The information has been obtained from printed timetables and other local sources (like taking the bus) and is given in good faith.

Albufeira's main Bus Station is a mile/1.6km outside the centre of the town, in the Caliços area.

Almost all buses to and from ALBUFEIRA end or start here. Many do not go anywhere near the old town centre and beaches.
ALL LONG DISTANCE BUSES (COACHES) OF REDE EXPRESSOS STOP HERE. FLIXBUS STOP IN THE OLD TOWN, AVENIDA DA LIBERDADE

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, Faro, Lagoa and Portimão, plus all buses to Praia da Rocha, Alvor and Lagos only stop at the main bus station.

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

Albufeira Railway Station is 4 miles /6km from the town. There are buses. For a summary of the bus / train connections please click or tap here.

Distances from the Bus Station (by road) which is why you might need a local bus or taxi to get to your final destination.

There are usually taxis at the Bus Station. If you need one phone (+351) 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 is however nothing at the stops to show where and when the buses go, only those on the noticeboard inside. The official GIRO bus map for Albufeira's town buses is here There are other maps here.

PLAN OF ALBUFEIRA BUS STATION - click or tap to see larger size

Albufeira local GIRO bus services

ALBUFEIRA LOCAL BUS SERVICE OPERATES UNDER THE NAME GIRO

There are 11 routes connecting the town and suburbs. All timetables and route maps can be viewed and downloaded here. Click the Giro logo to the left for the route map. Buses operate on all routes between about 0700 and 2000 daily in winter. One some routes the summer service runs until about 2300hrs. The main routes around the inner suburbs have buses every 30 minutes every day, others run only every 60 minutes at the weekends and holidays, but there are considerable variations, especially on those routes serving outlying areas. Detailed interactive maps showing all stops can be found at the official website https://vamusalgarve.pt/#/pt/albufeira/routes

GIRO BUSES FROM THE BUS STATION

Giro Fares, Passes and tickets

Official notice of the fares here. There is a two zone fare system as shown on the map above. Travel across two zones will cost €2,60 cash, €1,60 with a pre paid pass. A one zone ticket on board costs €2,00 cash, €1,60 with the pass. Contactless card payment is NOT possible. Pay on boarding if you do not have a pass - CASH ONLY!.  Single tickets, whether paid cash or using the pre paid multi journey pass, are valid for one journey only. If you need another bus, you have to pay a second fare which makes using the buses for many  journeys uneconomical for two people when compared to using taxi, Uber or Bolt.

CHILDREN AND SENIORS! There is no senior or child discount on Giro buses except for residents. Anyone at school here travels free. Those four years and under travel free. Long stay visitors can buy a monthly pass which could save money. A 1 month pass for one zone costs €18. If you plan to make more than ten journeys a month, that will save money.

GIRO FARES

Contactless card payment is NOT possible. Official notice of the fares here. There is a two zone fare system as shown on the map. Travel across two zones will cost €2,60 cash, €1,60 with a pre paid pass. A one zone ticket on board costs €2,00 cash, €1,60 with the pass. Pay on boarding if you do not have a pass - CASH ONLY!   Single tickets, whether paid cash or using the pre paid multi journey pass, are valid for one journey only. If you need another bus, you now to have to pay a second fare which makes using a bus uneconomical for two people for many journeys when compared to using taxi, Uber or Bolt.  GIRO bus tickets are NOT valid on any other bus you might see.

 Warning - DO NOT buy a new monthly pass towards the end of the month unless you will be using the buses really a lot!

MONTHLY SENIORS PASSES - NOW AVAILABLE ONLY FOR RESIDENTS

For the monthly Seniors (65yrs +) passes you must fill in a form (photo not required) and pay €5 for the rechargeable card. Proof of residency is required. The monthly cost of the Seniors pass is €11 for one zone, two zone travel will cost €12,50 a month. These passes can be used by non residents.  Can only be obtained at the Bus Station ticket office. These can be recharged on or after the 26th of the previous month.

ADULT MONTHLY PASSES - AVAILABLE TO ALL

The full adult monthly pass costs €18 for one zone, €21,50 for two zones.  No ID required. Can be downloaded, set up and renewed with the VAMUS app. Also available for purchase at the bus station ticket office, plastic card costs €5. These passes can be recharged on or after the 26th of the previous month.

PRE PAID SINGLE JOURNEY PASSES - AVAILABLE TO ALL

These do not have a fixed time period. For irregular users, this is a plastic pre-pay card (€3)  which can be loaded with a minimum five journeys which reduces the fare to €1,60 for any journey across the two fare zones. Pre-pay cards will de-activate if not used for three months. Adding more credit will re-activate them. The cost of the pre-pay card (€3) is refunded if you hand it back. Unused fares are not refunded. Anyone can use a card, they are not personal.

THREE AND FIVE DAY TOURIST PASSES - VALID FOR THE WHOLE GIRO NETWORK

The three day tourist pass costs €20,35 (= 10 zone 1 single journeys so quite expensive!) and the five day pass costs €33,55 (=16 journeys) both can be downloaded using the VAMUS app or purchased at the bus station. These passes cannot be shared.

CHILDREN

There is no child discount on Giro buses except for residents. Anyone at school here travels free, pass is required.  Ask at school. However all those aged four years and under travel free.

Timetables and maps

Bus Station <> Old town options

The other side of the old town, the Avenida da Liberdade, has route 3 and route 4 from the Bus Station every 30 minutes daily. Route 4 is quicker. Also route 9 from the bus station every 60 minutes daily.  Routes 3, 9 and 11 go up the hill back to the bus station.  Route 3 times here, route 9 times here, route 11 times here. Route 9 is the most direct and quickest back to the bus station, but runs only once each hour, direction Pata de Baixo via terminal. Route 3 has two buses every hour, every day, destination TERMINAL (not Marina!). Route 11 runs every 30 minutes on weekdays, once each hour weekends and holidays..

SUMMARY OF GIRO NETWORK BUS TIMES AT OLD TOWN STOPS

Links to all timetables here.

SUMMER times on the GIRO network apply from 1st July to the second Sunday of September.
 All routes operate seven days a week, all holidays included.

Old town map showing the various stops

ARRIVING IN ALBUFEIRA FROM OTHER TOWNS? LEAVING ALBUFEIRA FOR A VISIT SOMEWHERE?

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT COACHES (LONG DISTANCE BUSES) TO LISBON ETC CLICK HERE. MOST OF THESE NOW USE ONLY THE MAIN BUS STATION. FLIXBUS  stop in the old town, Avenida da Liberdade, same place as the taxi rank and stops for local buses . FOR INFORMATION ABOUT TRAVEL TO SEVILLE AND INTO SPAIN, CLICK HERE.

BUS TRAVEL FROM OR TO THE AIRPORT

From 1st May to 31st October there are seven buses every day direct and non stop between Albufeira Bus Station and the Airport. Timetable here.  In winter, only two buses a day. 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.

BUS TRAVEL BETWEEN ALBUFEIRA AND OTHER TOWNS.

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. Timetables and maps showing where each bus stops can be viewed and download at the official VAMUS Algarve website here or by using their app. 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 multi-storey car park opposite is open only in summertime.

If you are coming into or leaving Albufeira on the Aerobus route 56, Transrápido Route 57 or the Linha Litoral Route 51 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 supermarket  (a.k.a. Albufeira Terrace 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 (for example 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.

GOING TO / COMING FROM VILAMOURA, QUARTEIRA, FARO? ALSO GALÉ, GUIA, SILVES OR LOULÉ? YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE BUS STATION.

You don’t have to go to the Bus Station if travelling to/from Guia, Galé, Loulé, Olhos D'Agua, Vilamoura or Quarteira. BUT - The fast buses on route 51 (Linha Litoral), 56 (Aerobus) and 57 (Transrápido) stop only at the bus station.

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 outside the Albufeira Terrace Shopping centre (Continente supermarket) 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.

There are very few buses offering any time at the Saturday market or at IKEA / Mar Shopping. Loulé is about 45 minutes, Mar Shopping is about one hour by bus from Albufeira. 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 17 to Silves via Algoz

Six buses on weekdays, only three at weekends and holidays. Buses to and from Silves also stop at the Health Centre (Centro de Saúde) 6 minutes walk from the old town centre.and outside Albufeira Camping and Clube Albufeira..

Bus 28 from Areias São João via main Bus Station to São Bartolomeu de Messines via Guia and Algoz

Now limited to three journeys each way daily with one extra evening bus on weekdays. The bus also stops at the Albufeira Shopping Continente supermarket and Areias São João, close to 'the Strip', also near the old town on the main road and in Páteo.Timetable here.

Buses 13, 51 and 57 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.

GUIA AND ALGARVE SHOPPING are served once every hour every day to / from the bus station by Giro Routes 7 and 8 - details here.

GALÉ, SALGADOS AND VALE DE PARRA are now served by Giro routes 7 and 8 once every hour on weekdays, once every two hours weekends and holidays.  Route 8 times towards Galé etc here; route 7 towards Albufeira here. These buses also go to Algarve Shopping.

Click here for a map showing all the VAMUS regional service bus stops in and around Albufeira.

ALBUFEIRA TOURIST 'TRAINS'

The Old Town stop for both is at the top of the escalators near the pier.

There are two routes at the old town, one goes to the east side of the town to the 'strip' area and and another over to the west of the old town, going around Cerro Grande and the Marina areas.  They run between about 0900 and midnight in the peak summer months, until about 2130hrs otherwise. Times are clearly shown at the stops. . Adult fare for a single journey is €4. Children age 6 to 11 and those over 65 pay €3.50. A day pass with unlimited journeys on one route is €5.00 for adults, €4.50 for children and seniors. For both routes together, the full price for a day ticket is €7, for children and seniors €6. Children aged 5 years or under travel free.  Timetables are clearly displayed at the stops and available here. Their website is www.turistrem.com

Eastern or Sunrise route - runs all year

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. This currently runs about every 30 minutes.

Western or Sunset route described below - runs March to October

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. Runs every 40 minutes.

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.

ALBUFEIRA SIGHTSEEING TOURS - RED AND BLUE DOUBLE DECKER OPEN TOP BUSES

Operator is Douro Acima. Website is https://www.douroacima.pt/en/city-sightseeing/

There is little information about the service. Their location map puts them in New York or Capetown or California and their website sent my anti-virus into overdrive.

This is not a public transport option as such. It costs €22 for one day's travel, €37 for 4 days. Children 12 and under travel half price. 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. In previous years these tours have not operated between 1st December and mid January.

Albufeira Marina and fortnightly outdoor market

The 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 fortnightly outdoor market is just to the west of the marina itself. Giro bus route 3 connects the bus station, Camping Albufeira, the old town and the marina every 30 minutes every day - times here.

From the marina, Giro route 3 runs about every 30 minutes going to Avenida da Liberdade. then via the Câmara (town hall) and back to the Bus Station.

Giro routes 7 and 8 (Circular) run between the Bus Station and the marina direct. They also go to and from São Rafael, Galé, Salgados, Vale de Parra, Guia and Algarve Shopping. Route 7 times here, route 8 times here.

The marina bus stop locations are shown on this map.  One of the tourist 'trains' also goes there - details above.

Outdoor markets

Albufeira outdoor market operates on the first and third Tuesdays of every month and is near the marina. The same buses that go to the marina will take you there and back. That's Giro routes 3, 7 and 8 which stop right outside. Times here.

Ferreiras outdoor market 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.

Algarve Shopping Mall (website) and Albufeira Retail Park

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. Giro bus 7 runs once every hour every day from the main bus station. Times here. In the reverse direction it is route 8, times here.  These circular routes also connect Algarve Shopping with Guia, Vale de Parra, Salgados, Galé, São Rafael and Albufeira marina. Connections are available at the bus station to and from all other Giro routes.

Other buses from the Bus Station stop at Algarve Shopping, those going to Lagos via Portimão (Route 57 Transrápido and Route 51 Linha Littoral) and those on route 14 to Portimão via Guia. Giro tickets are NOT valid on those buses.

There is a taxi rank at the Mall for the ride back if needed. Taxi fare is about 8 or 9 Euros, depending on where in Albufeira you are coming from/going to.

Local buses also run between Alcantarilha, Armação de Pera, Porches, Lagoa and Algarve Shopping - times here. There is no bus from Ferreiras, but the trip can be done by using Giro 11 to Vale Paraiso then crossing the road to take route 7, but check the times!

Bus times from Albufeira Bus Station to Algarve Shopping and back

There are NO BUSES between Albufeira Old Town area or the 'strip' area and Algarve Shopping. All buses leave from the main bus station. Journey time 15 minutes. For the times of buses from other areas to the Bus Station (Terminal) please go here.

Giro route 7 to Algarve Shopping leaves the bus station at 0800 then once every hour every day until 1900. The timetable also shows a late night bus at 2300. These buses continue into Guia village. These buses stop at the Albufeira Centro do Saúde (Health Centre) and on the main road outside Camping Albufeira and Clube Albufeira.

Giro 8 Return times from Algarve Shopping WEEKDAYS 0742 and at 42 minutes past every hour until 1942. The late bus leaves at 2340. Departure from Guia is seven minutes earlier. WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS back from Algarve Shopping at 0742, 0840, 0942, 1040 etc until 1942 then not until 2340.

NOTE - YOU CANNOT USE GIRO TICKETS OR PASSES ON THE BIG WHITE BUSES OPERATED BY VAMUS - their routes 14, 51 and 57 also stop at Algarve Shopping.

TAXIS, UBER, BOLT ETC

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 kilometre 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. Many hotel and apartment names are very similar.

PARK AND RIDE?

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

www.algarvebus.info