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.
Please do check everything on the official websites before
committing yourself. This is one difficult page to keep up to
date.
Travel by plane,
coach (bus) or train between the Algarve and Spain
IT CAN BE A BIT DIFFICULT!! THERE
ARE NO TRAINS.
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 ticket before boarding coaches / long
distance buses.
PLANE
In winter there are no direct
flights between Faro and anywhere in mainland Spain.
From April until late October, there are direct
flights two or three times a week between Faro and Barcelona
with Vueling
Air. Air Nostrum
operates up to to four flights a week between Faro and Madrid
from late March until early October
Complete information on all scheduled flights at
Faro airport can be viewed here
- the link will open in a new window.
TRAIN
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 most days, three to and from
Seville and one direct to and from Cordoba and Madrid.
In fact there are now only FIVE trains a day between anywhere in
Portugal and anywhere in Spain. And none of them go anywhere
near the Algarve.
Several different coach / bus companies
operate cross border services between the Algarve region and
Seville, also between Lisbon and Seville via Albufeira and Faro.
These are : EVA /DAMAS (joint operation, times below), ALSA, Iberocoach and Flixbus.
Follow links to see their details.
This bus (coach) service between Lagos and Seville is operated
jointly by Eva
Bus (Portugal) and DAMAS (Spain)
For a printable copy of the latest official timetable please
click here.
Ticket Purchase
Tickets are not sold on board and MUST be obtained
before boarding either on-line or at the bus station ticket
office.This is an 'all-reserved' service. Tickets can be
bought on line for all journeys up to three months in advance. You can book at either www.rede-expressos.pt and for journeys starting in
Spain at www.movelia.es BOARDING AT
FARO AIRPORT - there is no ticket office here. Tickets must therefore be obtained via the
websites.
One way
fare adult Lagos to Seville is €23; Youth and senior
(65+) discounts are available.
Spanish
time is 1 hour AHEAD of Portuguese time
Does not run = não circular, ne circule
pas, kein Betrieb
Daily = diariamente, tous les jours, täglich.
X - bus does not stop and there are no usable
connections for these places
Useable connection times are lettered A to Q
and detailed below the table.
NO SERVICE ON DECEMBER 25TH OR JANUARY
1ST PLEASE
SEE NOTE BELOW ABOUT TICKETS FOR THE
MORNING JOURNEYS FROM LAGOS AND LAGOA
IN SUMMER THE JOURNEYS FROM SEVILLE GO TO FARO
AIRPORT BEFORE FARO BUS STATION
Winter - from 11th September to
30 June 2019
Daily
Does
Not
Run
Does
Not
Run
Daily
Does
Not
Run
Winter - from 11th September to
30 June 2019
Does
Not
Run
Daily
Does
Not
Run
Does
Not
Run
Daily
SUMMER 2019
1st July to mid September
date to be confirmed
Daily
Daily
Daily
Does
Not
Run
Daily
SUMMER 2019
1st July to mid September
date to be confirmed
ADDITIONAL JOURNEYS ON CERTAIN DAYS - PLEASE CONSULT OFFICIAL
WEBSITE FOR DETAILS
Albufeira to Seville 01.15hrs (ticket offices NOT
OPEN!) and 17.00 hrs to Seville via Faro Airport,
Faro, Tavira, Vila Real de Santo António and Huelva.
Seville to Albufeira at 14.30hrs and 23.59hrs via
Huelva, Vila Real de Santo António, Tavira, Faro
Airport and Faro.
THERE
IS A NEW OUT OF TOWN LONG DISTANCE BUS STATION IN
PORTIMÃO. Location details etc here.
All services to and
from Seville now call there. Do allow enough time as this new
bus station is 1.5km from the town centre.
EARLY MORNING DEPARTURES 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!
The ticket office at LAGOA is
not open on any day for the 0655 departure. Tickets MUST
therefore be obtained at least the day before or from the
website.
Tickets purchased on line
may not be refunded or exchanged if not used for the
pre-booked journey. Please read the small print!
Faro Airport stop
- when you select Faro Aeroporto
as your origin, the online ticket you get says 'Sta.
Marta' as the origin, not Faro Aeroporto.
- Sta. Marta it
turns out is the area name for the area of airport.
(something which I have never ever heard!!)
- the bus stop is
the same stop as for local EVA buses into Faro bus station.
The bus stop is
just next to the passenger drop off area outside departures,
just next to the P1 car park.
Connection
details for those shown above
Connections to or from Portimão by these buses will
use the stops in Avenida Guarané by the river and NOT the
new bus station
CONNECTIONS
- these are not guaranteed - separate tickets needed
purchase at local bus station on arrival.
Tickets for
these journeys cannot be obtained from any website. I
have not shown anything of less than 15 minutes.
A - Portimão 0725 then Lagoa 0745 to Albufeira daily
arrive 0830 B - Portimão 1100 then Lagoa at 1120 to
Albufeira arrive 1205 daily. C - Lagoa to Albufeira at 1655
daily
D - Lagoa to Albufeira 1310 weekdays, 1255 weekends and
holidays
E - Albufeira to Lagoa and Portimão at 1030 daily F -
Albufeira to Lagoa at 1150 daily G - Albufeira to Lagoa at
1415 daily
H - Albufeira to Lagoa and Portimao at 1720 weekdays, 1800
weekends and Holidays. K - Olhão to Tavira at
1345 daily
P - From Vila Real de Santo António to TAVIRA daily at 1630
Q - for Olhão there are local buses from FARO within 30
minutes
For other connections please refer to the timetables elsewhere on the site.
DAMAS COACH AT LAGOS
These buses usually have
on-board toilets you will be pleased to know!
# for information
about onward connections at Seville please click here. Plaza de Armas is 2km from the
main Santa Justa Railway Station and the other main bus
station at Prado San Sebastian. There are two or three buses
every hour between Plaza de Armas and Seville airport. Click here for details.
ALSA SERVICE SEVILLE <> ALGARVE
<> LISBON
Service operated by ALSA - www.alsa.es -
the website is in English. Tickets can also be purchased at www.movelia.es
To UK readers these are COACHES, like National Express. Tickets
MUST be bought in
advance.
WARNING - I have noticed on
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!!
I have also noticed
that other operators buses are used, especially those of Rede-Expressos. Your vehicle may not
have ALSA written on it, so do pay attention!
The daytime journeys
Lisbon <> Seville seem to running every day all year but
do check.
CONNECTIONS AT
SEVILLE (Prado or Plaza de Armas) TO AND FROM MALAGA, GRANADA,
TORREMOLINOS, FUENGIROLA, ALGECIRAS AND JEREZ.
CONSULT ALSA WEBSITE
FOR DETAILS. Also, Spanish Railways (RENFE) sell combined rail
/ bus tickets between their stations in Spain and those places
in the timetable below. Go to www.renfe.com for further information and
purchases.
ALSA SERVICE LAGOS
<> SEVILLE - section updated 2nd June 2019
FOR INTERNATIONAL JOURNEYS ONLY
One way tickets Lagos <> Seville as little as 19 Euros (no
exchange or refund) normal price 23 Euros. Lisbon <> Seville from €25 no
refund, no exchange. Normal price €45
Times are the latest available but changes are made
without prior warrning. Times as of 4th June 2019 onward. Some journeys run only in summer
every
night
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
SPANISH TIME IS
1 HOUR AHEAD OF
PORTUGUESE TIME
Every
night
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Lagos Bus Station
From
0700
0800
0900
From
1230
1500
1630
Seville Santa Justa Railway
Station
(see note below)
0130 and 0230 - So
far as is known these stop OUTSIDE the bus station. Any information gratefully
received. Email
me. ^ goes to Faro Bus Station before the airport x - goes to Faro Airport before the Bus Station SANTA JUSTA -
apparently ALSA pickup to the right of the station exit, near
McDonald's. Do allow time to find the correct stop.
* continues to Seville Prado bus station arriving at 0615. This
journey does NOT go to the railway station. ** also stops at Seville Prado at 1730
§ - does NOT serve Santa Justa, starts at Seville Prado bus station 2330
The overnight journey from Lisbon also stops at Vila
Real de Santo António at 0330hrs. The overnight journey from Seville to Lisbon calls there at 0030hrs.
ALSA TICKET PURCHASE
Tickets may be purchased at a main bus station but only during
'office hours' on weekdays! Tickets are not sold on board.
There is NO TICKET SALES OFFICE at Faro Airport, You must buy
tickets on line.
For the overnight journeys from Algarve towns to Spain, you
MUST buy a ticket in advance.
ALSA does now accept non-Spanish credit cards but you can pay
using Paypal.
According to the ALSA website tickets for international
journeys must be purchased at least 24 hours in advance. I
have no personal experience of this!
IBEROCOACH NIGHT SERVICE LISBON
<> ALGARVE <> SEVILLE <> MÁLAGA
TOWARDS MÁLAGA from Albufeira 0015, Faro 0030, Faro
Airport 0045, Tavira 0115, Vila Real de Santo António 0145,
(change to Spanish time + 1 hour), Huelva 0400 (? but that is
what it says on their website), Seville Plaza de Armas 0445,
Málaga 0745. Comes from Lisbon Sete Rios at 2030 and Lisbon
Oriente at 2100 FROM MÁLAGA at 2030, Seville Plaza de Armas 2330, Huelva
0040, (change to Portugal time - 1 hour), Vila Real de Santo
António 0045, Tavira 0100, Faro Airport 0130, Faro 0145,
Albufeira 0230 continues to Lisbon via Grandola and Setubal
arriving Lisbon Oriente at 0530 and Sete Rios at about
0630.
All calls are at the city or town bus station. Tickets MUST be
purchased from the Iberocoach or Flixbus website. No tickets are
sold locally.
This section checked 22nd May.
Flixbus operate two daily journeys between Lisbon and Seville
via Albufeira. Flixbus do not have ticket agents in Albufeira
or Faro. You must buy tickets from their website. Daily service,
but do check if travelling around major holidays in either
country. These can only be used for International journeys.
CHECK AT THE FLIXBUS
WEBSITE OR VIA THE APP BEFORE MAKING A FIRM TRAVEL PLAN.
At the last update it was not possible to buy tickets from Albufeira to Seville. Any information gratefully received - email me.
Lisbon Oriente Bus
Station
0850
1250
Seville Plaza de Armas
Bus Station
0830
1230
Setubal
0950
1350
Huelva
0945
1345
Albufeira bus station arrive
1225
1625
Faro Airport (Portugal
time - 1 hour)
1020
1420
Albufeira bus station leave
1300
1700
Albufeira bus station arrive
1105
1505
Faro Airport
1345
1745
Albufeira bus station leave
1140
1540
Huelva (Spanish time + 1
hour)
1620
1920
Setubal
1415
1815
Seville Plaza de Armas
Bus Station
1735
2035
Lisbon Orient Bus Station
1515
1915
Be aware that Albufeira bus station
is 1.6km (1 mile) from the town centre.
There is I believe an overnight service leaving Lisbon and Seville
around 2200hrs with arrival in the other city around 0600. That
would pass through Albufeira in the early hours of the morning. I
cannot confirm as their website does not open correctly on my
Windows 10 machine. Any information gratefully received - email me here.
SEVILLE - CONNECTIONS AT PLAZA DE ARMAS BUS
STATION
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>/p>
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.
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, 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 many regional destinations (eg Cadiz, Jerez,
Tarifa, La Linea and Algeciras) are operated by DAMASand Transportes
Generales Comes. TG
Comes buses use the Prado San Sebastian bus station, DAMAS use
Plaza de Armas.
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 (coaches) from Seville to
elsewhere in Spain
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!) but the other sites are only in
Spanish.
Seville Airport bus - section updated 14th May
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 0430am daily, last bus is at 00.10. 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.
Official information
and timetable leaflet here in Spanish and English.
Gibraltar
TG Comes runs four buses each day from Seville (Prado San
Sebastian) to La Linea, for Gibraltar. Seville - La Linea timetable
here.
There is no public transport across the Spain/Gibraltar border. You
have to walk across the border from La Linea and then take a local
bus and taxis on the Gibraltar side into the main part of town. This
takes only a few minutes. Alternatively you can go to Algeciras by GRUPO
VALENZUELA coach (bus) from Seville, then by local bus to La
Linea.
ALGARVE -
SEVILLE USING THE FERRY?
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 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.
Ferry
to Ayamonte (Spain)
A little ferry crosses the river
between Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) and Ayamonte (Spain).
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.)
A further complication is that
the service is a joint operation between a Spanish and a
Portuguese company. Timetables early and late in the day vary
slightly according to which boat is running BUT THEY SOMETIMES
DO NOT TELL YOU WHICH BOAT RUNS ON WHICH DAY. Do check when you
travel to avoid being stranded.
Downloadable timetable
from local council website here - will open in a new window and is
only in Portuguese.
In summer, the
ferry runs every 30 minutes weekdays and Saturdays, every 60
minutes on Sundays and Holidays. Start and finish times vary
according to the time of year. Current information (June 2019)
is :
Mid September until 31st March :
weekdays and Saturdays VRSA to Ayamonte 0845, 0930 then every 60 minutes until 1630, last
run at 1800. Sundays and holidays 0945, 1030 then every 60 minutes until 1530, last
journey 1700.
Return from Ayamonte SPANISH TIME weekdays and Saturdays first
1000 last 1700 and 1915, Sundays and Holidays first 1100 last
1700 and 1815. Remember that the time in SPAIN is ONE HOUR AHEAD
of Portugal but the official timetable at the ferry terminal
shows all times in PORTUGUESE time.
Special service for the 'Festa das Praias' in the middle of
October.
April, May and June : as above but last journeys
weekdays and Saturdays 1 hour later. Sunday and Holiday service
same.
1st July to mid
September : weekdays and
Saturdays from 0830 until 2000hrs every 30 minutes. Sundays and
Holidays from 0845, 0930 then every 60 minutes until 1730, last
journey 1900. (Mid September this year means I think 16th
September!)
A similar service
operates in the other direction but don't forget than Spanish
time is 1 HOUR AHEAD of Portugal. Make sure you know the time of
the last ferry back to avoid being stranded.
Other resources, trust them as
you wish! Thanks to Marcel Versteeg in Amstelveen, Netherlands
for this and other recent information.
An English language website for
Ayamonte has a timetable on line here. The information differs greatly from what is
available in Portugal! Website of the Spanish half of the
operation here
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.
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!
Ayamonte
to/from
Seville direct or via Huelva
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.
The DAMAS bus company runs between Seville (Plaza da Armas)
and Ayamonte four times daily on weekdays, six times on
Saturdays and three times on Sundays and on public holidays.
Journey to Seville is about 2¾ hours, one way fare is €14,41.
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 also operate two journeys a day
between Ayamonte and Madrid - details below
HUELVA'S NEW
RAILWAY STATION AND THE BUS STATION ARE 1.7km (just over 1
mile) apart. Do allow enough time between train and bus if
required. I have as yet been unable to figure out the buses
that may connect the two. You are welcome to try at http://www.emtusahuelva.com which is not helped by the
strange orientation of their map and the fact that the new
station is not marked! Any information welcome by
email>
Trains Huelva - Seville
Do check the official website carefully as there are considerable
differences between summer and winter times. Times below should be
ok until June 2019
There are a few trains 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.
Reservation is not needed between Huelva and
Seville.
Train times
Huelva to Seville daily at 0655, 1500 and 1900. Journey to Seville is about 90
minutes. One way 'Turista' fare is €12,25 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 1000, 1700 and 2050. Additional train on Fridays
at 1902 which comes from Madrid.
There is an
additional train on Sundays all year from Huelva to Seville at
1750hrs which continues to Madrid Atocha station.
Huelva <>
Madrid direct by train
There are a few direct fast trains between Huelva
and Madrid Atocha NOT STOPPING in Seville. A Huelva - Madrid train
leaves on weekdays at 0800 arriving at 1141. On Saturdays the
Huelva - Madrid train leaves at 1025 and on Sundays at 1620.
Return train leaves Madrid at 1805 (except Saturdays) arriving in
Huelva at 2145. On some Saturdays and Sundays this train runs in
the morning, leaving Madrid at 0945. These trains stop in Córdoba.
Details and fares at www.renfe.com - normal tourist class fare
one-way is about €50, discounts for advance ticket purchase.
Seat reservation is COMPULSORY.
Do check the official website carefully as there
are considerable differences between summer and winter times.
Tickets can
also be purchased in £ or € at www.loco2.com - an accredited ticket seller
for many European railways.
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 OTHER PARTS OF PORTUGAL
AND SPAIN
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 now jointly operated by the Spanish ALSA company (this company is owned
by National Express, a UK train and bus operator) and Portuguese Rede Expressos. Most of
the ALSA website website and on-line booking system is in
English. The Rede Expressos site is available in English and French. 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 1300 arriving Lisbon Sete Rios
at 0645 . The 1300 departure also stops at Zaragoza and Madrid
Airport. Change buses in Madrid (Interchange Avenida das
Americas, then it calls at Madrid (Estacion Sur), Caceres,
Badajoz, Estremoz, Evora, Montemor, Setubal and Lisbon Gare
Oriente.
The 1300
from Barcelona operates daily so far as I can tell.
From Lisbon
towards Barcelona the departure from Sete Rios is at 2100,
arriving in Barcelona at 1650 the following day, calling at
the same places.
Tickets one
way €72,11 purchased on line.
BARCELONA -
PORTO (CHANGE OF BUS REQUIRED IN MADRID)
Operated by ALSA - please check details on
their website.
One journey each day in summer, four times a week in
winter, taking about 18 hours for the trip. Times vary
according to season, so please check details on the website
above and note that their English language section refers to
Porto as 'Oporto'. There is a two hour wait in Madrid. Some
journeys operate via Madrid Airport.
Tickets one way €80,11
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 ALSAOne-way fare daytime from €39 to €50, night-time
fare from €31 to €40. There is no exchange or refund on the
lowest price tickets.
Two buses
daily all year one daytime and one overnight bus, journey time
is about 12 hours daytime, 10 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 byAvanzabus
Three journeys 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 no longer available.
One-way standard adult fare Lisbon > Madrid is €43,30, some
discounted tickets (no exchange, no refund) are avialble on
certain journets. Vehicles are configured with 33 seats only,
including single seats. Some journeys now also call at Lisbon
Airport.
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 €37.00 no
refund or exchange, €48 flexible fare.
PORTO - ANDORRA VIA (Zaragoza, Burgos) NORTH
WEST SPAIN also serves Bragança, Braga, Guimarães etc in Portugal
Fridays and Sundays all year
in both directions, also operates on certain other dates. See
http://www.interurbana.ad/index.php available in numerous
languages.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.
There is also this operation
three times a week Porto - Braga - Chaves - Valladolid -
Burgos - across Spain to Andorra - http://www.rutasvigo.com/destinos.php
Porto - Vigo - Santiago de
Compostela via Porto airport and Valença
AUTNA BUS
Six journeys each way on
weekdays, three journeys each way Saturdays, Sundays and
Holidays. All journeys stop at Porto airport.
Connections available at
Vigo to and from Santiago de Compostela, also possible by
train or local bus. International service operated by
AUTNA www.autna.com website now available partly in
English. Tickets can be bought on line - one way fare Porto to
Vigo €12, return (round-trip) €21 - discounts available for
certain travellers. Downloadable timetable can be seen here. Some journeys serve 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.
ALSA
Has two or three daily
services from Porto (Casa da Musica bus station, adjacent to
the metro station) via the airport and Viana do Castelo to
Vigo and Santiago de Compostela, with connections available to
and from many other cities. Journey takes 3 hours. Check times
and buy tickets at www.alsa.es and be aware that it has been
reported that only Spanish credit cards are accepted on line.
Ticket price €15 one way.
>
ALSA also operate one
direct service each day between LISBON and SANTIAGO DE
COMPOSTELA via Fátima, Coimbra and Porto, leaving at 0730am,
returning at 1200 noon. One way ticket €29,00, Lisbon to /
from Santiago de Compostela takes almost 8 hours.
FLIXBUS
Low cost coaches to and from major Portuguese cities and towns. They are
expanding rapidly, 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.
Socibus service Madrid Airport - Madrid - Cordoba - Ayamonte
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 €30 approx. purchased via
website.
Journey
time almost 9 hours.
Two journeys each day
and one overnight, stopping at Isla Cristina, La Antilla and
Lepe, then on to Cordoba and Madrid.<
NB these do not stop
in Seville.
The bus station in Ayamonte is about 1.5km from the
ferry to / from Vila Real de Santo António in Portugal.
Eurolines
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 St. António -
Algeciras-Huelva-Jerez-MálagaSevilla-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 2020. 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
Spanish
time is 1 hour AHEAD of Portuguese time
