Bus from Faro Airport to Albufeira
The closest airport to Albufeira is that of Faro, located 35km (22 miles) away. The Aerobus (Vamus bus 56) stops at the airport on its way to its final destination, Lagos, and stops at the Albufeira bus station in 40 minutes. However, this is an infrequent service, with only about half a dozen departures throughout the day. Alternatively, there are taxis, Uber, and private transfers (these are the only options if your flight arrives at night).
Even better is to rent a car at the airport. While that’s more expensive than public transport, it allows you to explore places in Algarve that are difficult to reach by bus or train.
Car Rental at Faro Airport
There are car rental offices outside the arrivals hall at the airport (just follow the signs). To go to Albufeira from there, head west and take highway A22. This road charges a toll, so if you want to save a few euros, take the free road N125 instead. Note that this road goes through several towns, and there can be traffic, so the journey is longer. It’s highly recommended that you take the A22 highway instead.
Transfers from Faro Airport to Albufeira
There are private transfer services from Faro Airport to Albufeira. You need to book in advance, but they just may come out cheaper than any other form of transportation when you add up the price of the car rental, gas and tolls; train, bus and taxi fares (or split the cost in a group) -- and they’re also quite convenient! These are your available options:
- Private Transfer from/to Faro Airport to/from Albufeira
- Private Transfer from Faro Airport to Albufeira
- Faro Shared Arrival Transfer to Albufeira
- Private Transfer from Faro Airport to Albufeira (up to 4 people)
- Private Transfer from Faro Airport to Albufeira (5 to 8 people)
Taxi or Uber from Faro Airport to Albufeira
There are taxis outside the airport (cross the road outside the arrivals hall) which take you to Albufeira, but the fare can come to about 75 euros or more. Unless you’re in a group willing to split the cost, this isn’t the most economical option. It does, however, have the advantage of being faster than public transportation, and you’re in Albufeira in about 40 minutes. Uber also operates in Algarve, and the cost to Albufeira can be significantly lower than that of a taxi.
Transportation from the Center of Faro to Albufeira
There is also the possibility of taking the transport departing from the center of Faro (buses and trains) to Albufeira. To do so, follow these steps:
-Bus or taxi from the airport to the center of Faro
-Bus or train from the center of Faro to Albufeira
-Taxi, bus or walk from the bus or train station in Albufeira to your hotel
More details here:
Bus from the airport to the center of Faro
There’s a bus from the airport (number 16 of the local “Próximo” network) to the bus station in central Faro about every 30 or 60 minutes, depending on the time of day. The bus stop is by the taxis outside the arrivals hall, and you buy your ticket from the driver. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to reach the station (alternatively, take a taxi to the station -- it’s usually between 10 and 15 euros, depending on traffic and time of day).
Bus from the center of Faro to Albufeira
Once at the station, head inside to buy your ticket to Albufeira, as you can’t buy it from the driver. Each ticket has an assigned seat number. If you have luggage, you must store it in the compartment. The bus is operated by the Vamus company, and there is a faster and a slower route. The fastest is number 57, whose final destination is Lagos and takes about 55 minutes to reach the stop in Albufeira, but it only departs about half a dozen times a day during the week and twice on weekends. Bus number 9 is slower, taking around 90 minutes to reach Albufeira. It departs a dozen times a day on weekdays and half of that on weekends. Note that number 57 has Lagos as its final destination, so that’s what you’ll see displayed on the bus.
The bus station in Albufeira is to the north of the center. The 1.5km (close to a mile) walk from the station to the Old Town and the beachfront can be inconvenient if you have luggage, but there are usually taxis, and the ride to your hotel should be short and cost just a few euros.
Train from Faro to Albufeira
The train station in Faro is conveniently located about a 5-minute walk from the bus station, in the city center. There are about a dozen daily trains to Albufeira, taking about a half hour. Tickets are €3.40, and can be bought online at the cp.pt website or at the station (even if you prefer to buy your ticket at the station, always check the website for the departure times). It’s not possible to book seats on this train, but there is always plenty of space. The train station in Albufeira is 7km from the center of town, so you then have to wait for a bus or take a taxi to the center. The taxi should take only about 10 minutes and cost anywhere from 10 to 15 euros. The bus is that of the orange route of the local Giro network, that passes by every 30 minutes, costs €1.40 and takes about 20 minutes to reach central Albufeira.