Trains in the Algarve - a summary of operations with timetables

This page is unofficial. The information has been obtained from printed timetables and other local sources (like taking the train) and is given in good faith.
Timetables apply until further notice. Information correct as of 18th April 2018 checked on official websites and in person

Wednesday April 25th (Liberation Day) and Tuesday May 1st (Labour Day) are public holidays here. Trains run to Sunday times.

Algarve train timetables here Diagram showing the rail lines and stations in the Algarve is here
Official map of railways in Portugal here - does not show all stations. Rail map of Spain and Portugal (external link) here.
Some more pictures etc for railfans here.

Thanks to Steve Widdowson for the picture of unit 0454 running along the sea wall at Faro. The rebuilt Tavira station. Click to see full size. Trains use the high platform to the left of the station building.	Local service in the Algarve is operated by fairly modern trains, with air-con. Click a picture to see it full size The 1327 to Faro about to leave Vila Real de Santo António. Click to see full size. Below - trains getting bit of a clean at Faro.
	The 0700 and 1505 from Faro; also the 0840 and 1824 back from Lisbon are the Intercity Alfa Pendular (AP) tilting trains. These are through trains to and from Porto, offering a one-seat ride in about 5hrs 30mins hours between Faro and Porto via Lisbon, Coimbra and Aveiro. Click the picture for a larger size. These trains have power sockets at some First Class (Conforto) seats and all AP trains now offer free wifi to all seats. All AP trains have a café car. Seat reservation is COMPULSORY!
The other Inter City (IC) trains are locomotive hauled with an assortment of (air-conditioned) coaches. These stop at various stations between the Algarve and Lisbon. Click the picture for a larger size. Seat reservation is COMPULSORY! Wifi equiment is now being installed on these older trains. However, in many rural areas you will be out of reach of any signal. IC trains running between the Algarve and Lisbon have a café/bar car. Access with wheelchair is impossible, the doors are too narrow.
Faro station building - click to see full sized.	Steve Widdowson sent me some excellent pictures of trains in the Algarve taken in October 2014 - take a look at them here. There is a further set of pictures from Steve taken May 2015 here. Included are some pictures of the inside of the rarely photographed museum building by Lagos station. This has been closed for many, many, years owing to lack of money.

Timetables and Information

Timetable summary here, complete printable timetable here at official site. Regional (local) trains stop at all stations, except for a couple of very early and very late trains which miss the smaller 'halts'. Services are for the most part designed to connect with the trains to and from Lisbon. This results in some very large gaps during the day when there are no trains at all, especially at weekends. Trains do however run later into the evening than most bus routes.

The local line (diagram here) is usually operated as two separate sections, either side of Faro. Although it's not advertised, some trains run do through. The conductor will confirm whether or not a change is needed at Faro. Local trains connect with most trains to and from Lisbon, but at Faro some local trains do not connect with each other.

There are five daily trains (with weekend extras in summer) between Faro and Lisbon, two of which continue to or start from Porto. For the full intercity timetable in printable PDF format visit www.cp.pt. External link which will open a new window.

Note that the railway line does NOT cross the border into Spain. The nearest station in Spain is at Huelva, about 33 miles/55 km from the border at Vila Real de Santo António.

Information - there are NO ANNOUNCEMENTS at most stations, no boards or screens on platforms to indicate 'next trains' and rarely if ever are there any announcements on board trains. Most railway staff have some English, it is polite to ask first. They are quite happy to help ensure you know where to change trains etc. You will have to keep alert so you don't miss your station, especially at night.

Fares

Fares are about the same, for short journeys in some cases cheaper, as the equivalent bus journey. However, Faro to Lagos by train one-way is €7.40 = about £5.90 for a journey of around 1 hour 40 minutes. The bus costs €5.90 but takes 20 - 30 minutes longer. There is a simple fare structure for local journeys - single (one-way), return (round-trip) and that's it! I have a copy of the regional train fares chart here. Using this, you can calculate the fare between any pair of stations on the Algarve line using REGIONAL trains.

Available from STAFFED stations only. (Lagos, Portimao, Tunes, Albufeira, Loulé, Faro, Olhão, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António)

Do the sums first. A return (round-trip) ticket from Faro to Lagos is only €15,00.

Other Fares

Sample single (one-way) fares on regional (local) trains - Albufeira/Ferreiras to Faro €3,35, Lagos to Tavira €9,45; Faro to Lagos €7,40, Faro to Tavira €3,20; Faro to Vila Real de Santo António €5,25 and Albufeira/Ferreiras to Tavira €6,00. A one way inter-city trip from Albufeira to Lisbon will cost at most either €20,60 or €21,60 in Turista (Second) class, depending on which train you take. First class is €28,30 or €25,20. Promotional fares are offered for bookings in advance. Current such fares can reduce the cost of a trip to Lisbon to between €9 and €13 and €16 or €17 Euros. These tickets are NOT REFUNDED if you do not use them but can be exchanged under certain conditions.

On long distance journeys, a return (round-trip) ticket is slightly cheaper than two one-way tickets.

Half fare for over 65s - If you take your passport or national ID card when buying a ticket you will get half fare on these trains. Children aged 5 - 12 travel half fare; children under 5 travel free on local trains. However children under 5 travelling on Alfa Pendular or Intercity trains and who will occupy their own seat require a reservation and their own ticket. Small children who would sit on their parent's lap travel free and do not need a ticket.

Higher fares for AP and IC trains - you can use the intercity trains for local journeys (if there are seats available) but you will pay much more than on the regional trains.

Example: Albufeira to Faro - Regional €3.35; Intercity €9,30; Alfa-Pendular €11,30! Note - Regional fares apply to journeys between Messines and other Algarve stations.

Larger stations have ticket offices but most smaller stations are unstaffed. You can buy your ticket on the train without penalty, but in cash only. There are no longer ticket machines at any Algarve station. Tickets for Regional trains cannot be purchased on line.

Penalty fares: if you are caught without a ticket the fine is 100 times the single fare for the trip! There are no reservations or advance purchase or other discounts on Regional trains except as below.

Under 25? CP offers 25% off

If you are aged 25 or under, CP is offering a 25% discount on all Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, Inter-Regional and Regional train tickets.

You can use this discount in any class, any day of the week. Just show official ID with proof of your age such as a Citizen card, ID card, driving licence or passport.

You can buy your tickets from long-distance ticket offices, netTICKET travel agents. These tickets can be reissued or refunded.

Young people aged 26 or over can still enjoy the Cartão Jovem discount for individual journeys.

SEAT RESERVATIONS

These are compulsory on all AP and IC trains. These are included FREE when you buy your ticket. You can reserve on-line a maximum of 60 days in advance. You can take a chance and try for a ticket at the last minute but, especially in summer or on Fridays and Sundays all year, you might be disappointed if the train is already full. Some trains are only three carriages in winter, four or five carriages in summer. You can choose which seat(s) you take when booking on line.

There is a very large discount available on many long distance trains when tickets are purchased more than eight days in advance. Some discounts are available for tickets purchased 5 - 7 days in advance but these often do not apply for al trains. However these very cheap tickets will not be refunded if you do not use them, but can be exchanged under certain conditions.

It is possible to buy tickets on line for a complete journey for example Lagos to Lisbon or Tavira to Porto where a mix of regional and long distance trains are involved. But it's not possible to or from places like Sintra and Cacais, which trains have a separate fare structure. Those tickets to or from Lisbon) must be obtained locally. The full range of destinations / origins has not been checked! However tickets for local trips in the Algarve eg Lagos - Faro cannot be purchased on line and there are no reservations.

BUYING TICKETS FOR LONG DISTANCE TRIPS

You can also use a Multibanco ATM to buy tickets a maximum of 21 days in advance. Seat reservations are free when you buy your ticket(s) on line or at an ATM.

If you have an international railpass, reservations can be only be obtained at a station or accredited sales agent. A reservation fee is payable.

You can buy tickets at railway stations with a ticket office, which in the Algarve region are these : LAGOS, PORTIMÃO, TUNES, ALBUFEIRA, LOULÉ, FARO, OLHÃO (mornings only), TAVIRA and VILA REAL DE SANTO ANTÓNIO (until about 1500hrs). You CANNOT buy long distance tickets from the conductor when starting your trip on a regional train.

Tickets and reservations can also be obtained at these Algarve based travel agents. Information taken from CP website. There is no mention of the hours they keep.

Albufeira area - GEOSTAR Travel at Algarve Shopping near Guia and at Albfueira Continente / Modelo shopping, Avenida dos Descobrimentos opposite McDonald's.

In Faro at ABREU, Avenida da República, 124; EL CORTE INGLÈS Av. 5 de Outubro; TAGUS Av. 5 de Outubro; TOP ATLÂNTICO Rua Conselheiro Bívar and TUI, Monte da Ria.

In Loulé at GALERIA COM. MODELO LOULÉ - Olivais de Stº António-S. Sebastião (It doesn't say which shop. This is the big mall out of town.)

In Portimão at ABREU Rua Pé da Serra; GEOSTAR Centro Comercial Modelo; TOP ATLÂNTICO Rua Judice Biker, 26 and TUI Travel, Rua Judice Biker 9.

BUYING TICKETS FOR SHORT REGIONAL TRIPS

Tickets for trips on Regional trains CANNOT be purchased on line or in advance. If boarding at a staffed station, buy from the ticket office if it's open. If boarding at an unstaffed station or when the ticket office is closed, you buy your ticket from the train conductor and it's CASH ONLY. Most stations in the Algarve are unstaffed.

FARO RAILWAY STATION

Faro Railway Station is about 150 metres from the Bus Station and close to the town centre and marina. It is 4.0miles/6.3km by road from the airport. There is a map here - which opens in a new window. Buses to and from the airport stop outside the station, the bus journey between airport and station is about 20 minutes. There is a taxi rank at the station. A taxi to or from the airport will cost you around €10 depending on numbers, luggage etc. The run by taxi is about ten minutes. There is decent café/bar opposite the station and there is a small bar on the station itself. There is a limited left luggage facility, privately operated, on the main platform in a little kiosk. There are no shops in the vicinity.

Intending passengers be aware that there are no signs or indications on the platforms at Faro to tell you which train goes where. There are announcements (usually only in Portuguese) but they are often inaudible above the noise of the trains! There are NO ANNOUNCEMENTS made on board Regional trains. Ever. Some trains split into two sections on arrival. If in doubt, ask.

Bikes on trains

You CAN take bikes on Alfa Pendular (AP) and Intercity (IC) trains. However, the wheels must be removed and the bike taken aboard as 'hand' luggage. There is no baggage car or compartment on Intercity and ALFA trains. Bikes must be stored either on overhead luggage racks or in the luggage spaces at the end of carriages or between seats. This will present problems if the train is crowded. All luggage spaces are often full before you get on!

Bikes are carried FREE on all local (regional) trains in the Algarve. The low platforms and high steps do mean a bit of lifting up and down into the baggage compartment, which is at one end of the train. It does help if there are two of you! Chain it to something inside the baggage compartment; there are ill-minded individuals who will make off with your property given half a chance. I was warned about this by a train guard. The last thing you want is to leave the train only to find your road bike missing and nowhere to be found. Proper bike locks are a must for travel.

The timetables below are a summary - all trains but not all stations are shown.
To view and print the complete Algarve timetable, click here external link opens in new window.

For the detailed timetable for trains to and from Lisbon, Coimbra, Aveiro and Porto, click here; external link opens in new window.

TRAIN TIMES BELOW ARE VALID UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
SUNDAY SERVICE WILL APPLY ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

TRAIN TYPES : AP - Alfa Pendular high-speed train. IC - Intercity train. AP and IC are air-conditioned stock. REG - Regional (local) train, no reservations, no advance purchase, trains have air-con. First and Second class seats are available on all AP and IC trains. Regional trains are second class only.

TIMETABLE - FARO > ALBUFEIRA > TUNES > PORTIMÃO > LAGOS

Daily - train runs every day including most holidays
MFO - train runs Mondays to Fridays (weekdays) only except holidays
SHX - train does not run on Sundays and Holidays

To Lisbon - trains run to Lisbon Oriente also calling at Lisbon Sete Rios (IC trains only) and Entrecampos
please also read the note below the timetable
IF YOU USE AP OR IC TRAINS FOR THESE LOCAL JOURNEYS A MUCH HIGHER FARE IS PAYABLE - SEE NOTE

TIMETABLE - LAGOS > PORTIMÃO > TUNES > ALBUFEIRA > FARO

Daily - train runs every day including most holidays.
MFO - train runs Mondays to Fridays (weekdays) only except holidays
SHX - train does not run on Sundays and Holidays

From Lisbon - trains run from Lisbon Oriente also all calling at Lisbon Entrecampos also IC trains call at Lisbon Sete Rios
please also read the note below the timetable
IF YOU USE AP OR IC TRAINS FOR THESE LOCAL JOURNEYS A MUCH HIGHER FARE IS PAYABLE - SEE NOTE

# arrives five minutes earlier. Waits for another train to pass on the single track

AP -Alfa Pendular high speed tilting train. Departure from Lisbon Oriente station also stops at Lisbon Entrecampos 7 minutes later.
AP trains start in PORTO CAMPANHÃ at 0547 and 1547 respectively running via Aveiro and Coimbra-B before Lisbon (Oriente) station. Full details at www.cp.pt
IC - Intercity train. Starts from Lisbon Oriente station (closest to Lisbon Airport) also stops at Lisbon Entrecampos 8/9 minutes later, Lisbon Sete Rios 14 minutes later.

NOTES ABOUT STATIONS

A - this is the nearest station to the Algarve Stadium, about 1km (3/4 mile) away. This station has no ticket office; buy your ticket on the train.

B - Loulé Station is over 3 miles/5km from the town. A new bus (official times here) connects Loulé Avenida 25 Abril (NOT the Bus Station) with trains thus : EXCEPT Sundays and Holidays 0640 arr 0655 for 0710 to Lisbon. Sundays and Holidays ONLY at 1445 to connect with 1516 to Lisbon. Daily except Saturdays there is a bus into Loulé connecting with the 2114 arrival from Lisbon. Otherwise, there is a bus stop about 250 yards/metres from the station; use the crossing at the end of the platform and follow the path by the green fence and turn right. The bus stop is just beyond the stop sign; buses to Loulé on the left hand side as you look.

C - Albufeira station is in FERREIRAS about 3.5 miles/6.5km from old town. There are buses to/from the town bus station (which itself is a 1 mile / 1.6km from the old town) every 30 minutes.
D - Silves station is just over a mile/1.8km from the town. Uphill on the way back! There are a few buses to/from town; click here for times.
E - Estombar/Lagoa station is in ESTOMBAR 2 miles/3.5km from Lagoa. This station has no ticket office; buy your ticket on the train.
F - Alcantarilha Station is 4 miles/6km from the village of that name. It has no ticket office. There are four buses on weekdays some of which connect with trains. There no buses at weekends. The bus route also serves Pêra and Armação de Pêra.
G - this station has no ticket office; buy your ticket on the train. Cash only.
H - this station is unstaffed. Buy your ticket on the train, cash only. Regional fares are charged for trips between Messines and other stations in the Algarve. Reservation not needed.
X - departure time at Tunes for trains towards Lisbon originating in Faro. Connection is usually on the same platform.

FARO <> OLHÃO <> TAVIRA <> VILA REAL DE SANTO ANTÓNIO

To view and print the complete Algarve timetable, click here. External link opens in new window.

Daily - train runs every day including most holidays.
MFO train runs Mondays to Fridays (weekdays) only. Does NOT run on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.

All trains are Regional services, second class only. Trains call at all stations, except for the 0548 and 1113 from Vila Real de Santo António