BULLET TRAIN in the Eastern Algarve? Let's see!

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Guys, can you guess why the 818 was called, 818..?

[@nediajouini9739]

Hi Nick, thank you for all the work that you put in your videos. I enjoy every single one ❤ from Germany ❤

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Thank you Nedia! That is really good to hear. Music to my ears.

[@Nubianette]

My train experience is limited, but I think you should know where the bus station and stops are. When I was going from Portimão to Lagos, we were confused why they didn’t allow us to buy a return ticket at the same time. The attendant didn’t tell us. Well, because later, there would be a train strike, so it wouldn’t be possible. Luckily, the bus station was a comfortable walk way from the Lagos train station. We actually looked for it, when we got to Lagos. The buses are very comfortable. I then went from Portimão to Faro, when I was leaving the Algarve. The station was centrally located. I took a Bolt to my accommodation, but I could have walked, if I was familiar with the layout. Trains, buses, and taxi/rideshares make it doable.

[@loveartmachine]

Perfect timing! We are about to take our first train trip to Tevira next week so this helps. As usual, love the hit of history. Good job again. 👍

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Thanks 🙏🏼

[@MrMatavelhas]

Another tip is: If your train gets to Faro very near the time another train departs in the same direction to the other part of the Algarve, within around 20 minutes you should ask the conductor if the same train continues the journey, as it does happen quite often. However, the same train, might continue on one day but not continue on the other. You have to ask always as stock management varies from day to day. Also, if the station has an open ticket office you must buy the ticket there. You cannot buy it from the conductor and are liable for a fine but conductors usually choose not to do it and sell the ticket(cash only) but bear i mind this is only and Algarve Line thing. Regarding Fuzeta and Fuzeta-A: Fuzeta-A is an space constrained halt and serves the town center and Fuzeta is a station where trains cross as there is space for two lines.

[@SharonOnTheMoveDaily]

❤ your content. When my daughter and I was there in March we got the train from Caiscais to the Time out Market stop in Lisbon. Awesome. Very affordable for a train ride. After we ate we got a Tut Tut ride. (I hope I spelled that correctly).

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Hi Sharon, thank you so much! 🙏🏼 Maybe it was tuk-tuk, but yup, my daughter loves the Lisbon trains. Algarve ones are a little older.

[@BasicBeachCommunity1]

Hey good to see you sharing the region. The VRSA mess would be so nice if it was invested and built. Agree

[@AghJustinCase]

Thanks!

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Oh wow, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. 🙏🏼

[@bomcabedal]

Barreiro (south of the Tejo from Lisbon) has possessed a beautiful railway station (the town's second) since 1889. It was used for connections to the Algarve and Evora until 2008, but since then it has stood empty, becoming more and more derelict. There are plans to have it listed, but those seem to be stalled now. It's a shame really. On the flipside, in northern Europe such a structure would have been demolished years ago.

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Interesting point! Hopefully one day it will be restored and used as something cool. I vaguely remember it, having caught my first train in Portugal there in 2001 after a glorious early morning river crossing on the ferry

[@bomcabedal]

@@AlgarveAddicts The "partner" station on the opposite side of the river (unique in being a station without tracks), Sul e soeste next to Praça do Comércio, has been restored very well, thankfully.

[@janyshendrickson3833]

Never riden the train in the Algarve, keep thinking I will and wanted to, but never have. Thanks for this "Eastern" video. Looking forward to your "Western" journey👍 Stay in the shade😉

[@AlgarveAddicts]

In the shade, typing this right now 😂

[@lucchese20]

Great overview Nick. 👍🏻 It’s nice to see the electrification project is well underway from your videos. Of course, (1) new rolling stock (locomotive and passenger carriages) are required to benefit from the electrification, and (2) how CP will operate these trains once all is set up (all stops? some stops?). As to your point about ruins, yes, this is perhaps the biggest surprise we noticed during our trips to PT. Why so many? My understanding (could be wrong) is once the owner passes away the estate of the property passes to the children and they all have to be in agreement as to what should be done. Hence delays and ruins. Finally, yes, agree in principal the undeveloped areas of VRSA could/should be improved. At a minimum, some cleaning up prior to more development? Don’t know the status of these areas but agree with you. 👍🏻

[@AlgarveAddicts]

I may have found a company who is working on a plan for VRSA... Let's see if I can chat with them.

[@michaelthatcher3825]

Nick great stuff. A couple of points: I use the train quite often but, as you pointed out, it is a 40 minute walk to Cacela station from my house in Altura. However, for us OAPs it is amazingly inexpensive as we benefit from a 50% discount on the fare. The old diesel trains are unreliable though because if there is any problem whatsoever, the system backs up due to the fact that, for the most part, as you know, there is only a single rail line with passing points at various stations. The electrification will help this situation a lot. There are relatively new bus lines open across the East Algarve, the 66 and 67 but they are quite expensive in comparison to CP with no OAP discounts. Plus, if you think the train takes a long time, the buses take forever as they stop every couple of hundred metres or so, eg Faro to Altura, one and a half hours!

[@AlgarveAddicts]

That's great info, thanks for sharing Michael!

[@jos_t_band3912]

Bring your bike 🚲 to the trainstation. 40 min walk is a 15 minute bike ride.

[@vossierebel]

Mmmm... socialism and open borders? What struck me was the cleanliness - both on the tarins and the stations! Just btw... I recall walking around at Vila Real de Santa António many years ago... and also wondering about the dilapidation in a few spots! Stay safe and happy!

[@sappir26]

Are their taxi services from the train stations or do you need to take buses from them?

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Taxis and Ubers all over. A little more scarce in winter, but still around.

[@PeeGeeThirteen]

Awesome info about the passes. I took this train in 2021 from Faro to VRSA. This regional line seems to have to oldest cars of the entire CP fleet. An upgrade would be nice. Thankfully, VRSA's station is close to town *Edit* where did you find those pork cheeks? I'm on a pork cheeks quest

[@AlgarveAddicts]

So many places! I've had in Tavira, VRSA, Monchique and often in the places away from the coast. Look for buchechas do porco, and sometimes bochechas do carne.

[@lauras8674]

Hi Nick. First of all you're a prince for doing this. I would think if the train station is far out, they would have Bolts, buses or taxis right there. I also looked into Flix bus which is private and more reliable but I could be wrong! I sure would like to chuck my car eventually. Thanks again!🎉

[@AlgarveAddicts]

You can get around without a car, it's just a little expensive and not always reliable.

[@lauras8674]

@@AlgarveAddicts 🚗 😢

[@EJA-y5n]

Great video Nick. I will retire to VRSA from USA at some point and will contact your co. when I'm ready to start looking. I feel like that town is a bit of an undiscovered diamond in the rough. I do see some redevelopment going on though when I poke around on KZbin. As for your question, i believe the Guadiana is 818 km long and ends at VRSA, so my guess is that is where the name is derived from.

[@josefgillan6616]

You will love VRSA

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Exactly! Well done on the 818

[@sappir26]

I contacted one of your "partners" via email a few weeks ago off of your web link regarding wanting to speak with the lawyer you supposedly have on your team but haven't heard from them yet. 🤔 This was a good and informative video. Also nice to see a different part of Portugal. Thanks

[@belindamay3760]

I had the same problem a few years ago when I wanted financial planning advice with Manuela his wife. They never got back to me. So I took my business to another institution that has been more professional in their dealings with me.

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Thanks for reaching out, Sarah. I just emailed you to sort this out. Apologies, sometimes things slip through the cracks

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Apologies for that, Belinda, but I'm really glad you were helped put in the end 👍🏼

[@jsilvamaintenance]

Nick you wrong. Not bullet train , Maglev

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Hehehe

[@BasicBeachCommunity1]

Would they let you bring a small electric bike on the train??? That would be a super fun video....You could cruise in between...

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Yes, they would. All I need is the electric bike!

[@ennovy9111]

Hello, does anybody know … can you take a bike on the train ? (Foldable bike?)

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Yes you can. I also mention that in the video ☺️

[@Luckyamor]

Can you also travel to Valencia?

[@AlgarveAddicts]

By train from Faro?

[@Luckyamor]

@@AlgarveAddicts To get to Benidorm?

[@AlgarveAddicts]

You can take a train from Seville. I'm not sure what you really want to ask, but have a look at www.rome2rio.com it may help you.

[@carlosvictor8679]

nora stop is closer to cacela velha 🙂

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Strange, I don't seem to recall stopping at Nora.

[@carlosvictor8679]

@@AlgarveAddicts by the looks of it doesn't stop at caiana-santa rita & nora!...used to,lol.

[@jos_t_band3912]

This train is a bus on rails. Runs on diesel and is the size of a bus. But it is not bad. Pay cash.

[@LaurenceBurdett]

On the ‘ruins’ issue I totally agree with you. From north to south and from Lisbon to the smallest villages there seems to be a tolerance of letting structures deteriorate and remain. I don’t get it. Shouldn’t there be incentive to turn over ownership of properties to those willing to take them on, to provide construction jobs, to improve sales of building materials, to create housing, to create employment from businesses that might be housed within, to improve the urban fabric instead of building on virgin land, etc.? All such development can be done with a mindset of sustainability and preservation of heritage. Is rehabilitation of existing structures even part of the Habitação Mais conversation? I’m a US part-time expat near Braga who would like to do small-scale, incremental development in my adopted community, but it feels like nobody wants to play ball.

[@AlgarveAddicts]

I hear you. Truth is nobody wants to play ball, it's a complicated conversation.

[@alipiolopes1]

Have a look in council if is permitted to build nice first class apartments and them I will take care of the rest .

[@AlgarveAddicts]

I'll go to the council and schedule all those meetings if you commit. Usually it's not just the council, it's a ton of other agencies too.

[@jamesesonia]

The Algarve train service is horrible. Trying to a return trip to anywhere is too difficult and time consuming. Train stations, as you say, in the middle of nowhere and not even close to the places they purport to be. However, if you are going to do the Western Algarve next. Get off at Meia Praia and take the new walkway to Lagos, you can even get the water taxi across the water.

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Sounds like a plan! I'm waiting for a train right now :)

[@LilleFashion-xm3ul]

Hi Algarve train, lines and stations are very Bad It's something from the past They made everything new

[@guimanocanada]

Hello people. When ridding train in Algarve, dont by tickets online if you are over 65. Buy in person at the station be cause if you are over 65, you pay only 50%. You have to ask for half pay and show ID. You dont ned to be citizen, anybody pay only 50% no matter where you are from.

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Great point! On the Algarve line you don't get that option when checking out. More info about the over 65 50% off here www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/discounts-benefits/Discounts/senior-citizens

[@willweiss3205]

I'll stick to a car.

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Good call. I do.

[@alexrocha4262]

Clickbait

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Yes! Have I finally mastered the art?

[@Hdio99]

I will give my opinion on ruins, there are several sides to WHY SO MANY...pushing from my head only , THE BIGUEST problem is not the legal system, although it still has a part in it like legal system is very slow yes, and heritage problems in it , BUT MOSTLY is in my view a derivative of the poverty around that is dificult to erase, I mean firstly you cannot kill people, second poor people does mean low education and mentality mindset that is common in many poor countries, and Portugal is a poor country still, there is an historic reason, 50 years ago we came from a long dictorship, and my god poverty was a level I think you would not imagine, so poor people still alive but with a mind set that is not the best for modernity , they sometimes dont have the money to invest nor can have it loan by banks at a certain age, some that die, their siblings maybe imigrated and maybe they are several brothers and each they own now a liilte land witch you see abandon, and because its little to each one and they are fighting for their lives in somewhere in the world , its not their priority to devide legally the little land that maybe toghether is something and to your eyes would be an easy investment... SIMPLE to me, although I agree that oooh man a lot of places would be amazing to us to built something out for tourism, although I am more in a perpective of making investment for even more sustainable things to Portugal, because tourism is already in a scale that can be not very good for the density it creates and even for the dependecy it can have for a seasonal and when tourism can scale back and then some of this places are not more sustainable and they go back to ruins as we can see a lot to hapening around, not all places survive, and not all condoms are good to live regularly has the region is more arid and year by year its becaoming more desert by the way the weather is going to evolve. So poverty is the biguest reason, more than legal, more even than the will, 95% or 97% of locals cannot afford to invest, and the ones who can already have something done ar owned, has algarve is not entirelly ruins is it!?

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Thanks for your input. I agree, poverty is a massive thing, but if the laws were easier then that land could be sold and the money distributed to the inheritors of the land. I also agree about tourism not being the best solution, there needs to be some kind of sustainable economy that could be built on the ruins, which would be attractive to new business owners if there were attractive tax breaks and an efficient way of setting up and trading maybe there would be hope. Things are changing though, slowly.

[@josefgillan6616]

Your comments on VRSA were decidedly misleading. You went to an industrial (former) area on the outskirts of the town and complained it hadn't been repurposed. But you did NOT point out that the town itself has a beautiful riverfront and those of us fortunate to have found it love it. It is pedestrian friendly, does not require a car to enjoy, and with a ferry to Spain provides 2 countries/cultures for the price of one. Yes there are industrial properties at the town' s edge that need to be revitalized, but it is unconciousable and misleading to refer to these without pointing out that the town itself does not look like that! Shame on you.

[@AlgarveAddicts]

Hahahah, I don't think shame is entirely necessary. Have a look at my other VRSA video. I'm allowed to point out things that in my opinion are sad. VRSA is a lovely place, I didn't dam the whole place. Although you clearly inferred that.

[@carlosvictor8679]

ruins=too much corruption .

[@AlgarveAddicts]

How's that, Carlos?

[@carlosvictor8679]

@@AlgarveAddicts locals emigrated left properties abandoned cause governments been corrupt for a long time.

[@BasicBeachCommunity1]

Ugly. yes. I'm in a smaller US town now and i hate the lack of newer buildings. The roads are old, ugly old buildings. But some stupid politician and the historical codes...Blah blah blah basically.Lol