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 coaches on this page are operated by
numerous different companies, so some sections will be more up
to date than others.
SOME SECTIONS UPDATED 8th JANUARY
Please do check everything on the official websites before
committing yourself. There are frequent changes to timetables. This is a difficult page to keep up to
date at the best of times!.
The main focus of this page is travel between the Algarve and Seville.
I accept no responsibility for any problems
caused by errors or changes made by the operators that I can’t
find out about.
Note - the vehicles used for the long journeys in this page are
called COACHES in the UK, called bus anywhere else.
In all cases you MUST have a ticket before boarding coaches /
long distance buses.
Faro and Barcelona
with Vueling
Air was operating once a week only
Air Nostrum Faro - Madrid route was suspended in summer 2020
Complete information on all scheduled flights at
Faro airport can be viewed here
- the link will open in a new window.
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 currently has only three trains a day. Two run to and
from Seville and one runs direct to and from Cordoba and Madrid.
In fact there are only six trains a day between anywhere in
Portugal and anywhere in Spain. And none of them go anywhere
near the Algarve.
GETTING ON OR OFF AT PORTIMÃO? The long distance bus station is 1.5km from the town centre and
very few local buses go there.
All services to and from Seville now call there. Do allow enough
time to get there. Location details etc here.
EARLY MORNING DEPARTURES LAGOS
BUS STATION TICKET OFFICE HOURS
The bus station ticket office opens AFTER the first departures of the morning. Travellers intending to get a very early
service from Lagos should buy their tickets from the website or at the bus station prior to the day of travel.
NO LONGER EVERY NIGHT |
CAN |
Daily |
CAN | CAN | CAN | CAN | CAN | Daily |
CAN | CAN | NO LONGER EVERY NIGHT |
CAN | CAN | CAN | Daily | CAN | CAN | Daily |
CAN | CAN | CAN | ||
ALL SERVICE ON THIS ROUTE IS SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Lagos Bus
Station |
From | 0700 |
0800 |
0900 |
1000 |
From | 1230 |
1330 |
1500 |
From |
1700 |
Seville Santa Justa Railway Station (see note below) |
From Malaga, Granada | 0700 |
0700 $ |
0830 |
0930 |
1100 |
1330 $ |
1500 |
1600 |
1700 |
1900 |
Portimão see note here | Lisbon | 0730 |
0830 |
0930 |
1030 |
Lisbon | 1300 |
1400 |
1530 |
Lisbon |
1730 |
Seville
Plaza de Armas Bus Station |
2359§ | 0730 |
0800 |
0900 |
1000 |
1130 |
1430 |
1530 |
1630 |
1730 |
1930 |
Albufeira
Bus Station (1.6km from centre) |
0145 |
0800 |
0900 |
1000 |
1100 |
1245 |
1330 |
1430 |
1600 |
1700 |
1800 |
Huelva Bus Station | no stop |
no stop |
no stop |
1015 |
1115 |
no stop |
1545 |
no stop |
no stop |
no stop |
2045 |
Faro Bus
Station |
0215x |
0845 | 0945 | 1045 |
1145 |
1345 |
1415 |
1515 |
1645 |
1745 |
1845 |
Tavira Bus
Station (Portuguese time) |
0100 | no stop |
0830 |
1015 | 1115 |
no stop |
1600 xx |
no stop |
no stop |
no stop |
2100 |
Faro
Airport |
0200x | 0900 | 1000 |
1100 |
1200 |
1330 |
1430 |
1530 |
1700 |
1800 |
1900 |
Faro Airport (Portuguese time) | 0145^ | 0845 | 0900 | 1045 | 1145 | 1245 |
1700 |
1645 |
1745 | 1845 |
2130 |
Tavira Bus Station |
0300 |
0930 |
no stop |
no stop |
1230 |
1430 |
no stop |
no stop |
1730 |
1830 v v |
no stop |
Faro Bus Station | 0130^ | 0900 |
0915 |
1100 |
1200 |
1300 |
1645^ |
1700 |
1800 |
1900 |
2145 |
Huelva Bus Station (Spanish
time) |
0500 |
1130 |
no stop |
no stop |
1430 |
no stop |
no stop |
no stop |
1930 |
2030 |
no stop |
Albufeira Bus Station (1.6km from centre) | 0215 | 0945 | 1000 |
1145 |
1245 |
1345 |
1730 |
1745 |
1845 | 1945 |
2230 |
Seville
Plaza de Armas Bus Station |
0600* |
1245 |
1315 |
1415 |
1545 |
1700** |
1745 |
1845 |
2015 |
2130** |
2215 |
Portimão see note here | to | 1015 |
to | 1215 |
1315 |
1415 |
to |
1815 |
1915 |
2015 |
2300 |
Seville Santa Justa Railway Station |
to Granada, Malaga | 1300 |
1330 |
1430 |
1600 |
1800 |
1800 |
1900 |
2030 |
2215 |
2230 |
Lagos Bus Station | Lisbon |
1045 |
Lisbon |
1245 |
1345 |
1445 |
Lisbon |
1845 |
1945 |
2045 |
2330 |
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. Official website for the bus station here. In Spanish mostly, some information is available other languages via the national flags at top right of first page.
There is a direct bus between the Plaza de Armas
and the Santa Justa railway station.This is route (line) 21, which
also stops at the Prado de San Sebastian bus station. The number
21 bus runs 4 - 6 times an hour on weekdays and Saturdays, 3 times
every hour on Sundays and Holidays. Intervals between buses are
slightly irregular.
The official website of the Seville city bus service is at www.tussam.es including a downloadable map. This is however only in Spanish. A useful site for Seville public transport information in English at https://en.redtransporte.com/sevilla/ which includes information about buses to places more distant. There is a lot more information about Seville , including maps,here
The single 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 and
at San Bernado rail and bus station, served by regional trains and
where some regional buses start their journeys. The metro website
is
http://www.metro-sevilla.es/en/ - available in English.
Most parts of Seville can also reached by city
buses from outside the Plaza de Armas.
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, Grupo Valenzuela and Alsina Graells
(ALSA) use this terminal. They each have their own
ticket/enquiry offices inside. Los Amarillos lost their contract
to operate certain regional routes in favour of DAMAS. In
particular this includes the popular route for tourists
Sevilla – Ronda – Chipiona – Málaga. Please therefore
check times and buy tickets at the DAMAS website.
** 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 2km. Ticketing is integrated with the city buses operated under the Tussam banner.
Buses from Seville to some regional destinations
(eg Cadiz, Jerez, Tarifa, La Linea and Algeciras) are operated by
DAMAS and Transportes
Generales
Comes. The TG Comes company use the Prado San Sebastian bus
station, DAMAS use Plaza de Armas. The MONBUS service
to Jerez and Algeciras leaves from the Prado San Sebastian bus
station in Seville. CHECK BEFORE YOU TRAVEL as to which company
goes from where.
The route M124 bus from Seville to Carmona,
operated by CASAL, starts from San Bernardo, at the metro station
and runs via Avenida San Franciso Javier and Avenida Kansas City
towards Carmona. This bus DOES NOT STOP at the airport.
Long distance buses to many other parts of Spain
leave from Plaza de Armas. These companies use Plaza de
Armas - ALSA, DAMAS, SOCIBUS, LEDA, EUROLINES
You can check times of buses from the Plaza
de Armas bus station on this website http://www.autobusesplazadearmas.es/
with some sections available in more than one language.
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!
The airport bus (EA, Especial Aeroporto) runs to and from the bus station at Plaza de Armas in the city centre, calling at the Prado San Sebastian bus station and the Santa Justa railway station on the way.
At Plaza de Armas the airport bus now stops INSIDE
the bus station building, at stand number 21.
First bus from the city to the airport is at 0430
daily, last bus is at 00.11. From the airport the first bus
is at 05.22, last bus at 01.00. Buses run every 12 to 15 minutes
between 0730 and 2100. Earlier and later buses run every 20 - 30
minutes. Additional journeys may run in summer.
One way fare is 4 Euros, return fare 6 Euros.
Journey is between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
The download of the information and timetable
leaflet has vanished from the website. However times in detail can
be checked at https://reddelineas.tussam.es/?lang=en
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. Train times are very irregular; the current 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 an area of small 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.
If you are staying somewhere (eg Faro, Tavira, Monte Gordo) where there is a bus to Vila Real de Santo António bus might be best, as the bus station at VRSA is at the ferry terminal.
Seville - Algarve - I have used the
coach/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 coach (cost now €16,76) 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 (€1.90) across to Portugal.
THE FERRY IS REPORTED AS NOT OPERATING. THERE IS NO INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY WEBSITE
I CANNOT CONFIRM THIS
The official website states that there is a limited service of one ferry each hour every day as below.
There is one ferry each hour from Vila Real between about 0930 and 1930
weekdays and Saturdays, 1030 to 1730 Sundays and Holidays. Last
Crossing from Ayamonte back to the Portuguese side (SPANISH TIME)
is at 1900 weekdays and 1800 Sundays and Holidays. The crossing takes
about
10 minutes. Fare for foot passengers is €1.90; children under 4 go
free, ages 4 to 10yrs €1,20.The ticket office at Vila Real is
within the restored former customs control building. The ferry
dock is next to Vila Real's bus station but about 10 minutes walk from
the railway station.
The ferry is operated by Transporte Fluvial Guadiana. Their website is https://www.rioguadiana.net/ and Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/TransporteFluvialGuadiana
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. (Spanish time is one
hour ahead of Portugal, so you gain or lose an hour in the 10
minute crossing of the river.)
TAKE YOUR PASSPORT OR ID CARD! PORTUGUESE FRONTIER
POLICE SOMETIMES CHECK THEM BOTH OUTBOUND AND INBOUND. ALSO IT THE
LAW HERE IN PORTUGAL THAT ALL ADULTS MUST CARRY PHOTO ID AT ALL
TIMES INCLUDING TOURISTS. DIDN'T KNOW THAT, DID YOU!
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.
The DAMAS
bus company runs several daily journeys between Seville
(Plaza da Armas) and Ayamonte. Current timetable is here.
Journey to Seville is about 2¾ hours, one way fare is
€14,62. There are also journeys between Ayamonte and Huelva about
every two hours. You have more options Ayamonte - Seville
with a change in Huelva. These journeys are also operated by
DAMAS.
Socibus
operate two journeys a day between Ayamonte, Seville and Madrid -
details below. There are currently no other direct buses / coaches between Ayamonte and Madrid.
Huelva's railway station and the bus station 1.7km
(just over 1 mile) apart. Do allow enough time between train and
bus if required. The Huelva city bus website is http://www.emtusahuelva.com
and I think it is route 4 that runs between the railway station
and the bus station, but only in that direction. From the bus
station I think it is route 3. The map is somewhat indistinct.
Normal times, when or if restored, will be these :-
Train times Huelva to Seville daily at 0655, 1500, 1750 (Sundays only) and 1900. Journey to Seville is about 90 minutes. One way 'Turista' fare is €12,70 but discounted fares are available for advance purchase. There is NO CONNECTION by bus Ayamonte to Huelva for the 0655 train.
Train times Seville Santa Justa to Huelva at 0845
(Saturdays and Sundays), 1000 (weekdays), 1700 and 2050.
Additional train on Fridays at 1902.
There is one direct fast ALVIA train between
Huelva and Madrid Atocha. The Huelva -
Madrid train leaves at 0800 on weekdays arriving at 1141.
Saturdays it leaves at 1025, Sundays at 1620. Please check times
carefully, there is no printable timetable. Journey time is about 3hrs
45 minutes.
The train to Huelva leaves Madrid at 1805, except on
Saturdays when it leaves at 0945. These trains stop in Córdoba but NOT
Seville.
Details and fares at www.renfe.com - normal tourist class fare
one-way is about €58. Other options (changing at Seville) are at present not viable with journey times of over 8 hours!
Seat reservation is COMPULSORY. Trains are frequently
sold out - book early! Do check the official website carefully. Short notice changes to the timetable are always likely.
Tickets can also be purchased in £ or € at https://raileurope.com/
- an accredited ticket seller for many European railways.
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
The information below
is a guide to 'normal' service should that be
restored. CHECK ON OFFICIAL WEBSITES before making travel plans.
Most cross-border routes are suspended. Those that are operating have reduced service.
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.
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 may not 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. 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.
Unless otherwise stated, these routes between Portugal and Spain are now jointly operated by the Spanish ALSA company (this company is owned by National Express, a UK train and bus operator) and Portuguese company Rede Expressos. Tickets may be purchased at either company's website. Both are available in English. ALSA and Rede Expressos
One daytime journey direct every day, one overnight journey Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Ticket price €45, journey time 8 - 9 hours.
Madrid <> Lisbon via Badajoz and Évora One-way fare from €45. There is no exchange or refund on the lowest
price tickets. These journeys now call at the airports in Lisbon
and Madrid.
Three journeys daily all year, two daytime and one
overnight. Extra journeys run on some dates. Journey time is 8 to 9
hours. They leave/arrive at from Madrid Airport Terminal 4
via the city. Check times on official website which will possibly
be different in summer to the present.
Three journeys each way on weekdays, two each way
at weekends and on holidays. One journey each day is overnight
with very early arrival. Journey time about 8 hours. Full
timetable on the Avanzabus website in Spanish only.
Downloadable timetables are no longer available. One-way standard
adult fare Lisbon > Madrid is €42,20 fast journeys (Expres)
cost a little more, some discounted tickets (no exchange, no
refund) are available on certain journeys. Vehicles are configured
with 33 seats only, including single seats. Some journeys now also
call at Lisbon Airport.
Details from a printed timetable obtained in Lisbon. Please check
at official websites before making firm travel plans.
From Lisbon Sete Rios at 0700 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays, picks up to Lisbon Oriente 0715 then via Fátima (0830),
Coimbra (1000), Salamanca (1545), Valladolid (1700), Burgos
(1800), Bilbao (2030) and arriving at San Sebastian 2200.
Connection available at the Portugal / Spain border to Madrid and
Madrid Airport via Avila.
From San Sebastian at 0715 on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays via
Bilbao (0845), Burgos (1015), Valladolid (1215), Salamanca (1430),
Coimbra (1745), Fátima (1845) arriving Lisbon Oriente at 2000 and
Sete Rios at 2015. Connection from Madrid Airport at 1015, Madrid
Estacion Sur 1115, Avila 1230.
From Lisbon Sete Rios at 0730 Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and
Sundays, calling at Lisbon Oriente 0745, Fátima 0915, Coimbra 1030
and Aveiro 1115. Change at Aveiro for Salamanca (1745), Avila
(1845), Madrid Estacion Sur (2000) and Madrid Airport arrival at
2100.
From Madrid Airport at 0900 Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, stopping at Madrid Estacion Sur 1000, Avila 1115, Salamanca 1230 and Aveiro at 1700. Change at Aveiro for Coimbra (1745), Fátima (1900), Lisbon Oriente (2030) with arrival at Lisbon Sete Rios 2045.
SECTION UPDATED 8th NOVEMBER 2020
Fridays and Sundays all year in both directions, also operates on
certain other dates. See http://www.interurbana.ad/contingut/linia_andorra_portugal/idMenu-3 in English. Journeys actually start / end in
Vila Praia Ancora and stop also at Ponte da Lima, Braga,
Guimarães, Amarante, Vila Real and Bragança. In Spain they stop in
Valladolid, Burgos and Zarazoga, among others. Their website currently recommends checking times for short notice changes.
There is also this operation three times a week Porto - Braga -
Guimarães - Chaves - Valladolid - Burgos - across Spain to Andorra - http://www.rutasvigo.com/destinos.php
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE OPERATED BY AUTNA BUS
Connections available at Vigo to and from Santiago de Compostela,
also possible by train or local bus. This route also stops in Viana do Castelo by prior request.
Tickets can be bought on line - one way fare Porto to
Vigo €12, return (round-trip) €21 - discounts available for
certain travellers.
Until further notice the ONLY
stops in Porto are the airport and the
Casa da Musica bus station, which is next to the Metro station of the
same name. The metro will take you easily to other bus stations and the
main railway station in Porto, which is Porto Campanhã..
[In former times, some journeys served the main long distance bus station in Porto
Campo 24 de Agosto for easier connections to other cities. The
'Aliados McDonald's' stop is 120 metres from the metro station
Aliados in the city centre and is directly outside a McDonald's.
This is same place where many tour buses stop. I did not see any
actual 'AUTNA' sign. The location is also served by many city
buses, some (eg route 500) are shown as going to Praça de
Liberdade, the name of the public square.]
Porto Campo 24 de Agosto |
0815 |
from Lisbon |
1600 |
1825 |
La Corunã | a |
1100 |
a |
a |
|
Porto Casa da Musica |
0845 |
1300 |
1630 |
1845 |
Santiago de Compostela | 1000 |
1200 |
1400 |
1730 |
|
Porto Airport |
0910 |
1325 |
1655 |
1910 |
Pontevedra | 1045 |
1245 |
1445 |
1815 |
|
Braga |
0955 |
1410 |
1740 |
1955 |
Vigo | 1130 |
1330 |
1530 |
1900 |
|
Valença |
1055 |
1510 |
1840 |
2055 |
Tuy |
1200 |
1400 |
1600 |
1930 |
|
Tuy (Change to Spanish time) |
1200 |
1615 |
1945 |
2200 |
Valença (change to Portuguese
time) |
1105 |
1305 |
1505 |
1835 |
|
Vigo |
1230 |
1645 |
2015 |
2230 |
Braga | 1205 |
1405 |
1605 |
1935 |
|
Pontevedra |
1315 |
1730 |
2100 |
2315 |
Porto Airport | 1250 |
1450 |
1650 |
2020 |
|
Santiago de Compostela |
1400 |
1815 |
2145 |
2359 |
Porto Casa da Musica | 1315 |
1515 |
1715 |
2045 |
|
La Corunã |
a |
1915 |
a |
--- |
Porto Campo 24 de Agosto | 1335 |
to Lisbon |
1735 |
2115 |
FLIXBUS
Low cost coaches to and from major Portuguese cities and towns. Very few services are running, check their website www.flixbus.com
IBEROCOACH
One or two daily journeys Porto - Braga - Vigo - Santiago de
Compostela and further into northern Spain at www.iberocoach.com
one trip calls at Porto Airport and I notice that they have
different departure points in Porto, so check carefully.
See also this page on Trip Advisor. Updates are no longer allowed
therefore some details are now out of date! - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187506-c56944/Galicia:Spain:Portugal.Galicia.Via.Public.Transport.html
Operated by Socibus
Madrid Airport stop is at Terminal One. Please check all times
when buying tickets. There are no downloadable timetables on their
website. One-way fare Madrid (City or Airport) <> Ayamonte
€33 approx. purchased via website. Journey time almost 9 hours.
One daytime and one
overnight journey each day, stopping at Isla Cristina, La Antilla and Lepe, then on
to Cordoba and Madrid. These do not stop in Seville.
The Eurolines company operates a number of routes
connecting Portugal with the outside world.
A number of these times are the same as routes operated by other
companies, they are a 'code share' type operation.
Several of the routes involve a change of vehicle, but through
tickets are available.
Routes:
Madrid-Mérida-Badajoz>>>>Elvas-Estremoz-Évora-Montemor
- Setubal - Lisbon
Madrid-Ávila-Salamanca-Ciudad
Rodrigo>>>>Guarda-Viseu-Porto-Fátima-Lisbon - Vila
Real Santo António -
Algeciras-Huelva-Jerez-Málaga-Sevilla-Granada>>>>Faro-Setubal-Lisbon-Fátima-Porto
Barcelona-Lleida-Zaragoza>>>>Vilar
Formoso-Guarda-Celorico-Mangualde-Viseu-Albergaria-Porto
Click here for a list of Portuguese public and religious holidays until end 2021. In general trains and buses run to Sunday times on these holidays. At Christmas and New Year public transport does operate, but services may be reduced and in very rural areas local bus service is nil. 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.
Particularly in rural areas, bus service may not operate on these
days. Do check locally if making an important journey.
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
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