The information has been obtained from printed
timetables and other local sources (like taking the bus) and is
given in good faith.
Summer times on most VAMUS buses generally apply 1st June to the
end of October.
Buses DO RUN on all public
holidays to Sunday times, but many routes now have very
little or no weekend or holiday service.
BUSES BETWEEN THE MAIN RESORT AREAS ALONG THE ALGARVE COAST
Please also read
the the general
guidance notes as bus operations here in the Algarve may
be a little different from where you live. Click here for a diagram of
Algarve bus routes
Lagos <> Portimão <> Lagoa <> Albufeira <> Vilamoura <> Faro
For a quick summary of the buses at the main towns only, click here.
Click here
to view the complete timetable Faro – Almancil – Quarteira –
Vilamoura – Albufeira – Lagoa – Portimão – Lagos, including fast
buses Faro to Lagos and Albufeira to Lagos.
Click here for the
complete timetable in the opposite direction Lagos – Portimão –
Lagoa – Albufeira – Vilamoura - Quarteira - Almancil –
Faro.
Click here tor the summer-time only Route 52 between Alvor and
Armação de Pêra. This takes a much longer routethen the
others between Portimão and Armação de Pêra.
The services between the coastal resorts consist
of several different, overlapping, routes.
I have done my best to indicate what connections there may be. However it is my experience that connections are NOT usually held for late running buses.
Faro - Olhão - Tavira - Conceição - Monte Gordo - Vila Real de Santo António
Click here for the times of buses between these towns, along the eastern coast of the Algarve.
Do the buses run every day?
Most buses on the coastal routes do not run at WEEKENDS or on PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.
Those buses that RUN DAILY (including public holidays) are
highlighted with a blue heading DAILY
Buses that do not run
every day are described as follows :
MFO –
Mondays to Fridays (weekdays) only; does not run on Saturdays,
Sundays or on Public Holidays
SHX – does not run on Sundays
or public holidays
SAT – runs on Saturdays only
except holidays
SSH – runs on Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays only
SUN – runs on Sundays and Public
holidays only
SCH – runs on SCHOOLDAYS only
ie will not be running in July and August, not on public
holidays nor during Christmas and Easter breaks.
XXX – used where bus runs only
on certain days that do not fit into these headings – look
for a special note.
Delays
Many buses along the coastal routes are routinely 10 - 15
minutes late. The schedules are rather optimistic and delays
occur even at weekends. I have experienced many delays eg: from
Faro to Albufeira (15 minutes late arrival), Albufeira to
Portimão (35 minutes late arrival) and Lagos to Albufeira (10 -
15 minutes late arrival almost every journey).
I would not trust any connection of less than 15 minutes. If
you have a vital connection eg for a flight at the airport -
take heed! These delays are almost entirely due to traffic
congestion in Portimão and Faro. Buses are not normally held for
late running connections.
Local buses generally run on time but, the longer the journey,
the more likely you are to be delayed. Buses between Faro and
Albufeira via Vilamoura usually keep fairly well to time.
During high summer (August) there is often severe traffic
congestion in Albufeira, which delays buses including local
routes.
Notes to Timetables
A – At Faro Bus Terminal the TRANSRÁPIDO (Route 57)
bus leaves from inside the terminal building. Most of the other
buses towards Loulé, Quarteira, Vilamoura and Albufeira leave
from the stop immediately outside the bus station entrance on
the same side of the road, but check on the departures board to
be sure. You must buy your ticket from the ticket office inside
the terminal building before boarding your bus. If you have time
to wait for your bus, avoid the disagreeable café/bar inside.
There are two or three much better establishments across the
road, with a McDonald’s and other fast-food shops about three
minutes walk away.
B – Officially called Faro (Fórum/Teatro Figuras) - this stop is outside the FORUM ALGARVE shopping centre on the outskirts of town. The bus to and from the airport stops across the road - towards FARO you cross the road to get to the AIRPORT. From the AIRPORT you can get off at the Forum Algarve and cross the road to get to ALBUFEIRA etc. Getting on or off here can save a lot of time, as the Transrápido does a loop round the town of Faro on its way to or from the Bus Station. Bus times to and from the AIRPORT here. The other buses between Albufeira and Faro also stop here at the Forum Algarve
C – Olhos d'Agua. If you are visiting the beach, get off the bus at CANAS. All buses from Albufeira stop there two minutes after Olhos D'Agua, towards Albufeira two minutes before Olhos D'Agua This stop is a lot nearer the beach and the big hotels. About 50 metres from the stop you will see a road going off down a hill at a roundabout. The beach is about 400 metres down this road. There is NO PARKING down there, unless you are willing to pay €1.15 per hour. It is a nice beach though.
D - Arcadas São João - this stop is
where ' The Strip' crosses the main road at the traffic lights,
near Jinkies bar.
E - Albufeira Shopping also known as
Continente shopping centre (the stop is officially called
Rotunda dos Relogios) - for buses to and from the
Vilamoura direction this is the nearest stop to the old town
area of Albufeira. From here it is about 6 or 7 minutes downhill
walk into the old town - the VAMUS buses do not go to the old
town. See this page
for more information and a map. DO NOT STAY ON THE BUS ALL THE WAY TO
THE BUS STATION, which is a mile/1.6km from the old town.
F - The Albufeira Bus Terminal is on
the north edge of town and a mile/1.6km from the beaches etc. If
you are coming from the Portimão/Lagoa direction (except
on the buses that run via Vale de Parra) you will need to take a
local GIRO bus for the last leg of the journey (separate ticket
needed), take a taxi or walk. More information here. Buses from
Quarteira, Vilamoura and Olhos D'Agua stop a few minutes walk
from the old town at the Albuferia Shopping centre. This is NOT
the same place as Algarve Shopping, below.
Buses to or from Faro that run 'through' Albufeira bus station
arrive there 3 - 5 minutes before the time shown, which is the
time the bus leaves to continue its journey.
G – Algarve Shopping (Vale Verde) This
stop is outside the ‘Algarve Shopping’ mall and close to the
Albufeira Retail Park. It is 4 miles / 6.5 km from Albufeira.
There is an Albufeira Giro bus once every hour every day to and
from Albufeira bus station. Times here. This bus also serves
Guia village.
Warning - if travelling from Albufeira or towards Guia you will
have to cross a VERY busy main road. There is no crossing as
such, but there is a 'no steps' footpath over a bridge. It's
rather a long way round, but much safer than trying to cross the
road. The
website of the Algarve Shopping Mall is here – some parts
are in English.
H – Armação de Pera bus stops are
a bit complicated. There is a small bus 'terminal' on the Via
Dorsal (the main road through town) but it's just a couple of
bus shelters, no office or anything. I have a map here.
All the buses towards Lagoa, Portimão and Lagos stop
there, after having gone past it on the other side of the road
and nearly 400 metres in the wrong direction! ALL buses to and
from Silves and Alcantarilha Estação stop only at the
‘terminal’.
There is also a stop outside the campsite on the road to
Alcantarilha. Local buses stop there. Sorry about all
that - map.
Long distance services operated by Rede Expressos stop at the 'terminal' on Via Dorsal. Some of those long distance trips also stop at the Holiday Inn Hotel on the seafront. Check when booking.
J - In Porches, all buses, including
Linha Littoral route 51, stop on the N125 main road just outside
the village near the BP petrol station. That is the timing point
I have used. Route 13 Albufeira - Portimão via Armação de Pêra
also stops in the village centre by the church and school. Route
14 Albufeira - Portimão via Guia also stops on the N125 road
near the junction with Rua da Escola.
K – Portimão has an outdoor bus
station. All 'regional' buses start and their journeys at stops
along the Avenida Guanaré, by the river near Largo do Dique.
Plan here. The local buses also stop elsewhere
in town, according to route. In Portimão centre, Transrápido and Linha Littoral
buses stop only in Avenida Guanaré by the river. Local
'urban' buses stop a short distance away in and near the Largo
do Dique.
The Aerobus (route 56) to and from the airport also long distance buses (coaches to UK readers) eg to Lisbon and Seville use a different bus station in Rua Abicada1 mile / 1.6km north of the city centre. Information here. For more information including local connections around the Portimão area etc please click here.
L – Praia da Rocha bus stop for
VAMUS services is near CLUBE PRAIA DA ROCHA in the AVENIDA DAS
COMUNIDADES LUSIADAS. This is about 300 yards from the Hotel
Jupiter, down on the main road by the roundabout. The stop is at
the same location as the city ‘VAI e VEM’ bus stops called Clube
Praia da Rocha.
M - at Alvor this bus stop is at the
roundabout/traffic circle (rotunda) just outside the centre of
Alvor. All buses use the same stop. Buses cannot enter the
village as the roads are too narrow. At the time of my
last visit there were no current timetables on display.
N - In Vilamoura all buses in both
directions stop at the same stop at the Praia da
Marina, near the Casino and Marina. Buses also stop at the
Aldeia do Mar in Rua do Sol a couple of minutes after Praia da
Marina. Map of Vilamoura showing the stops etc here.
A map of the wider area of Vilamoura and Quarteira showing
routes and stops is here.
There is also a FREE local minibus service between Vilamoura
and Quarteira via a rather roundabout route. Details here. It runs about once every hour
on weekdays from around 0700 to 1900, also on Saturdays but only
until 1400hrs. No Saturday afternoon or Sunday / Holiday service
except on the summer time 'Linha Branca' which runs around
Vilamoura until just after midnight, every night, until the
second Sunday of September.
P - for buses between Quarteira, Almancil and the
airport via the
University, please go to this page. Those buses also serve Vilamoura but
at a different place.
Q - there is a more frequent daily service from Albufeira marina to the Bus
Station via the old town (Avenida da Liberdade) with Giro route
3. Times here.
However, for reasons unknown, this bus does NOT go via the old
town on its way to the marina.
Z - Going into Albufeira, the Parque Lúdico stop is the
nearest to the old town area of Albufeira, which is about 5
minutes walk. The fast buses do NOT stop here. The Avenida do Ténis stop for
buses towards Galé, Armação de Pêra, Lagoa and Portimão is
outside the school 100 metres from the roundabout. Map here.
These buses also stop at the Albufeira marina, about 2 minutes
after the Avenida do Ténis coming from Albufeira. Complete bus
service times between Albufeira and Vale de Parra are here.
NOR = ‘Normal’ DIR = ‘Directa’ – these are the two sets
of local buses between Albufeira and Faro. They take slightly
different routes – for more information click here.
LL– Route 51 Albufeira -
Lagos fast bus (Linha Littoral) – this fast bus service stops
only at the places shown, also outside the Hospital in
Portimão. Download, view and print the official timetable
leaflet here.
Aerobus - Route 56 Faro - Faro Airport - Albufeira - Lagoa -
Portimão - Lagos stops only at the bus stations in those towns.
Also serves Faro University at Gambelas when open.
TR – Route 57 Transrápido – this
express service stops only at the places shown plus some other
locations in the city of Faro, plus Algarve Shopping and
Portimão Hospital. Buses may carry 'TRANSRÁPIDO' sign on the
front. Official timetable here.
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, click here
www.algarvebus.info