Getting around · Algarve · Portugal
Getting around Algarve
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Quick answer
The Algarve is about 150 km from east to west, linked by the A22 motorway and the slower EN125 road. Most visitors hire a car, since trains and buses connect the main towns but many beaches, trailheads and villages are hard to reach without one. Recommended for most visitors, since it makes cliff beaches, trails and inland villages easy to reach.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Car
- Airports
- FAO, LIS
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
Ways to get around
Car
A car is the easiest way to explore beaches, cliffs and inland villages. The A22 motorway uses electronic tolls, which hire cars usually handle with a transponder for a fee.
Beach car parks fill up by late morning in summer; arrive early and never leave valuables in the car.
Train
The regional line runs from Lagos to Vila Real de Santo António via Portimão, Albufeira, Faro, Olhão and Tavira, with a connection at Tunes for intercity trains to Lisbon.
Some stations, including Albufeira's, are several kilometres from the town centre; check before relying on the train.
Bus
Regional buses link the coastal towns and some inland villages, with local town buses in Faro, Albufeira and Lagos; services are reduced in winter and on Sundays.
Ferry
Small ferries cross to the Ria Formosa islands from Faro, Olhão and Tavira, and water taxis run in summer.
Check the time of the last return boat, especially outside the summer season.
Taxi
Taxis and ride-hailing apps are available in the main towns and at Faro Airport, and are useful for evening trips between nearby resorts.
Boat
Boat tours from Lagos, Portimão, Armação de Pêra, Albufeira and Vilamoura visit the sea caves and cliffs, including Benagil.
From the airport
Faro Airport is about 7 km west of Faro city centre; local buses reach Faro in about 20 minutes, and taxis or transfers take about 15 minutes to Faro, 35–40 minutes to Albufeira and around 1 hour to Lagos. Lisbon Airport is about 280 km away, roughly 3 hours by car or by coach.
Do you need a car?
Recommended for most visitors, since it makes cliff beaches, trails and inland villages easy to reach. If you stay in one town such as Lagos, Faro or Tavira and focus on its beaches and boat trips, you can manage with trains, buses and tours.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Seville | About 2 hours by car or coach | Car or coach from Faro or Albufeira |
| Lisbon | About 3 hours by train or car | Intercity train from Faro or Tunes, or car |
| Mértola | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car | Car north from Faro or Tavira |
| Ayamonte and the Guadiana | About 45 minutes by car plus a short ferry | Car or train to Vila Real de Santo António, then river ferry to Spain |
| Aljezur and the Costa Vicentina | About 35 minutes by car from Lagos | Car north from Lagos |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Algarve?
Recommended for most visitors, since it makes cliff beaches, trails and inland villages easy to reach. If you stay in one town such as Lagos, Faro or Tavira and focus on its beaches and boat trips, you can manage with trains, buses and tours.
+How do you get from the airport to Algarve?
Faro Airport is about 7 km west of Faro city centre; local buses reach Faro in about 20 minutes, and taxis or transfers take about 15 minutes to Faro, 35–40 minutes to Albufeira and around 1 hour to Lagos. Lisbon Airport is about 280 km away, roughly 3 hours by car or by coach.
+What is the best way to get around Algarve?
Car: A car is the easiest way to explore beaches, cliffs and inland villages. The A22 motorway uses electronic tolls, which hire cars usually handle with a transponder for a fee.