Faro Council has renewed the tourist train operator’s contract for another four years and introduced new features for the road bound Faro Tourist Train. There will be new stopping points, and the tickets will allow you to get out and explore the city at different locations. The idea is that tourists can explore the region’s capital with greater ease. This revamped small-scale public transport system of touristic interest will reopen in early April.
Faro Council decided to extend the route to more points in the city, such as the Jardim Alameda; the renovated viewpoint of the Hermitage of Santo António do Alto, and the Municipal Market of Faro, thus providing further courage of the city.
Thus, the user can opt for a single use ticket, which corresponds to only one trip, complete or partial (adult), for the value of 3.77 euros (plus VAT) or for a daily ticket, which corresponds to several complete trips , as long as they are used up during the same day, for the value of 5.66 euros (plus VAT).
Thus, the latter option allows tourists to make the stops they want at the various points along the route, so they can go off on their own and look around the city as they please on foot, and then continue their journey at the specified times on the same route.
The cost of both types of tickets are reduced by 50 percent in the case of individuals aged 10 years or less.
The transport will be running every day of the year, however, with seasonal adaptations. That is, from April 1st to October 31st, it will operate between 10 am and 9 pm; from November 1st to March 31st, between 10 am and 5 pm.
The tourist train will be operated by the company Delaturis, which is headquartered in Vilamoura. The contract is the result of a public concession tender approved at a Faro Council meeting on November 18th, 2019.
The value of the concession is 1206 euros per month, up to a total of 57888 euros for four years. The contract may be renewable for equal periods, up to a period of 12 years.
According to the specifications, the Faro tourist train will include an audio guide with headphones and the possibility of choosing a language. Mayor of Faro, Rogério Bacalhau, expressed his satisfaction to journalists, stating that “this is another step towards the increasingly recognized affirmation of Faro as a great tourist destination”.
