  
SURFING HOLIDAYS IN PORTUGAL, MADEIRA & THE AÇORES
GETTING THERE: PORTUGAL
Lisbon’s international airport has direct flights from a number of destinations, including England, France, Spain, the USA and Canada. There are also international flights available to Porto in the north and Faro in the south. A succession of charter flights operate during the summer, and cheap deals can be had on flights to the Algarve from selected European cities.
Trains connections from France and Spain provide regular scenic stops en route. Trains arrive in Lisbon from Madrid and San Sebastien. No rail connects Southern Spain with the Algarve. Portugal’s mainland rail system is cheap and extensive, and tourists have a wide range of special tickets available offering unlimited travel throughout the country.
Direct and regular bus services operate from France, Spain and England. Buses run from several Spanish cities to Lisbon, Oporto and the Algarve. Regular departures ply the route between Faro and Seville.
If you're driving from England, the quickest route is via the Plymouth-Santander or Portsmouth-Bilbao ferries to northern Spain and then on to Portugal. The major entry points are found at Valenca do Minho (north), Braganca (north east), near Guarda (east), Badajoz (south east), and villa real on the southern coast. Major posts open 24/7, and schengen visa arrangements make border crossings easy.
Portugal’s road network is reasonably well developed around major centres but journeys can be longer than expected and the road safety record is pretty dire, be careful.
Quick links: Flights from The UK | UK to Faro | Flights to Madeira | Flights to Lisbon | Flights to Porto | Flights fom the USA & Canada
FLIGHTS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM
Monarch fly daily scheduled flights from Gatwick and Manchester to Faro. Luton to Faro, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays only. GB Airways fly to Madeira and Faro
TO FARO
Easyjet offer daily scheduled flights from London Luton, Gatwick, Stansted, East Midlands, Bristol and Belfast to Faro.
Website: www.easyjet.com
Telephone(UK): 08706 000 000.
Ryanair fly from Dublin to Faro.
Website: www.ryanair.com
Telephone(UK): 08712 460 000.
British Midland operate routes from East Midlands & Cardiff to Faro. Website: www.ryanair.com
Telephone(UK): 08702 642 229.
First Choice fly from Luton, Stansted, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, Bristol, Exeter and Glasgow to Faro. Website: www.firstchoice.co.uk/flights
Telephone(UK): 0870 850 3999.
Air Portugal flies from Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester to Faro.
Website: www.tap-airportugal.com
Telephone(UK): 08456 010 932.
British Airways fly from London to Faro or Seville.
Website: www.ba.com
Telephone(UK): 0870 850 9850.
Monarch fly from Luton, Gatwick, Birmingham & Manchester to Faro.
Website: www.flymonarch.com
Telephone(UK): 08700 405 040.
Thomson fly from Bournemouth, Coventry & Doncaster/Sheffield to Faro.
Website: www.thomsonfly.com
Flyglobespan fly from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Faro.
Website: www.flyglobespan.com
Jet2 fly from Manchester and Leeds/Bradford to Faro.
Website: www.jet2.com
Excel Airways offer flights from most UK airports to Faro.
Website: www.excelairways.com
Avro offer flights from all major UK airports to Faro.
Website: www.avro.co.uk
Telephone(UK): 02086 954 440.
Iberia offer flights from Dublin and Cork to Faro.
Website: www.iberia.com
Telephone(UK): 08456 012 854.
Virgin Express offer low cost flights from Brussels to Faro.
Website: www.virgin-express.com
Faro
Flight time: 2 hrs 45 mins. (Note that Portugal is on GMT/BST.)
Airport: Faro airport (289 800 800) is located four miles west of Faro town centre. Local buses Nos.14 and 16 are infrequent, but cost only €1. Alternatively, a taxi should cost about €8.
Aeroporto de Faro
Website: http://www.ana-aeroportos.pt/ANA/Faro/HomePage.htm
Post Office: Open Monday to Friday: 09.00-19.30;
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays: 09.00-12.30 / 14.30-18.00.
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Madeira
Flight time: 3 hrs 50 mins. (Note that Madeira is on GMT/BST.)
Served by: British Airways, operated by GB Airways from Gatwick.
Airport: Funchal’s airport (291 520 760) is 12 miles east of the city, linked by half-hourly buses that run to Avenida Calouste Gulbenkian in the centre of town (journey time 40mins, €2). A taxi should set you back about €25.
Aeroporto da Madeira (Funchal)
Website: http://www.anam.pt
Airport Bus: (every hour) from 08.00 to 24.00;
Post Office: Open Monday to Friday: 08.30-17.30 and 18.30-20.30; Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays: 17.00-20.00.
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LISBON (LISBOA)
Lisbon is very easy to get to. It's just a short flight away from most European locations and also easily accessed by road, sea and rail.
The airport has daily flights to and from the major cities in the world and the national airlines are TAP - Tap Air Portugal, PGA - Portugália Airlines and Air Luxor. The airport is located seven kilometres (four miles) north of the city.
Approximate flight times to Lisbon:
From London: 2 hours 20 minutes
New York: 6 hours 45 minutes
Los Angeles: 12 hours (plus transfer)
Toronto: 9 hours 30 minutes (plus transfer)
Sydney: 22 hours 30 minutes (plus transfers).
If you're driving to Lisbon, enjoy the countryside along the way. The A1 Auto-estrada do Norte extends from Porto to Lisbon and the A8 arrives from destinations to the north and west of the city. The A9 bypasses Lisbon, connecting the A1, A8 and the A5, which links Lisbon with Cascais and the beaches. The A2 Auto-estrada do Sul arrives from the Algarve via Almada and the Ponte 25 de Abril. The A12 crosses the Ponte Vasco da Gama, offering a less congested route into the city.
International trains arrive in Lisbon every day, mainly to Santa Apolónia Station and more recently to the Gare do Oriente, the newest railway station located in the former Expo Park, today known as Nations Park. Intercity trains connect all of Portugal's major cities to either Lisbon or Porto. Both the comfortable Alfa Service from Porto and the InterCity train from Faro take 3 hours 30 minutes to reach Lisbon. There are overnight trains from Madrid (10 hours) and Paris (18 hours 30 minutes).
Aeroporto de Lisboa
Website: http://www.ana-aeroportos.pt/ANA/Lisboa/HomePage.htm
Airport bus: (every 20 minutes from 07.45 to 20.45 every day);
Airport Shuttle Bus: (Cascais/Estoril) from 07.00 to 22h30 every day;
Post Office: Open Monday to Friday: 09.00-20.00
Saturdays: 09.00-18.00; Sundays & Holidays: 09.00-13.00 /14.00- 17.00.
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PORTO (OPORTO)
Francisco Sá Carneiro is the international airport of Porto, Portugal. It is located approximately six miles north of the city center of Porto and run by the Aeroportos de Portugal. Sá Carneiro is currently the second-busiest airport in the country based on airplane operations and the third-busiest in passengers, based on Aeroportos de Portugal traffic statistics.
Carneiro Airport is served by the following airlines:
• Air Berlin (Palma de Mallorca)
• Air France Régional (Bordeaux)
• Air One (Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino)
• Hifly (Paris-Orly)
• Iberia Airlines (Madrid) operated by Air Nostrum (Madrid)
• Lufthansa (Frankfurt)
• Luxair (Luxembourg)
• Portugália (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bologna, Clermont-Ferrand, Lisbon, Lyon, Madrid, Milan-Malpensa, Nice, Paris-de Gaulle, Zürich)
• Ryanair (Beauvais/Paris, Dublin, Hahn/Frankfurt, Liverpool, London Stansted)
• SATA International (Ponta Delgada)
• SN Brussels Airlines (Brussels)
• TAP Portugal (Amsterdam, Caracas, Funchal, Geneva, Lisbon, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Luxembourg, Milan-Malpensa, Paris-Orly, Rome-Fiumicino)
Aeroporto Francisco Sá Carneiro (Porto)
Website: http://www.ana-aeroportos.pt/ANA/Porto/HomePage.htm
Post Office: Open every day 07.30 - 22.00;
Airport Bus: From 07.30 to 19.00 (every half hour)
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Aeroporto João Paulo II (Ponta delgada)
Website: http://www.ana-aeroportos.pt
Post Office: Open 09.00 – 18.30;
Lost Property Office: Open 09.00 – 17.00 (Monday to Friday);
Below are some useful sites:
British Airways
GB Airways
Monarch Scheduled
PGA Portugalia Airlines
SATA Airlines (Air Azores)
TAP Portugal
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FLIGHTS FROM THE UNITED STATES
Contact these carriers for most up to date schedules and fares to Portugal.
TAP Air Portugal
Website: www.tapusa.us
Tel: 1 888 328 26 71
Continental Airlines
Website: www.continental.com
Tel: 1-800-231-0856
Azores Express
Website: www.azores-express.com
Tel: 1 800 762 99 95
King Holidays - Air Luxor
Website: www.kingholidaysusa.com
Tel: 1 973 274 17 01
Air Canada
Website: www.aircanada.ca
Tel: 1-888-247-2262
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