From Faro Airport into the city and along the Algarve: bus, taxi or transfer
Updated October 18, 2026 · 6 min read
Faro is one of the easiest airports to leave. It lies a few kilometres west of the city, and the city is where the choice is simple. The decision gets harder if your hotel is in Albufeira or Tavira, because there the pre-booked options start to matter. This guide goes through them in the order most travellers need them.
Into Faro: local bus or taxi
There is one city bus from the airport to Faro, the number 16, run by Próximo. Published sources put the ride at 15 to 20 minutes, and the single fares we found came to between about €2 and €3. Check the timetable and the fare on the operator’s own site before you go, because we found the figures differ. A taxi takes about 12 minutes, and the airport’s own published example for a daytime ride is around €11.
For a ticket in advance, there is a direct bus transfer between the airport and Faro city centre run by Vamus Algarve. It costs €6, children under 4 travel free, and the ticket is valid for 24 hours on the day you book. It is non-refundable. It has 3.4 stars from 12 reviews, which is the weakest rating of anything in this guide. Since the local bus costs less, the €6 ticket buys you only the certainty of having a ticket before you land.
To Albufeira: shared bus or private car
The shared bus transfer from Faro Airport to Albufeira costs €11 and runs to the bus terminal in Albufeira, not to your hotel (4.1 stars, 79 reviews). The ticket is non-refundable and valid for 24 hours on the day booked; children under 4 are free. One reviewer’s advice is worth repeating: ask at the airport ticket desk which stop the bus leaves from, because the bus may be run by another company and not be one of the white Vamus coaches. The same reviewer’s bus was ten minutes late.
If you would rather go door to door, the private direct transfer to Albufeira is €50 per group of up to four and takes about an hour (5 stars, 37 reviews). The operator says motorway tolls are included, there is no extra charge for luggage or golf bags, and child seats are available. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before. For four people that is €12.50 each against €11 on the shared bus, with a driver and no change of vehicle.
Albufeira’s railway station is in Ferreiras, around six kilometres inland, so a train is not a convenient way to reach the resort itself.
To Tavira and Monte Gordo
The private transfer to Tavira and Monte Gordo takes about an hour and is listed at €35 per person (5 stars, but only 3 reviews). The driver meets you at arrivals and drops you at your accommodation. Child seats are provided free for children under 12 as the law requires; tell the operator in advance how many you need.
If you stay in Faro and explore for several days
A transfer is for the first and last day. For the days in between, the Vamus tourist bus pass gives unlimited travel on the bus network that connects Faro, Albufeira and Lagos. It is available for 3 or 7 days and starts at €35 per person (3.5 stars, 9 reviews). Check which towns it connects before you buy.
Do you need a car?
Not for Faro itself. The old town, the marina and the boat trips on the Ria Formosa are all reachable on foot or by a short bus ride. A car pays off if you want to go to Benagil on your own, or to the hills behind Faro, where Alte and the springs are hard to reach any other way; see our guides to Benagil from Faro and to Loulé and Alte. If you want one, you can compare car hire for Faro.
Side by side
| Option | For | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus ticket, airport to Faro | City centre | €6 | 3.4 (12) |
| Shared bus to Albufeira | Albufeira bus terminal | €11 | 4.1 (79) |
| Private transfer to Albufeira | Door to door, up to 4 | €50 per group | 5.0 (37) |
| Private transfer to Tavira | Tavira, Monte Gordo | €35 per person | 5.0 (3) |
| Vamus tourist bus pass | Faro, Albufeira, Lagos | from €35 | 3.5 (9) |
Which one
For Faro city, take the local bus or a taxi and do not prebook. For Albufeira, choose the private transfer if there are three or four of you, or the shared bus if you travel light and are happy to go on from the terminal. For Tavira, the private transfer is the only pre-booked option we found, and the three reviews are all it has. Whatever you book, check the pick-up point on the booking page before you land.
