City Transportation
In contrast to other resort towns in Portugal, Albufeira has its own public transportation system. The local bus company GIRO connects the bus station (1.6 km from the city center) with five lines (Green, Blue, Red 1, Red 2, Orange) to Albufeira's Old Town, the city's coastline, Camping Park, Montechoro, and Santa Eulália.
On the website of the bus station, you can find the traffic scheme and routes with the names of all the stops. Buses run daily every half hour (every hour on Sundays and holidays) from 7:00 to 22:00 (June through September) and 20:00 (October through May).
Trip Prices
The cost of a single ride is 1.40 EUR (tourists can buy a 4 EUR day pass from the driver for Albufeira transportation). Count on the fact that buses are often late by 15-20 minutes. Bus stops are called "paragem," and it's best not to read bus timetables at them (they are usually out of date); you can only find out the current timetable at the station or on the website.
Local Transportation
The shortest route from the bus station to the Old Town is the Blue (arriving at Rua Alves Correia). Back to the bus station from the Old Town, it's better to take the Red route #2 (from Avenida da Liberdade). If you intend to do a lot of traveling on your own and you don't have a car, you can buy a Tourist pass at any EVA Transport or Frota Azul Algarve ticket office. A 3-day pass costs about 30 EUR, and a 7-day pass costs 37 EUR.
The most original form of public transportation in Albufeira is the Albufeira Tourist Train. It is a car with carriages that connects the Old Town, Brisa Sol/Modelo, and Areias São João every day all year round. The train departs every 20 minutes (every 40 minutes in winter), and the price per ride on this Albufeira transportation is 2.50 EUR (children under 6 years old ride for free).
A popular mode of transportation in Albufeira is the cab, which can be ordered by phone +35-12-895-83-23 (0.80 EUR per order) or on a first-come, first-served basis at special cab stops (at train stations, shopping centers, and other similar places).
Boarding a cab costs 3.25 EUR, luggage costs another 1.60 EUR, each subsequent kilometer will cost 0.50 EUR (the meter starts at 1 km 800 m.). Tipping the drivers is not obligatory, it is better to have small bills with you.
