Seville to Lisbon by Public Transit- Cheat Sheet
Jun 21st, 2006, 10:30 AM
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Seville to Lisbon by Public Transit- Cheat Sheet
As there are many inquiries, and as the options are fairly complex, herewith Sue-xx-yy’s “Seville to Lisbon by Public Transportation: Six Options” cheat-sheet.
Note: To avoid board problems, website links are shown as www dot whatever (insert a . for the dot and take out spaces.)
1. Please, ALWAYS check the websites for current information. All times are local; please note Portuguese time (PT) is an hour behind Spanish time (ST).
2. S = Sabados, Saturday; D = Domingos, Sunday. LMXJV = MTWR(thurs)F
3. Ayamonte (Spain) and VRSA (Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Portugal) are roughly 15 minutes apart via the new bridge that connects Portugal and Spain on the south coast. VRSA is the eastern terminus of the Portuguese Algarve. Faro is a major Algarve town about 45 mins to an hour west of VRSA and is the airport gateway to the Algarve.
Option ONE: as of 2006, Total cost about E36. Alsa bus all the way to Lisbon from Seville.
**www dot alsa dot es** Good, well-run website, frequently updated, English version available. Note you must have a credit card issued by a Spanish bank to buy on line. However, tix may be bought upon arrival albeit some advance notice required (generally a day or two, check.)
+ The routes are operated as international routes, thus have a minimum of stops. - They keep tinkering with the schedules and the routes every couple of months. One season there's no Sat/Sun bus, next season the route is via Merida - Evora instead of Ayamonte - the Algarve, etc. etc. The times also look optimistic to me.
Option TWO: any day of the week, all year. A combination of buses or buses and rail, done over two days, travelling via Faro, Portugal.
+ …offers more choice of departure times, and the schedule is fairly stable;
+ shorter journey times per day, choice of arrival times in Lisbon
+ costs from E34 to E55, which is still reasonable (more fun than you’d think, despite the long overall journey.)
The easy part is the leg from Faro to Lisbon, which can be done by
1) an express bus from Faro (eg Expresso Qualidade, see www dot eva-bus dot net
2) or rail (www dot cp dot pt ).
**Tip: Monday morning AP train leaving 6:45 arriving Lisbon Entrecampos 9:33 was full (both classes) so if taking this train (beautiful and FAST) consider buying tix on-line at the cp dot pt site.** Bring ID and show to the conductor along with the printout.
3) This leg will cost E17 to E23.
Note: To avoid board problems, website links are shown as www dot whatever (insert a . for the dot and take out spaces.)
1. Please, ALWAYS check the websites for current information. All times are local; please note Portuguese time (PT) is an hour behind Spanish time (ST).
2. S = Sabados, Saturday; D = Domingos, Sunday. LMXJV = MTWR(thurs)F
3. Ayamonte (Spain) and VRSA (Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Portugal) are roughly 15 minutes apart via the new bridge that connects Portugal and Spain on the south coast. VRSA is the eastern terminus of the Portuguese Algarve. Faro is a major Algarve town about 45 mins to an hour west of VRSA and is the airport gateway to the Algarve.
Option ONE: as of 2006, Total cost about E36. Alsa bus all the way to Lisbon from Seville.
**www dot alsa dot es** Good, well-run website, frequently updated, English version available. Note you must have a credit card issued by a Spanish bank to buy on line. However, tix may be bought upon arrival albeit some advance notice required (generally a day or two, check.)
+ The routes are operated as international routes, thus have a minimum of stops. - They keep tinkering with the schedules and the routes every couple of months. One season there's no Sat/Sun bus, next season the route is via Merida - Evora instead of Ayamonte - the Algarve, etc. etc. The times also look optimistic to me.
Option TWO: any day of the week, all year. A combination of buses or buses and rail, done over two days, travelling via Faro, Portugal.
+ …offers more choice of departure times, and the schedule is fairly stable;
+ shorter journey times per day, choice of arrival times in Lisbon
+ costs from E34 to E55, which is still reasonable (more fun than you’d think, despite the long overall journey.)
The easy part is the leg from Faro to Lisbon, which can be done by
1) an express bus from Faro (eg Expresso Qualidade, see www dot eva-bus dot net
2) or rail (www dot cp dot pt ).
**Tip: Monday morning AP train leaving 6:45 arriving Lisbon Entrecampos 9:33 was full (both classes) so if taking this train (beautiful and FAST) consider buying tix on-line at the cp dot pt site.** Bring ID and show to the conductor along with the printout.
3) This leg will cost E17 to E23.
Jun 21st, 2006, 10:35 AM
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Option Two: Leg from Seville to Faro (continued)
**a) weekdays only, except high summer when also on weekends: Damas (www dot damas-sa dot es ) offers a direct bus to Faro leaving 07:30 and 16:30. Despite what www dot eva-bus dot net says, assume it will take 4 hours travel time or more to reach Faro, let alone Lagos (should that extension of the route be running – may vary by season.)
+ one leg only, cost about E17.
- awkward (to me) departure or arrival times
- few opportunities to get off the bus en route.
**b) daily all year: a combination of one or two buses, a ferry or a cab, followed by a bus or a train from VRSA to Faro. The trip will take from 4 to 6 hours, but there are lots of built-in breaks.
- the longest option, took us almost 6 hours Seville to Faro.
+ it was a surprisingly enjoyable and relaxed day, perhaps owing to all the breaks
I’ll give a sample schedule on Sunday in the off-season, which is probably one of the more restrictive schedules. This is the one we followed in April of 2006.
11:00 Damas bus to Ayamonte arriving 13:30. You will have a half-hour stop in Huelva.
Tip: This bus was full on the Sunday we travelled. Don’t leave buying tix too long.
Tip: You’ll have the choice of either getting out and stretching your legs in Huelva or being locked in the bus for the half hour!)
Next: Once in Ayamonte (a pleasant town) head from the bus station to the square; the ferry dock is very close by. About a 15 minute walk, with bags.
(Tip: If the washrooms at the bus station are locked, try the gas station next door.)
Tip: You’ll see the ticket kiosk right beside the dock. Tix are about 1Euro each.
The ferry runs at least 1/hour from Ayamonte to VRSA. For example, on Sundays in the off-season, it will run from Ayamonte every hour on the half-hour. See schedules at:
***http colon //www dot xs4all dot nl/~mmverst/tppib/nl/reg/andalg dot html****
tip: If squeezed for time, you might catch a cab across to VRSA, I’m told about E12.
Having arrived Ayamonte 13:30 ST, walk and wait for the ferry (next one 14:30 off-season Sunday) and sail to VRSA arriving 13:45 PT. Tip: If travelling with young children, watch them on this ferry – there are unlocked gates at the sides. Oh, and life jackets are thoughtfully located in a locker adjacent to the portrait of the Virgin Mary. Sorry, but it really had to be pointed out. Now, enjoy the sail…..
Once in VRSA, you have a choice of taking either the bus at 14:30 (catch almost opposite the VRSA dock) arriving Faro 16:10, or walking 10 – 15 mins to the train station (11 short blocks straight from VRSA dock, then head right till you see the station.)
Next train 15:38 arriving Faro 16:45. On weekends, you can buy tix on the train, about E5 to Faro. (Train will also stop en route at Tavira.) From Faro to Lisbon: see above.
**a) weekdays only, except high summer when also on weekends: Damas (www dot damas-sa dot es ) offers a direct bus to Faro leaving 07:30 and 16:30. Despite what www dot eva-bus dot net says, assume it will take 4 hours travel time or more to reach Faro, let alone Lagos (should that extension of the route be running – may vary by season.)
+ one leg only, cost about E17.
- awkward (to me) departure or arrival times
- few opportunities to get off the bus en route.
**b) daily all year: a combination of one or two buses, a ferry or a cab, followed by a bus or a train from VRSA to Faro. The trip will take from 4 to 6 hours, but there are lots of built-in breaks.
- the longest option, took us almost 6 hours Seville to Faro.
+ it was a surprisingly enjoyable and relaxed day, perhaps owing to all the breaks
I’ll give a sample schedule on Sunday in the off-season, which is probably one of the more restrictive schedules. This is the one we followed in April of 2006.
11:00 Damas bus to Ayamonte arriving 13:30. You will have a half-hour stop in Huelva.
Tip: This bus was full on the Sunday we travelled. Don’t leave buying tix too long.
Tip: You’ll have the choice of either getting out and stretching your legs in Huelva or being locked in the bus for the half hour!)
Next: Once in Ayamonte (a pleasant town) head from the bus station to the square; the ferry dock is very close by. About a 15 minute walk, with bags.
(Tip: If the washrooms at the bus station are locked, try the gas station next door.)
Tip: You’ll see the ticket kiosk right beside the dock. Tix are about 1Euro each.
The ferry runs at least 1/hour from Ayamonte to VRSA. For example, on Sundays in the off-season, it will run from Ayamonte every hour on the half-hour. See schedules at:
***http colon //www dot xs4all dot nl/~mmverst/tppib/nl/reg/andalg dot html****
tip: If squeezed for time, you might catch a cab across to VRSA, I’m told about E12.
Having arrived Ayamonte 13:30 ST, walk and wait for the ferry (next one 14:30 off-season Sunday) and sail to VRSA arriving 13:45 PT. Tip: If travelling with young children, watch them on this ferry – there are unlocked gates at the sides. Oh, and life jackets are thoughtfully located in a locker adjacent to the portrait of the Virgin Mary. Sorry, but it really had to be pointed out. Now, enjoy the sail…..
Once in VRSA, you have a choice of taking either the bus at 14:30 (catch almost opposite the VRSA dock) arriving Faro 16:10, or walking 10 – 15 mins to the train station (11 short blocks straight from VRSA dock, then head right till you see the station.)
Next train 15:38 arriving Faro 16:45. On weekends, you can buy tix on the train, about E5 to Faro. (Train will also stop en route at Tavira.) From Faro to Lisbon: see above.
Jun 21st, 2006, 10:39 AM
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OPTION 3. The ‘fast’ bus via Rosar de la Frontera and Beja, supposedly leaves 3 days a week at 9:30 arriving 14:00 ish Lisbon. The problem is, I saw this listed once at www dot rede-espressos dot pt, but it disappeared off the listings in November 2005 and I’ve not seen it since. No info was given as to what company offered the service. I’ve no idea if it’s still running, and without a reliable website to check, I wouldn’t count on it.
OPTION 4. Flying Seville to Lisbon. ** www dot iberia dot com.** Occasionally promo fares (RT only, you would have to discard the return portion) totalling about E110 are offered; note only one departure is direct to Lisbon, generally in the late morning; the rest are via Madrid. TAP airlines (see also www dot europebyair dot com) flies from Malaga to Lisbon.
** -- warning: Europebyair fares don’t incl. Tax.
OPTION 5. Train service. Only overnight service via Madrid, so if you want a reasonably comfortable ride you’ll have to shell out for some form of couchette. www dot renfe dot es or www dot cp dot pt NOTE: No train service from Seville to VRSA, only from VRSA onward.
And finally, not public transportation but I list it here anyway:
OPTION 6. Car rentals. Either shell out the exorbitant one-way drop fee (as high as 250 to 500 Euro), or: try and see if the depot needs a car returned to Lisbon (you won’t be able to find this out, in all probability, until you get to Seville.) Alternatively, once you cross the Portuguese border, there are car rental depots in Monte Gordo, Portugal (short bus or cab ride from VRSA) but beware of opening times (they close at lunch, on holidays, etc.) If picked up in Portugal, there will be no extra charge for dropping car in Lisbon, as a rule.
Bon voyage. Enjoy Spain and Portugal.
OPTION 4. Flying Seville to Lisbon. ** www dot iberia dot com.** Occasionally promo fares (RT only, you would have to discard the return portion) totalling about E110 are offered; note only one departure is direct to Lisbon, generally in the late morning; the rest are via Madrid. TAP airlines (see also www dot europebyair dot com) flies from Malaga to Lisbon.
** -- warning: Europebyair fares don’t incl. Tax.
OPTION 5. Train service. Only overnight service via Madrid, so if you want a reasonably comfortable ride you’ll have to shell out for some form of couchette. www dot renfe dot es or www dot cp dot pt NOTE: No train service from Seville to VRSA, only from VRSA onward.
And finally, not public transportation but I list it here anyway:
OPTION 6. Car rentals. Either shell out the exorbitant one-way drop fee (as high as 250 to 500 Euro), or: try and see if the depot needs a car returned to Lisbon (you won’t be able to find this out, in all probability, until you get to Seville.) Alternatively, once you cross the Portuguese border, there are car rental depots in Monte Gordo, Portugal (short bus or cab ride from VRSA) but beware of opening times (they close at lunch, on holidays, etc.) If picked up in Portugal, there will be no extra charge for dropping car in Lisbon, as a rule.
Bon voyage. Enjoy Spain and Portugal.
Jun 22nd, 2006, 03:49 PM
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Glad to see it will be of some use.
By the way, at maporama dot com you can find a map of Ayamonte showing the location of both the bus station and the ferry dock.
Be sure to zoom in enough so you see these details.
The same site also does a reasonable job of mapping VRSA. But be careful - on many maps the train tracks in VRSA are still shown as going all the way to the dock. You need to walk west (i.e. straight out from the dock) 11 blocks and then north (i.e. turn right), as already described, to get the train station nown in VRSA.
*********
Regarding the time difference between the two countries, I thought Portugal was GMT and Spain GMT + 1 all year round (or the equivalent in Daylight Saving Time) but if in doubt, check timeanddate dot com, click on "the world clock".
By the way, at maporama dot com you can find a map of Ayamonte showing the location of both the bus station and the ferry dock.
Be sure to zoom in enough so you see these details.
The same site also does a reasonable job of mapping VRSA. But be careful - on many maps the train tracks in VRSA are still shown as going all the way to the dock. You need to walk west (i.e. straight out from the dock) 11 blocks and then north (i.e. turn right), as already described, to get the train station nown in VRSA.
*********
Regarding the time difference between the two countries, I thought Portugal was GMT and Spain GMT + 1 all year round (or the equivalent in Daylight Saving Time) but if in doubt, check timeanddate dot com, click on "the world clock".
Aug 22nd, 2006, 02:07 AM
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You left off one option: a Eurolines bus (Malaga-Lisbon) operated by Viajes Juliá that has a stop at Sevilla's Plaza de Armas Bus Station around noon. It operates about 5-days a week during peak season (4-off season). We reserved seats thru JuliaTours over the Internet: reservations advisable.
Aug 24th, 2006, 06:45 AM
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Nedsireland
Thank you for giving the info about Julia tours, perhaps you have a website for them?
Prior to posting this thread, I did check the Eurolines website (eurolines dot es.) I couldn't find a Spanish schedule, but under "international journeys" there is a Portugal schedule that at present (schedule as of April 1, 2006) shows a departure from Seville at 10:30 weekdays (weekends also June through September) routing via Faro and arriving Lisbon 16:45. Now, the thing is, this is exactly the same schedule as given by alsa dot es, which leads me to believe that Alsa is the bus company contracted by Eurolines to do this route. It's just too much of a coincidence otherwise.
Again, thanks for your contribution.
Thank you for giving the info about Julia tours, perhaps you have a website for them?
Prior to posting this thread, I did check the Eurolines website (eurolines dot es.) I couldn't find a Spanish schedule, but under "international journeys" there is a Portugal schedule that at present (schedule as of April 1, 2006) shows a departure from Seville at 10:30 weekdays (weekends also June through September) routing via Faro and arriving Lisbon 16:45. Now, the thing is, this is exactly the same schedule as given by alsa dot es, which leads me to believe that Alsa is the bus company contracted by Eurolines to do this route. It's just too much of a coincidence otherwise.
Again, thanks for your contribution.
Aug 24th, 2006, 02:46 PM
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Sorry, I checked their website and it appears they don't have the Eurolines contract for that route anymore. It looks like ALSA Enatcar has taken it over; but when I went that route, Eurolines didn't go via the Algarve. They cut across Extremadura and went up to Badajoz, then on an Expressway to Lisbon. So ot looks like you may have to go via Huelva to Faro or Albufeira (DamasSA or Eva-Bus) and catch a train or another bus from there.
Sorry about that!
Sorry about that!
Aug 26th, 2006, 04:49 AM
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No problemo, Nedsireland, your confusion is quite understandable. Believe it or not, at one point this year (2006) Alsa WAS going via Badajoz. They just keep tinkering with the schedules. This, plus the fact we were travelling off-season on a Sunday, is why I threw in the towel on the 'elegant' direct option and planned so as to allow us to take the 'long-but-consistent' option 2.2.b of the Damas bus to Ayamonte, ferry to VRSA, rail to Faro, (overnight), rail to Lisbon.
So again to anyone else reading: be sure to follow tip # 1 and double-check your plans on the respective websites. Travelling in Spain is always interesting....
So again to anyone else reading: be sure to follow tip # 1 and double-check your plans on the respective websites. Travelling in Spain is always interesting....
