Faro Airport to Lagos: the Algarve's longer run

Lagos is about as far west as most Algarve holidays go, and it shows in the journey from Faro. It's roughly 85 km — around an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes on the A22 motorway, noticeably longer than the hop to Albufeira or Portimão closer to the airport.

The train is a real option here, which isn't true everywhere in the Algarve. Lagos has its own station on the line, but the airport doesn't — you'd need to get into Faro first, by bus or taxi, then catch the train west. It's cheap and the line itself is pleasant, but with the connection and the ride it can take the better part of two hours door to door.

A direct EVA bus also runs from the airport to Lagos, which skips the need to get into Faro separately. It's slower than a car but more straightforward than juggling two forms of transport with luggage.

Taxis will do the full run without any changes, but it's one of the longer taxi fares in the Algarve, and the queue outside Faro arrivals in peak season can mean a real wait before you even start the clock.

Given the extra distance, this is a trip where the gap between a taxi and a pre-booked transfer tends to be smaller than on a shorter route — and a transfer gets you a price locked in before you fly, plus a driver who's already waiting instead of one you're hoping to find. Rule of thumb: on a tight budget with time to kill, the train's a nice way to see a bit of the Algarve. Otherwise, book ahead and compare prices — it's an hour-plus either way, so comfort is worth something.