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

For TRAINS at Faro, please go to this page

Buses at Faro - summary

Bus and rail station map - click to see full sized

Right hand picture shows the main Faro Bus Station entrance - the building above is the Hotel EVA. An outdoor annex (to the right of this view) is used by the city's PROXIMO and VIA FARO buses. Picture here.

Buses at Faro - summary

All regional and most city buses start and finish at the Bus Station (Terminal) on the Avenida. This is about 150 metres from the railway station and very close to the city centre and marina.

When boarding at the bus station, other than for PROXIMO and VIA FARO local buses, you must buy your ticket from the ticket office inside the building.
Be aware that timetables for buses to other towns may not be displayed at bus stops or inside the bus station. If you need a timetable, download it from this site, or the official website or obtain one at the bus station.

Buses towards Loulé, Quarteira, Vilamoura and Albufeira also stop outside the Forum Algarve Shopping Centre.

Routes 10 and 59 Faro Bus Station to Loulé via Mar Shopping and IKEA

Journey 40 minutes fare one-way to Loulé €3.70. This bus stops a mile/1.6km from the Algarve Stadium near the Parque das Cidades railway station and also serves the Mar Shopping mall and IKEA store. The stop at Mar Shopping is about 25 minutes from leaving Faro.

This bus stops also stops in Faro at Tribunal (city centre court house), Radio Naval, Rotunda Hospital, Alto Rodes, Escola Alfonso III and Forum Algarve shopping centre. Summary  :-

Mondays to Fridays except holidays from : 0700, 0730, 0810 then at irregular intervals until 1930, 2130 and 2300.

FULL TIMETABLE including intermediate stops click here

Routes 10 and 59 Loulé to Faro Bus Station via Mar Shopping and IKEA

Mondays to Fridays except holidays at : 0700, 0730, 0820 then at irregular intervals until 1520, then 1730, 1830, 1920, 2215, 2345

Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays - only at 0730, 0900, 1030, 1130, 1330, 1520, 1730, 1920 and 2345.

Times at Mar Shopping are 13 minutes after the time leaving Loulé. Loulé to Faro takes 40 minutes.

There is also route 68 five times daily between Loulé, Mar Shopping and Olhão via the Faro ring road. Those buses do not go to Faro bus station. Times included below.

FULL TIMETABLE including intermediate stops click here

Routes 63, 66, 67, 68 and 69 Faro to Olhão - summary

Journey 20 - 25 minutes estimated fare one-way €2,65. Most of these buses also stop in the centre of Faro, near the 'Tribunal'. Bus service has been very much reduced especially at weekends. Some buses go beyond Olhão to different places.

Mondays to Fridays except holidays at : first bus Faro Bus Station to Olhão is at 0715 then at very irregular intervals until the last bus at 1945  - full list of times here
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays : first bus is at 0715, last bus at 1945 but with some gaps of 2 - 3 hours between buses check timetable here

There is also route 68 direct between Mar Shopping and Olhão via the Faro ring road. Those buses do not go to Faro bus station. Route 69 runs between Olhão and the Gambelas University campus only on weekdays when the University is open. I have included those times in the information above.

There are also regular trains about once every hour weekdays, slightly fewer at certain times on weekends and holidays between Faro and Olhão; one-way fare is €1.45, journey time 10 minutes.

Routes 63, 66, 67, 68 and 69 Olhão to Faro - summary

Mondays to Fridays except holidays at : first buses Olhão to Faro Bus Station are at 0705, 0720, 0730 , 0800, 0815, 0825, then then at very irregular intervals until 1630, 1715, 1755, 1850 with last bus at 1920  full list of times here.

Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays  first buses at 0720, 0825 then at very irregular intervals until 1920 check timetable here.

There is also route 68 direct between Olhão and Mar Shopping via the Faro ring road and route 69 from the Gambelas University Campus to Olhão via the ring road. Those buses do not go to Faro bus station. I have included the times in the information above.

Some buses on weekdays serve the Calvarinha, Bairro dos Pescadores and Patinha areas of Olhão, going round in a loop from the bus station. That  information can be found on the official website at https://vamusalgarve.pt/#/pt/vamus%20algarve/routes - click number 63 in the drop down list on the left hand side

Route 65 Faro, Estoi (for Milreu Roman site) and São Bras de Alportel

Service has been very much reduced with no buses from Faro at weekends before 1345!

Journey 20 minutes to Estoi estimated fare one-way €2,65; 40 minutes to São Bras de Alportel fare €3,20

The Milreu Roman museum and site is closer to Estoi (X) than the village. Estoi (X) = the crossroads where the bus turns off the main road.

Weekdays except holidays 0745, then an almost 5 hour gap until 1235 then another 4 hours gap until 1630, then 1730, 1830 and 1930

Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays: 1345, 1630 and 1830 only.

Coming back on weekday afternoons buses leave São Bras de Alportel at 1345 and at 1745.
Buses at weekends and holidays from São Bras to Faro only at 0705, 1515 and 1745

All buses from São Bras call at Estoi 15 minutes after leaving there.

FULL TIMETABLE – click here

Routes 66 and 67 Faro and Tavira

Trains are more frequent, faster and cheaper! Train times at official website in English here.

Journey about 1 hour. Estimated fare one-way €4.75
Weekdays except holidays:  Eight buses at very irregular intervals from 0715 until 1830.
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays : only four buses each way - check the timetable.
A similar pattern exists for buses back to Faro.

FULL TIMETABLE – click here timetables have been removed from all bus stops in Faro!

Route 64 Faro, Bela Curral and Pechão

Very infrequent and irregular on weekdays, no service at all Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. Mostly for schools and industrial areas. There are also some journeys over a different route to Bela Curral operated by 'Via Faro' which includes two buses on Saturdays,

FULL TIMETABLE FOR BOTH– click here.

Faro Airport, inner suburbs and University - Proximo network

Operated by EVA on behalf of Faro city council.

For all timetables click here - external link to official website. None of the timetable links on the English version of the website worked when I checked. Some of those on the Portuguese version do not work either. More information about buses at the Airport here. Maps and timetables are displayed at most stops. All Proximo buses have wifi so visitors need to be off-line even for 15 minutes!

Faro, Airport and Praia de Faro (Faro Beach)

Routes 14 and 16 run between the City Centre and Praia de Faro via the Airport. For official timetables click here - external link. Buses start from the outdoor section of the bus station complex. Network routes diagram here.

The Praia de Faro bus stop is possibly unique, as it is on a bridge in the middle of the sea! The island is linked to the mainland by a narrow bridge; the bus cannot go any further than half way owing to a weight restriction, so you have to walk the last 150 metres or so to the island sands!

All buses from or via the city centre stop at the outdoor section of the bus station complex. Cash fare for any journey is €2,50. Various discounted tickets and passes are available for regular users. Purchase passes at the bus station. All prices on the official page here.

Main routes :

14 Atalia - city centre - Forum Algarve shopping centre - Marchil - Montenegro - Airport - Praia de Faro. Weekday rush hours plus a few other journeys.

15 Gambelas (University) – Montenegro – Alto Rodes – Rotunda Hospital – Avenida (Terminal) Weekday rush hours plus a few other journeys.

16 Praia de Faro – Airport – Montenegro – Forum Algarve Shopping Centre - Avenida (Terminal) Daily service, one or two buses each hour from about 06.00 to 24.00 (midnight). More details on this page.

17 1st July to second Sunday in September.  São Luis - Penha - São Luis -  Rotunda Hospital - Alto Rodes - Gambelas (University) (not all buses, check) - Praia de Faro runs about once an hour mornings and afternoons / early evenings, no buses around lunchtime) NB no longer goes via the airport, but stops at the roundabout (Rotunda) 3 minutes walk from the terminal building.  Weekday peak time service of three buses each way runs all year for the University Campus at Penha.

18 Gambelas (University) – Penha (University) – Avenida (Terminal) frequent weekday service of two or three buses every hour during University terms, reduced during holidays. Eight buses each way at weekends all year.

FARO MINIBUS - PROXIMO

A supplementary network of minibus routes circulates from the bus station to various suburbs, including the University campus at Penha. Buses run at irregular intervals from approximately 0700 to 2000hrs on weekdays, then some later buses until about 2200hrs. Timetables are displayed at most bus stops. There are only a very few journeys on Saturdays, none after 1400hrs and no service at all on Sundays and holidays.

For timetables please go to the official website here - external link. Cash fare on board for one zone is €1.20, two zones €1.90. Various discounted pre-pay passes are available, including a day ticket within zone 1 (City centre) costing €5,30.

FARO MINIBUS - VIA FARO BUS SERVICE

Checked 31st May 2023 - all timetables are still current. Routes in outlying areas

Route 1 Faro - Bordeira. Seven buses each way on schooldays, one bus each way weekdays during school holidays and on Saturdays. Times here
Route 2 Faro - Espargueira via Estoi - schooldays only times here
Route 3 Estoi - Gorjões via Santa Barbara de Nexe seven buses each way on weekdays, two on Saturdays. Two buses on weekdays also serve Valados. Times here.
Route 4 Faro - Bela Cural five buses each way on weekdays, two on Saturdays. Times here. See also VAMUS route 64 - times here.
Route 5 Montenegro to Bela Salema or Santa Barbara de Nexe. Two buses each way on each section. Times here.

Town routes - Very few buses on Saturdays. No service on Sundays and Holidays

Route C8 - Faro Avenida Républica (outside bus station) - Patação - Bracias - Ameiro - Avenida Rèpublica : ten journeys on weekdays at highly irregular intervals. One bus on Saturday morning. Times here.
Route C9 - reverse of route 8. Similar service, times here
Route C10 - Faro Avenida Républica - Fórum Algarve Shopping - Centro do Saúde - Avenida Républica : nine journeys on weekdays at very irregular intervals from about 0900, five journeys on Saturday mornings. Times here. Basically a bus for shoppers.
Route C11 - reverse of route 10, similar service. Times here.

DIAGRAM OF VIA FARO ROUTES

FERRIES FROM FARO TO OUTLYING ISLANDS

There are passenger ferries from Faro to Praia de Faro (beach on the island), Ilha Farol (the lighthouse island) and Culatra. Most run only in summer

Website for complete timetables - https://www.cm-faro.pt/421/barcos-para-as-ilhas.aspx

Times : Faro to Praia de Faro Journey about 20 minutes. Ticket (there and back) €3,50 adults, €2,00 children. More frequent in summer.

Frequent daily service every 30 - 60 minutes in June and July. First ferry from Faro at 0900, last ferry back from the Praia de Faro at 1940.

Faro to Ilha do Farol ferries operate from 1st June to 30th September, six times every day until 31st August, five times every day until 15th September.

Faro to Culatra ferries only operate from 1st June to 31st August. Two journeys each way.

Departures are from Portas do Mar, a short walk from railway and bus stations beyond Faro marina and past the old fire station, beside the old city wall. Map here. Parking is available at the Largo São Francisco, Avenida Eng. Joachim Belchior and elsewhere in the city.

In winter there are no other scheduled ferries from Faro to the outlying islands – these leave from Olhão. There are water taxis available all year - details here. These also leave from Portas do Mar, as above.

ALGARVE STADIUM

There is no scheduled bus service to the stadium (5 miles/8km from Faro) and special service is not usually provided for events - for more information about access to the stadium please click here. There is a small railway station called Parque das Cidades about 3/4 mile (1km) from the stadium. However, there are very few trains  suitable for events and none late at night.

INTERNATIONAL BUS (COACH) SERVICE TO / FROM SEVILLE SPAIN

Cross border coach (long distance bus) service is available daily with either Flixbus or the joint operation between Spanish company ALSA and Portuguese company Rede Expressos. Most journeys stop at Faro airport as well as the city centre. However Flixbus do NOT use the main bus station in Faro. They stop elsewhere, about 800 metres from the town centre. Their website has a map showing the location. For more details about cross border travel options, please click here.  Also, check the bus company websites : www.rede.expressos.pt and www.flixbus.com

There are NO TRAINS across the border. There never have been. There is a wide river in the way. Local train service on the Spanish side ended many years ago.

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
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