Arriving to the Faro Airport? Here is some tips how to get to your Hotel or Rented Apartments.
As I work in the airport already for more than 5 years, I have some reviews, from the tourists, of different methods how to get from the Airport Arrivals to the Resorts.
I categorize it in three methods: Rented car, Public Transport, Private Transport. And here are the best and worst characteristics of each one.
Rented Car, by it I understand all rentals where you will have to take responsibility of driving by your own. Most common is just renting a vehicle in the airport, some people rent motorcycles and scooters, but that’s usually made in the hotel reception.
Pros:
-To cheap in the wintertime, because of big concurrency between renting companies, it can become cheaper then public transport.
-Further Freedom of exploring, Algarve is not only the coastline, some of the villages have much more to offer than touristic cities.
Cons:
-Gets to expensive in the summer, prices can grow up 3 times and more, during the season.
-Different driving rules (and eventually driving sides), can be to confusing for someone who just wants to relax on holidays.
-Accidents, it’s a shame but people still drink and drive, speed up above the limits, don’t pay enough attention on the road. Multiple police controls doesn’t improve the statistics of the accidents, that grow up each summer, mostly because of the tourists.
Public Transport, is inter-city buss stations, in city local multiple buss stops and train line that crosses Algarve from side to side
Pros:
-Cheapest transport, during all the seasons, prices are constant and all information about routes and prices is public.
-Beautiful sceneries and landscapes, it takes longer to get to the place but at least you can have a small tour on your way.
-If your route is done well you will have an interesting sequence of transport changes, with enough organization, it can be an pleasure.
Cons:
-The most time consumable way of traveling, it takes at least twice more time to get to your destination.
-Usually it’s punctual, but I wouldn’t rely on it during the drive to the airport, losing a flight because the train system is on strike, or the bus is stuck in the traffic, because his route is constant, is a nightmare end of the holidays.
-It’s the only way that will not take you from the airport to your hotel door, in the end you will have to walk
-Hot weather of the summer can take the temperature up to 45-50*C, waiting on the buss station with the sun burning can be a problem.
Private Transport, in my understand is Taxi and Uber drivers in the airport, private transfer companies, and shuttle busses. This group I will have to split in two smaller groups.
Taxi and Uber Drivers, as known are always in war with each other, but they have a lot of similar point:
Pros:
-Always available in the airport, if you forgot to organize your ride to the hotel, they are your last minute savior.
-They know well the locality, and can give you some tips of good restaurants, bars, activities and other interesting points.
Cons:
-Both, Taxi and Uber drivers, will be mad if your ride is short. After 2 hours of queuing in the airport they even can try to shove you to less lucky college.
-In every season, they are the most expensive way of getting from the airport.
-This is a specific Taxi problem, they can simply trick you, drive you in rounds to make you pay as much as they want.
Private Transfer and Shuttle companies are, in my opinion, the best compromise between price, time and comfort.
Pros:
-You have someone meeting you in the airport, who will take you straight to the Hotel door.
-You know the ride price before you get in the car.
-As they know all the information about the ride, they will be the only ones who will offer child seats. Golf bags, surfboards and animals transportation, and eventually other facilities.
Cons:
-Requires a Pre-booking
-Not all the companies will be waiting for you if your flight gets delayed.
Resuming, there is many ways to get from Airport to your destination, some of them are cheaper, some are faster, others are more comfortable, its up to you to decide how you will start your Holidays.
Best Regards
PS.: Sorry for mistakes)