Sunday 29 April 2007

Ryanair Frankfurt-Hahn - Faro

Yes, but while we already have flights to Frankfurt am Main, Ryanair, two months, after launching, amid much fuss, flights from Girona/Barcelona to Faro which would have opened a new market for the Algarve cancelled the service without a by your leave.
I hope they don't do this with their Faro Madrid Service or with the Frankfurt Hahn Service!
Ryanair are the most buccaneering of Europe's Low Cost Airlines so lets wait 6 months to a year to see if this Frankfurt Hahn Service is sustained before passing judgement!!!!!!

Meanwhile the Algarve needs low cost flights to Milan (Northern Italian Market) and the Paris Area of France.

Saturday 28 April 2007

Internet Access Portugal

Most main centres have Internet Cafes.
Portugal Telecom does have a public wifi service available in selected hotels, post offices etc throughout the country.
Have a look at this link:
http://www.ptwifi.pt/localizacoes/default.aspx
You buy a card starting at € 5.00 for 1 hour which you use to access their network through your browser.
Certain towns also have locations where the council offers free wifi access. e,g, here in lagos free wifi access is available at the Cultural Centre.

Praia da Ingrina - Nice Place for Lunch

I agree! Dona Laurinda's place at Praia da Ingirna is great.

To get to Ingrina head 20km out of Lagos on the EN125 until you arrive in the Village of Raposeira.

Turn left at the traffic lights and continue 1 km until you come to a fork in the road. Take the right hand turn and proceed +-5 km till you come to the beach at Ingrina. Restaurant on the right.

Watch out for the dolmen on the right about 2 km from the fork. Tourists have been going there for at least 5000 years.

Thursday 26 April 2007

The train from Faro to Lagos

Train is possible.

Just so happens that I went to Faro by train last week and have the latest timetable on my desk:

There are departures from Faro Station to Lagos at:

13:19
16:17

There is are departures from Lagos to Faro at:

06:11
06:57.

You will need to allow 45 minutes from landing to getting a bus or taxi to Faro Station and another 30 to 45 minutes to getting to the
station, buying your ticket and getting on the train.

Have a look at the following sites for more information on buses and trains.:

www.cp.pt - english version - Portuguese Railways
www.algarvebus.info
www.solpraiaferias.com/index.php?content=cheg_en

Porto to Lagos by either bus or train

See these links:
www.algarvebus.info
www.solpraiaferias.com/index.php?content=cheg_en

There are no direct Porto - Lagos links. There are two options with reasonable connections in my opinion:
1) Rail
Porto - Lisbon (Gare Oriente)
change train
Lisbon (Gare Oriente) - Tunes
change train
Tunes - Lagos
Transit time about 6-7 hours.
2) Coach
RENEX is probably the best for this -
Porto - Vale Paraiso
Change Bus
Vale Paraiso - Lagos

Olissippo Castelo Lisbon Car Access

This hotel does have some parking places from memory but it is very difficult to get to as it is right up the Alfama just under the walls of the Castelo S. Jorge. Also the council has recently put controlled access on roads in that area so access is not exactly "tourist with car friendly".

The City Council is now clamping down hard on illegal parking in Lisbon so care is needed.

Access by taxi is the best means.

Olissippo Castelo is incredibly well located! While there go and have lunch/dinner on the terrace at the Chapitu Theatre Restaurant just along the street. From there you can enjoy a meal with a wonderful view over the Tejo to the South Bank.

Wednesday 25 April 2007

Traveling from faro to seville by bus

OK!

Have a look at the DAMAS web site

http://www.damas-sa.es/cgi-local/busca.pl

DAMAS are EVA's partners.

At present the service runs:

Weekdays only!

Seville to Faro

07:30 De Lunes a Viernes laborables
16:30 De Lunes a Viernes laborables

Faro - Seville

08:20 Faro 2as, 3as, 4as, 5as, 6as excepto feriados
15:35 Faro 2as, 3as, 4as, 5as, 6as excepto feriados


Another Spanish bus company also operates the route daily as follows:

web-site: www.alsa.es

Seville - Faro

15:00
23:59

Faro - Seville

02:15
16:15

This service which is part of the Lisbon - Seville Service is quicker than the other as it only stops en route in Tavira, VRSA, Ayamonte and Huelva.

Tuesday 24 April 2007

Algarve - Travel from Italy

The Algarve desparately needs a regular airlink to a major airport in Italy(Milan or Roma) and Paris.

The following is a posting I made in response to a query about how get to Faro from Napoli.


"Hi!

It's a pity but there are no cheap direct airlinks between Faro and Italy.

Train is not an option unless you want to be travelling for four days and spend a fortune.

The following low - cost airlines operate from Naples Airport:

Easyjet to Milan Malpensa - Connect to Lisbon and then Train/Bus to Faro - 3 hours.

Brussels Airlines to Brussels - Connect by Brussels Airlines to Faro


Transavia to Amsterdam - Connect to Transavia to Faro

All of the above probably will require overnight stops en route and some flights only operate certain days of the week..

From Rome FCO there are daily flights by Air Europa to Madrid.

www.air-europa.es

You would probably have to overnight there and then catch the daily Ryanair Flight to Faro.

www.ryanair.com

Cost wise this may be the cheapest.

Vueling Airlines - www.vueling.com operate Rome (FCO) - Seville on a daily although return flight prices appear a bit pricey at present.

You would probably have to stay overnight in Seville and then get the bus the next day to Faro. (Twice a day - weekdays )

See: www.damas-sa.es for more info.

Mid week flights (Wednesday) by TAP from Rome FCO - Air Portugal via Lisbon appear not to expensive at present either. Although one always has to be wary of the Lisbon - Faro connection with Air Portugal if the inward flight to Lisbon is delayed.

Hope this helps

"

Saturday 21 April 2007

Algarve - Public Transport

Two excellent sites providing information on transport to the Algarve and within the Algarve are:

www.algarvebus.info - cubsur

and

http://www.solpraiaferias.com/index.php?content=cheg_en

Friday 20 April 2007

Airport Transfers Faro

Often people don't want to hire a car when on holiday.

In recent years several transfer companies have set up in the Algarve and Lisbon offering airport and other transfers.

Two site offering these services are:

http://www.low-cost-transfers.com/

and

http://www.solpraiaferias.com/index.php?content=transfers&lang_opt=en

Thursday 19 April 2007

Travel from Algarve to Madeira

There are no direct scheduled air or boat links between the Algarve and Madeira. No helicopter service either as Madeira is well out in the Atlantic and well outside chopper range.

From Lisbon there are regular ferry and air services.

Intro

Having been involved in the development of websites and web marketing for small businesses in the Southern European Travel business for 10 years I have started this blog to record my experiences, ideas, sites and moans.