Albufeira Sightseeing Open Top Bus
Printed From: Albufeira.com
Category: Tourism / Turismo
Forum Name: Local Transportation / Transportes Locais
Forum Description: Bus, Trains, Taxis, Transfer, Driving, ...
URL: https://albufeira.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8960
Printed Date: 01/May/2024 at 18:17
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Topic: Albufeira Sightseeing Open Top Bus
Posted By: DICEYUK
Subject: Albufeira Sightseeing Open Top Bus
Date Posted: 19/April/2015 at 12:13
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Now comes out as far as Olhos D'Agua & Acoteias - or at least they now have their bus stop signs next to the Eva bus stop signs, not all of them but several of them. However, it doesn't say anything about it on their website which presumably hasn't been updated yet. http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/portugal/albufeira.htm ------------- I hate how peopleï compare Frank Zappa to God. I mean, he's cool and great and nice and everything, but he's no Zappa. |
Replies:
Posted By: cubsur
Date Posted: 20/April/2015 at 11:02
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What on earth is there to see in either place where their double-deckers can get to? Lots of hotels... It could be useful as a means of transport given the lack of buses after 8pm. At 20 Euros for a 4 day ticket and if you can figure out what time it leaves the various stops, it should work out cheaper than taxis to and from town and without the long waits in summer. ------------- Albufeira Resident www.algarvebus.info public transport information for the Algarve |
Posted By: Jock
Date Posted: 20/April/2015 at 11:07
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When we came to Albufeira at first I was going to try this bus but was persuaded by the forum to try the Giro buses instead. I'm glad I did.
------------- It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase 'As pretty as an Airport' appear. Douglas Adams |
Posted By: DICEYUK
Date Posted: 20/April/2015 at 12:19
The website is very confusing - if I click on "Timetable" (and BTW there is no timetable), as Tom says it quotes €20 for a 4 day ticket & €13 for a 24 hour ticket. However, if you book in advance online the prices come out as €40 for a 4 day ticket and €15 for a 48 hour ticket so there appears to be a huge discrepancy here. And why would you pay €40 for a 4 day ticket when 2 x a 48 hour ticket works out €10 cheaper. Presumably they have used some sort of Portuguese formula to work these prices out - either that or they think we're all stupid. I shall keep my eyes open over the next 5 weeks while I'm here & report any sightings of these buses in this neck of the woods. ------------- I hate how peopleï compare Frank Zappa to God. I mean, he's cool and great and nice and everything, but he's no Zappa. |
cubsur wrote:Posted By: cubsur
Date Posted: 20/April/2015 at 16:56
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Dicey - I hadn't spotted that financial discrepancy, so well done. The red open top buses go where the Giro buses do not eg Galé, Salgados and soon Olhos D'Agua and Açoteias. Given that a taxi from those areas to or from town is 8 - 10 euros at night it could still be less expensive than both ways by taxi and you also avoid the 100 strong queues for a cab at 11pm. It does seem odd that they will not or cannot market it as a bus rather than a tour, especially as they run much later in the day than the local buses to those areas. We shall see. I am not over that way much , so do keep us informed. ------------- Albufeira Resident www.algarvebus.info public transport information for the Algarve |
Posted By: DICEYUK
Date Posted: 21/April/2015 at 17:18
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Just to add even more confusion. I picked up a City Sightseeing Algarve leaflet this afternoon from our local newsagents and it has yet another different pricing structure on it. Strange because it's the same leaflet (apart from the prices) that you can download from their website. 24 hour ticket = 15 Euro 4 day ticket = 30 Euro As the leaflet is clearly dated 2014, presumably these were the prices for last year. So that means you can either pay, depending on what source you use at the moment, one of the following - * 13 or 15 Euro for a 24 hour ticket * 15 Euro for a 48 hour ticket * 20, 30 or 40 Euro for a 4 day ticket Looks like they need to get their information options actually in line with each other and given their inability to get their prices right, it doesn't really fill you with confidence that they actually know what they're doing. If the route is being extended, and from the new bus stop signs you can only assume that it will be, then no doubt there will have to be a new leaflet for 2015. And, as the route will be considerably longer, no doubt there'll be another set of prices to take that into account. The way things are going, a tour in a bus around Albufeira will soon cost more than a flight to get here. ------------- I hate how peopleï compare Frank Zappa to God. I mean, he's cool and great and nice and everything, but he's no Zappa. |
Posted By: pyrman
Date Posted: 22/April/2015 at 22:33
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As long as I can remember it has passed Pedra dos Bicos every 40 mins from 10 am. However, I had a couple miss it twice this week ... because it was 10 mins earlier. ------------- Pyrman |
Posted By: DICEYUK
Date Posted: 20/May/2015 at 21:49
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Just to update that despite having been here for 5 weeks and despite the numerous new "sightseeing bus stops" between here and Albufeira, I have still not seen one of these buses out here in Acoteias. However, I have seen, and talked to, many people who were patiently waiting to catch such a bus at the local bus stop where the new signs have been erected fully expecting a sightseeing bus to turn up at some time, even though there is no timetable. It seems very strange that a bus company is allowed to put up these signs, for their own particular service and in exactly the same spot as the normal Eva bus stops, without giving any indication that no such service currently exists. In addition, when going to & from Albufeira on the normal Eva bus, on numerous occassions the bus has been flagged down at these stops along the route by people looking for the sightseeing service. Not only does this disappoint the visitors, who quite rightly are expecting a sightseeing bus to put in an appearance every now & again, but it also pi**es off the Eva drivers who have to keep stopping unecessarily. It's a shambles ------------- I hate how peopleï compare Frank Zappa to God. I mean, he's cool and great and nice and everything, but he's no Zappa. |
Posted By: Jayjan
Date Posted: 20/May/2015 at 23:33
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agree Dicey, organisation seems to me nil poi. Shame.Seems to me they have someone goin around sticking stickers anywhere everywhere without any thought whatsoever whether the service covers that area.. I must have had 20 stickers advertising bloody drain maintenance on my electric box, front door, gate posts, all the post boxes for other people down the lane outside my drive. Was so annoyed I pulled them all off lol ------------- Polli the dancing cat strikes again. |
Posted By: Algarveaddick
Date Posted: 21/May/2015 at 07:32
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Just be thankful you spend time away from the shambles guys. The grass isn't always greener, as you know. I won't even expand on my visit to the IMT (the equivalent of the DVLA) last week, where a two and half hour wait in two separate offices ended in me walking away with two forms the first bloke I saw could have given me in twenty seconds... |
Posted By: DICEYUK
Date Posted: 02/July/2015 at 18:28
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Been back 3 days & we're now into July. Still no sign of any Sightseeing Buses out here and no mention of an extended route on their website. The signs are still here though. All very strange. ------------- I hate how peopleï compare Frank Zappa to God. I mean, he's cool and great and nice and everything, but he's no Zappa. |
Posted By: cubsur
Date Posted: 03/July/2015 at 10:55
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Very strange indeed. But who would stand around and wait for a sightseeing bus if you don't know when it's coming (never mind if) nor where it's going to? None of their stops has this information even where there do already run and the website has no timings. And what is there to see over there, except perhaps Chateau Dicey? ------------- Albufeira Resident www.algarvebus.info public transport information for the Algarve |
Posted By: DICEYUK
Date Posted: 03/July/2015 at 21:40
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Perhaps they should rename it the Magical Mystery Tour. Although I doubt if the use of the word Magical would be appropriate. ------------- I hate how peopleï compare Frank Zappa to God. I mean, he's cool and great and nice and everything, but he's no Zappa. |
Posted By: DICEYUK
Date Posted: 02/March/2017 at 15:02
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So 2 years after the Sightseeing Bus Tour bus stop signs were put up between Acoteias & Albufeira, I can report that I have seen the first such bus to make it out here. Spotted at 1pm this afternoon heading back to Albufeira with several passengers on it. Perhaps the driver had got lost because their website still says nowt about this new route extension which of course will be the highlight of anybody's visit to the Algarve  But then it does say on their website, and I quote, "Tour runs daily excluding 4 Dec. 2016 to 15 Jan. 2018" (  ) so I suppose you really can't go by what it says on there.Just hope that the person who runs the website isn't the same person who drives the bus. Anyway, will report any further sightings made before we go home on Saturday. ------------- I hate how peopleï compare Frank Zappa to God. I mean, he's cool and great and nice and everything, but he's no Zappa. |
Posted By: tonisdad
Date Posted: 02/March/2017 at 17:57
| Tour bus has been up and down outside of our place Santa Eulalia end heading to Olhos de Agua since Monday. |
Posted By: DICEYUK
Date Posted: 02/March/2017 at 20:10
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Thanks. Looks like it's regular now then but there's absolutely no indication on any of the bus stops as to what time you can expect one to turn up so it's really pot luck if you want to go on one. It says the frequency is every 60 minutes but without knowing the actual time that it arrives at a certain stop, you could be waiting for anything between 1 minute and 59 minutes. ------------- I hate how peopleï compare Frank Zappa to God. I mean, he's cool and great and nice and everything, but he's no Zappa. |
Posted By: Jock
Date Posted: 02/March/2017 at 21:49
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First time I was coming out here I planned to take a trip on the tour bus. Luckily I was persuaded in this forum not to bother. The Giro buses are better and cheaper.
------------- It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase 'As pretty as an Airport' appear. Douglas Adams |
Posted By: cubsur
Date Posted: 03/March/2017 at 08:45
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Spot on from Dicey. The open top bus runs only every 60 minutes except in summer and they do not tell you when it might arrive at any given location. It's a pretty poor means of seeing anything, even though it goes to some places outside town that GIRO buses do not reach. Today would not be the weather for it either! ------------- Albufeira Resident www.algarvebus.info public transport information for the Algarve |
Posted By: Andrew
Date Posted: 03/March/2017 at 10:14
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In it's defence, if the weather is conducive and you don't know the area, maybe a first time visitor, it's a great way to see Albufeira and it's near surrounding area, get your bearings, see what's within reach for later in your hols and, with the commentary, learn quite a bit you'd otherwise likely miss. It isn't cheap, but then again this franchise, which runs in many towns and cities across the World, isn't cheap in any of them. I wouldn't cross it off the list per se though. ------------- Andrew |
Posted By: cameroncleggout
Date Posted: 03/March/2017 at 11:48
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Despite visiting Albufeira well over a dozen times we have never been on this Sightseeing Tour Bus. What sort of cost is it ? is there any commentary on route. Is it an hour long trip that's repeated over and over or does it visit different places And most important of all, Is it value for money ? ------------- cameronout |
Posted By: pyrman
Date Posted: 03/March/2017 at 11:49
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NOT a great way to see `Albufeira City` ... We try to persuade as many as possible to use giro instead, or our guided tour, which is 3 hours and shows off the city, with 36 page pocket guide included, for 7 euros this season ... ------------- Pyrman |
Posted By: Andrew
Date Posted: 03/March/2017 at 15:17
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Giro is a public transport service to assist or provide travel to and from specific places, the red bus service is an informative tourist service showing area's that would likely interest tourists, you're comparing apples with pears. I think if you're offering "..our guided tour," it's a little unfair to be dissing a competitor or alternative option. ------------- Andrew |