The information has been obtained from printed
timetables and other local sources (like taking the bus) and is
given in good faith.
For TRAINS at Faro, please go to this page
Bus and rail station map - click to see full sized
 Picture here. Right hand picture above shows the main Faro Bus Station entrance - the building above is the Hotel EVA. An outdoor annex (to the right of this view) is used by the city's PROXIMO and VIA FARO buses. |
 |
All regional and most city buses start and finish
at the Bus Station (Terminal) on the Avenida. This is about 150
metres from the railway station and very close to the city centre
and marina.
When boarding at the bus station, other than for
PROXIMO and VIA FARO local buses, you must buy your ticket from
the ticket office inside the building. Be aware that timetables
for buses to other towns may not be displayed at bus stops or
inside the bus station. If you need a timetable, download it from
this site, or the official
website or obtain one at the bus station.
Buses towards Loulé, Quarteira, Vilamoura and Albufeira also stop outside the Forum Algarve Shopping Centre.
| Summary of fast buses
to and from Albufeira, Armação de Pêra, Lagoa,
Portimão and Lagos here. |
||||||
| AIRPORT | Faro - Loulé | Faro - Olhão | Faro
- Estoi/S. Bras |
Faro - Tavira | Praia de Faro | |
| Sta. Barbara de Nexe and Gorjões | Moncarapacho | Faro - Vila Real de Santo António | Bela Curral | Pechão | ||
| University Campuses and Faro suburbs | Faro city minibus | Huelva and
Seville, Spain |
||||
| Algarve Stadium | For train times at Faro, please click here | Ferries |
||||
|
For an alphabetical list of places served
by bus and train in the Algarve, please click here |
||||||
Journey to Quarteira 37 minutes, to Vilamoura 45 minutes. Fare
to Quarteira €3,60 to Vilamoura €3,80 (best guess!)
Weekdays there are buses from 0630hrs until 1915hrs, irregular
but about one bus each hour. At weekends and on holidays, the
ONLY buses are at 0630, 0815, 1215, 1430, 1700 and 1915. Similar
service in the return direction. For complete timetable to
Quartera and Vilamoura, click here. For the return journey, click
here.
Word of warning! Albufeira Bus Station is 1 mile / 1.6km from
the town centre. The fast buses on routes 56 and 57 only stop
there. Local buses will take you down into the town and back up.
The fare Faro to Albufeira is €5,30 so far as I know and the
same on any bus except Aerobus 56.
Routes 9 and 66
continue beyond Vilamoura to Albufeira via Olhos D'Agua. These
buses do stop much closer to the town centre and main hotel
districts but the journey, at about 90 minutes, is rather long.
Bus times are as for Quarteira and Vilamoura above.
Route 56 Aerobus runs
between Faro and Albufeira via the University and Airport,
otherwise non-stop. Journey about 1 hour. During winter this bus
runs only twice a day. In summer 2023 there were six buses each
way from 1st May until 31st October. Current timetable is here.
Aerobus has higher fares than the other buses.
Route 57 (Transrápido)
runs seven times each weekday to Albufeira but does not go to
Olhos De Água, but only twice at weekends and on holidays with
an extra evening journey at weekends until 31st October. This
bus does a circuit of the Faro ring road before setting off non
stop to Albufeira and beyond. Current timetable here.
Journey 40 minutes fare one-way to Loulé €3.70. This bus stops a
mile/1.6km from the Algarve Stadium near the Parque das Cidades
railway station and also serves the Mar Shopping mall and IKEA
store. The stop at Mar Shopping is about 25 minutes from leaving
Faro.
This bus stops also stops in Faro at Tribunal (city centre court
house), Radio Naval, Rotunda Hospital, Alto Rodes, Escola Alfonso
III and Forum Algarve shopping centre. Summary :-
Mondays to Fridays except
holidays from : 0700, 0730, 0810 then at irregular
intervals until 1930, 2130 and 2300.
FULL TIMETABLE including intermediate
stops click here
Mondays to Fridays except holidays at : 0700, 0730, 0820
then at irregular intervals until 1520, then 1730, 1830, 1920,
2215, 2345
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays - only at 0730, 0900,
1030, 1130, 1330, 1520, 1730, 1920 and 2345.
Times at Mar Shopping are 13 minutes after the time leaving
Loulé. Loulé to Faro takes 40 minutes.
There is also route 68 five times daily between Loulé, Mar Shopping and Olhão via the Faro ring road. Those buses do not go to Faro bus station. Times included below.
FULL TIMETABLE including intermediate stops click here
Journey 20 - 25 minutes estimated fare one-way €2,65. Most of
these buses also stop in the centre of Faro, near the 'Tribunal'.
Bus service limited at weekends. Some buses go beyond Olhão to
different places.
Mondays to Fridays except
holidays at : first bus Faro Bus Station to Olhão is at
0715 then at very irregular intervals until the last bus at
1945 - full list of times here
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays
: first bus is at 0715, last bus at 1945 but with some gaps of 2 -
3 hours between buses check timetable here
There is also route 68 direct between Mar Shopping and Olhão via
the Faro ring road. Those
buses do not go to Faro bus station. Route 69 runs between Olhão
and the Gambelas University campus only on weekdays when the
University is open. I have included those times in the information
above.
There are also regular trains about once every hour weekdays, slightly fewer at certain times on weekends and holidays between Faro and Olhão; one-way fare is €1.55, journey time 10 minutes.
Mondays to Fridays except holidays at : first buses Olhão to Faro Bus Station are at 0705, 0720, 0730 , 0800, 0815, 0825, then then at very irregular intervals until 1630, 1715, 1755, 1850 with last bus at 1920. Full list of times here.
Saturdays, Sundays and
Holidays first buses at 0720, 0825 then at very
irregular intervals until 1920 check timetable here.
There is also route 68 direct between Olhão and Mar Shopping via
the Faro ring road and route 69 from the Gambelas University
Campus to Olhão via the ring road. Those buses do not go to Faro
bus station. I have included the times in the information above.
Some buses on weekdays serve the Calvarinha, Bairro dos
Pescadores and Patinha areas of Olhão, going round in a loop from
the bus station. That information can be found on the
official website at https://vamusalgarve.pt/#/pt/vamus%20algarve/routes
- click number 63 in the drop down list on the left hand side
Service has been very much reduced with no buses from Faro at
weekends before 1345!
Journey 20 minutes to Estoi estimated fare one-way €2,65; 40
minutes to São Bras de Alportel fare €3,20
The Milreu Roman museum and site is closer to Estoi (X) than the
village. Estoi (X) = the crossroads where the bus turns off the
main road.
Weekdays except holidays 0745, then an almost 5 hour gap until 1235 then another 4 hours gap until 1630, then 1730, 1830 and 1930
Saturdays, Sundays and
Holidays: 1345, 1630 and 1830 only.
Coming back on weekday afternoons buses leave São Bras de
Alportel at 1345 and at 1745.
Buses at weekends and holidays from São Bras to Faro only at 0705,
1515 and 1745
All buses from São Bras call at Estoi 15 minutes after leaving
there.
FULL TIMETABLE – click here
Trains are more frequent, faster and cheaper! Train times at
official website in English here.
Journey about 1 hour. Estimated fare one-way €4.75
Weekdays except holidays: Eight buses at very irregular
intervals from 0715 until 1830.
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays : only four buses each way - check
the timetable.
A similar pattern exists for buses back to Faro.
FULL TIMETABLE – click here timetables have been
removed from all bus stops in Faro!
Very infrequent and irregular on weekdays, no service at all
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. Mostly for schools and industrial
areas. There are also some journeys over a different route to Bela
Curral operated by 'Via Faro' which includes two buses on
Saturdays,
FULL TIMETABLE FOR BOTH – click here.
Operated by EVA on behalf of Faro city council. Checked 18th March 2024
Contactless payment is now available on all PROXIMO buses. Most
buses are now electric powered.
For all timetables click here - external link
to official website. None of the timetable links on the English
version of the website worked when I checked. Some of those on the
Portuguese version do not work either. More information about
buses at the Airport here. Maps and
timetables are displayed at most stops. All Proximo buses have
wifi so visitors need to be off-line even for 15 minutes!
Routes 14 and 16 run between the City Centre and Praia de Faro
via the Airport. For official timetables click here - external link.
Buses start from the outdoor section of the bus station complex.
Network routes diagram here. This shows all routes in grey,
click on a route in the sidebar to highlight it.
These routes now terminate at the 'mainland' car park just short
of the bridge, while a new bridge is under construction. There is
a walk of about 900 metres to the island, along a new pedestrian
walkway.
All buses from or via the city centre stop at the outdoor section
of the bus station complex. Cash fare depends upon how many zones
you travel, from €1,30 to €2,70. Various discounted tickets and
passes are available for regular users. Purchase passes at the bus
station. All prices on the official page here.
14 Atalia - city centre - Forum Algarve
shopping centre - Marchil - Montenegro - Airport - Praia de Faro.
Weekday rush hours plus a few other journeys. Very limited weekend
service. Official timetable here.
15 Bus Station - Faro Hospital - Forum
Algarve Shopping - Montenegro - Airport - Weekday rush hours
plus a few other journeys, also four buses Saturdays and Sundays.
This route is much longer between the bus station and airport than
route 16 below.. Official timetable here.
16 Praia de Faro – Airport –
Montenegro – Forum Algarve Shopping Centre - Avenida (Terminal)
Daily service, one or two buses each hour from 06.00 to 24.00
(midnight). More details on this page.
17 A
bus for a day at the beach. Runs only from 1st July to second Sunday in September.
São Luis - Penha - São Luis - Rotunda Hospital - Alto
Rodes - Gambelas (University) (not all buses, check) -
Praia de Faro runs about once an hour mornings and afternoons /
early evenings, no buses around lunchtime) NB no longer goes via
the airport, but stops at the roundabout (Rotunda) 3 minutes walk
from the terminal building. Official timetable here.
18 Gambelas (University) – Forum Algarve Shopping - Penha (University) – Avenida
(Terminal) frequent weekday service of two or three buses every
hour during University terms, reduced during holidays. Hourly 2005
- 2305hrs on weekdays when University is open. Eight buses each
way at weekends all year at very irregular intervals. Does not
operate on most public holidays. Official timetable here.
A supplementary network of minibus routes circulates from the bus
station to various suburbs, including the University campus at
Penha. Buses run at irregular intervals from approximately 0700 to
2000hrs on weekdays, then some later buses until about 2200hrs.
Timetables are displayed at most bus stops. There are only a very
few journeys on Saturdays, none after 1400hrs and no service at
all on Sundays and holidays.
For timetables please go to the official website here - external link. Cash fare on
board for one zone is €1.20, two zones €1.90. Various discounted
pre-pay passes are available, including a day ticket within zone 1
(City centre) costing €5,30. Be aware that many of these minibuses
are NOT wheelchair accessible.
Checked 18th March 2024 - all timetables are still
current, they date from 2022. Routes serving outlying areas.
Links are to the official website timetables and will open in a
new window or tab.
Route 1
Faro - Bordeira. Seven buses each way on schooldays, two buses
each way weekdays during school holidays and on Saturdays. Times here
Route 2 Faro -
Espargueira via Estoi - schooldays only times here
Route 3 Estoi -
Gorjões via Santa Barbara de Nexe seven buses each way on
weekdays, two on Saturdays. Two buses on weekdays also serve
Valados. Times here.
Route 4 Faro - Bela
Cural five buses each way on weekdays, two on Saturdays. Times here.
See also VAMUS route 64 - times here.
Route 5 Montenegro to
Bela Salema or Santa Barbara de Nexe. Two buses each way on each
section. Times here.
Town routes - No service on Saturday
afternoons, nor all day Sundays and Holidays
Route C8 - Faro
Avenida Républica (outside bus station) - Patação - Bracias -
Ameiro - Avenida Rèpublica : ten journeys on weekdays at highly
irregular intervals. One bus on Saturday. Times here.
Route C9 - reverse of route 8.
Similar service, times here
Route C10 - Faro Avenida Républica -
Fórum Algarve Shopping - Centro do Saúde - Avenida Républica :
nine journeys on weekdays at very irregular intervals from about
0900, five journeys on Saturday mornings. Times here.
Basically a bus for shoppers.
Route C11 - reverse of route 10,
similar service. Times here.
Please click or tap here - external link.
Checked and updated 18th March 2024
There are passenger ferries from Faro to Praia de Faro (beach on
the island), Ilha Farol (the lighthouse island) and Culatra. Most
run only in summer
Website for complete timetables - https://www.cm-faro.pt/421/barcos-para-as-ilhas.aspx
Faro to Praia de Faro
Journey about 20 minutes. Ticket (there and back) €3,90 for
adults, €2,25 for children aged 5 to 11 years.
Frequent daily service every 30 - 60 minutes in June, July and
August, about hourly during September. There are currently seven
journeys each way. The first from Faro is at 1000, the last ferry
back from the island is at 1805.
Faro to Ilha do Farol
ferries operate from 1st June to 30th September, six times every
day until 31st August, five times every day until 15th September,
four times a day until the end of September..
Faro to Culatra ferries
only operate from 1st June to 31st August. Two journeys each way,
every day.
Departures are from Portas do Mar, a short walk from railway and
bus stations beyond Faro marina and past the old fire station,
beside the old city wall. Map here. Parking is available at the Largo São
Francisco, Avenida Eng. Joachim Belchior and elsewhere in the
city.
In winter there are no other scheduled ferries from Faro to the outlying islands – these leave from Olhão. There are water taxis available all year - details here. These also leave from Portas do Mar, as above.
There are also speedboats and ferry cruises to the nature reserve and the Ilha Deserta daily all year. Some details here - external link that will open in a new window. The same company also offers a ‘water-taxi’ service to and from the islands. You will see the various posters etc of other companies at the marina.There is no scheduled bus service to the stadium (5 miles/8km
from Faro) and special service is not usually provided for events
- for more information about access to the stadium please click here. There is a
small railway station called Parque das Cidades about 3/4 mile
(1km) from the stadium. However, there are very few trains
suitable for events and none late at night.
Cross border coach (long distance bus) service is available daily with either Flixbus or the joint operation between Spanish company ALSA and Portuguese company Rede Expressos. Most journeys stop at Faro airport as well as the city centre. However Flixbus do NOT use the main bus station in Faro. They stop elsewhere, about 800 metres to the east of the city centre. Their website has a map showing the location, which is in Avenida Eng. Joaquim L. Belchior, next to the large car park at Largo São Francisco. For more details about cross border travel options, please click here. Also, check the bus company websites : www.rede.expressos.pt and www.flixbus.com
There are NO TRAINS across the border. There never have been.
There is a wide river in the way. Local train service on the
Spanish side ended many years ago.
For a list of all the timetables on the site,
click here
For an alphabetical list of places in the Algarve, click here
For some important general notes about buses in the Algarve, click
here
Back to the main page here