Faro Airport

Faro Airport is the gateway to the holiday resorts of the Algarve region of Portugal. The airport is located around 6 km from the centre of Faro, and around a 30-minute drive to Vilamoura, and a 45-minute drive to the resorts of Albufeira to the east, and Tavira to the west. Allow around an hour to get from Faro Airport to the western resorts of Alvor, Lagos and Portimao.

Faro Airport only has a single terminal building for all arrivals and departures.

Car Hire at Faro Airport (FAO)

On Site Car Rental

  Companies with onsite car rental at Faro Airport are:-

• Avis/Budget/Payless
• Europcar
• Alamo/Guerin/Enterprise/National
• Hertz/Firefly
• Sixt

Customers who rent a vehicle with one of these companies should go to the desks in Arrivals to sign the rental contract. Cars are collected from the onsite car rental compound which is located a short walk from the Arrivals Hall.

Off-Site Car Rental

Many companies at Faro Airport provide shuttle bus transfers to local premises, most of which are located a few minutes from the airport along the N-125 airport approach road. Companies providing a minibus shuttle bus service at Faro include Best Deal, Centauro, Dollar and Drive-On. Most of these companies are located just outside the airport along the airport link road which is a short drive from the airport.

When you view a quote, please check the following information:

• Airport Terminal Pickup - guarantees on site collection return either from the car rental compound used by the larger companies or P4 car park.
• Meet & Greet - you will be met by a representative of the company who will take you to their premises to collect the car.
• Free Shuttle Bus - proceed to the car rentals shuttle bus area just outside the arrivals hall where you will be taken to off-site premises.

Refueling Rental Cars at Faro Airport

  There is a fuel station on the roundabout at the entrance to Faro Airport - it is recommended to refuel here if you need to return your rental vehicle with a full tank.

Please check the fuel policy of the quote before booking a car. This can be found on your quote by selecting the "Rental Conditions" link.

CDW Insurance

  The standard rental packages all have CDW insurance with an excess in the event of vehicle damage or theft. The rental companies offer additional zero excess insurance products which can be purchased when signing the rental contract. These higher levels of insurance will remove the excess liability but also increase the cost of the rental. If you don't have a credit card (or have low credit on the card) paying for the extra insurance is the most viable option as no credit card security deposit is required.

Alternatively, customers may purchase the Third Party AXA insurance offered with the quote which will be cheaper than the high-tier products but require a security deposit with the rental company. Customers with this insurance must pay in Portugal for any damage then claim the cost back from AXA separately.

NOTE: It is worth checking if your credit card insurance covers car hire.

Credit Cards

  The companies we work with at Murcia require a valid credit card to be presented when the car is collected.

If you do not have a credit card, you can rent a car with some companies (Goldcar, Firefly), but only if you purchase their Premium insurance products.

Where is Faro Airport?

Faro Airport is situated in the Montenegro district of Faro which is around 15-minutes drive from Faro centre.

The airport is approximately 10km from the A22 toll motorway which leads to Albufeira to the west, and Tavira and Spain to the east.

There is no train station at Faro Airport, but there are regular buses to Faro city centre which is located near the Marina. The bus station has connections to the main Algarve resorts, Lisbon and Spain. You can walk from the bus station to Faro train station in 5 minutes.

Faro Airport Arrivals

  The Arrivals Hall ("Chegadas" in Portuguese) is located on the left as you enter the terminal building.

In peak summer periods (mid-July to late August) there can be long queues of holidaymakers at customs control, and it can take 10-15 minutes to clear customs. To avoid the queues there are automatic barrier exits if you have a micro-chipped passport.

Faro Airport Departures

  The departures and check-in area at Faro Airport ("Partidas" in Portuguese) is located on the right as you enter the terminal building. There are baggage weighing machines in the departures area which are worth using to check the weight of your luggage and avoid costly excess baggage charges.

Airport Facilities

Most of the airport services and facilities except for the Duty Free shopping are located in the Arrivals Area. Here you will find the following services:-

• Faro Airport information desk run by ANA (Balcao de Information)
• Tourist information desk
• Meeting Point (in front of the Airport information desk)
• Police Office
• Santander Bank
• Post Office (ctt correios)
• Chemist (Farmacia - look for the Green Cross)
• Money exchange (Unicambio)
• Newsagent/gift shop (Relay)
• Cashpoint machine (located at the front of the Relay newsagent)
• Golf equipment hire shop clubstohire.com

If you require any information about facilities at the airport, go to the Airport Information desk where you can ask questions in English.

There is a Costa Coffee at the departures end of the terminal building, and a Delta coffee bar outside the Arrivals Hall where you can enjoy a coffee in the sun if you have time to spare.

Airlines Operating at Faro Airport

  With the advent of low-cost flights and the popularity of the Algarve as a tourist destination, many of the low cost operators such as Ryanair and Easyjet fly to Faro throughout the year. UK airports flying to Faro include Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cork, Dublin, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Shannon and Stansted.

Flight times from the UK to Faro Airport are typically around 2½ to 3 hours depending on jet stream and wind direction.

Parking at Faro Airport

There is short term parking at the front of the terminal building costing around 2€ per hour.

If you are flying your outward journey from Faro Airport, there is long term parking on site in the P2 parking area which is a short walk from the terminal building.

Hotels

  There are no hotels at Faro airport, the closest are located at Faro Beach (Praia de Faro) and in the local suburb of Montenegro. At Faro beach, Hotel Aeromar offers excellent value with sea views and good food. In suburban Montenegro both Hotel Monaco and Hotel Ibis are more modern hotels which provide a good stopover, but there isn't that much to do outside the hotels.

In Faro, Hotel Eva offers great views of Faro Marina and is the premier hotel in Faro centre. Hotel Faro is located opposite the Marina but is priced more economically.