Anticipating a summer that is expected to be quite strong in terms of travel demand for traditional summer destinations in Portugal, FlixBus has anticipated the expansion and strengthening of the domestic and international operation to the regions of the Algarve, Alentejo coast, Costa Vicentina, and the West and Center region of the country.

The objective is to respond to the growing demand for national and international bus travel, a demand that has been accentuated since May, and which is expected to increase significantly from the end of this month with the start of the holiday period for the Portuguese.

"Express buses are increasingly the first option when it comes to travelling, and this is visible not only in the number of FlixBus buses you see on the road but also in the thousands of passengers we transport daily. The ease of booking combined with sustainable, economical, safe, and equally comfortable travel, justifies this growth in demand. And we respond to this demand with the anticipation of the reinforcement of the domestic operation and international connections, either with the reinforcement of schedules, with the launch of new lines, or with the inclusion of new cities in our routes" – says Pablo Pastega, general manager of FlixBus for Portugal and Spain."


Algarve

FlixBus has added four new destinations in the Algarve from today (6 June) which include Vilamoura, Almancil, Monte Gordo and Vila Real de Santo António, whereby they will have a daily connection from Lisbon.

"This is, for now, a seasonal line that will be in operation until the end of the summer, but whose continuity we will evaluate at the end of the holiday season. If the demand is justified, we will consider its continuity throughout the year", says Pablo Pastega.

There are two daily connections between Lisbon and Almancil, four to and from Vilamoura and Quarteira, and six to and from Monte Gordo and Vila Real de Santo António.


Connections to Spanish cities

From 20 June 2024, it will be possible to go directly from Albufeira, Faro, and Lagos to the Spanish cities of Malaga, Marbella, and Jerez de La Frontera. The new international line starts on 20 June, and tickets are already on sale on the FlixBus website and app.


Connections to Cascais, Sintra and Almada

Still thinking about the summer and the increase in demand for travel to and from the Algarve, FlixBus once again operates the connection between Cascais, Sintra, and Almada and the Algarve cities of Albufeira and Faro. The resumption of this line now serves a significant part of the population on the south bank of the Tagus, since the inhabitants of Almada and neighboring municipalities do not need to come to Lisbon to then travel by FlixBus to the Algarve.


Alentejo coast and Costa Vicentina

The seasonal line for the Alentejo coast and Costa Vicentina is also in operation. The line departs from Lisbon, and there are three daily connections to Sines, Vila Nova de Milfontes, Zambujeira do Mar, Odeceixe, and Aljezur.

Operating, for now, only during the summer, this line responds to the high demand that FlixBus has at this time for this region of the Alentejo coast and Costa Vicentina, a holiday destination for many Portuguese and tourists, and also a place of choice for many young people who travel to the region to attend the festivals and other events that the region hosts at this time of year.


Leiria

Marinha Grande is the latest city to join FlixBus' domestic network in Portugal – the German operator, the European leader in express passenger transport, now connects the "capital of glass" to Coimbra, Porto – Campanhã and Airport, and Braga. This new line started on June 1st, and has, for now, two daily connections, one in each direction. The FlixBus stop in Marinha Grande is at Avenida da Liberdade, next to the municipal public transport stop.

But it's not just Marinha Grande that receives new FlixBus lines. Leiria also sees the operation reinforced as of this month of June, with not only new lines, but also with the reinforcement of connections to the north of the country, to the Western region, and also to Lisbon airport, where there are now eight daily connections, four in each direction.

But there are more routes to and from the city of Leiria – FlixBus has strengthened the connections between Leiria and Nazaré, Caldas da Rainha, and Peniche, and from this week the connection to Torres Vedras is available, the latest city to join the FlixBus domestic network in Portugal. Further north, there are now four daily connections between Leiria and the city of Aveiro.

"These new lines from Leiria and also from Marinha Grande are the result of our strategy to strengthen direct connections to national airports, in order to facilitate connecting trips for all those who will travel by air. We believe that, with good shared mobility solutions, people going to airports can leave their car at home and opt for public transport" – says Pablo Pastega, general manager of FlixBus for Portugal and Spain.