CP - Portuguese Railways - New Timetables from 14th December

CP/Portuguese Railways Regional PDF timetables from 14th December 2009 now online!

See: www.cp.pt

Alvor to Fatima

A direct service between Alvor and Faro by Public Transport does not exist.

Your best option would be by bus.

Please see these articles on my blog from last year. This deals with a trip from Lagos.

http://barlaventostravelblog.blogspot.com/search?q=Fatima

Alvor is between Lagos and Portimão and in my opinion your best bet would be to get a taxi or local bus into the centre of Portimão where you could connect with the services quoted.

I have published a copy of the relevant timetable on my blog here:(click to enlarge)



There is a direct bus service to Lisbon from Alvor operated by RENEX. However, this terminates at Gare Oriente and does not provide convienent connections to Fatima Services which leave from Sete Rios.

Trains are not that easy either as you have to transit Lisbon and disembark at Caxarias, 10km (6 miles) outside Fátima. There are only a few buses a day between Caxarias and the Sanctuary.

The only other means of transport would be by car. If you took at hire car, you should be aware that the main routes are toll-motorways.

Fatima lies about 350km North of Albufeira, in the Algarve. Alvor lies 50km from Albufeira via the A22 motorway. Total distance is circa 400km each way. If you have a car you can do a long day trip as follows:

- Follow the signs from Alvor of the A22 motorway
- Turn right onto the A22 motorway in the direction of Faro and Espanha.
-After +- 60km head onto the E01 / A2 / IP1 motorway toll road in the direction of Lisbon
-After 2 hours follow the signs for the A13 Santarém
-On arriving in the Santarem Area, head onto E01 / E80 / A1 / IP1 Motorway.
-Continue until you see the off-ramp for Fatima.
-Exit for Fatima.

London Gatwick (LGW) - Faro - Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus has just announced the establishment of their first non-irish base at London Gatwick (LGW).

The have also announced the launching of flights from London Gatwick to Faro.

See:

http://www.aerlingus.com/cgi-bin/obel01im1/bookonline/index.jsp

and:

http://www.lowcostportugal.net/companhias-aereas/faro-%E2%80%93-londres-gatwick-via-aer-lingus-abril-2009/2008/12/

Lagos, Algarve, Portugal - Taxis

The phone numbers for the Cooptalgos - Taxi service in Lagos, Algarve, Portugal is:

Tm: 91 7813107
Tel: 282 763 587

Lisbon to Obidos - Bus Services

Express Bus Services between Lisbon and Obidos are operated by Rodoviária do Tejo. They operate Lisbon Campo Grande (Metro) and take about 1 hr. 10 minutes.

Click on these links for the current timetables.

Lisbon - Obidos http://www.rodotejo.pt/horarios/todosresultados/5227/3260/1
Obidos - Lisbon http://www.rodotejo.pt/horarios/todosresultados/3260/5227/1

Note the ones marked "Aos Sabados, Domingos E Feriados." operate only at week-ends and on public holidays. The rest are daily services.

Comment on Airports Serving the Algarve

I concur. Faro Airport is already seeing a decrease in frequencies, destinations served and traffic.

With Beja Airport ready for ops in the next year, the new Lisbon Airport at Alcochete only going to be 1hr. 45min by car from the Algarve, and Huelva considering building an airport, I cannot see how an airport in the Portimão/Lagos area would be profitable. Indeed Faro Airport itself would be economically at threat with all these potential alternatives.

What is really needed is services from Faro to other destinations to open new markets. Low Cost flights to Paris, Porto, Lyon, Milan and Madrid, and perhaps Helsinki, Budapest, Warsaw and Toronto/Montreal would certainly broaden the region's appeal and catchment area, essential at present if we are going to see a substantial downturn in arrivals from the UK owing to teh downturn and the £/€ rate.

However, methinks that the new race track near Portimão/Mex Grande will be an influential factor in a decision for a local airport.

Lagos, Algarve, Portugal - Markets

As promised a google map extract showing the locations of the main markets in Lagos, Algarve, Portugal


View Larger Map

Forum: http://britishexpats.com - Do not use

If you are thinking of using a forum dealing with the Algarve to find out information, I strongly do not recommend using http://britishexpats.com.

Their rules on providing useful information are such that is quite impossible to post anything useful. More than once I have tried to post sensible credible information published on this forum in response to questions by their members and have been booted by the moderator. This morning there was a question from a member about 3G PAYG Internet in Portugal. I posted a link to the article about this on my blog which provides a synopsis of the current operators in Portugal. It was booted. I have no such problem with other expats forums in the Algarve.

Also, you cannot use their private message system till you have posted three times. If you can't post private messages till you've posted three messages approved by a moderator, it's barmy.

So their member who could have found my info useful has lost out.

I recommend avoiding this particular forum.

Lagos, Algarve - Markets

There is a large general market on the 1st Saturday of every month by the football stadium/Sports centre.

There is a weekly produce market in the Mercado de Levante by the Bus Station.

On the Avenida in the centre of Town you will find the Mercado Muncipal, which opens early Monday to Saturday and where you will find fish.

There is also the Mercado de Santo Amaro at the top of the town which is a clone of the one down town and is also open Monday to Saturday.

Train/bus Lisbon-Sevilla - Christmas 2008

There are no direct trains between Lisbon and Seville. You would have to route via Madrid.

www.alsa.es operate buses between Lisbon and Seville.

They are showing the following departures for 25th December 2008.

Departure schedules (25/12/2008): LISBOA ORIENTE - SEVILLA

Depart LISBON ORIENTE. 09:30
Arr: SEVILLA 17:45
Price One way 48,00

Depart LISBON ORIENTE. 20:45
Arr: SEVILLA 05:45 next day

Price One way 48,00

You should check with www.alsa.es Monday next week to esnure that the service will operate.

Algarve - Public Transport

Thank you for reading my blog.

You have many questions and I may not be able to answer all of them.

1) Porto to Albufeira.

There are two ways. Train or Rail.

As Albufeira Railway station is 8km from Albufeira, the cheapest and best way to make the trip will probably be by bus.

There are two bus companies that operate this route, via Lisbon.

Renex

website: http://www.renex.pt

Rede-Expressos

website: http://www.rede-expressos.pt/

2) Travel in the Algarve by public transport.

Again because the railway station is outside Albufeira, buses are your best option to travel around the Algarve.

See the following sites for more information:

Regional Bus Company - Eva Transportes

website: http://www.eva-bus.com/home.php?lang=UK

Website on local travel in the Algarve by Cubsur:

website: http://thomasallen.home.sapo.pt/travel/

3) Bus Passes

EVA Transportes have a 3 day regional tourist pass for € 22.50 which covers the Central Algarve between Loulé and Lagos.
Website: http://www.eva-bus.com/passe_turistico.php?serv=passe_turistico

With a student card you may get some discounts on certain services but you will probably be only able to find out if your Students card will be valid when you get here and buy tickets.

Portuguese Railways - Lisbon/Madrid - New Rail Times

As from 14th December 2008, the Lusitania Express has return to its old route operating overnight between Lisbon Sta. Apolonia and Madrid Chaumartin. This means again that there is now again a daily service between Lisbon and Caceres and Marvão and Madrid.

I publish an extract from the Portuguese Railways/CP website below.(Click on Image to enlarge)

CP - Portuguese Railways - New Timetables from 14th December 2008

New timetables will apply throughout the national CP/Portuguese Railways system as from 14th December 2008.

At present it is best to check the new timetables online at:

http://www.cp.pt/cp/displayPage.do?vgnextoid=87cbd5abe2a74010VgnVCM1000007b01a8c0RCRD

The pdf versions are not all online yet.

New Hotel Aggregator Web Site - hotelscombined.com

I have just been introduced to the above site which certainly seems to give an excellent aggregation/summary of offers from hotels world-wide.

It is a clean site and the search facility is rapid.

I got excellent results on tests for hotels in Lagos, Lisbon and Rimin, Italy.

It is certainly worth a try if one needs to do a rapid survey of available hotels.

http://www.hotelscombined.com

Flights from Copenhagen to Faro

Norwegian Air Shuttle who already operate Oslo to Faro are launch a service from Copenhagen to Faro following the demise of Sterling Airlines. The weekly service is due to start operation on 4th April 2009.

See:

http://www.norwegian.no/

Lisbon Airport - Buses to the Centre

I passed through Lisbon Airport this weekend en route to Lagos and as I had some time decided to check again the bus services from the airport.

What I was not aware of was that as well as the Aerobus service linking the airport with the Centre at Rossio and Cais de Sodre station, Carris, the Lisbon bus operator have been operating another service for the past few months that links the Airport with the Rede Expressos Bus Station and the Railway/Metro Station at Sete Rios/Jardim Zoologico. The bus continues to run up Avda. José Malhoa to service the many hotels there, (e.g. Ibis Malhoa) and on past S. Sebastião and Parque Metro Stations. The Service is called Aeroshuttle and costs Euro 3.00. This ticket also allows 24 hour travel on buses on the Carris network.

The actual stops at Sete Rios/Jardim Zoologico are under the motorway in front of the entrance to the Zoo about 150 metres from the bus/rail station.

I decided to use this service which takes between 20 and 40 minutes to travel from Lisbon Airport to Sete Rios/Jardim Zoologico. It enabled me to easily connect with the EVA Transportes departure from Sete Rios Bus Station to Lagos, which costs Euro 19.00 one way and takes 3 hrs 45 mins which is 45 quicker than the other bus operator RENEX.

More information can be found here:

http://www.carris.pt/en/index.php?area=servicos&subarea=servicos_tur_aerobus

Travel from Seville to Lisbon

You can take a train from Faro to Lisbon but there is also a bus service operated by alsa.es linking Seville at Lisbon.

The current timetable shows the following service:

Departure schedules (03/01/2009): SEVILLA - LISBOA SETE RIOS

Dept: SEVILLA 15:00
Arr: LISBON Sete Rios 21:15

These tickets should be purchasable in advance at the Bus Station in Seville or online.

If you want to travel in the morning, DAMAS/EVA operate the following bus service via Faro:

Dept: Sevilla 07:30
Arr: Faro 10:10
Dept: Faro 11:00
Arr: Lisbon Sete Rios 14:15

Tickets for the Faro to Lisbon sector may be purchasable in advance at Seville Plaza das Armas Bus Station as this was being advertised as a direct route on posters in the above bus station when I was there last week.

Sanctuary at Fatima - Contact Details

If you are trying to visit Fatima at any time the followinng may be of use:

Santuário de Fátima
Information
Ap. 31 2496 908
Fátima
Portugal

Tel. 249 539 623
Fax: 249 539 609
E-mail: info@fatima.pt

web: http://www.santuario-fatima.pt

Faro at this time of the year

Faro is the administrative capital of the Algarve and while you will find plenty of shopping there, both in town and in the Algarve Forum Shopping Centre it is not exactly what I would call a holiday destination.

It is a ways from the coast...the local beach is about 8km away at Praia de Faro.

Don't know where you got the idea that most places will be closed! Faro is the one place in the Algarve where most shops and restaurants will be open at this time of year.

Christmas 2008 - Lagos to Faro Buses

There is no direct bus or train from Lagos to Faro Airport.

You will have to get a bus or train to Faro and then another bus or taxi to the Airport.

As regards trains, the official CP timetable is clear. Year round there are two trains that operate daily that will meet your requirements:

Dept Lagos: Arr Faro:

06:11 07:51
08:19 10:03

There is also a departure at 09:46 arriving Faro at 11:27 which does not operate on Sundays or Public Holidays. Boxing Day is not a holiday in Portugal so it will probably run.

As regards buses, EVA Transportes has two buses that will meet your needs:

Lagos: 07:00 Faro: 09:00 Weekdays
Lagos: 08:30 Faro: 10:35 Daily year round.

From Faro Train/Bus Station you will either need to take a taxi or bus.

The following buses (16 or 14) run daily from in front of Faro Bus Station to the Airport:

0800, 0830, 0905, 1010, 1115,

Seville to Lisbon and Porto

Sorry for the delay. Iḿ currently in Italy.

There is currently no direct bus service from Seville to Lisbon.

www.alsa.es have a daily service that operates via Faro in the Algarve.

Dept:SEVILLA 15:00
Arr: LISBOA ORIENTE. 21:00

www.eva-bus.com also offer a service via their Faro hub to Lisbon Sete Rios bus station as follows:

Sevilla Faro 07:30 10:10 Daily
Faro Lisboa 11:00 14:15 Daily

or

Sevilla Faro 16:15 18:55 Daily
Faro Lisboa 19:00 22:15 Daily

Please note that these services are for Winter 08/09.

It is HIGHLY likely that these times will change for Summer 09. Please check in May or June on the respective websites.

As regards Lisbon to Porto, you can travel by bus or train.

If you visit my blog at:

http://barlaventostravelblog.blogspot.com

and scroll down on the right until you come to the panel entitled

"Algarve & Portugal - Travel Transport Links"

You will find links to Portuguese Railways, Renex Buses and Rede Expressos buses which will offer you a variety of options for the Lisbon to Porto Sector.

Granada - Seville - Lagos - Madrid

You cannot book tickets for the DAMAS/EVA Transportes Service between Seville and Lagos online.

However, there are two services a day, every day and I am sure you will have no problem arriving at Estacion Plaza das Armas in Seville and buying a ticket there are then.

I used the 08:20 bus last Friday from Faro to Seville, and it was only about 20% full.

Have a look at Cubsur's page here for more info:

http://thomasallen.home.sapo.pt/travel/001.htm

You are going to have great difficult getting back to Madrid Airport on time if your flight is early morning on December 22nd. You do not say what time your flight is. Be aware that Madrid Barajas Airport is a way out of town. You may need to sit the night at the Airport.

Your best bet would be to take an EVA Transportes Bus from Lagos to Lisbon Sete Rios, early on 21st December, 2008 and then connect with one of the buses operated by alsa.es for Madrid. Be aware that Estacion Sur Bus Station is on the South side of Madrid and you will then need to use the Metro to get to the Airport.

Timetable:

Lagos to Lisbon (Eva Transportes)

Lagos Lisbon
05:45 09:30 Weekdays
07:45 11:30 Daily
10:15 14:00 Daily
12:45 16:30 Weekdays and Sundays
15:30 19:15 Daily
18:15 22:00 Daily


Lisbon Sete Rios to Madrid (Click to enlarge)- www.alsa.es

Rimini to San Marino

Rimini regretably is a shadow of what it probably once was.

Today its beach front with dirty sand beaches and run down hotels and pensions brings to mind the old British resorts of Hastings and Blackpool years ago.

Yesterday, we took the bus from across the road from the station to San Marino, which is the third small country in the world in terms of size. Measuring no more than 6km x 6km, it is a perfect example of the imaginary mini-statelet imagined in many movies such as "the Mouse that roared".

However, it is one of the oldest independent countries in the world with history allegedly dating back to AD 300.

The main town (San Marino) is situated on top of a rocky outcrop 750m above the nearby Adriatic Coastal plain. There are spectacular views from the top over the surround countryside,

Access is easiest by bus from Rimini. The bus takes 45 minutes and costs Euro 7.40 return. There are several services each day. These leave from in front of Rimini Train Station.

Current Timetable as follows: (Click on Image to enlarge)