The closest airport to Albufeira is Faro Airport which is a short connecting flight from major airports (45 minutes from Lisbon Airport). From there we recommend driving or taking an Uber, which is a very common and easy mode of transportation used in Algarve.
Alternatively you can fly to Lisbon (and visit the city which we highly recommend!) and then take the Alfa Pendular train to Albufeira - Ferreiras station, which is a short distance to Albufeira Old Town. The train ride will be between 2.5-3 hours. Use the link below to check out train tickets and schedules:
https://rail.ninja/route/lisbon-to-albufeira
You can also rent a car in Lisbon (or other cities), if you prefer to drive to Albufeira and explore other towns in the Algarve region (Please see "Things To Do" page for more information on other cities). The drive will take around 2 hours and half from Lisbon Airport. Canadian, American, and or European driver's licenses are valid for car rentals in Portugal. You do not need to have an International Driving Licence. Below are few websites through which you can reserve a rental car in Portugal.
While we are staying in Albufeira, Algarve is a small region and is very easy to drive across different towns by car or by Uber. Feel free to stay in cities other than Albufeira if you wish. We recommend our younger guests to stay in either the Old Town or the modern part of Albufeira (aka "The Strip"), which is close to the district of Santa Eulália, as these two neighbourhoods are the liveliest and most concentrated with restaurants and bars. There are plenty of family friendly resorts and hotels located just minutes away from these two neighbourhoods.
The following are a few hotels we recommend our guests to stay at, but there are plenty of other hotel and Airbnb options for accommodations.
1. Aqua Pedra Dos Bicos (Adults Only) https://aquapedradosbicosdesignbeachhotel.com-hotel.com/
There is a 10% discount code "PANIZWEDDINGOUT22" valid from 1/10/2022 to 15/10/2022 if you place a reservation at this hotel through their website.
We still recommend checking out Booking.com as you might find even better deals.
2. Quinta Pedra Dos Bicos (Family Friendly)
3. Grand Muthu Oura View Beach Club (Family Friendly)
www.muthuhotelsmgm.com/grand-muthu-oura-view-beach-club
4. Hotel California Urban Beach (Adults Only)