy got the other pass and rode everything for free plus skipped the line at the Jeronimos Monastery. I burned about 60 extra euros in 4 days before I gave up and just walked everywhere in the rain. Check what the pass really covers before you buy, the names are confusing on purpose. Has anyone found a pass in Europe that truly covers city transit and day trips together?