INFORMATION
CORRECT AS OF 1st July 2022
The GIRO bus service around Albufeira is operating to the
usual timetable. All other buses are now running reduced
timetables, especially at weekends.
Depending on where you may be staying, you may not have to go
to the Bus Station if travelling to/from Guia, Galé, Loulé,
Olhos D'Agua, Vilamoura or Quarteira. Most buses to Armação de
Pêra, Lagoa and Portimão plus all buses to Praia da Rocha, Alvor
and Lagos only stop at the main bus station
The information has been obtained from printed timetables and other local sources (like taking the bus) and is given in good faith.
The Albufeira Bus Station is 1 mile/1.6km from the old
town! Almost all buses* to and from ALBUFEIRA end or start
here.
Many do not go anywhere near the old town centre and beaches.
Map of Albufeira showing
bus station and various town districts. Map here to show
you 'how far' from old town and strip.
Large map of old town showing different bus stops
and other transport information here.
For detailed interactive street maps of Albufeira, visit www.albufeira.com
Distances from the
Bus Station (by road) which is why you might need a a local bus
or taxi to get to your final destination.
Old Town Square 1.6km/1mile | "The Strip" 2.3km/1½
miles |
Marina 3km/1¾ miles |
Oura Praia Hotel 3.2km/2 miles | Páteo Village 2.4km/1½
miles |
Montechoro 1.8km/1 mile
and a bit |
Oura Beach 3.1km/1¾ miles |
Brisa Sol/Modelo 1km/1100
yards |
Olhos de Agua 5.8km/3½
miles |
Balaia 4.7km/3 miles |
There are usually taxis at the Bus
Station. If you need one phone 289 583 230. Official Albufeira
taxi website with fares etc here
but is far from comprehensive.
Uber and Bolt work in Albufeira.You can use them if you prefer.
The 'tuk-tuks' you may have heard of or seen are NOT licensed as
taxis. They charge by the hour.
Albufeira Bus Station has a covered waiting area
and café/bar. There are nineteen different bus stops, clearly
labelled with the routes and destinations. There are however no
maps to show where the buses go nor any timetables, except those
on the noticeboard inside.
CLICK ON THE MAP TO SEE A
LARGER SIZE
THE LOCAL 'GIRO' BUS ROUTES ARE COMPLICATED AT FIRST SIGHT
AS THEY DOUBLE BACK AND GO ROUND VARIOUS LOOPS.
The official GIRO bus map for Albufeira's town buses is here - external link opens a new
window. There are other maps here.
GIRO BUSES RUN EVERY 30 MINUTES ON WEEKDAYS, ALSO
ON SATURDAYS UNTIL 1400hrs
SERVICE IS REDUCED TO ONE BUS AN HOUR ON ALL ROUTES,
AFTER 1400HRS ON SATURDAYS AND ALL DAY SUNDAYS AND
HOLIDAYS, EXCEPT
LINHA LARANJA TO FERREIRAS AND THE RAILWAY STATION WHICH
RUNS EVERY 30 MINUTES ALL DAY EVERY DAY
CLICK THE GIRO LOGO TO THE LEFT FOR THE OFFICIAL ROUTE
MAP SHOWING ALL STOPS
Buses on four routes, Vermelha (Red
01 and 02),
Verde(Green), Azul (Blue) all leave at the Bus
Station at the same times, on the hour and on the half hour. The
Laranja route
buses to Ferreiras and the station leave at about 10 and 40
minutes past the hour. They run seven days a week (including
holidays) at the same times. Except for Laranja, first buses leave at 0700,
with last buses from the Bus Station at 1900 during the winter
and 2100 during the summer.
Buses run only once an hour after 1400 on Saturdays, all day
on Sundays and Holidays, except on Linha Laranja to Ferreiras
which runs every 30 minutes all day, every day. First bus on
Linha Laranja, to
Ferreiras and the railway station, leaves the bus station at
0640am then every 30 minutes until 2040hrs (winter) 2240hrs
(summer).
Fares
Cash fare is €1,40 valid for one journey. Pay on boarding if you do not have a pass or one day ticket. Single tickets are valid for one hour after first issue. You can use it to change to another GIRO bus to complete your trip. If you are asked to change buses at the bus station, show your ticket to the second driver. You do not pay again.
You can save this to your own device. Printed copies of this map can be obtained at the bus station. The map will open in a new window.
Official timetables are NOT published. Please take a look at my
timetables, which have been compiled after many journeys of
exploration by myself and others! These do not list all the
stops for reasons of brevity, but I have links to the official
diagrams showing all stops.
GIRO bus stops, routes and times are now shown on Google Maps -
but a warning! Many of the times shown on Google are WRONG by up
to 10 minutes. Also, last buses are up to 30 MINUTES EARLIER
than Google states. The times below and on linked pages are
based on personal use of the system and are as correct as I can
make them. There is no officially published timetable.
There are GIRO route maps at many, but not all, bus stops -
here's a picture - but
still no actual timetables!
The LINHA VERMELHA Giro 1(RED)
route (timetable here)
runs around the west side of town from the main bus terminal to
Albufeira Camping, down to the old town at Avenida Da Liberdade,
then up the hill to Páteo and Vale Santa Maria, back
through Páteo, then down to Varzea da Orada and the Marina then
back up the hill via Cerro Grande to the old town. After the old
town it goes then to the Cámara and back to the main Bus
Station. In its meanderings it does stop at some places twice.
The LINHA VERMELHA Giro 2 (DARK RED, a sort of plum colour really) (timetable here), runs as
follows: Bus Terminal, Health Centre, Dolphins Roundabout, Cerro
Grande, the old town at Ave. da Liberdade, then straight back to
the Health Centre, past the Bus Station (stops outside,
across the road!), then to the Câmara, along the main road
Avenida dos Descobrimentos to Albufeira Shopping, Areais São
João (The Strip), Bullring, Globes Roundabout, Quinta da Balaia,
Branqueira village and the Vale Navio roundabout, then back to
the Bus Station along the main road via Areais São João, the
'Worms' roundabout and Albufeira Shopping. The maps do show
this a bit better. The red routes are often delayed in the
summer, when traffic clogs the Avenida Da Liberdade in vain
efforts to find a parking space.
The LINNHA VERDE (GREEN)
route (timetable here)
runs a clockwise route to the Vale das Pedras, Stadium, Câmara,
Old Town (Rua Alves Correia), back to the Câmara, then along to
Albufeira Shopping, Montechoro, Brejos, Globes Roundabout, Santa
Eulália, Oura, Inatel, Câmara again, Old Town (Rua Alves
Correia), Cerro Malpique and back to the Bus Station.
The LINHA AZUL (BLUE)
route (timetable here) is
the same as the green route (more or less) but in the opposite,
anti-clockwise, direction.
The LINHA LARANJA (ORANGE) (timetable here) route runs between the Bus Station and Albufeira Railway Station via Camping Albufeira, Ferreiras and Vale Serves.
Bus Station <> Old town options
The BLUE route is the shortest way from the Bus Station to the Old Town. It will take you to the Rua Alves Correia, which is near the square and the 'Fishermen's Beach' area. The RED GIRO 01 route goes a rather roundabout way from the Bus Station to the old town centre (Avenida da Liberdade) about 200 metres from the square.
On your way back to the Bus Station, the RED GIRO 2 route
from the Avenida Da Liberdade is the quickest, but stops OUTSIDE
the Bus Station across the road. The RED GIRO 01 route goes a longer way round
but goes inside. The GREEN
route runs from Rua Alves Correia to the Bus Station via Cerro
Malpique.
Old town stops map here. A summary below of bus
times FROM the old town centre. Full timetables: RED 1, RED 2, GREEN, BLUE
SUMMER times on the GIRO network
apply from 1st June to 30th September. All routes operate
seven days a week, all holidays included.
From Old Town bus stop as below |
To :- (nb destinations are not shown on the bus.
Ask the driver if necessary.) |
Buses leave at these
minutes past every hour on weekdays and Saturday mornings.
On Saturday afternoons after 1400hrs, also all day Sundays
and Holidays only the
buses marked in bold will run. |
Route |
Avenida da Liberdade Stand
3 |
Páteo, Vale Santa Maria,
Marina |
15 and 45, first bus
0715, last bus 1915 in winter, 2115 in summer The journey to the marina takes about 15 minutes - it goes a long away around! |
Vermelha (Red) 1 |
Avenida da Liberdade Stand
4 |
Câmara, High School/Indoor
Market, Bus Station |
15 and 45, first bus
0715, last bus 1945 in winter, 2145 in summer The journey to the bus station takes about 10 minutes. |
Vermelha (Red) 1 |
Avenida da Liberdade Stand
4 |
Health Centre, Bus
Station, Continente / Modelo, 'The Strip', Quinta da
Balaia and Branqueira |
20 and 50, First bus
0720, last bus 1920 in winter, 2120 in summer This bus stops OUTSIDE the main bus station. The journey from the town takes about five minutes. |
Vermelha (Red) 2 |
Rua Alves Correia* | Câmara, Continente /
Modelo, Brejos, Montechoro |
15 and 45, First bus
0715, last bus 1915 in winter, 2115 in summer |
Verde (Green) |
Rua Alves Correia* | Oura, Santa Eulália, the
'strip', Montechoro, Torre Mosqueira, Brejos |
11 and 41, First bus
0711, last bus 1911 in winter, 2111 in summer |
Azul (Blue) |
Rua Alves Correia* | Câmara, Cerro Malpique, Bus
Station |
15 and 45, First
bus 0715 (except Sundays), last bus 1945 in winter, 2145
in summer. First bus on Sundays and Holidays in this
direction is at 0745. The journey to the bus station takes
about ten minutes. |
Verde (Green) |
Pau da Bandeira (top of
escalators) |
Oura, Santa Eulália, the
'strip', Montechoro, Torre Mosqueira, Brejos |
13 and 43, First Bus
0713, last bus 1913 in winter, 2113 in summer |
Azul (Blue) |
THE
LINHA LARANJA
(ORANGE ROUTE) TO FERREIRAS AND THE RAILWAY
STATION STARTS FROM THE BUS STATION AND DOES NOT
SERVE THE OLD TOWN. BUSES LEAVE AT 10 AND 40 MINUTES PAST EACH HOUR AND EVERY DAY FROM 0640. LAST BUS TO FERREIRAS LEAVES THE BUS STATION AT 2040 IN WINTER, 2240 IN SUMMER. 'CONNECTIONS´ FROM THE OLD TOWN REQUIRE A MINIMUM 15 MINUTES WAIT AT THE CENTRO DO SAÚDE (HEALTH CENTRE) STOP |
|||
* this is behind the multi-storey car
park and the tall chimney. * At this stop, buses on the Linha Verde (Green) route go at more or less the same times in both directions, so make sure you get on the right one! |
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT COACHES (LONG DISTANCE BUSES) TO LISBON
ETC CLICK HERE. MOST OF
THESE NOW USE ONLY THE MAIN BUS STATION. FLIXBUS have a
stop on the roadside just outside the old town area. FOR
INFORMATION ABOUT SERVICE TO SEVILLE AND INTO SPAIN, CLICK HERE.
From 1st May to 31st October there will be five buses every day
direct and non stop between Albufeira Bus Station and the
Airport. Timetable here. Otherwise, it's a
local bus or taxi between the airport and Faro city centre and
possibly a long journey on a slow bus between Faro and
Albufeira.
Fast buses on Faro (city) to and from Albufeira six each
weekday, only two at weekends - times here. Slower buses here. Train not
recommended as the railway station at Albufeira is 4 miles / 6km
from the town. Train times here.
Of the
local bus routes, only the Albufeira town's GIRO buses go down
into the ‘Old Town’ area – Centro Antigo. For many destinations
you must go to the main bus station. Except, depending on where
you may be staying, you may not have to go to the Bus Station if
travelling to/from Guia, Galé, Loulé, Olhos D'Agua, Vilamoura or
Quarteira. Most buses to Armação de Pêra, Lagoa and Portimão
plus all buses to Praia da Rocha, Alvor and Lagos only stop at
the main bus station.
I have a
summary of the main places you can get to from Albufeira here with links to detailed timetables.
Timetables are posted on the noticeboard, copies
can be obtained from the ticket/enquiry office. There is no
simple map of routes either on the official websites, at the bus
station nor is one printed. For my map of Algarve bus routes,
please click here.
The electronic destination boards do not show
all departures, only those to ‘important’ places! There are
separate enquiry and ticket offices for local and long-distance
bus services. When boarding at the Bus Station, except for GIRO
buses, you are supposed to buy your ticket at the ticket office.
Some drivers are very strict about this!
The fast TRANSRÁPIDO buses to and from Faro and all fast buses to and from Lagos, Alvor, Praia da Rocha, Portimão, Lagoa, Armação de Pera, Guia and Faro STOP ONLY AT THE MAIN BUS STATION - nowhere else!
The old town is basically a pedestrian zone,
with limited access for residents and those important beer
deliveries. There are car parks on the edge of the area, but the
closer you get the earlier they fill up. During high summer
season, most of the town centre car parks, including the two
multi-storey, are full by 9am so you may end up parking a fair
way out and having to take a bus into town and back up the hill
afterwards. The surface car park at the top of the Avenida
Liberdade (marked on the map below) is paying parking area.
There are spaces during the day in high season, as locals baulk
at paying the €5 fee, but it is full on summer evenings. The
multistorey car park opposite is open only in summertime.
If you are coming into or leaving Albufeira on the Transrápido or the Lagos - Albufeira fast buses,
the Bus Station is the only place they stop. You might
need another bus or taxi as an alternative to a long walk to
your final destination. Buses from Vilamoura, Olhos D'Agua and
Balaia stop opposite the Continente Modelo supermarket
(a.k.a. Albufeira Shopping) which is a few minutes walk into
town - see above and the map below.
If you are coming into town on an ‘ordinary’ bus from the north
(eg Ferreiras, Guia or Silves) these buses stop at the Centro de
Saúde (health centre) before the Bus Station. That is much
closer to the old town than the Bus Station, about 7 or 8
minutes walk along the flat footpath into town. This goes under
the main road in a tunnel, so is quite safe. Map.
You don’t have to go to
the Bus Station if travelling to/from Guia, Galé, Loulé, Olhos
D'Agua, Vilamoura or Quarteira. Click on the map
to see it double the size - close the window to return to this
page
Faro (except Transrápido buses), Quarteira, Vilamoura, Olhos
De Água, Balaia
For the Old Town of Albufeira , the nearest stop
for VAMUS number 9 and 66 buses to/from Qiuarteira, Vilamoura,
Olhos d'Agua, Balaia etc is at the Continente Modelo
shopping centre. There is NO BUS from there into the old
town. Walk down to the traffic lights by the fire station, cross
the main road, turn right, keep the Câmara (Town Hall) to your
left and go down the hill that's just about in front of you (the
Rua do MFA) to the bottom, then turn right again and you will be
in the square. It’s about 5 - 7 minutes walk in all. MAP TO
THE LEFT - walking route marked in red - CLICK TO SEE DOUBLE
SIZE. You can catch a bus back up the hill from Rua Alves
Correia to the Câmara and Continente on GIRO Linha Verde (Green)
Currently there are few buses each way offering
any time at the Saturday market or at IKEA / Mar Shopping. Mar
Shopping is about 15 minutes longer journey than Loulé. Details
here.
The buses to Loulé stop outside the Continente supermarket (the stop marked F on the map), at the Worms roundabout then on the Estrada Vale das Pedras, which runs to the north of Montechoro. There is a stop called Montechoro (X) or Crossroads up near the roundabout where the road leads off towards Fontainhas, same stop as the local GIRO buses. Using those stop will save you a long walk if you are staying in the area and wish to go to Loulé. See map.
Bus 75 to Galé,
Salgados, Vale de Parra and Guia
This route is running a limited service on
weekdays only. There is currently no Saturday, Sunday or Holiday
service.
Buses to and from Galé and Salgados, also the very
infrequent route 14 buses via Vale
de Parra to Armação de Pêra, Lagoa and Portimão stop at
the Health Centre (Centro de Saúde) and on the edge of the old
town. Outbound buses also stop in Avenida do Ténis outside the
Escola Primaria - Junior School. Inbound buses stop on Rua
Coronel Aguas and also on Rua 1 Dezembro near Merlins Bar
(closest to the old town) then via the Health Centre to the Bus
Station. They do not go down into the old town.
Bus 17 to
Silves via Algoz
Currently three buses each way daily with an
additional three buses on weekdays. Buses to and from Silves also stop at the
Health Centre (Centro de Saúde) and outside Albufeira Camping.
Bus 28 to São
Bartolomeu de Messines via Guia and Algoz
Currently limited to three journeys each way daily with one
extra evening bus on weekdays. The bus also stops at Modelo and
Areias São João, close to 'the Strip', also near the old town on
the main road and in PáteoTimetable here.
Buses 13, 51 and 57 to Guia
via N125 and Algarve Shopping, thence to Armação de Pêra,
Lagoa and Portimão.
Bus 13 via Guia stops at the Health Centre (Centro de Saúde)
and outside Albufeira Camping, but there are now only three each
way on weekdays and one each way at weekends. The fast buses
(Route 57 Transrápido and Route 51 Linha Littoral) do not stop
anywhere in town except at the main bus station. These are
also now extremely rare at at weekends. Bus times here.
Click here for a map showing all the VAMUS regional service bus stops in and around Albufeira.
The eastern or Sunrise route is a circular route
running all year and every day between the Old town, Brisa
Sol/Modelo and Areias São João for 'the Strip' and the Oura
area. The route runs in one direction only and also stops Tres
Palmeiras roundabout (near the Forte do Vale hotel) and there is
a stop at the top of the escalators down to the old town beach.
The two central stops are marked T on the map above. This
currently runs every 45 minutes.
It stops only at these places but does provide a
useful, if rather expensive, direct link between the old town
area and São João.
Western or
Sunset route described below re-started as of 2nd March 2022
and will probably run until the end of September.
The western or Sunset route starts at the
Marina, then runs up the hill into town stopping at the São
Sebastião church, the Praça da República near the museum then
back to the marina, with only one other stop, outside the Belver
Boa Vista hotel at the GIRO bus stop.
If you are thinking of using these as a means of
getting from A to B, local buses are much cheaper and for three
people together a taxi is cheaper still for many journeys.
This is not a public transport option
as such. It costs €19 for one day's travel, €38 for 4 days.
Children 12 and under travel half price. However, if you are in
somewhere like Salgados, São Rafael or Galé, where normal bus
service is very limited, you might find this option more
economical than using taxis every day. Visit their website for maps
and more information. There is no proper timetable published
anywhere, but buses on their 'red' route around the centre and
west of the area run every every 30 minutes in summer, every 60
minutes in winter. Service in summer (July to October) is from
0930 - 1900hrs, in winter last journeys are at around 1600hrs.
Their 'blue' route, the the east of town and into Vilamoura, is
less frequent. (the buses used on Blue Line are the same
red ones) That runs once every hour in summer, once every two
hours in winter. In previous years these tours have not operated
between 1st December and mid January.
Albufeira outdoor market has closed down.
The site is to be redeveloped, doubt more luxury tourist
apartments to be built.
Ferreiras outdoor market (a smaller
version of the former Albufeira one) is held on the 2nd and 4th
Tuesdays of the month. This is on the N395 road, just to the
south of the village centre, opposite the concrete works and
next to the bus garage - delightful location!. All buses serving
Ferreiras stop about 150 metres away. Map.
Albufeira Marina is
on the western edge of town about a mile/1.6km from the old town
centre and about two miles/3.2km from Areias São João. The Marina
is served from the old town (Avenida da Liberdade) by the GIRO 1 red route, which
costs €1.40. In winter, the last bus to the Marina leaves Old
Town at 1915 and from the Marina up the hill into town the last
bus is at 1930. In summer (1st June to 30th September) buses go
down to the marina until 2115, last bus back up is at 2130.
Buses run every 30 minutes on weekdays, also on
Saturdays until 1400. On Saturday afternoons, also all day
Sundays and Holidays, they are only once an hour.
The marina bus stop location is shown on this map. One of the tourist
'trains' also goes there - details above.
The Giro 1 bus route is circular. Starts
at the Bus Station then Health Centre - Camping Albufeira - Old
Town - Páteo - Vale Santa Maria - Páteo - Varzea da Orada -
Marina - Dolphins - Cerro Grande - Old Town - Camâra (town hall)
and back to the Bus Station. Connections are available at
Camâra with the Green (Verde) and Blue (Azul) routes and on the
second call at the Old Town or the Camâra with the Red 2
(Vermelha 2) route which goes to Vale Navio via the main Avenida
across town, the 'strip' area and Branqueira.
Algarve Shopping website has some pages in
English. The Albufeira Retail Park (with Iceland's store) is
adjacent,but there is now a fence around the site and the only
walking route is a very long way and right around the back of
Algarve Shopping. The huge Leroy Merlin DIY store and that of
Sportdirect.com are across the road. The cinema at Algarve
Shopping has programmes daily from around 1400hrs, details
here - all films made in English are shown
in English except some children's cartoons etc. VP in the
programme list indicates where a film is in Portuguese, VO in
the original. If there's nothing, it will be in English or the
original language (French, Chinese etc) if not.
These locations are about four miles (6km) out
of town on the N125, about a mile (1.6km) east of the village of
Guia. They are not well served by bus. The only buses are those
from the Bus Station to Lagos (Route 57 Transrápido and Route 51
Linha Littoral) and those on route 14 to Portimão via Guia.
Times below, but in all honesty unless you are fairly brave a
taxi is probably the best way. There is a taxi rank at the Mall
for the ride back. Taxi fare is about 8 or 9 Euros, depending on
where in Albufeira you are coming from/going to. There is also a
free bus on weekdays from some parts of Albufeira - see below.
Local buses also run between Alcantarilha,
Armação de Pera, Porches, Lagoa and Algarve Shopping - times here. There is no bus from
Ferreiras. The village of Guia is served by buses from Páteo, Algoz and Messines
but that leaves you a mile (1.6km) walk (uphill) to the Mall
along a very busy road with no proper footpaths.
There are NO BUSES between Albufeira Old Town area or the 'strip' area and Algarve Shopping. All buses leave from the main bus station and most stop nowhere else. Most weekend bus service is still suspended.
Buses highlighted stop at the Health Centre
(bottom of the hill near Eden Resort) about 2 minutes after
leaving the bus station and at Albufeira Camping about five
minutes after leaving the Bus Station. ALL OTHER BUSES RUN NON
STOP FROM THE BUS STATION TO ALGARVE SHOPPING! Fare is €2,40 on
all buses.
Weekdays (Mondays to Fridays) except holidays at 0800, 0845,
0910 (two buses at the same time), 1025, 1100,
1200, 1325, 1415, 1525, 1615, 1655, 1800, 1825, 1910 and
2035. Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays: the only buses are at
0910, 1100,
1200, 1325, 1700 and 1800. The bus at 1200 runs until 31st
October.
When you get off
these buses there is a very busy road to cross. Use the bridge,
even though this means an extra 200 metres to walk.
Bus Times Algarve Shopping back to Albufeira
- buses highlighted
stop at Albufeira Camping and the Health Centre. All others are
NON STOP to the Bus Station.
Weekdays (Mondays to Fridays) except holidays at: 0651, 0751, 0807,
0855, 0931, 1022,
1110, 1156, 1325, 1346, 1540, 1637, 1740, 1925.
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays only at : 0855, 0941, 1022,
1346, 1740 and 1925. (the bus at 1925 only runs until 31st
October)
The stop for return journeys is directly
opposite where you got off.
WARNING - IN SUMMER THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING
BUSES FROM ALGARVE SHOPPING TOWARDS ALBUFEIRA ARE ROUTINELY 10 -
15 MINUTES BEHIND SCHEDULE OWING TO TRAFFIC CONGESTION.
OPERATES IN SUMMER
ONLY. THESE ARE THE 2021 TIMES. AS OF 1st June THIS IS NOT OPERATING.
Buses run on WEEKDAYS only except holidays Does NOT stop in
Albufeira old town |
19 July to 13 August only |
Buses return from the Mall 1945 - 19th July to 13th August only. Only goes to the same places as the 1802 towards Algarve Shopping |
|||
Olhos D'Agua Tui Blue Falesia Hotel |
0915 |
1217 |
1517 |
1802 |
|
Porto Bay Falesia Hotel |
0914 |
1218 |
1518 |
1803 |
|
Hotel Riu Guarana |
0913 |
1219 |
1519 |
1804 |
|
Santa Eulalia bus stop by Bar Coyote |
0905 |
1227 |
1527 |
↓ |
|
Worms Roundabout+++ |
0903 |
1229 |
1529 |
↓ |
|
Paraiso de Albufeira Hotel |
0901 |
1231 |
1531 |
↓ |
|
Bus stop at the Watches Roundabout *** |
0900 |
1232 |
1532 |
↓ |
|
Arrive Algarve Shopping |
1000 |
1300 |
1600 |
1845 |
The bus used has 40 seats which cannot be reserved. The official notice adds the following for those staying at certain other hotels etc :
Luna Apartments - board at Porto
Bay Falesia
Vila Petra - board at Montechoro Hotel
Clube Praia da Oura, Hotel Pedra dos Bicos and Oura Beach Club -
board at Santa Eulalia stop
Tropical Sol, Luna Oura - board at Worms roundabout
Brisa Sol, Alagoa Mar, Paladim and Real Bellavista - board at
VAMUS Bus stop Watches Roundabout ***
+++ this is the bus stop at the
‘Worms’ roundabout outside the Pingo Doce supermarket.
*** this is the normal bus stop on the same side of the road as
McDonald's
The first bus goes round the
hotels in the reverse direction and stops on the other side of
the road.
I have to say that allowing 28 minutes to get from the last stop to Algarve Shopping is about twice as long as it actually should take.
For the first bus it
may stop on the 'opposite' side to the other journeys. So for
the Brisa Sol etc stop, it would be the one on the same side as
the hotel, not across the road. Best check at your hotel.
Licensed taxis in Albufeira are painted either beige or green
and black. There is just one number to call if you need a taxi
at your hotel or other lodgings - 289 583 230. You can't reserve
in advance, just call a few minutes before you need to leave or
use the 'app' you can download from the official website here.
Base fare is €3,25 for the first three kilometres, then it's 90
cents per kilometer afterwards. Fares (including base fare) are
20% higher after 10pm, at weekends and on public holidays.
Baggage is €1,60 extra. If you phone for a taxi, that's 80 cents
extra.
You can try to hail a taxi in the street, but 99% of the time
they are already on a call so will not stop. If you are in the
old town centre or other tourist hotspots, you must go to a taxi
rank. Be warned that in high summer queues can be VERY long;
half hour waits are not unknown. You may find the GIRO bus,
tourist train or walking a better choice! Outside the peak
season the drivers will bite off your hand for a fare.
For some sample fares between the centre of Albufeira and
various locations near and far, take a look at the official
notice copied here.
This will open in a new window.
There is also the official Taxis Albufeira website you may wish
to consult here.
Uber and Bolt vehicles are available
all year around. In summer many drivers are 'imported' from
other parts of the country. They don't know where anywhere is,
so be sure you do! I have experienced at first hand drivers
'getting lost' on what should be short and simple journeys. They
rely on GPS and not local knowledge or common sense.
And this might sound stupid, but do make a note of the address
at which you are staying and have it on a bit of paper to show
the driver if need be. I have heard tales of people forgetting
where they are supposed to be going back to, especially after a
good night out! It's 'a big white hotel' will not help much.
There is nothing official, but there is free parking next to
the main (out of town) bus station. Visitors parking there have
easy access to all local buses on the GIRO network. Location map
here. Parking
in most parts of town has to be paid for, unless you can find a
place in a street or on waste ground.
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