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This page is unofficial. The information has been obtained from printed timetables and other local sources and is given in good faith.
The planes, trains and buses on this page are operated by numerous different companies, so some sections will be more up to date than others.

Travel by plane, bus or train between the Algarve and Spain

IT CAN BE A BIT DIFFICULT!!

The main focus of information is travel between the Algarve and Seville.
I have added such information on travel between the Algarve and certain other parts of Spain, either gained through personal experience or contributed by others.

I accept no responsibility for any problems caused by errors or changes made by the operators that I can’t find out about.
I will of course update when new information becomes available. If you have any contributions to this information, please email me!
Thanks again to Barlavento Expert for the information on buses between various parts of Spain and Portugal - summarised here.

PLANE - checked 1st April 2014

There is now only one Spanish destination that can reached by scheduled flights direct from Faro.

Air Berlin operates between Faro and Palma de Mallorca four times a week.
Flying to Palma de Mallorca might sound a bit odd, but there are connections there for Barcelona, Bilbao and many other places

There are currently no flights between Faro and anywhere in mainland Spain.

TRAINS

See below. There are no trains between the Algarve and Spain. The lines do not cross or even meet up at the border.

The nearest station in Spain is in Huelva, some 60km /36 miles from the border. Huelva has only four trains a day, three to Seville and one direct to Cordoba and Madrid.
In fact there are now only THREE trains a day between anywhere in Portugal and anywhere in Spain. And none of them go anywhere near the Algarve.

COACHES/BUSES LAGOS - ALBUFEIRA - FARO - HUELVA - SEVILLE

This information checked and updated 14th April 2014

This bus (coach) service between Lagos and Seville is operated jointly by Eva Bus (Portugal) and DAMAS (Spain)
Connections are available at Faro to and from Lisbon
There are also direct buses (coaches) between Lisbon and Seville via the Algarve, operated by the Spanish company ALSA see below
One way fare Lagos to Seville is €21; return/round trip €35. To print the timetable below click here.  Does not include connections.
THESE TIMETABLES ARE CHANGED WITHOUT WARNING SO PLEASE CHECK ON THE WEBSITES!

Spanish time is 1 hour AHEAD of Portuguese time *** runs ONE HOUR LATER in summer ### runs 30 minutes LATER in summer. NO BUSES RUN ON DECEMBER 25th or JANUARY 1st!!
Summer 28th June to 2nd September	Daily	Daily ***	Daily	Daily ***		Summer 28th June to 2nd September	Daily	Daily ###	Daily	Daily
Winter - until 27th June 2014 and from 3rd September	Does Not Run	Daily	Does Not Run	Daily		Winter - until 27th June 2014 and from 3rd September	Does Not Run	Daily	Does Not Run	Daily
Lagos Bus Station	0615	0630	1230	1345		Seville Plaza de Armas#	0730	0730	1330	1615
Portimão Avenida Guanaré	X	0700	no stop (d)	1415		Huelva Estacion de Autobuses	0845	0845	1445	1730
Lagoa Bus Station	X	0715	no stop (d)	no stop (a)		Ayamonte Bus Terminal	|	0930	|	no stop
Albufeira Bus Station (1.6km from old town centre!)	0700	0735	1315	1450		CROSS INTO PORTUGAL and change to Portuguese time - 1 hour)
Faro Bus Station (150m. to railway station)	0740	0820	1355	1535		Vila Real de Santo António Bus Station	|	0855	|	1740
Olhão Bus Station	X	0840	no stop (c)	1555		Tavira Bus Station	0850	0925	1450	1810
Tavira Bus Station	0810	0905	1425	1620		Olhão Bus Station	no stop (e)	0950	no stop (f)	1835
Vila Real de Santo António Bus Station	|	0935	|	1650		Faro Bus Station (150m. to railway station)	0920	1010	1520	1855
CROSS INTO SPAIN and change to Spanish time + 1 hour						Albufeira Bus Station (1.6km from old town centre!)	1000	1055	1600	1940
Ayamonte Bus Terminal	|	no stop	|	1815		Lagoa Bus Station	no stop (g)	no stop (b)	no stop (h)	2000
Huelva Estacion de Autobuses	1015	1145	1630	1905		Portimão Avenida Guanaré	no stop (g)	1130	no stop (h)	2015
Seville Plaza de Armas#	1130	1300	1745	2015		Lagos Bus Station	1045	1200	1645	2045

X - bus does not stop and there are no usable connections from these places

Connections - separate tickets needed in all cases

(a) - bus from Lagoa to Portimão at 13.20 on weekdays  / 13.30 Saturdays that would connect with this bus.
No connection on Sundays and Holidays.
(b) - bus from Portimão to Lagoa at 12.00 daily to connect with this bus.
(c) - bus from Olhão to Tavira WEEKDAYS ONLY at 1235.  Train daily, leaves 1224.
(d) - bus from Portimão to Albufeira daily at 1100, Lagoa at 1120.  Arrival in Albufeira 1205.
(e) - bus from Tavira to Olhão at 0855 daily or train at 0934. Railway station is 10min walk from bus station.
(f) - bus from Tavira at 1510 daily, train on weekdays only at 1525.
(g) - bus from Albufeira to Lagoa and Portimão at 1030 daily.
(h) - bus from Albufeira to Lagoa and Portimão at1615 and 1720 WEEKDAYS ONLY. Weekends and Holidays not until 1800.

For other connections please refer to the timetables elsewhere on the site.

DAMAS COACH AT LAGOS

Ticket Purchase

These are the only stops. Tickets are not sold on board. This is an 'all-reserved' service. Tickets can be bought on line for all journeys.
Go to www.eva-bus.com for journeys starting in Portugal, www.movelia.es for journeys starting in Spain.

A correspondent noted that when you book ON LINE your ticket may show the departure in SPANISH TIME even if you are leaving from Portugal.
Spanish websites definitely do show the times in Portugal in Spanish time! Do double check.

Otherwise, you must buy your ticket at the ticket office before the bus arrives, so allow sufficient time or go there a day or two earlier. The ticket offices in LAGOS and LAGOA are NOT OPEN for the early morning buses. You MUST buy your ticket at least the day before. At weekends the ticket office at Portimão will likewise not be open.

Warning - a correspondent travelled on the 1330 Seville - Lagos last year. There were tickets available at the DAMAS ticket office but by the time the bus arrived it was obvious that some 15 - 20 more tickets had been sold than there were seats on the bus. Those who had bought tickets on line were not given priority. Late arrivals had to wait for the next journey. This has, they said, happened before. Advice - arrive early even if you have booked on line! 

These buses usually have on-board toilets you will be pleased to know!

# for information about onward connections at Seville please click here. Plaza das Armas is 2km from the main Santa Justa Railway Station and the other main bus station at Prado San Sebastian.

COSTA DEL SOL, GRANADA, JEREZ AND ALGECIRAS - ALGARVE - LISBON

Service operated by ALSA - www.alsa.es - the website is in English - item checked and updated 1st April 2014
To UK readers these are COACHES (like National Express) and tickets MUST be bought in advance.

If you used this route before, note that the ALBUFEIRA stop is now the main bus station at Caliços.
WARNING - I have noticed on two recent occasions the afternoon ALSA buses leaving Albufeira before the scheduled departure time.
This I can only assume is because all ticketed passengers are on board. You CANNOT buy tickets at the last minute!!
Connections are available at Seville for Algeciras, Malaga, Torremolinos etc. Check the ALSA website.
THESE TIMES ARE CORRECT AS OF 1st April 2014 BUT DO PLEASE CHECK THE TIMES BEFORE MAKING FIRM PLANS

ALL STOPS ARE AT THE BUS STATIONS IN EACH TOWN	Every night	Daily	Not on Mondays Tuesdays or Wednesdays		Every Night	Daily	Not on Mondays Tuesdays or Wednesdays
SPANISH TIME 1 hour ahead of Portugal	From Lisbon		From Lisbon	SPANISH TIME 1 hour ahead of Portugal
Albufeira	0115	1415	1730	Seville Prado	2330	0900	1430
Loulé	0130	1430	1745	Seville Plaza das Armas	2359	0930	1500
Faro	0145	1445	1800	Huelva	0115	1045	1615
Tavira	0215	1515	1830	Ayamonte	no stop	no stop	no stop
Vila Real de Santo António	0245	1530	1900	Vila Real de Santo António	0115	1015	1615
Ayamonte	no stop	1645	no stop	Tavira	0130	1030	1630
Huelva	0400	1715	2015	Faro	0200	1100	1715
Seville Plaza das Armas	0545	1830	2130	Loulé	no stop	1115	1730
Seville Prado	0615	1900	2200	Albufeira	0245	1130	1800
	to Malaga				to Lisbon		to Lisbon

I have been informed that tickets must be purchased at a main bus station and are only available during 'office hours' on weekdays! Tickets are not sold on board. It has been reported several times that ALSA may not accept other than Spanish credit cards on line. There is now an option to pay using Paypal.

The overnight journeys pass through the Algarve during the early morning hours. The night-time buses stop OUTSIDE the bus station in Faro.
There will be no local bus transport from or to the stops, possibly not even taxis.

SEVILLE - CONNECTIONS - checked and updated 13th March 2014

Connections within the city of Seville

The Plaza de Armas bus terminal in Seville is about 2km across the city from the Santa Justa railway station. It is also about 2km from the Prado San Sebastian Bus Station.  It is very busy, even on a Sunday morning, so allow ample time to buy your ticket. Perhaps go there a day or two earlier as I did, or book on-line if you can.

There is no direct bus between the Plaza de Armas and the Santa Justa railway station. You need to take bus C4 to Prado San Sebastian then change to the C2 for Santa Justa. The official website of the Seville city bus service is at www.tussam.es including a downloadable map. There is a lot more information about Seville generally, including maps, here.

The first line of Seville's metro (underground) rail network is in service. It does not serve either the Plaza de Armas bus station or the Santa Justa rail station. It does have a stop at the Prado San Sebastian, the other major bus station. The metro website is http://www.metro-sevilla.es/en/ - only in Spanish.

Most parts of Seville can also reached by city buses from outside the Plaza de Armas.

Buses to suburban and regional destinations

There is comprehensive information on buses in the Seville region (in Spanish only) at the 'Consorcio Transportes' website.

Buses to many suburban destinations leave from the Plaza de Armas, but some leave from the Prado San Sebastian. The C3 and C4 circular routes link the two bus stations. The bus station at Prado San Sebastian is the yellow painted building with the arches, just around the corner from the  tram/light rail stop**. The entrance is actually in the Plaza San Sebastian. The bus companies Casal, Los Amarillos, Linesur and Alsina Graells (ALSA)  use this terminal. They each have their own ticket/enquiry offices inside. Timetables were displayed when I last visited.

** The short tram line runs between San Bernado metro station via Prado San Sebastian (close to a lot of bus stops) to the old city centre at the Plaza Nueva, a distance of about 1km. Ticketing is integrated with the city buses operated under the Tussam banner.

Buses from Seville to many regional destinations (eg Cadiz, Jerez, Tarifa, La Linea and Algeciras) are operated by DAMAS and Transportes Generales Comes. TG Comes buses use the Prado San Sebastian bus station.

Long distance buses (coaches)

Long distance buses to many other parts of Spain leave from Plaza de Armas.  These companies use Plaza de Armas - ALSA, DAMAS, SOCIBUS, LINESUR, LEDA SA and EUROLINES

You can check times of buses from the  Plaza de Armas bus station on this website http://www.autobusesplazadearmas.es/ note that the site is in Spanish only

The ALSA and Eurolines sites are available in English, the TG Comes site has quite of a lot of its information in English (but isn't very easy to navigate!) but the other sites are only in Spanish.

Seville Airport bus

The airport bus (EA, Especial Aeroporto) now runs to and from the bus station at Plaza de Armas in the city centre, passing the Prado San Sebastian bus station and the Santa Justa railway station on the way.

At Plaza de Armas the airport bus stops in front of the bus station on Calle Torneo (not evident from the Tussam website). There are two city bus stops in front of the station, on the same side of Calle Torneo as the bus station itself. The airport bus stops at the one furthest away to the left from the bus station exit.

First bus from town is at 0430am daily, last bus at 0030. From the airport the first bus is at 0520, last bus at 0120. Buses run three times each hour between about 0730 and 2300hrs, earlier and later twice an hour, mostly at slightly irregular intervals. One way fare is 4 Euros, return fare 6 Euros. Journey is between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on traffic.

Check the times and route maps on the TUSSAM website. Or there is this PDF file here.

Gibraltar

ALGARVE - SEVILLE USING THE FERRY?

checked 1st April 2014

In the direction Algarve - Seville, you have to take the train or bus to Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA). This town is on the Portuguese side of the wide Guadiana river, which forms the border between Portugal and Spain.

The railway station at Vila Real de Santo António is at the end of the Algarve line from Lagos, which also serves Portimão, Faro and Tavira etc as do the buses above. Trains run about every two hours; train times are here.

The station in VRSA is about ten minutes walk (flat, no hills) from the ferry terminal. To get from the railway station to the ferry, walk out of the station, straight down the road, past the roundabout and on to the next junction. Turn left and pass through a rather dismal lot of mostly closed factories, until you get to a T-junction and can see the river. Turn right and you will see the bus station ahead of you. The ferry is just beyond. The Intermarché supermarket outside the VRSA train station is a good place to stock up. It’s open daily including Sunday afternoons. There aren't any other supermarkets until you get to Spain. The town centre of VRSA is off to the right when you get to the bus station. There you will see bars, restaurants etc. Map here - opens in a new window.

The ferry runs  every 30 minutes in summer, every 60 minutes in winter, between about 0830 and 1930 only. No service on winter Sundays. Details below.

If you are staying somewhere (eg Faro, Tavira, Monte Gordo) there is a bus to Vila Real de Santo António and bus might be best, as the bus station at VRSA is at the ferry terminal

Seville - Algarve - I have used the bus/ferry/bus option from Seville to Albufeira! It was fairly painless except for a half hour delay caused by traffic congestion on the outskirts of Seville. The bus (cost now €14.25) took me from Seville to Ayamonte, on the Spanish side of the river. The Spanish railway line runs only as far as Huelva and there are only three trains a day, so unless you are coming from elsewhere, the bus from Seville is best. Then it's about 15 minutes easy walk through the town to the ferry terminal. This isn't signposted very well, so keep the river to your left. Then there's the ten minute ferry ride (€1.70) across to Portugal.

Ferry to Ayamonte (Spain)

A little ferry crosses the river between VRSA and Ayamonte.

I have used the ferry a few times. That’s a picture of it to the left. It can take two or three cars and maybe 50 passengers maximum.  All the times published in Portugal are in PORTUGUESE TIME so check return times from Ayamonte carefully.

(Spanish time is one hour ahead of Portugal, so you gain or lose an hour in the 10 minute crossing of the river.)

Winter service 2013/2014 valid from 16th September until 30th April 2014 according to information available at Vila Real.

When the Spanish boat is running, which I cannot confirm is the case, as from 1st April 2014.

From Vila Real de Santo António at 0845, 0930 then every hour until 1630 then last trip at 1815. From Ayamonte SPANISH TIME at 0930, 1000 then every hour until 1700 then last trip at 1900. Don't forget to adjust your watches.

When the PORTUGUESE boat is running: 

From Vila Real de Santo António at 0815, 0900 then every hour until 1700 then at 1830; from Ayamonte Spanish time at 0930 then every hour until 1830 then at 1930.

Summer service - every 30 minutes daily from 0830 to 1930. Summer service valid from 1st July 2014 to mid-September, subject to confirmation.

An English language website for Ayamonte has a timetable on line here. The information differs greatly from what is available in Portugal!

The crossing takes about 10 minutes. Fare for foot passengers is €1.70; children under 4 go free, ages 4 to 10yrs €0.85.The ticket office at Vila Real is within the restored former customs control building.

Ayamonte to/from Seville direct or via Huelva

CHECKED AND UPDATED 1stApril 2014
PLEASE REFER TO THE TIMETABLE/TICKET WEBSITE FOR SPECIFIC BUS/COACH TIMES FOR THE DAY YOU WISH TO TRAVEL

For all BUS timetable enquiries around Ayamonte, Isla Cristina and Huelva go to the regional bus website here this site is only in Spanish. There are several different buses between Ayamonte and Huelva, so you will have to fish around a little.

For times, fares and tickets for longer journeys in Spain eg Ayamonte - Seville go to www.movelia.es - this site is available in English.

The DAMAS bus company runs between Seville (Plaza da Armas) and Ayamonte four times daily on weekdays, three times daily at weekends and on public holidays. Journey to Seville is about 2¾ hours. There are also buses between Ayamonte and Huelva about every two hours.  You have more options Ayamonte - Seville with a change of bus in Huelva. These buses are also operated by DAMAS.

Socibus also operate three times a day between Ayamonte, Sevllle and Madrid - details below.

Trains - times current from 15th December 2013 until further notice.

There are trains (www.renfe.com) between Huelva and Seville (Santa Justa). The railway between Ayamonte and Huelva closed long ago and the railway station in Ayamonte was converted into the bus station. Train times Huelva to Seville- trains leave daily at 0700, 1500 and 1920 with an extra train on Sundays at 1750. Journey is about 90 minutes, one way 'Turista' fare is €11.75 but discounted fares are available for advance purchase. There is NO CONNECTION by bus Ayamonte to Huelva for the 0700 train or the 0800 to Madrid below. Trains leave Seville Santa Justa for Huelva at 1000, 1700 and 2050 with an extra train on Fridays at 1902. Reservation is not needed except for the 1902 Friday train, which comes from Madrid.

Huelva <> Madrid direct by train

There is also a direct fast train between Huelva and Madrid Atocha NOT STOPPING in Seville. The Huelva - Madrid train leaves at 0800 arriving at 1140  Return train leaves Madrid at 1805 arriving in Huelva at 2145. These trains stop in Cordoba. Details and fares at www.renfe.es - normal tourist class fare one-way is €71,50. Reservation required.

There is an extra weekend trip between Huelva and Madrid. Train leaves Madrid Puerta de Atocha station on Fridays at 1620 arriving in Huelva at 2023, returning to Madrid on Sundays at 1750 arrival 2158. Subject to alteration around major public holidays eg Easter.

VAN/TAXI/MINIBUS?

A number of companies and travel agents advertise that they will do airport transfers to Seville, so that could be an avenue worth exploring, especially if there is a group of you. For example, try www.yellowfishtransfers.com

OTHER BUSES BETWEEN PORTUGAL AND SPAIN

Section checked and updated 5th March 2014

Thanks to Barlavento Expert for much of this information about various other bus services between Portugal and Spain. There are a lot of enquiries about these buses, as there are almost no trains between Portugal and Spain, as already stated. Don't forget that Spanish time is one hour ahead of Portugal. All times given below are local time to the country and city concerned.

I have checked as much of the information as I can through the company websites. Advance reservation is required on almost all the buses (coaches to UK readers) so you must check all times etc before committing yourself.

Many of the buses between Portugal and Spain are operated by the ALSA company. This company is owned by National Express, a UK train and bus operator. Most of their website and on-line booking system is in English. Also, the INTERNORTE consortium website offers domestic and international services. EUROLINES - see below.

The timetables do not state so specifically, but services on holidays are usually as for Sunday times. Service does not usually operate on New Year's Day (1st January) and may be reduced on December 24th, 25th, 31st and subject to change around major holidays eg Easter. Also, according to my leaflet, you are supposed to 'present yourself' 45 minutes prior to departure. Tickets should be bought in advance if at all possible, especially in summer. I do not claim that this information is comprehensive. There may well be other links, especially in the north of the country, but this site is really about the Algarve.

BARCELONA - LISBON (CHANGE OF BUS REQUIRED IN MADRID)

Operated by ALSA. - Please check details on their website

Leaving Barcelona North Bus Station at 1230 (a) and 2300 (b) arriving Lisbon Sete Rios at 0700 and 1700 respectively. The 1230 departure also stops at : Barcelona (Sants), Lerida and Zaragoza. Change buses in Madrid (Est. Sur de autobuses) then it calls at Elvas, Estremoz, Evora, Montemor, Setubal and Lisbon Gare Oriente. The 2300 departure stops at the same places as far as Madrid then Evora and Lisbon only.

(a) the 1230 from Barcelona operates Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays all year plus Saturdays in summer. (b) the 2300 from Barcelona operates Tuesdays and Fridays all year, also Wednesdays in summer.

From Lisbon towards Barcelona buses leave at 1130 and 2100. The 1130 runs on SUNDAYS only, all year round and is the fast service arriving in Madrid at 2130, change buses for Barcelona arrival at 0700. The 2100 stops in all the towns and arrival in Barcelona is 1645 the next day. The 2100 runs every day except Sundays in summer; in winter it runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays only.

BARCELONA - PORTO (CHANGE OF BUS REQUIRED IN MADRID)

Operated by ALSA -  please check details on their website.

The Internorte bus company also operates Porto - Madrid - Barcelona three times a week; times and reservations at http://www.internorte.pt/

MADRID AND LISBON/PORTO

Madrid <> Lisbon via Badajoz and Évora operated by ALSA. One-way fare €44,00, return (round-trip) €73.00 some small taxes and charges will be added to the total.

Two buses daily all year one daytime and one overnight bus, journey time 12 hours daytime, 11 hours overnight. Buses leave/arrive at Madrid's Est Sur de Autobuses and to/from Lisbon Sete Rios Bus Terminal but calling at Lisbon Gare Oriente 15 minutes later/earlier.

Madrid <> Lisbon via Badajoz, Elvas, Montemor and Setubal - Operated by Avanzabus

Three buses each way on weekdays, two each way at weekends and on holidays. One journey each day is overnight. Journey time about 8 hours. Full timetable on the Avanzabus website; in Spanish only. Downloadable timetables are available for all their routes across Spain under the 'horarios' tab. One-way adult fare Lisbon > Madrid is €42,10. Vehicles are configured with 33 seats only, including single seats.

Madrid <> LIsbon via Merida, Badajoz, Elvas, Evora and Setubal - operated by Anibal timetable is no longer on their website may therefore have ceased operation

Madrid <> Porto via Salamanca with connection to Coimbra etc Operated by ALSA.

One daytime journey each way every day, journey time 9hrs 30 minutes. Check the ALSA website for times. One way fare €50.00

There is a connection at Madrid from and to Valencia daily in summer, four days a week in winter.

Porto - Vigo via Porto airport

Four journeys each way on weekdays, only one journey each way Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. One extra journey every day if pre-booked. Operated by AUTNA www.autna.com website is in Spanish only.

Socibus service Madrid - Seville - Ayamonte

Madrid Airport stop is at Terminal One
Please check all times when buying tickets as there are no longer any downloadable timetables on the website

Eurolines

The Eurolines company operates a number of routes connecting Portugal with the outside world. Their Portugal timetable can be found here - external link.
A number of these times are the same as routes operated by the ALSA bus company,  they are a 'code share' type operation.
Several of the routes involve a change of bus but through tickets are available.

Routes: Madrid-Mérida-Badajoz>>>>Elvas-Estremoz-Évora-Montemor - Setubal - Lisbon
Madrid-Ávila-Salamanca-Ciudad Rodrigo>>>>Guarda-Viseu-Porto-Fatima-Lisbon - Vila Real St. António
Algeciras-Huelva-Jerez-MálagaSevilla-Granada>>>>Faro-Setubal-Lisbon-Fatima-Porto
Barcelona-Lleida-Zaragoza>>>>Vilar Formoso-Guarda-Celorico-Mangualde-Viseu-Albergaria-Porto
Valencia>>>>Elvas-Estremoz-Evora-Setubal-Lisbon - V. Formoso-Guarda-Viseu-Porto

Socinterbus - Northern Portugal to Andorra!

Spanish company Socintarbus runs a service three times a week across from Vila Praia da Ancora through Braga, Guimarães, Porto (stop is at Campanhã railway station), Amarante, Mirandela and Bragança to Valladolid, Burgos, Zaragoza, Lleida and various places in Andorra. Timetable and more details at http://socintarbus.com/showPG.php?Id=2

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS  IN PORTUGAL AND SPAIN 2014

Click here for a list of Portuguese public and religious holidays until end 2014.

All Spanish holidays are listed here - external link in a new window.

Note that, as in Portugal, Spanish holidays are not ‘moved’ and are held on the given date regardless of the day of the week. Also, there are many local holidays and festivals.

For an alphabetical list of places in the Algarve, please click here
For a bus map of the Algarve click here
For a quick list of all timetables on the site click here
For some important general notes about buses in the Algarve, click here

Algarve Bus.Info home page