Car Hire & Transfers
Transport options for getting around The Western Algarve
Transport options for getting around The Western Algarve
Driving time from Faro Airport to Lagos/Luz/Burgau is 1 hour, mostly on the A22 motorway, a distance of about 90 Km and it is a very straightforward journey. The A22 is a tolled motorway with no toll booths. The car hire company representative will explain their toll policy when picking up your rental car.
We are very often asked about Car Hire, and what companies we recommend when guests wish to rent a car for their holiday:
We ourselves use Car Trawler, a company that operates world-wide and offers you a good selection of cars available from local companies at competitive prices. They offer pick-ups from Faro, Lisbon etc.
Please Note:
Fuel Policy: When hiring a car we strongly suggest that you check the hire company's fuel policy before you make a booking. We do not recommend booking a car that has a 'pre-purchase fuel policy'. This is a more expensive way of buying motor fuel and we prefer to pay separately for the actual fuel we use. Often the companies that offer the cheapest cars use a pre-purchase fuel policy.
Insurance: All listed cars have 'Third Party' Insurance and CDW cover in case of an accident. However in the case of damage you are responsible for an excess of Euro 800 - 3,000 and to cover this they offer extra insurance, which can be expensive.
Alternatives are to drive with care and cover the risk yourself, or it may be cost effective to purchase a separate annual insurance policy with a company of your choice, e.g. with AIG. With both of these alternative options the car hire company will require your credit card numbers as surety in case of damage. This credit card docket is normally returned to you unprocessed when the vehicle is returned to them undamaged at the end of the rental period.
Use the form below to view and compare quotes from various local companies
If you do not wish to hire a car we can arrange a private transfer for you from Faro Airport to your Villa or Apartment. This is a personal 'door to door' service and not shared with other people.
Prices: Up to 4 Persons: EURO 175 per party return
From 5 - 8 Persons: EURO 195 per party return
Information required by us to arrange your Transfers:
Flight Arrival and Departure times
Flight Numbers
Your Mobile phone number
Bus travel in Portugal is safe and inexpensive and the buses are clean and modern. The express bus from Faro to Lagos is operated by Eva, which is part of Rede Expressos (the main intercity bus company of Portugal). The journey takes about 2 hours.
The bus ticket must be purchased from the ticket office (the driver cannot sell tickets when in the bus station), and there can be long queues at the ticket office, especially during summer.
The Faro-Lagos bus departs from the old covered bus station, which is next to the Proximo bus station. In Lagos, the bus terminates at the Terminal Rodoviário, and is very close to the city centre.
Train
Faro is connected to Lagos by the Algarve regional railway. Lagos is the final station along the line and the journey time is 1 hour 45 minutes. A single ticket costs under €10. These tickets cannot be pre-booked as this is a regional train, but there is always plenty of space on the train.
There are 9 departures Monday to Friday, 8 on Saturdays and 7 on Sundays and public holidays. The last train departs from Faro at 20:38. The latest train timetable can be viewed on Comboios de Portugal website.
While Faro station is the largest Algarve rail station, it is compact and easy to navigate. Lagos train station is on the eastern side of the marina and across the river from the central bus station and city centre.