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.
CHECKED AND UPDATED 22nd May 2023
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.
You can fly between Faro and Barcelona with Vueling Air
two or three flights each week from early June until late October.
IBERIA Faro -
Madrid route has two or three flights each week in summer 2023,
from 16th June until late October. 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
four trains a day. Two run to and from Seville and one runs direct
to and from Cordoba and Madrid. In fact there are only eight
trains a day (normally) between anywhere in Portugal and anywhere
in Spain. And none of them in the Algarve.
A daytime train journey between Lisbon and Madrid
is just about possible. However this takes about 10 hours,
requires four different trains and a fairly tight connection in
Badajoz, Spain. It is not possible to buy one ticket for the whole
journey! I have the details here.
Two different coach / bus companies operate cross border services
between the Algarve and Seville, also between Lisbon and Seville
via Albufeira and Faro. These are : ALSA and Flixbus. Follow links to see their details.
The long distance bus station is 1.5km from the town centre. Very
few local buses go there. Do allow enough time to get there.
Location details etc here.
Albufeira's bus station is 1.6km from the town centre. All local
and regional buses use the bus station. A few also go closer to
the town. More information here.
Flixbus use a stop in
Avenida da Liberdade in the old town part of Albufeira. Local bus
connections are available to take you to and from the main bus
station, which is about 1 mile /1.6km distant. Please go to this page for
more information.
Travellers intending to get a very early service should buy their tickets from the website or at the bus station prior to the day of travel.
THIS SECTION UPDATED 5th JUNE 2023
Service operated jointly by ALSA (Spanish)- www.alsa.es and Rede Expressos - the websites are in English. Tickets can also be purchased at www.movelia.esTickets may (normally) be purchased up to one month in advance at either www.rede-expressos.pt or www.alsa.es (both are available in English) or at bus station ticket offices. Other operators vehicles are sometimes used. Your vehicle may not have ALSA or Rede Expressos written on it, so do pay attention!
There are NO on board services and not all vehicles have on board toilets. There are rest stops about every 2 hours.
There are three or four local buses every hour between Seville (Plaza de Armas) and Seville airport. Click here 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.
One way tickets Lagos <> Seville from €10 advance purchase, no refund, no exchange. Normal price €31
Lisbon <> Seville from €20 advance purchase, no refund, no exchange. Normal price €48 daytime, €63 night.
CURRENT
TIMETABLE. There may be more journeys in July and August. All subject to change of course! Please confirm times for your exact date of travel at the official website. Check the official website for times of the other possible Lisbon <> Seville journeys, changing en route. ↓ - does not stop here |
|||||||||||||||||||
Lagos Bus Station |
From | 0700 |
0800 |
From |
1030 | A |
1530 | From |
B |
Seville Santa Justa Railway Station |
2330 | 0730 |
0930 | 1030 |
1300 |
--- |
1530 | 1645 | 1800 |
Portimão see note here | Lisbon | 0730 | 0830 |
Lisbon |
1100 |
A |
1600 | Lisbon |
B |
Seville Plaza de Armas Bus Station |
2359 | 0800 |
1000 |
1100 |
1330 |
1500 |
1600 | 1715 | 1830 |
Albufeira Bus Station
(1.6km
from centre) |
0145 |
0800 |
0900 |
↓ | 1130 |
1500 |
1630 |
1800 |
1900 |
Huelva Bus Station | 0100 | 0900 |
↓ | ↓ | 1430 |
1600 |
↓ | ↓ | ↓ |
Faro Airport | 0300 |
0845 |
0945 | ↓ | 1215 |
1545 |
1715 | 1845 |
1945 |
CHANGE
TO PORTUGAL TIME - 1 HOUR |
|||||||||
Faro Bus Station |
0245^ |
0900 |
1000 | 1045 |
1230 |
1600 |
1730 | 1900 |
2000 |
Tavira Bus Station (Portuguese time) | 0100 | ↓ |
1100 |
1200 |
↓ | 1600 |
1700 | 1815 |
1930 |
Tavira Bus Station | 0330 |
0945 |
1045 | ↓ |
1315 |
1645 |
1815 | ↓ | ↓ |
Faro Airport (Portuguese time) | 0145 | 0930 |
1145 | 1245 |
1515 |
1645 |
1745 | 1900 |
2015 |
CHANGE TO SPANISH TIME +1 HOUR |
Faro Bus Station | 0130^ | 0945 |
1200 |
1300 |
1530 |
1700 |
1800 | 1915 |
2030 |
|||||||||
Huelva Bus Station (Spanish time) |
0500 |
↓ | ↓ | 1315 |
↓ | ↓ | ↓ | 2130 |
2230 |
Albufeira Bus Station (1.6km from centre) | 0215 | E |
1240 | 1345 |
1615 |
1745 |
1845 | 2000 | 2115 |
Seville Plaza de
Armas Bus Station |
0630 | 1245 |
1345 |
1415 |
1615 |
1945 |
2115 | 2230 |
2330 |
Portimão see note here | to | to |
1315 | C |
D |
to |
1915 | 2030 |
2145 |
Seville Santa Justa
Railway Station |
0700 | 1315 | 1415 |
--- |
1645 |
2015 |
2145 | 2300 |
2345 |
Lagos Bus Station | Lisbon | Lisbon |
1345 | C |
D |
Lisbon |
1945 | 2100 |
2215 |
Notes
: A - connecting
bus (Vamus route 57) from Lagos at 1235, Portimão (Avenida
Guanaré) 1310. Separate ticket needed NOT available on line. B - there is a local bus (Vamus route 51) from Lagos at 1615, Portimão (Avenida Guanaré) at 1704 but an hour to wait in Albufeira. Separate ticket needed. C - on WEEKDAYS there is a local bus (Vamus Route 51) from Albufeira to Portimão and Lagos leaving at 1415. Buy ticket on arrival at Albufeira Bus Station ticket office. There is no bus at the weekend until 1455. D - there are VAMUS buses to Portimão and Lagos daily at 1640 (Route 56) and 1700 (Route 57). Buy tickets on arrival at Albufeira. If you are mad enough to get off the bus arriving at Albufeira at 0215, there are no buses to ANYWHERE before 0700. The bus station building will not be open. E - if you use this bus Seville - Faro, it does NOT stop in Albufeira. There is a VAMUS bus (route 56) to Albufeira, Portimão and Lagos but not until 1100. There is a train to Portimão and Lagos at 1023 daily. The railway station is two minutes walk from Faro Bus Station. That train stops at Albufeira - Ferreiras station, but that's 6km / 4 miles from the town, a 20 minute bus ride or 10 minutes in a taxi. |
CHECK THE OFFICIAL WEBSITES FOR FULL DETAILS.
Faro Airport stops - ^ goes to Faro Bus Station before the airport.The bus stop is next to the passenger drop off area outside departures, just next to the P1 car park, under the concrete canopy. There is a bus stop sign. There is NO TICKET OFFICE at Faro Airport. You must therefore buy a ticket from websites or apps.Flixbus
runs between Lagos and Seville via Albufeira and Faro twice
each day until late June, more frequently in July and August.
CHECK THEIR WEBSITE OR APP!!!
There are other daytime journeys options between Lisbon and Seville via Badajoz. Check the website.
Arrival of the overnight journey is very early in the morning in both Lisbon and Seville, when nothing will be open.
CHECK AT THE FLIXBUS WEBSITE OR VIA THE APP BEFORE MAKING A FIRM TRAVEL PLANFLIXBUS DO NOT STOP AT
ALBUFEIRA'S MAIN BUS STATION. THEY STOP IN THE OLD TOWN
CENTRE AVENIDA DA LIBERDADE - THE 'SMALL' BUS STATION. Flixbus do not have a
ticket office there! Their official re-seller agencies are
elsewhere in the town.
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 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 many 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 with buses every few
minutes. 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 Autocares Casal, Monbus,
IASA/Transtres, DAMAS, ALSA, AVANZABUS, TG COMES, LEDA and
SOCIBUS use this terminal. They each have their own ticket/enquiry
offices inside. In particular this includes the popular DAMAS
route for tourists Sevilla – Ronda – Chipiona –
Málaga. Please therefore check times and buy tickets in advance if
you can 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.
A short extra note about the Prado San Sebastian
bus station, personal visit 22nd March 2023. Not very busy! There
is a small waiting area at the far end with luggage lockers of
various sizes available maximum 24 hours for €2 or €3 depending on
size. There is a small shop and bar, more of both just outside.
There are various screens dotted around showing the next few buses
and the stops they leave from. The whole building is on one level,
no steps anywhere.
At Plaza de Armas there is a small waiting area
with steps and escalators down to the bus stops. There is a small
café and shop, also luggage lockers. City buses stop outside, to
the left, in Calle Torneo.
The route M124 bus from Seville to Carmona,
operated by CASAL, starts from San Bernardo, at the railway and
metro station and runs via Avenida San Franciso Javier and Avenida
Kansas City towards Carmona. This bus DOES NOT STOP at the
airport. All the stops and times (check all the options!) can be
seen at https://www.ctas.es/lineas.php?linea=124
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 via the ferry! It was fairly painless except for a half hour delay caused by traffic congestion on the outskirts of Seville. The coach (cost now about €15) took me in three hours from Seville to Ayamonte bus station, on the Spanish side of the river. Times and tickets at www.alsa.es
From the bus station it's about 15 minutes flat
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 (€2,30) across to Portugal - see below.
The Spanish railway line from Madrid and Seville
runs only as far as Huelva. There are only four trains a day
between Huelvas and Seville and one more between Huelva and
Madrid which does not stop in Seville. For train times and tickets
go to www.renfe.com
Spanish time
is 1 hour ahead of Portugal
MARCH 2023 UNTIL END JUNE 2023- Ferry is operating once each hour weekdays and Saturdays, limited service on Sundays and holidays
The
ferry is operated by Transporte Fluvial Guadiana. Their website
is https://www.rioguadiana.com/ 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.
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 company runs several daily journeys
between Seville (Plaza da Armas) and Ayamonte. LAB = weekdays,
SAB = Saturdays, DOM = Sundays and Holidays. Salidas =
departures. Timetable below valid until 30th June 2023, subject
of course to any future alterations!
Journey is about three hours, one way fare is
€15,10. 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. Routes
2 and 4 run between the bus station and railway station, only in
that direction. Routes 5 and 8 stop near the railway station
going towards the bus station.
The ALVIA train to Huelva leaves Madrid at 1805
daily, arriving in Huelva at 2154. These trains stop in Córdoba
but NOT Seville. Details and fares at www.renfe.com
- normal tourist class fare one-way is about €70, can be cheaper
if booked well in advance.
There is now also a slower Intercity train From
Huelva to Madrid (Atocha) at 1750 daily arriving 2212. From
Madrid (Atocha) to Seville at 0945 arriving at 1402. These two
trains run via Seville and Córdoba
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. CHECK ON OFFICIAL
WEBSITES before making travel plans.
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 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.
Many routes between Portugal and Spain are now jointly operated by the Spanish ALSA company (owned by National Express, a UK train and bus operator) and Portuguese company Rede Expressos. Tickets for those below 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 via
Lisbon. Ticket price €27 daytime, €54 night-time, journey time 8 -
9 hours. Stops at Porto and Madrid airports.
Madrid <> Lisbon via Badajoz and Évora
One-way fare from €27. There is no exchange or refund on the
lowest price tickets. These journeys now call at the airports in
Lisbon and Madrid.
Three journeys currently running every day, two
daytime and one overnight. Extra journeys run on some dates.
Journey time is 8 to 9 hours. Check times on the official
website which will possibly be different when you wish to
travel.
One daytime journey each way, 7hrs 30 minutes, times vary and it does currently not run every day.
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. Tickets are around €80!
There is a downloadable timetable at http://autocareslazara.com/servicios/#lineas
The same company also has a journey on Fridays from Monção and
Valença do Minho across to Tuy and Vigo, returning on Sundays.
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE OPERATED BY
AUTNA BUS
They now use a new bus station in Vigo, the Estación Intermodal
de Vigo (VIALIA). This is next to the Vigo Urzáiz Railway Station
but about 1.3km from the other Vigo station at Guixar. Connections
available at Vigo to and from Santiago de Compostela, also
possible by train or local bus. Trains are also available
between Vigo Urzáiz station, Santiago de Compostela and La Coruña
- www.renfe.com for times and
tickets.
This route also stops in Viana do Castelo, but only for
passengers who have purchased tickets at the website.
Tickets can be bought on line - one way fare Porto to Vigo €14,90
return (round-trip) €26,10 - small discounts available for those
under 26 or 65 and over.
In Porto, these journeys stop at the Airport, Casa da Musica
metro / bus station and the Campanhã Bus Station.
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE OPERATED
JOINTLY BY ALSA
and Rede
Expressos
Four or five journeys each way every day. Check websites. Several stops in Porto including the airport.
Three journeys daily
with FLIXBUS
these also stop at Porto Airport. There are also direct services
between Braga and Vigo.
FLIXBUS - OTHER ROUTES
Low cost buses / coaches between Spanish cities and major Portuguese cities and towns. Check their website www.flixbus.com
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
€39 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.
Click here for a list of Portuguese public and religious holidays until end 2023. 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.
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
Home Page