There are several ways of reaching the Algarve. If you come by airplane flight you will have has your landing destination Faro International Airport (FAO). You will need a valid passport to enter Portugal, but no visa is required for people coming from European countries. For people arriving from Canada, New Zealand or the USA, you can stay for a maximum of 90 days without a visa.
Faro International Airport
Faro International Airport 8001-701 Faro - Portugal Phone: (+351) 289 800 800 Fax: (+351) 289 818 802 www.ana.pt
Faro Airport facilities and services
Here is a list of the most essential facilities and services at Faro Airport:
ATM - located at departures and arrivals public and restricted areas
Baggage Protection/Lockers - located in the pubic area
Currency Exchange - located in the public area and operating between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Post Office - in the public area operating on Sat/Sun/Holidays: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Lost and Found - TAP Portugal (+351) 289 800 800 / Portway (+351) 289 889 407
Rent a Car - for information about renting see our page about Algarve car hire.
If there is a more specific information you need, visit the Faro Airport site.
Algarve Tourist Office at the Airport
Aeroporto Internacional de Faro
8001-701 Faro
Phone: (+351) 289 818 582
Transportation and transfer between Faro Airport and the city centre
The airport is situated 10Km driving West of the city centre, a 10-15min course by car. Faro is a very central place in the Algarve and it's 65Km far from Vila Real de Santo Antonio - the East border -- and 120Km from Sagres -- the West coast.
You have three main transportation options to the city centre. All these options are reliable and efficient means of transport; time of transportation can vary mainly by BUS or by Taxi if there is more traffic.
Faro Airport Taxis
There is a taxi stand at your disposal next to the arrivals area of the airport. For a distance of 10Km (from Airport to the city centre) the Taxi fare is approx. 10 Eur. If you want to have a more detailed information take a look at the Airport Taxi Fares (1738 downloads) . You can reach the Taxi company via the phone (+351) 289 827 203.
BUS to and from Faro Airport
There are many bus routes offering daily service between the Faro Airport and the EVA Bus Terminal in the city centre of Faro. The local buses, numbers 17 and 18 will take you to and from the airport, a distance of 10Km. Taxis are also usually recommended.
Faro Airport car hire
There are 8 companies that offer cheap car hire from the airport. It's recommended to hire a car if you don't plan to stay all the time in the same place, public transportation tends to be a bit limited and mostly people rely on their own means of transportation. For a listing of contacts see our page about car hire at Faro Airport.
Affordable Flight Options to Algarve
We've also tracked down the web addresses of the budget and worthy airlines offering cheap flights to the Algarve from the UK and Europe.
- AerLingus - Although I don't consider AerLingus a budget airline, they often have very good deal flights to the Algarve, worth to check once in a while.
- Easy Jet - EasyJet is the leader in offering cheap flights to Faro and other European destinations. Not only do they offer the widest destinations but they also offer the greatest flexibility when you're booking your ticket.
- FlyGlobeSpan - FlyGlobeSpan are offering cheap scheduled flights to Faro from Scotland.
- FlyMonarch - Offering cheap flights to Faro from Manchester, Birmingham and London.
- Jet 2 - Jet2 offers cheap flights to Faro from Leeds Bradford airport. Note like many of the "no frills" airlines they don't offer a refund if you want to cancel your ticket - but they do have a rescheduling system.
- RyanAir - RyanAir flies directly to Faro from Ireland (Shannon and Dublin) and UK.
- TUI Airways - Operating out of four airports in Ireland - Dublin, Cork, Ireland West Knock and Shannon.