Eva Transportes

Foi a primeira vez que fiz o percurso Lisboa– Albufeira, em autocarro. Havia outras companhias que também faziam este trajecto, mas o horário e o preço ditaram a minha escolha. A Eva Transportes opera por todo o país mas assegura essencialmente ligações entre o Sul e o Centro de Portugal. Tem parcerias com a Rede-​Expressos, situada em Sete-​Rios, no Terminal Rodoviário e foi lá que comprei os bilhetes, no dia anterior e também foi que embarquei, no dia seguinte. O autocarro em que viajei tinha todas as comodidades possíveis: internet gratuita, wc, televisão a bordo e ainda uma tripulante de bordo ao dispôr. A viagem correu dentro do horário programado e sem sobressaltos. Há muito que não viajava em autocarros em trajectos de longo curso, com um serviço tão bom. Parabéns, EVA.

Eva must have been named after someone named Eve. Who is this Eva of the Algarve?
At any rate, Eva Transportes is the bus company that seemingly dominates the Algarve. While there is an express bus between the Algarve and Lisbon, most of the major express routes connect the cities of the Algarve, either in a more complete east to west trek, or partial ones, from the western end to Faro, and from Faro toward the eastern end. CP trains do service the Algarve to some extent. Sometimes, they make more sense (Faro-​Tavira in under 30 minutes) and sometimes they don’t (to smaller towns in the western Algarve).
However, I learned of Eva Transportes in a different way. Their most unique service connects most of the Algarve to Seville, Spain, making for a trip of barely 3 hours from Seville to Faro, or vice versa. They make two runs a day in both directions, once in the morning and again in the late afternoon. I’ve used them twice, in each direction. The prices are fair. The equipment is standard large European long haul bus equipment, and the Algarve-​Seville bus is usually not completely full, so it’s comfortable. The drivers have been pleasant and have the same approach as do American bus drivers — they have a job to do, but will help you with minor questions or other assistance which may be needed.
Assume you didn’t get a good low cost air fare from elsewhere in Europe down to Faro or Lisbon for an Algarve vacation, either because you decided too late or because that city pair does not exist in low cost format. Cheer up! If you obtained a low cost air fare to Madrid, you can take the high speed 2:20 minute AVE train trip to Seville (which can have reasonable prices at different times of the day) and run frequently. You can then catch the Eva bus to most of the Algarve. If you obtained a low cost air fare directly to Seville, you only need to catch the Eva bus. The reverse also applies.
While I didn’t remember it so much the first time, this last westbound Eva bus journey involved border agents coming aboard near the border of Spain and Portugal, about 1.5 hours after departing Seville. I didn’t know they if they were Spaniards or Portuguese. Given that the passport was almost up to its expiration date and full of stamps, he kept glancing between the pages of the passport and me, and then just handed it back. I didn’t know whether to find this funny or a prelude to an inquisition.

I used the service from the airport to the city center in Faro. A single fare for 1.75EUR and it took around 20 min.