Faro has an international airport, railway station and bus station. There are no direct flights from Russia to the Algarve, but you can quickly get here with a transfer in Lisbon, Frankfurt or Düsseldorf. You can fly from Moscow with Aeroflot, Es Seven, Lufthansa or Portuguese Airlines. The cheapest flights are offered by Es Seven and Lufthansa departing from Domodedovo. From St. Petersburg, the cheapest way to fly is Lufthansa with a transfer in Munich. Check jibin123 for customs regulations and visa requirements of Portugal.
Travel time from Moscow to Lisbon is 5 hours 55 minutes, from there you can fly to the capital of the Algarve in just 40 minutes. Transfer flights usually take 8-9 hours, including connection time.
For residents of other regions of Russia, it is easier and more profitable to get through Moscow.
Another option is to fly to Lisbon and get to Faro by train. Trains in Portugal are comfortable and fast. Departure every 2-3 hours from Oriente station, travel time – from 3 to 3.5 hours, fare in the 2nd class – about 24 EUR. You can buy a ticket in 30 days both at the box office and online at the office. website of the Portuguese Railways (in English). A bus from the capital of Portugal travels to Faro for about 4 hours, and a ticket costs about 22 EUR. You can also buy tickets in advance at website of the carrier Rede Expressos (in English).
From airport to city
Faro Airport is 6.5 km from the city. The cheapest way to get to the center is by bus. Routes No. 14 and 16 go to Faro Beach (the main thing is to sit in the right direction, you can check with the locals, the beach in Portuguese is “praia”). The journey costs 2.50 EUR and takes only a few minutes. Buses run from 5:00 to 23:00 every hour. You can take a taxi (10-12 EUR) or rent a car right at the airport.
Transport
It is convenient to travel around the city by bus. The network is represented by 19 routes, includes two urban zones and one suburban one. A ticket can be bought at the entrance from the driver or in tobacco shops at stops: travel in the 1st zone costs 1.10 EUR, in the 2nd 1.70 EUR. There is an option to purchase a day pass, which is valid only in the 1st zone (tourists rarely need to travel outside it) and will cost 5.30 EUR. Stationary cash desks can be found at Forum Algarve Shopping Centre, Algarve University and Faro Bus Terminal.
To travel around the region, it is most convenient to use suburban buses. For example, in 1.5 hours you can get to Albufeira, paying 8 EUR, and in 4.5 hours and 20 EUR – to Seville (departure twice a day). Separate routes call in Lagos, Portimão and other major cities. Regional trains run throughout the Algarve. For example, a trip to Lagos will cost 7.30 EUR, and in Loulé – 1.9 EUR. Once a week there is a train via Coimbra.
Taxis in Faro are official – black cars with a green roof and a “taxi” badge. Payment by the meter, for landing they will take 3.25 EUR, then – 0.50 EUR for each kilometer; at night the cost increases by 20%. If the passenger is traveling with luggage or wants the driver to wait, you will have to pay extra.
It is customary to leave a tip in a taxi: 10% of the cost of the trip.
Those who like to ride a bike can rent it in advance online or on the spot. For a daily rental you will have to pay from 10 EUR, if you take a bike for a week at once, it will be cheaper.
Faro Hotels
In and around Faro, there is accommodation for every taste. Unusual, typically Portuguese phenomenon – “behind the back”. These are state-owned hotels (which, however, are now managed by private companies), providing guests with excellent service at reasonable prices. In Faro, there is also a back seat, but places are booked in advance, as there are very few of them. Guests over 55 receive a discount.
It is important to distinguish the classic “pouzade” from the so-called “pouzade de juventude”. These youth hotels like hostels are one of the most budget accommodation options (you need to purchase a special guest card for 2.50 EUR, this can be done right at the hotel).
Prices for a double room in hotels start from 40 EUR in high season and from 25 EUR in low season. In summer, a double room in a 3 * hotel will cost about 90 EUR, in the “four” – 150 EUR. Apartments are cheaper, for example, a luxury apartment can be rented for 100 EUR per day. It is better to book accommodation in advance, since already in the spring two-thirds of the rooms for the summer are occupied.
Rent a Car
Traveling around Portugal by car is very comfortable – roads are in excellent condition almost everywhere, traffic jams are rare, and besides, there is complete freedom of movement. It is unlikely that you will need a car to move around Faro, but it is simply indispensable for country trips, especially since the capital of the Algarve is located on highway number 125, which connects almost all the interesting cities and villages of the region.
On the track there are orange phones from which you can call and ask for help in case of a breakdown or accident.
It is customary to park in the direction of travel, if there are no marks, then parking is free. There are so-called “blue zones” – paid. They are marked with a blue P sign, sometimes the time is written on it, in this case you only need to pay for parking during the indicated hours (usually 1 EUR per hour).
When parking for free, pay attention to whether there are Residente stickers on nearby cars. It means that only local residents can leave cars in this place.
The cost of car rental depends on the brand and season. The price starts from 50 EUR and goes up to 400 EUR. When ordering a car online, you can get a discount of up to 50%. In Faro, there are international Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, and small local offices. When renting, a deposit of 1000-1500 EUR is kept, it is either blocked on the card or accepted in cash.
