WARNING - WORK
TAKING PLACE UNTIL ??? TO INSTALL NEW STORM DRAINS IN THE
AVENIDA DO TÉNIS AND RUA CORONEL ÁGUAS AREAS OF THE OLD TOWN.
SUPREME IRONY IS THAT WORK HAS BEEN DELAYED BY THE WETTEST
WEATHER FOR MANY YEARS!
SOME BUSES ARE DIVERTED AND SOME STOPS NOT SERVED. I AM
UPDATING EACH ROUTE PAGE AS REQUIRED.
OFFICIAL TIMETABLES AND MAPS ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.VAMUSALGARVE.PT/GIRO OR USING THEIR APP.
| Official Giro
Network Map - Full size PDF version |
Giro bus map reduced size | Giro Fares - official notice |
Operated by Grupo Barraqueiro under contract to Albufeira Council
Infos en français, auf Deutsch,
em Portugues içi, hier, aqui
Links to timetables and route information on Giro routes below.
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 WHERE'S MY BUS?Go to WWW.VAMUSALGARVE.PT/GIRO or download their app for the live bus tracker. It doesn't work all the time but is useful to see far away your bus is. You must allow the site or app to access your location. Especially if you don't know exactly where you are and can't find the nearest stop! |
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| All buses now normally used are 100% electric | Buses of
various sizes and shapes will be seen! |
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| All routes go from and back to the
main Bus Station. Some buses are circular routes and run in
only one direction. Some routes have diversions to serve schools at certain times. Routes 4 and 9 will be the most useful for those arriving at the main bus station and wishing to go to the Avenida da Liberdade area of the old town. Routes 3, 9 (direction Patã de Baixo) and 11 go back from Avenida da Liberdade to the Terminal (main bus station). Between the Bus Station and Rua Alves Correeia, nearest stop to the square and the beach, it's route 10. Old town map here. |
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| The main areas of the town and suburbs and which
Giro buses go there. All routes start and finish at the
main bus station - Terminal Many routes are circular, running only in one direction |
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| Galé, Salgados, Vale de Parra | 7, 8 | Guia (Mercado / Market Hall) | 7, 8 | Brejos Sul (Casa Benfica) | 1, 5, 6, 9, 11 |
| Marina | 3, 7, 8 | Algarve Shopping | 7, 8 | Montechoro (Erin's Isle) | 1, 6 |
| Páteo and Cerro D'Águia | 3, 9 | Ferreiras, Malhada Velha | 5, 11 | Old Town / Centro Avenida Liberdade | 2, 3, 4, 9, 11 |
| Patroves (infrequent) | 3 | Camping Albufeira and Clube Albufeira | 3, 5, 7, 8, 11 | Old Town / Centro Rua Alves Correeia | 10 |
| Oura | 2, 4, 6 | Arcadas São João (the 'strip') | 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 | Branqueira and Vale Navio | 1, 9 |
| Santa Eulália, Balaia, Olhos D'Água | 6 | Mosqueira, Fontainhas (infrequent) | 5, 11 | Vale da Azinheira, Patã de Baixo | 9 |
| Vale Serves
and railway station Est. Comboios Albufeira / Ferreiras |
5, 11 | Câmara (Town Hall) | ALL except 5, 6 and 8 |
Açoteais, Falésia, Alfamar, Rocha Baixinha(infrequent) | 6 |
All routes have daily service (including all public
and religious holidays) between approximately 0700hrs and 2000hrs.
On most routes, buses run at the same times after each hour all
day, but there are some variations particularly for school times.
In summer the main routes 2,3,4,5,10 and 11 operate later into the
evening, until about 2200. Summer times apply from 1st July to the
second Sunday of September.
ALBUFEIRA GIRO BUS NETWORK SUMMARY OF ROUTES AND FREQUENCIES |
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| Route 1 | Weekdays and Saturdays all year, also summer Sundays every 30 minutes, winter Sundays and Holidays every 60 minutes. | Route 7 |
Weekdays one bus each hour, weekends and holidays one bus every two hours along the whole route. |
| Route 2 | Every 30 minutes, daily | Route 8 |
Weekdays one bus each hour, weekends and holidays one bus every two hours along the whole route. |
| Route 3 | Every 30 minutes, daily | Routes 7 and 8 |
There are buses once every hour, every day, between Albufeira BusStation and Guia via Algarve Shopping. |
| Route 4 | Every 30 minutes, daily | Route 9 |
Every 60 minutes, daily. |
| Route 5 | Every 60 minutes daily complete route. Albufeira- Malhada Velha - Ferreiras - Railway Station every 30 minutes weekdays | Route 10 |
Weekdays every 20 minutes, weekends and holidays every 30 minutes. |
| Route 6 | About every 60 minutes, daily, Albufeira <> Olhos de Água. Extra buses for school traffic. | Route 11 |
Every 60 minutes daily complete route. Railway station - Ferreiras - Malhada Velha - Albufeira every 30 minutes weekdays |
| Route 1 goes to
Branqueira and Vale Navio every 60 minutes weekdays, every 2
hours at weekends and holidays. Route 3 - some journeys go via Páteo and Patroves. Check timetable Routes 5 and 11 also infrequently via Mosqueira and Fontainhas. Check timetables. Route 6 also serves Açoteias, Fálesia and Rocha Baixinha at very infrequent and irregular intervals. |
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Maps and timetables are posted at almost all bus stops, but at
the time of writing, there are NONE visible at the bus station.
The information may be a little confusing where more than one bus
stops. If you are somewhere there is nothing, you can also find
times on line at www.vamusalgarve.pt/giro
- or find the VAMUS app. Click 'Idioma' to see the site in
American English, French and Spanish. So it's 'line' not 'route'
and 'schedule' not timetable. 'Business Days' = weekdays,
'Non-Business days' = Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. For the
timetable, each stop has a number posted. You can find that stop
and see the next buses due.
ALL stops are by request only. Waiting at the bus stop? Give the
driver a clear signal as the bus approaches. On the bus and want
to get off? Ring the bell as you get near the stop you need. If
you do not signal, the driver will not stop!
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 €2,65 cash, €1,65 with a pre paid pass. A one zone ticket on board costs €2,05 cash, €1,65 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!
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
€11.50 for one zone, two zone travel will cost €13,50 a month. Can
only be obtained and recharged at the Bus Station ticket office.
Senior passes can be recharged on or after the 26th of the
previous month.
The full adult monthly pass costs €18.50 for one zone, €22,50 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.
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 €1,65 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.
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 on a rechargeable card that costs €3.
These passes cannot be shared.
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 three years and under travel free.
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
