Faro Airport to Albufeira, Vilamoura & Lagos: 2026 Transfer Guide

The quickest way from Faro Airport to Albufeira, Vilamoura or Lagos is a taxi or pre-booked transfer straight down the coast; to Faro city centre a taxi costs about €10 and takes around 10–15 minutes. The cheapest route to the resorts is the Vamus Aerobus coach from outside Arrivals, or a city bus into Faro and then the regional train, which costs €4.25 to Albufeira and €8.30 to Lagos. To have a driver waiting with your name, compare operators on our Faro Airport transfers page.

Faro Airport to Albufeira, Vilamoura, Lagos and Faro city: quick comparison

Option	Price	Journey time	Runs	Best for
Próximo city bus 14 / 16	Around €2–3 per person, paid on board	Around 15–20 min to central Faro	Daytime and evening; fewer buses in winter and at weekends	Faro city centre, Faro train station, budgets
Vamus Aerobus coach	Around €11 per person to Albufeira (more to Lagos)	Around 45 min to Albufeira, 1h30–2h to Lagos	About 7–8 a day in summer, 2–3 in winter	Albufeira, Portimão, Lagos on a budget
City bus + CP regional train	Bus fare + €4.25 (Albufeira) / €7.60 (Portimão) / €8.30 (Lagos)	Train 28 min to Albufeira-Ferreiras, about 1h35 to Lagos	Trains roughly every 1–2 hours, 06:34–20:40 from Faro	Lagos, Portimão, Tavira, light luggage
Taxi (metered)	About €10 to Faro city; roughly €30 Vilamoura, €50–70 Albufeira, €80–120 Lagos	10 min (Faro) to 1h15 (Lagos)	24 hours, ranks at Arrivals	Door-to-door, late arrivals
Uber / Bolt (TVDE)	Varies with demand; surges in July–August	As taxi	24 hours	App users, card payment
Pre-booked private transfer	Fixed price per vehicle, agreed in advance	As taxi	24 hours, including late flights	Families, groups, golf bags, night arrivals

Bus and train fares are per person; taxi and transfer prices are per vehicle. For a family of four heading to Albufeira, a taxi or transfer often costs about the same as four coach and train tickets, and saves the change in Faro.

Faro Airport (FAO) sits on the coast about 7 km west of Faro city centre. Everything is in a single terminal: buses, taxis and transfer drivers meet you on the Arrivals level. Faro is a summer-holiday airport, so public transport timetables change between the summer and winter seasons. Check the timetable for your exact date before you fly.

Faro Airport bus to Faro city centre (Próximo 14 and 16)

Faro’s city buses are run by Próximo. Two lines, 14 and 16, link the airport with Faro city centre several times a day. The stop is outside the Arrivals hall. Buses run into the centre near the marina, the old town and the bus station. Faro railway station is a short walk from there.

• Fare: around €2–3 for a single ticket bought from the driver. Carry small change, as card payment on board is not guaranteed.
• Journey time: around 15–20 minutes, depending on the route. Some line 16 trips also go the other way, to Praia de Faro beach, so check the destination on the front of the bus.
• Frequency: buses are most frequent on summer weekdays. They run less often at weekends, in the evening and in the low season, with roughly one or two buses an hour.
• Luggage: these are ordinary city buses with limited space for big suitcases.

Timetables and contact details for Próximo are listed on the airport’s public transport page. The regional planner at neso.pt also shows real-time departures for every operator in the Algarve.

Faro Airport bus to Albufeira, Portimão and Lagos (Vamus Aerobus)

The only public bus that goes straight from the terminal to the western Algarve is the Aerobus “Get On”, run by Vamus Algarve. It stops in Albufeira at the main bus terminal, which is about 1.5 km north of the Old Town, and continues through Lagoa and Portimão to Lagos.

• Fare: around €11 to Albufeira, more to Portimão and Lagos. Buy online in advance or from the driver if seats are left.
• Seasonal timetable: about seven or eight departures a day in summer, from May to October, including a late evening service. The winter timetable has only two or three a day. Departures are irregular, with gaps of up to two hours.
• Journey time: around 45 minutes to Albufeira and roughly 1h30–2h to Lagos, depending on stops and traffic.

Coaches fill up on busy summer afternoons, so book ahead when you can. Timetables are published on the Vamus Algarve website.

National coach companies Rede Expressos and FlixBus also stop at Faro Airport. They link it with Lisbon, Porto and other towns, and some of their trips call at Algarve resorts. These are worth checking if you are travelling on to Lisbon or further along the coast.

There is no bus from the airport to Vilamoura. Take a taxi, a transfer, or a city bus into Faro followed by a regional bus towards Quarteira and Vilamoura.

Faro Airport to the Algarve by train

There is no railway station at the airport. Take bus 14 or 16, or a taxi, to Faro station in the city, then catch a CP regional train on the Algarve line. Trains run west to Albufeira, Portimão and Lagos, and east to Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António.

• Fares from Faro: €4.25 to Albufeira, €7.60 to Portimão, €8.30 to Lagos, €3.00 to Loulé and €4.40 to Tavira (CP regional fares in force since 19 July 2026).
• Times: about 28 minutes to Albufeira-Ferreiras, 1h17 to Portimão and 1h35 to Lagos.
• Timetable: trains towards Lagos leave Faro from 06:34 until 20:40, roughly every one to two hours. Some run on weekdays only. See the CP Algarve line timetable.

Albufeira-Ferreiras station is about 7 km inland from Albufeira, so you will need a taxi or local bus for the last stretch. In Lagos and Portimão the stations are close to town. The train is good value for Lagos or Tavira, but with heavy bags and a late flight it adds two changes to your journey.

Faro Airport taxi price

Taxi ranks are right outside Arrivals, and taxis run around the clock. Algarve taxis use the meter; there are no fixed airport fares. Tolls on the A22 (Via do Infante) motorway are added to the fare. According to the airport, the average fare to Faro city is €10.

Typical metered fares from Faro Airport by day, before tolls, are roughly:

• Faro city centre or station (about 7 km): around €10;
• Vilamoura or Quarteira (about 25 km): around €27–33;
• Albufeira (around 40–45 km): around €50–70;
• Portimão / Praia da Rocha: around €80–95;
• Lagos (about 90 km): around €80–120.

The night tariff (21:00–06:00), weekends and public holidays are about 20% dearer. Larger taxis for five or more passengers also cost more. Under the tariff used until recently, a supplement of €1.60 is added for each suitcase in the boot. Portugal’s taxi fare rules are changing in autumn 2026, with a lower flag fall and no luggage supplement, and meters are being reprogrammed in stages. You may therefore see slightly different totals for the same trip. Most taxis are four-seat saloons. For bigger groups, book a larger vehicle in advance.

Faro Airport taxi to Faro city centre

For Faro itself the taxi is hard to beat. At around €10 for the car, it costs little more than two bus tickets. It also takes you to the door of your hotel or flat in the old town, which buses do not reach.

Uber and Bolt at Faro Airport

Ride-hailing (called TVDE in Portugal) operates in the Algarve, with Uber and Bolt both available at Faro Airport. Follow the app’s directions to the ride-hailing pick-up point, which is separate from the taxi rank. Prices are shown before you book and are often lower than a taxi for long trips. In July and August, however, surge pricing and long waits are common when several flights land at once. For a guaranteed price in peak season, a pre-booked transfer is more predictable.

Pre-booked private transfers from Faro Airport

A pre-booked transfer is worth it for most families and groups going beyond Faro. The price is fixed per vehicle and includes tolls and luggage. The driver tracks your flight and waits in Arrivals with a name board, even if you land after the last bus or train. Transfers make the most sense for:

• night arrivals, when there are no buses or trains;
• families who need child or booster seats, which taxis do not carry;
• groups of five or more, who need a minivan;
• golf bags, bikes or surfboards, which should be mentioned when booking;
• villas and resorts away from bus routes, such as around Vilamoura, Carvoeiro or the hills behind Loulé.

Local operators listed on intransfers.com include Faro Airport Transfers 4U, Algarve Family Transfers, Vilamoura Chauffeurs, GoLagos Transfers, Pelican Transfer and Sunline Transfers. Get quotes from two or three and confirm what is included: tolls, waiting time if your flight is late, and child seats. Book directly with the company. You can compare all operators on our Faro Airport transfer companies page, or browse the wider Algarve transfers directory.

Getting to popular places from Faro Airport

Faro Airport to Albufeira

Albufeira is around 40–45 km west, about 35–45 minutes by road. The options are the Vamus Aerobus to Albufeira bus terminal, or the train from Faro to Albufeira-Ferreiras (€4.25, 28 minutes) plus a taxi into town. A taxi costs roughly €50–70, and a transfer has a fixed price. See Albufeira transfers for local companies.

Faro Airport to Vilamoura

Vilamoura is the closest big resort, about 25 km and 25–30 minutes away. With no direct train or airport bus, most visitors take a taxi (around €27–33 by day) or a transfer. See Vilamoura transfers.

Faro Airport to Lagos and Portimão

Lagos is about 90 km west, around 1h–1h15 by car on the A22. The Aerobus and the train (€8.30, about 1h35 from Faro station) are the budget choices. A taxi costs roughly €80–120 depending on the time of day. See Lagos transfers.

Faro city

If you are staying in Faro itself, take bus 14 or 16 or a short taxi ride. For local taxi and transfer companies, see Faro transfers.

Tips for arriving at Faro Airport

• Night arrivals: buses and trains stop in the evening, and no public transport runs overnight. After about 21:00, plan on a taxi, Uber or a pre-booked transfer, and remember the night tariff.
• Seasonal timetables: the Aerobus and city buses run far less often from November to April. Check the winter timetable rather than relying on summer information.
• Licensed taxis only: use the official rank or a booked company. Ask the driver to use the meter, or agree the fare before setting off on a long trip. Ask for a receipt.
• Payment: many taxis now accept cards, but not all. Carry some cash for the bus and confirm card payment with a taxi before you leave.
• Tolls: the A22 has electronic tolls only. Taxis and transfers handle this for you; if you hire a car, sort out the toll device at the rental desk.
• Tipping: not expected. Rounding up the fare for help with heavy bags is common.
• Peak days: Saturday changeovers in July and August bring long queues at the taxi rank and surge pricing on apps. Pre-book if you are arriving then.