All drivers originally from the UK.
Click picture to visit the website
Pricematch Guaranteed, book your
return transfer and get a free gift!
Click the logo to visit
yellowfishtransfers.com
Airport, golf and local transfers
Bring your team to
the Algarve!! Click to visit our website
Alternatives to satellite dishes also supplied and
installed
WWW.TANTAPRENDA.COM
We specialise in personalised giftware and novelty items.
Albufeira Golf Club Hire and
Souvenir Shop
Golf Club Hire €25 one
player, €20 per person two or more.
Also hats, gloves, shoes
and balls.
We provide the golf course and
transport, you just play.
Phone Joe 00351
922127665 or
Keith on 0044(0)7761 227146
Shop is in Praça Miguel
Bombarda (old town) opposite the São Sebastião
church museum and Tunes Bar.
Family friendly holidays and baby equipment to hire
click the logo to visit their site
Useful website for visitor information on safety and
security.
Click logo to visit
VISITING THE ALGARVE? WANT TO PLAY BOWLS?
THE BALAIA BOWLS
CLUB NEAR ALBUFEIRA WELCOMES YOU
Roll-ups Tuesday and Friday mornings. Woods and shoes can
be hired. Visitors pay €10 per person.
We are also happy to welcome touring sides and can provide
our own team as your competition. Four rinks on natural
grass. Bar adjacent! Open (almost) all year around.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE NEW CLUB
WEBSITE
MODERN TWO BEDROOM
APARTMENT FOR HOLIDAY RENT LONG OR SHORT STAYS IN THE
VERY CENTRE OF ALBUFEIRA OLD TOWN
No pool, no parking, but 2 minutes walk from the beach
area.
The apartment is NOT suitable for those who cannot manage
46 stairs up from the street! No lift / elevator.
Long lets available from mid September at approx €200 a
week or €800 a month everything included. Unlimited
wifi, fully equipped kitchen. Large balcony. I know
the owner!
Bookable at Booking.com - click here.
or contact the owner direct via this page
|
The Algarve region of Portugal - information on bus
and train services
This is an unofficial website compiled by a
resident of the Algarve. It has come about as a result
of many enquiries in various forums. No responsibility
can be accepted for any problems caused by errors or
omissions. This site is not connected with, nor endorsed
by, any official operator or organisation. I welcome any
feedback, comments and
suggestions. In all cases I strongly recommend that you
check times locally at the bus terminal etc as timetable
changes are usually made without prior warning!
Timetables are NOT posted at most bus stops. They still
wonder why few people use the buses here.
Contents - summary
YOU ARE STRONGLY
ADVISED TO READ THE GUIDANCE NOTES first as,
at first sight, the operations here can seem a bit
complicated.
For example, most buses in the Algarve do not have
route / line numbers as they do in many countries.
A
list of all the timetables on the site
Alphabetical list of all places in
the Algarve served by train or bus
All timetable pages carry the date on which I was last
able to verify the times as being correct.
I have used almost all the buses and trains myself.
THE MOST
FREQUENTLY CONSULTED PAGES
Fast Buses Faro <>
Albufeira <> Portimão <> Lagos
|
Buses along the
coast between Faro, Almancil, Quarteira,
Vilamoura, Albufeira, Lagoa, Portimão and Lagos
|
Buses along the coast between
Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa, Albufeira, Vilamoura,
Quarteira, Almancil and Faro
|
Buses
between
Faro, Olhão, Tavira, Monte Gordo, Vila Real de
Santo António
|
Travel between the Algarve and
Seville (Spain)
|
Buses
between Lagos and Sagres
Diagram of Algarve
bus routes
|
List of timetables
Notes on the bus
systems |
Alphabetical list of
towns and villages with links to timetables
|
Public Holidays in Portugal 2018
|
Outdoor markets in the
Algarve
|
Local
buses around Albufeira |
Bus
maps of Albufeira |
|
Buses
in other parts of Portugal
|
Long-distance buses (coaches) in
Portugal
|
Trains
in the Algarve and to/from Lisbon |
Football (soccer) in the
Algarve |
| EMAIL
ME |
Beer price
conversion table - download and save this
MS EXCEL
file then find out how much your
beer here really costs!
|
EMAIL ME
|
NEWS and updates - latest
- 12th July 2018
CONFUSING CHANGES TO ALGARVE LINE TRAIN TIMES FOR SUMMER - FURTHER CHANGES FROM 5th AUGUSTTo add to what is below, more changes are coming from 5th August. In particular some of the trains to and from Lisbon are being retimed an hour earlier or later, so Algarve line trains are being retimed to fit in. There is no downloadable timetable available as yet but the revised times are shown at https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/train-times so if planning a trip on or after 5th August please check times there until I can properly update my page.
There are some changes to some train times for July and August weekends to fit in with the extra trains that run from and back to Lisbon. However I have noticed that the printable version of the timetable states that certain trains are not running on Sundays while another version says that they do. I have noted these problems on the trains page but until I can check the details PLEASE ASK AT THE STATION OR VIA THE CP CONTACT CENTRE
LAGOS - SEVILLE SUMMER TIMETABLE FOR THE JOINT EVA /
DAMAS SERVICE CHANGED AGAIN!
A further revision has become apparent. The latest
official timetable for this service can be downloaded here. Some stops at Tavira and
Huelva have been re-instated but the early evening
journeys have been cancelled. More information with
connection times for those towns not served here.
SUMMER TIMETABLES START ON LOCAL BUSES UNTIL SEPTEMBER 9th
Some local buses changed to summer timetables on 1st
July. This particularly concerns buses around Portimão
and Lagos, some other routes also change. Do make sure
you are looking at the correct times. These summer
times remain in force until the second weekend of
September. Buses marked as 'SCH' (schooldays only) do
not run during this period.
EXTRA TRAINS FOR SUMMER LISBON TO FARO AND BACK
Times confirmed for the extra train down from Lisbon
on Friday evening and back to Lisbon on Sunday
evening, also the one extra train each way on
Saturdays. Details added to trains page here.
NEW BUS STATION IN PORTIMÃO FOR LONG DISTANCE
SERVICES
I have put together such information how to get there
etc as I have been able to gather- page here.
It is about 1.5km (nearly a mile) from the city centre.
There are no signs pointing to it, it is really out of
the way! Transrápido Faro - Lagos buses now also
stop at the new long distance bus station at Rua Abicada
as well as the stop in Avenida Guanaré by the river.
Confirmed by EVA themselves. However, neither the
printed timetable nor the on line times have been
revised to show this. INTERNATIONAL services (ie to / from
Seville) also now stop here.
NEW PAGE ADDED FOR THE
AIR ROUTE PORTIMÃO - CASCAIS - VISEU - VILA REAL -
BRAGANÇA
Sevenair flies this route
twice a day, except Sundays and Holidays. I have added
a page to show this
operation.
ELECTRIFICATION WORK ON
THE ALGARVE RAILWAY LINE ANNOUNCED
An announcement was made early in January that the work
to electrify the two remaining stretches (Tunes to Lagos
and Faro - Vila Real de Santo António) will begin this
year with conclusion in the fourth quarter of 2020. The
first phase is the construction of new or enlarged
electrical sub stations to provide the necessary power.
Bidding for the major overhead line works and signalling
contracts will be held later in 2018, with most work
taking place in 2019 and 2020.
There may be an effect on existing operations while
work is in progress. Any information I find will be
published here and on the trains page.
LAGOS BUS STATION TICKET
OFFICE HOURS
A notice at the ticket office states
opening hours as 0600 to 2030hrs daily. This differs
from the information on the EVA bus company website.
Travellers intending to get a very early service from
Lagos and who do not book on line are advised to check
this before turning up and perhaps finding it closed!
NEW WEBSITE FOR SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT IN THE ALGARVE
A new website has been created with the aim of
promoting sustainable transport in the Algarve. Among
the early features is a map, overlaid onto Google Maps,
which shows every inter-urban bus route and all stopping
places. A commendable start and at first glance you may
think it's a comprehensive network, but remember that
many routes run only once or twice a day. The site
offers no timetable information that I can find. The map
will be a useful cross reference to other information.
It can be found at https://algarve.city-platform.com/app/?a=carreiras
- link will open in a new window. The main website
itself is www.vamus.pt and is available in Portuguese
and English.
Checked in person?
I have been asked what this signifies. It means I have
been to the place concerned on that date, I will have been
on one or more of those buses and checked the timetables
at the bus station or bus stop. If those are not correct
then there is no hope!
People have asked whether the timetables on the official
sites are up to date. So far as I am aware they are, it is
just that despite a huge increase in population some
timetables have not changed for 15 or even 20 years!
TOURIST PASS FOR ALGARVE
LINE REGIONAL TRAINS
Available
from STAFFED stations only. (Lagos, Portimao, Tunes,
Albufeira, Loulé, Faro, Olhao, Tavira and Vila Real de
Santo António) and are NOT VALID ON ALFA PENDULAR OR
INTERCITY TRAINS
Do the sums first. A return (round-trip) ticket from
Faro to Lagos is only €14,80.
Two days for €20,90 and three days for €31,90. Reduced
fares for children. Days must be consecutive. The seven
day pass is not being advertised, that I can find.
STEP FREE ACCESS TO RAILWAY STATIONS AND TRAINS
I must emphasise that there is NO STEP FREE ACCESS at
any Algarve station to any train while it is in the
platform. All trains in use have steps up into the
carriage. Some platforms are very low, making it
difficult for some. I have added an item to the
' disabled page'
with detail
of the various stations.
Discounts for long distance train travel!
If you book more than 8 days in advance there are some
really cheap fares available on trains, eg between the
Algarve stations and Lisbon. These fares can be
cheaper than coaches (buses). These tickets are not
refunded if you do not use them. Go to www.cp.pt
for all you need to know. OTHER DISCOUNTS ON TRAIN TICKETS
CP offers 25% off. If you are aged 25 or under, CP is
offering a 25% discount on all Alfa Pendular,
Intercidades, InterRegional and Regional train
tickets. You can use this discount in any class, any
day of the week. Just show official ID with proof of
your age such as a Citizen card, ID card, driving
licence or passport. You can buy your tickets from
long-distance ticket offices, netTICKET travel agents.
These tickets can be reissued or refunded.
Young people aged 26 or over can still enjoy the
Cartão Jovem discount for individual journeys.
In addition, a 40% or higher discount is available to
all
travellers on long distance Intercity and Alfa
Pendular trains who make reservations on line eight
days or more in advance. Reservations open 60 days
before travel. On some trains the number of these
discounted tickets is limited. These tickets can be
exchanged for a different train, but are not refunded
if you don't make the trip. You can buy your print at
home tickets at www.cp.pt and
in English. DO NOT buy tickets from Raileurope or any
other site as
they cannot offer the discount and cannot provide you
with the mandatory
seat reservations. These you would have to obtain
locally and pay an
additional fee for them. Anyone over 65 can travel
half fare on local trains so long they have ID eg
passport.
TOURIST PASSES FOR ALGARVE BUSES
These are available as three day versions at €29,10
and seven days for €36,25. Days must be consecutive.
They can be bought at any bus station ticket office,
also the Albufeira old town Bus Shop and the EVA
ticket office in Largo do Dique, Portimão. They are
valid on ALL buses operated by EVA or Frota Azul
listed in timetables on this site. They are NOT VALID
on EVA, Rede-Expressos or RENEX long distance
services,
international services, nor on the local urban buses
in
Lagos, Portimão, Albufeira, Loulé, Vilamoura,
Quarteira, Faro and Tavira. The local buses in those
towns have their own day passes, multi-ride tickets
and season tickets for frequent or regular users.
There is no other discount on buses for persons over
60 / 65
except for residents.
BUS DELAYS - SOME RECENT EXAMPLES
Traffic congestion and
unrealistic timetables mean that many buses cannot be
relied upon to run to time, especially on the longer
journeys. On May 31st 2018, the 1430 Transrápido
bus from Faro to Lagos was seen 28 minutes late at
Portimão.
The 1800 bus from Lagos to Albufeira is ALWAYS at
least 10 minutes late by the time it gets to
Albufeira, 20 minutes delay in summer is not
unusual. I regularly experience similar delays
returning from Lagos or Portimão to Albufeira in the
late afternoon and early evening.
On the longer
routes eg Lagos - Faro and Albufeira - Lagos, delays
of 10 - 15 minutes towards the end of the journey are
commonplace, on any day of the week. Delays are even
more likely in summer.
TIMETABLES AT BUS STATIONS ETC
Timetables are posted at
most bus stations (but not at Faro or Loulé) but not at
most bus stops. Copies of the official timetables can be
downloaded from the various websites but finding which
one(s) you need can be a problem, for example between
Albufeira and Portimão there are four different bus
routes each with its own timetable. Copies can be
obtained from bus station ticket offices.
THANK YOU
This site is being
visited about 500 times a month. May I thank you for
the positive comments and feedback I am receiving.
DISABLED OR FIND IT HARD TO GET AROUND?
DEFICIENTE? BEHINDERTE? HANDICAPÉ?
Please click here
for some observations on this issue. You will
have problems using the buses and trains in
the Algarve. I am able-bodied by the
way!
Why the site exists
I have built this site of local bus,
train and ferry information here in the
Algarve in response to many queries raised
through various forums.
The main idea is to allow visitors and
potential visitors to plan ahead by getting
an understanding of the local public
transport operations and the places they
serve and don’t! I recommend that wherever
possible you check times locally. Updates
are continuous. Whenever I go somewhere, I
check the information. Each timetable bears
the date on which I was last able to verify
it as being correct.Schedule changes are not
very frequent, but do happen and often with
little or no advance warning. Changes
are rarely highlighted on websites etc.
I live in the Algarve and use these buses
and trains as I do not drive. Not all routes
and services are included. I have left out
those unlikely to be of use to visitors, for
example some short schooldays only runs.
I have not included full details of some of
the local 'city' bus type operations. They
have
websites to which I can redirect. You
can make enquiries at the local bus
station or tourist information offices if
required. Please note that tickets are NOT
interchangeable between these purely urban
buses and the other buses.
As much as possible has been checked on the
ground eg by using the buses concerned
and/or obtaining the printed timetables.
Official websites
The official website of the major local
operator, EVA, can be found at www.eva-bus.com ; the
other, smaller, company Frota Azul also has
a website. They have
'search' functions enabling you to find
which buses run between two places, but do
not list
buses to and from all destinations nor all
the fares. The official timetables are
available for download and
printing. As neither site has a map of
routes, it can be difficult to discover
which route serves which place. There are
often differences
between the information on the websites and
the timetables at the bus stations etc. I
use the printed information.
The urban operators around the larger
towns also have websites, with varying
degrees of information, That for Albufeira
is the worst. No timetables are published!
Each site is mentioned on relevant pages,
with links to them.
I would be pleased to receive any
timetables not included here. If you can
scan or photo them
please email
them to me. I can then include the data
in these pages.
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|
CURRENT
ALGARVE
WEATHER
 ALGARVE HOLIDAY FUN
INFORMATION, ADVICE AND DISCOUNTED BOOKINGS FOR YOUR
HOLIDAY FUN - CLICK THE LOGO TO VISIT THE SITE
RECOMMENDED BARS
IN OLD
TOWN ALBUFEIRA
The Cavern Pub
English owned and run since 1991 Old town
Albufeira, Rua do MFA, two minutes walk from the square.
Open from 12 noon weekends and
some UK Bank Holidays (for the sports) , open from 6pm
weekdays.
60's and 70's music plus all UK sport on TV. Free wifi
for customers
TUNES BAR
ENGLISH OWNED
Old town Albufeira near the Sol e Mar Hotel
Up the steps by the tunnel and turn right to Praça
Miguel Bombarda
Good music, UK Sports on TV. Free wifi for customers
Open 11am until late, every day
Tel : 289 153 178 email :tunesbar2016@gmail.com
RECOMMENDED BARS IN OTHER
PARTS OF TOWN
These are NOT personal recommendations neither are these
inserts paid for. Just ideas from regular visitors I meet.
Hours will vary according to season.
ARTE BAR, CERRO
GRANDE
Website Facebook
Between the old town and marina. Close to 'Windmill Hill'
FAT CATS DINER,
RUA DUNFERMLINE
Near Paraiso, Tropical Sol, Eirasol, Forte do Vale etc
Facebook page
VICTORIA BAR
RUA SAMORA BARROS
Near Albufera Jardim, Windmill Hill, Páteo Village. Facebook
ALGARVE SENIOR LIVING
Buy your dream retirement home abroad
click the picture to visit their website
|
