TRAIN SERVICE IN THE ALGARVE also ALGARVE to and from LISBON

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  2nd January 2020 checked on official websites.
FARES INCREASE FROM 1st JANUARY- a few fares were increased by small amounts. Information below has been updated.

There is a useful unofficial 'app' called Catch Up available on Google Play. This is taking information from the railways network control centres and presenting more or less real time train running information on a station by station basis. I know it works on Android phones! The official railway website does NOT offer this information.

TRAINS IN THE ALGARVE REGION OF PORTUGAL ARE OPERATED BY THE NATIONAL RAILWAY COMPANY Comboios de Portugal.

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 Portugal here.  Lisbon city rail amd metro map here
Some more pictures etc for railfans here.

Local service in the Algarve is operated by fairly modern trains, with air-conditioned interiors.  They do NOT have wifi and also there are never any on board announcements, so pay attention to where you want to get off. Click a picture to see it full size Thanks to Steve Widdowson for the picture below 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.	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 1600 from Faro to Lisbon; also the 0823 and 1723 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 between Faro and Porto via Lisbon, Coimbra and Aveiro.  Click the picture for a larger size.  Seating plan here. These trains have power sockets at some First Class (Conforto) seats. AP trains now offer free wifi to all seats but in some rural areas you will be out of range of any signal. All AP trains have a café car. Seat reservation is COMPULSORY!
The other trains between Lisbon and the Algarve are Inter City (IC) trains. These are locomotive hauled with air-conditioned coaches. Click the picture for a larger size. Seat reservation is COMPULSORY! Wifi equipment is now 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 summer weekend extras) 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 €7,45 for a journey of around 1 hour 40 minutes. The bus costs €6,20 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.

TOURIST TICKET FOR THE ALGARVE LINE -  REGIONAL TRAINS ONLY

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

NOT VALID ON ALFA PENDULAR OR INTERCITY TRAINS

Do the sums first. A return (round-trip) ticket from Faro to Lagos is only €14,90

Other Fares - most fares on REGIONAL trains were not increased

Sample single (one-way) fares on regional (local) trains  - Albufeira/Ferreiras to Faro €3,40, Lagos to Tavira €9,45; Faro to Lagos €7,45, Faro to Tavira €3,20; Faro to Vila Real de Santo António €5,30 and Albufeira/Ferreiras to Tavira €5,90. A one way trip from Albufeira to Lisbon will cost at most either €21.00 or €22,30 in Turista (Second) class, depending on which train you take. First class is €29,20 or €26,60. Promotional fares are offered for bookings in advance, but not available on all trains. Currently such fares can reduce the cost of a trip to Lisbon as low as €10.50  but more likely €13 to €17. 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 about 10% cheaper than two one-way tickets. There are however no 'open' tickets, so the journeys must be made on the booked trains

Half fare for over 65s - If you take your passport or national ID card when buying a ticket you will get half fare on all 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 €3.40; Intercity €9,50; Alfa-Pendular €11,70!  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 or in advance.

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 Cascais, 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

Book on line in English at https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/buy-tickets. You can pay with credit card or by using Paypal. There is also a Smartphone app that does the same thing. Tickets can either be printed or shown to train staff on a suitable device. There are no ticket barriers to worry about. Click here for an example of a long distance train ticket purchased via the website. Will open in a new window or tab.

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 COMERCIAL. MODELO LOULÉ - Olivais de Stº António-São. 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. Tickets are valid for one day only. A return (round-trip) ticket can be used to get back on any train the same day. Regional tickets are NOT VALID for use on Intercity (IC) or Alfda Pendular (AP) trains.

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 journey 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!  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. On Alfa Pendular (AP) trains, bikes must be disassembled and taken on board as hand luggage. On IC trains, there are two dedicated spaces for bikes on each train. Transport is free but there are rules! Please see this page in English before considering a journey - https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/passenger-information/Useful-information/bike-transport

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.

ALGARVE LINE TRAIN TIMETABLES

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.

SUNDAY SERVICE WILL APPLY ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS - additional alterations apply at Christmas and New Year

REMINDER - SEAT RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL AP AND IC TRAINS IN PORTUGAL

TRAIN TYPES : AP - Alfa Pendular high-speed train.  IC - Intercity train. 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 about five minutes earlier. Waits for another train to pass on the single track    | - train does not stop at this station

AP -Alfa Pendular high speed tilting train. Departure time is from Lisbon Oriente station also stops at Lisbon Entrecampos 8 minutes later.
AP trains start in PORTO CAMPANHÃ at  0540 and 1440 respectively running via  Gaia, Aveiro and Coimbra-B before Lisbon (Oriente) station. Full details at www.cp.pt
IC - Intercity train. Deparrture time is from Lisbon Oriente station (closest to Lisbon Airport) also stops at Lisbon Entrecampos 8 minutes later, Lisbon Sete Rios 12 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 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

ALL TRAINS BUT NOT ALL STATIONS ARE SHOWN  BELOW

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 1113 and 2044 from Vila Real de Santo António and the 2212 from Faro.

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

Days of operation		Daily	MFO	Daily	Daily	MFO	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	MFO	Daily	Daily	Daily
Train from Lisbon arrives		---	---	---	1123	---	1330	---	---	1735	---	---	2023	2202
Train from Lagos arrives	Z	---	0835	0934	---	1254	1254	1508	1654	---	---	1914	1956	2154
Faro		0750	0857	0955	1134	1300	1355	1517	1706	1753	1825	1925	2036	2212
Olhão		0805#	0908	1006	1145	1311	1406	1532#	1721	1804	1837	1936	2047	2224
Fuzeta A ##	G	0813	0916	1014	1153	1319	1414	1540	1729	1812	1845	1944	2058	2232
Luz	G	0824	0927	1025	1204	1335	1426	1551	1740	1823	1856	1959	2106	2243
Tavira		0830	0938#	1031	1210	1341	1432	1557	1746#	1829	1902	2006	2112	2249
Conceição	G	0838	0945	1039	1217	1349	1440	1605	1754	1836	1910	2013	2120	2256
Cacela	G	0845	0953	1045	1225	1357#	1452#	1613	1809	1844	1923#	2021	2127	2304
Monte Gordo §	G	0855	1002	1056	1234	1407	1502	1623	1819	1853	1932	2031	2137	no stop
Vila Real de Santo António ++		0858	1006	1100	1238	1410	1505	1626	1822	1857	1936	2034	2141	2314

Z  1254 and 1508 arrivals at Faro are usually through trains Lagos to Vila Real de Santo António. Others may be, but this is not advertised.
The 1956 arrival in Faro from Lagos shaded blue runs on weekdays only. It does NOT RUN on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.

Days of operation		Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	MFO	Daily	Daily	MFO	Daily
Vila Real de Santo António ++		0548	0642	0711	0908	1113	1244	1437	1524	1635	1751	1908	2044
Monte Gordo §	G	0552	0646	0715	0912	1116	1248	1441	1528	1639	1755	1912	no stop
Cacela	G	0602	0656	0725	0922	1125	1258	1452#	1539	1649	1810#	1923	2054
Conceição	G	0609	0703	0732	0929	1131	1305	1459	1545	1656	1816	1929	2100
Tavira		0617	0711	0740	0938	1139	1313	1507	1557#	1705	1829#	1937	2112
Luz	G	0622	0716	0745	0943	1144	1318	1512	1602	1710	1834	1942	2118
Fuzeta A ##	G	0634	0728	0756	0954	1158	1329	1524	1613	1718	1851	1954	2127
Olhão		0643	0736	0805	1006#	1206	1337	1532	1622	1729	1859	2002	2136
Faro		0653	0747	0815	1017	1217	1348	1544	1632	1739	1910	2012	2146
Train to Lagos leaves	Z	0711	---	0902	1023	1222	---	1617	1741	1825	1922	2050	---
Train to Lisbon leaves		0700	---	0822	---	---	1415	1600	---	1815	---	---	---

Z - The 0711 train from Faro to Lagos does NOT RUN on Sundays and Holidays.
The 1825 train from Faro to Lagos runs on weekdays only. It does NOT RUN on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays
The 1217 and 1910 arrivals at Faro normally run through to Lagos. Others may do but this is not shown in the official timetable.

The good news is that these stations are mostly in the towns they are named after!

Note G = this station has no ticket office; buy your ticket on the train - CASH ONLY

## - there are two stations in Fuzeta - this one is better placed for the town centre, beach and seaside area. It is often unstaffed and at first sight is a bit off-putting!.
The other station (called Fuzeta - Moncarapacho) is two minutes further down the line towards Luz, but some way from the town and beach.
§ Monte Gordo's little 'halt' is about ¾ mile/1.2km from the resort. The walk is along a road and flat.
++ the station here is about 1.4km (15 minutes walk) to the ferry across to Ayamonte in Spain.

RAIL MAP OF THE ALGARVE

click on the map below to see the larger size. List of stations here.

RAIL ENTHUSIAST? CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

Connections Algarve <> Beja and Évora

There are no direct trains between any Algarve station and Évora or Beja.

Connections are available to Évora via Pinhal Novo using the trains from Faro at 07.00, 13.54 and 16.00, arriving at 10.35 (weekdays) or 11.26 (weekends) and 18.35 respectively. Return journeys leave from Évora at 07.06 (weekdays only and with 1 hour  15 min wait at Pinhal Novo), 09.06 daily, 55 minutes wait at Pinhal Novo, and in the afternoon leaveing Évora at 16.57  again with 1hr 15 minutes wait in Pinhal Novo.

Rail connections to/from Beja are only possible via Pinhal Novo. Times as above, a  second change of train is needed at Casa Branca.

Reservation is compulsory on all these trains. Tickets are on sale up to 60 days in advance. Discounts are available if booked more than a week in advance. Go to https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/buy-tickets

The more direct way to travel between Beja and the Algarve is by long distance bus (coach) www.rede-expressos.pt or the twice weekly bus from Vila Real de Santo António. Rede-Expressos has three daily journeys each way, taking about two hours. Extra journeys are operated on Fridays and Sundays during University terms. There is a fourth journey daily each way in summer.

Travelling by train to or from Lisbon?

This little map may come in useful.
 

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

www.algarvebus.info