Faro airport to Albufeira, Vilamoura and Quarteirabus, train, taxi and car

Lines 55 and 56 checked on 12 October 2026: the airport and resort times in the official Vamus PDFs agree with the TRENMO feed for every day in 12–18 October, 26 October–1 November and 2–8 November, in both directions [29][30][31]. The seasonal rules below are those currently published; recheck later travel dates. CP and Próximo were also checked for 12–18 October; other transport information retains its earlier source dates. Check current fares before you go.

Train and airport-bus check, 12 October 2026: the CP figures below cover 12–18 October, with each direction and train category counted separately. CP’s PDF gives intermediate-station departure minutes; a train can arrive earlier. Journey durations below use departure-to-arrival times unless explicitly labelled as PDF station times. Giro, Vai e Vem and other local routes are outside this check [33][34][35].

Short answer: two Vamus bus routes serve the terminal, plus one evening Transrápido run. The Aerobus (line 56) goes to Albufeira bus station in about 40 to 45 minutes, and line 55 goes to Quarteira and Vilamoura in 35 to 51 minutes [31]. Both run several times a day in summer; from November the Aerobus drops to two runs a day and line 55 stops running at weekends [31]. Otherwise take Próximo bus 16 into Faro (05:20 to 00:10 [2]) and the train or a regional bus from there; mind that Albufeira’s railway station is 6.7 km from the town [12][20]. Landing after about 19:30, with children and big bags, or staying outside the town centres: a taxi, Bolt, Uber, transfer or hire car is the simpler choice.

The options at a glance

To	From the terminal	Via Faro city	Road (model, no traffic)
Albufeira	Aerobus 56 to the bus station, 40–45 min, only 11:15 and 18:15 Nov–Apr [31]; Transrápido 57 at 20:15 (weekdays only Nov–Apr) [31]	Bus 16, then train to Albufeira-Ferreiras (R about 28–40 min, IR about 27 min; fares below [33][36]) or a regional bus [8]	46 km, 38 min [13]
Vilamoura	Line 55, 41–51 min (no weekend service Nov–Apr) [31]	Bus 16, then Vamus 9 or 66 [8]	25 km, 29 min [14]
Quarteira	Line 55, 35–45 min (no weekend service Nov–Apr) [31]	Bus 16, then Vamus 9 or 66 [8]	23 km, 26 min [15]
Olhos de Água	None found	Bus 16, then Vamus 9 or 66 [8]	36 km, 37 min [16]
Armação de Pêra	Transrápido 57 at 20:15 (weekdays only in winter) [27]	Bus 16, then Transrápido 57 [27]	53 km, 44 min [17]
Tavira, Olhão	None	Bus 16, then train [10]	40 km / 15 km [18][19]

Road times were recalculated on 11 October 2026 from the airport access road by the terminal. The shared starting point is 37.019667° N, 7.970673° W. These are routing-model estimates without traffic, waiting or car collection time, not measured journeys [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. The A22 motorway along the Algarve has been toll-free since 1 January 2025 [25].

The two buses from the terminal

The airport’s own transport page lists the Aerobus “Get On” (Vamus) to Albufeira, Portimão and Lagos [1]. The transport regulator lists a second regional line that serves the airport: line 55, Vilamoura – Aeroporto via the university campus at Gambelas [4]. Both are ordinary Vamus public services, not private shuttles. AMT’s 2023 report describes a 24-hour ticket machine outside departures [4]; we have not confirmed its current availability. Check the fare and current ticket-purchase options with Vamus before travel.

Aerobus 56 to Albufeira. In the summer timetable (1 May to 31 October), the official PDF and TRENMO timetable feed show departures from the airport every day, weekends included, at 08:30, 09:30, 11:15, 12:30, 14:30, 16:00 and 18:15, reaching Albufeira bus station 40 to 45 minutes later and going on to Lagoa, Portimão and Lagos [31]; the enthusiast site algarvebus.info has the same times [7]. A Transrápido (line 57) also calls at the airport at 20:15 on its way to Albufeira, daily from 1 May to 31 October and on weekdays only in winter, reaching Albufeira at 20:55 [31]. From 1 November to 30 April only two Aerobus runs a day, the 11:15 and 18:15 from the airport, every day [30][31]. Not every summer run starts at the airport: some begin at Faro bus station and call at the terminal on the way [7].

Line 55 to Quarteira and Vilamoura. The official PDF and TRENMO timetable feed have buses leaving the airport at 08:30, 10:30, 14:30, 15:30, 17:30 and 19:20, 35 minutes to Quarteira bus station and 41 to Vilamoura, or 45 and 51 minutes on the weekday runs after the 08:30 that detour via the university campus in term time [31]; at weekends and in university holidays they go direct. In Vilamoura it uses Posto 2, not the marina or casino stops. The official map places the arrival stop (3763) at 37.083219, -8.117650 and the airport-bound stop (3751) at 37.082623, -8.118030 [32]. At weekends and on holidays it runs only from 1 May to 31 October, so from November to April it runs on weekdays only, not on public holidays [29][31][32].

For the flight home: line 56 leaves Albufeira bus station at 07:15, 08:45, 12:45, 14:15, 15:45, 18:00 and 19:00 in the published high season, taking 40 minutes to the airport. The annual services retained from November are 07:15 and 15:45. The longest gap is four hours on the October dates and eight and a half hours in the November dates checked. From the airport the corresponding longest gaps are 2 h 15 and seven hours [30][31].

Line 55 leaves Vilamoura (Posto 2) at 07:30, 09:30, 13:30, 15:30, 16:30 and 18:30 on its operating days, taking 41–51 minutes to the airport; from Quarteira bus station the same runs leave seven minutes later and take 34–44 minutes. The first three weekday departures from Vilamoura serve the university in term time; the 15:30, 16:30 and 18:30 departures go direct. Both directions have a four-hour midday gap. There is a two-hour gap before the final departure from Vilamoura, versus 1 h 50 before the last airport departure. There are no line 55 services in either direction on 1, 7 or 8 November in the checked calendar, consistent with the PDF’s summer-only weekend/holiday service [29][31]. Allow time at the airport beyond the scheduled arrival.

FlixBus does not sell tickets at the airport, and the enthusiast site describes its airport service to Vilamoura and Albufeira as very limited [5]; buy in the app if you plan to use it.

Albufeira: bus, train or taxi

Three things catch people out in Albufeira:

• The bus station is outside the centre. Aerobus 56 and Transrápido 57 stop only at the bus station, about 1.6 km from the centre according to algarvebus.info [8], 2 km by road in the routing model [21]. For the onward leg, check current Giro routes or arrange a taxi; do not assume a timed bus connection [26].
• The railway station is in Ferreiras. Albufeira-Ferreiras is almost 7 km from the centre [12], 6.7 km by road [20]. Giro buses 5 and 11 and taxis serve it [12], but the buses are not timed to meet the trains [8].
• Slow buses go closer to the hotels. Vamus routes 9 and 66 from Faro bus station run via Quarteira, Vilamoura and Olhos de Água and stop much nearer the town centre and the main hotel areas, but the ride takes about 90 minutes [8]. During the building works at Faro bus station they leave from a stop across the road; buy the ticket inside first unless you have the app [8].

By train. Próximo bus 16 takes 15–19 minutes from the airport to Faro bus station, with departures 05:20–00:10 on each checked day. Walk to the railway station and allow a separate boarding margin [35]. Check the current airport fare: the published €2.85 line-ticket price alone does not establish which ticket applies to this journey [3].

The R/IR departures from Faro are 06:34, 08:36, 10:36, 12:36, 14:36, 16:36, 17:47, 18:36, 19:36 and 20:40 in the public timetable. For 12–18 October that is 10 Monday–Friday, 9 Saturday and 8 Sunday: 06:34 excludes Sundays/public holidays, 18:36 excludes weekends/public holidays. The daily 10:36 is InterRegional, not Regional. Regional departure-to-arrival journeys take 27 min 30 sec to 40 minutes (about 28–40 minutes); the InterRegional takes 26 min 30 sec (about 27 minutes). The PDF’s 28–43 minutes compares displayed station times, including dwell at Albufeira; it is not the same arrival calculation. AP/IC trains also serve Albufeira-Ferreiras and require checking their own tickets; these ten R/IR departures are not all trains on the route [33][34].

CP’s full-price one-way tariff lists €3.80 Regional and €4.15 InterRegional, valid from 19 July 2026. These are train-category fares, not an airport-through ticket; check before you go [36].

Returning by R/IR: Albufeira-Ferreiras has 10 / 9 / 8 departures on the checked weekdays / Saturday / Sunday, from 07:22 to 21:23, taking 27–34 minutes Regional or 23 min 30 sec InterRegional. There is a midday gap of about three hours including IR, or five hours using Regional alone. Later IC options are separate products. Allow time to walk from Faro station to the bus terminal and a separate airport check-in margin [33].

By coach from Faro city. FlixBus lists 9 daily trips from Faro to Albufeira, from €2.48 (average about €2.98), fastest 40 minutes, the first at 05:05 and the last at 18:25 [22]. Check where it stops in Faro and in Albufeira when you book; the enthusiast site says FlixBus currently stops in the street opposite Faro bus station because of building works there [8].

Próximo 16 in both directions, 12–18 October: [35]

Direction	Mon–Fri	Sat / Sun	First–last departure	Ride	Largest gap Mon–Fri / weekend
Airport → Faro bus terminal	26	22 / 22	05:20–00:10 next day	15–19 min	75 / 80 min
Faro bus terminal → airport	26	22 / 22	05:00–23:45	17–20 min	70 / 85 min

The last departures arrive at 00:26 in Faro and 00:02 at the airport respectively. The gap before the final bus is 50 minutes towards Faro, 45 towards the airport. V8 columns apply only 1 July–13 September, so are excluded here. These are scheduled times, with no allowance for traffic, walking or airport formalities.

Vilamoura, Quarteira and Olhos de Água

• Vilamoura is the closest of the big resorts, about 25 km by road [14]. Line 55 is the direct bus [31]; from Faro bus station, Vamus routes 9 and 66 take 42 to 61 minutes depending on the stop and the run, leave 14 times on weekdays between 06:30 and 19:15, and only six times on Saturdays and Sundays [27][8]. There is no railway.
• Quarteira, next door, is served by the same buses: about 35 to 45 minutes on line 55 from the airport [31], 30 to 37 minutes on routes 9 and 66 from Faro bus station [27].
• Olhos de Água, between Vilamoura and Albufeira, has no direct bus from the airport [5]; routes 9 and 66 from Faro pass through it on the way to Albufeira [8]. By road it is about 36 km from the airport [16].

For where to base yourself between these towns and Loulé, see where to stay in Albufeira, Vilamoura and Loulé.

Armação de Pêra

Armação de Pêra is the furthest of the central resorts, about 53 km and 44 minutes by road in the routing model [17], and it has no railway station [5]. The bus is the Transrápido (line 57) from Faro bus station, which stops at Armação de Pêra between Albufeira and Lagoa; on weekdays it leaves Faro at 08:00, 09:30, 12:30, 14:45, 16:00, 17:45 and 19:45, all year, and takes 1 h 26 to 1 h 36 (the longest on the 19:45, which calls at the airport); at weekends and on holidays only the 12:30, 16:00 and 19:45 run from 1 May to 31 October, and only the 12:30 and 16:00 from November to April [27][9]. Only the 19:45 calls at the airport (at 20:15), so from November that airport run is weekdays only [27]. For most arrivals that means bus 16 into Faro first, or a taxi or car.

Taxi, Bolt, Uber and transfers

• Taxi: there is a rank outside the terminal. The airport says taxis charge a distance-based fare, add any tolls on the route, and charge a supplement for bags larger than 55 x 35 x 20 cm; its only reference price is about €10 from the airport to Faro city [1]. We found no published price to Albufeira or Vilamoura and no official fixed-price list, so ask for an estimate before you set off and keep the receipt. (That airport page still mentions tolls on the Via do Infante; the A22 has been toll-free since 2025 [25].)
• Bolt and Uber: Bolt operates in the Algarve and offers a child-seat category for children aged about 2 to 6 [23]. Uber publishes a Faro Airport pickup page and lets you book a ride up to 90 days ahead with Uber Reserve [24]. We did not check fares to the resorts.
• Pre-booked transfer: takes you to the door of your accommodation, which helps most with late flights, children and Armação de Pêra. Confirm the meeting point and what happens if the flight is delayed when you book. We did not compare operators or prices for this page.

Hire car

The A22, the motorway that runs the length of the Algarve, has been toll-free since 1 January 2025 [25]. Albufeira is 46 km and Vilamoura 25 km by road [13][14]. A car makes most sense if you are staying outside the town centres, in Olhos de Água or Armação de Pêra, or with small children. Desks, deposits, child seats and what to check at pick-up are in Faro airport car hire.

Landing late

The train and Próximo examples cover 12–18 October 2026; Vamus winter rules are listed separately:

• To Albufeira: last bus from the airport at 20:15 (Transrápido 57, weekdays only in winter); the last Aerobus is the 18:15, summer and winter [31]. Last train from Faro to Albufeira-Ferreiras at 20:40; the 20:05 bus 16 from the airport reaches Faro at 20:24, leaving 16 minutes: with our assumed 10-minute walk and five-minute boarding reserve, only one minute remains for delay; this is not a guaranteed connection, and you still have 6.7 km to go at the other end [33][35][20].
• To Quarteira and Vilamoura: last line 55 bus at 19:20, and none at weekends from November to April [31].
• Into Faro: the last Próximo bus 16 leaves the airport at 00:10 [2]; if you are out of arrivals in time, you can at least reach Faro and a hotel there.
• After about 19:30, the realistic options to Albufeira and Vilamoura are a taxi, Bolt or Uber, or a transfer booked in advance.

East: Tavira and Olhão

The airport has no direct bus to either town [5]. Take Próximo 16 to Faro and walk to the railway station. Faro → Tavira and Olhão has 16 R/IR trains on each weekday, 13 on Saturday and 12 on Sunday, 07:00–22:10, in the checked week. The largest departure gap is 79 minutes on weekdays and 122 at weekends. Regional arrival-based journeys take 9–10 minutes to Olhão and 32–36 min 30 sec to Tavira; the daily 11:57 InterRegional takes 9 minutes and 26 min 30 sec respectively. The PDF’s 33–44 minutes to Tavira uses its departure row, including an eight-minute stop on the 17:15 from Faro; it must not be compared directly with arrival times [33][34].

Back to Faro: Tavira departures are 06:00–20:59 and Olhão 06:22–21:28, with the same 16 / 13 / 12 R/IR counts. Tavira → Faro takes 31–37 min 30 sec Regional, 35 minutes InterRegional; Olhão → Faro takes 9 minutes. Check the fare for the category booked. For the final eastbound 22:10 train, the 21:15 airport bus → 21:34 Faro leaves 36 minutes: our assumed ten-minute walk plus five-minute boarding reserve leaves 21 minutes, without a guarantee. The next airport bus is too late [33][35]. In the road model, the airport is about 15 km from Olhão and 40 km from Tavira [19][18]. More on the east: Tavira, Olhão and East or west Algarve.

Related

• Faro airport to Lagos and Sagres: the same airport, heading west
• Faro airport to Portimão, Carvoeiro, Ferragudo and Alvor: the Aerobus on to Lagoa and Portimão, and the local buses from there
• Getting around the Algarve without a car: trains, Vamus buses and passes once you are there
• Is Albufeira worth it?
• Where to stay in Albufeira, Vilamoura and Loulé
• Flights to Faro