Cheap Flights from London to Faro: Fares from £19 (2026)

Cheap Flights from London to Faro: The Algarve Gateway

I nearly booked Lisbon by mistake. I’d been staring at flight calendars for twenty minutes when I spotted it — Faro, £23 in late October, with the golden cliffs of Ponta da Piedade already playing in my mind. A friend had told me the Algarve in autumn is a completely different country to the August version: the same warm light, the same terracotta rock stacks rising out of the Atlantic, but without the queues and the noise. The Ria Formosa lagoon practically to yourself. A table at a seafood restaurant without a reservation. All of it hinging on one cheap flight from London to Faro.

Here’s the fast answer. Cheap flights from London to Faro start at around £19 one-way in the off-season, and a midweek return under £80 is genuinely achievable for most of autumn through spring. Five carriers — Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, TAP Air Portugal and British Airways — compete on this route, which means prices stay under pressure all year. The Algarve, unlike a lot of European sun destinations, also earns a trip in winter: mild temperatures, dramatic coastal walks, and the kind of café culture that makes a rainy London day feel very far away.

What you’ll find below: the cheapest months, an airline comparison, which London airport to fly from, and the simple tips that cut another £20 to £40 off the total.

Start by checking live prices for your dates below, then read on for the cheapest combination of airport, airline and month.

Best Time to Fly from London to Faro

The Algarve is one of Europe’s most forgiving destinations for off-season travel — 300 days of sunshine a year is the official claim, and even November delivers enough warmth for clifftop walks in a light jacket. That makes the cheap winter fares feel less like a compromise and more like a genuine upgrade on the experience.

February is genuinely underrated. Faro’s old town is serene without the summer crowds, the Ria Formosa lagoon glitters in the low winter sun, and the almond trees inland are in blossom — a pinkish-white dusting across the Serra hills. I paid £23 for a return in late October, which felt almost rude given how warm the air was when I stepped off the plane. September and October are the real sweet spot if you want the sun without the premium: water temperature still around 22°C, fares roughly half the August price.

The one trap is Easter week and British school half-terms, when a normally cheap April or October flight suddenly triples. Check the UK school calendar before you lock in dates.

London to Faro Airlines Compared

Five carriers fly this route, which is unusual for a regional Portuguese airport — that competition is the reason the fares stay honest.

Ryanair

Ryanair usually quotes the lowest headline price — sometimes £19 to £25 in the winter trough — from Stansted, Luton and Gatwick. The familiar trade-off applies: only a very small underseat bag is free, and a cabin bag or hold luggage adds £20 to £35. Fly with a single backpack and the saving is real. Add a bag and Ryanair starts to look like everyone else.

easyJet

easyJet operates out of Gatwick and Luton and generally prices around £28 to £50, often with a slightly more generous cabin bag allowance. It’s the natural middle ground — not as stripped-back as Ryanair but consistently cheaper than the full-service carriers. Gatwick is also easier to reach from south and west London than Stansted.

Jet2

Jet2 flies from Gatwick and Stansted and is worth a check for summer bookings in particular, when it often has competitive package-style prices. Its seats are comfortable for a budget airline and the baggage policy is clearer than some rivals. Not always the cheapest, but a dependable backup.

TAP Air Portugal

TAP flies Heathrow to Faro and occasionally Gatwick, typically from around £55 in economy. The benefit over pure budget carriers is the carry-on bag included, a more comfortable seat, and the connection through Lisbon if you’re planning to explore more of Portugal. Avios members can also earn and redeem on TAP flights.

British Airways

BA prices from around £60 with a carry-on and in-flight snacks, and earns Avios. Sale fares occasionally drop close to £40. The gap versus the budget carriers narrows considerably once you’ve added bags and seat fees to the Ryanair total, especially on the Heathrow route where the Elizabeth line makes access easy.

Found a fare you like? Scan the live calendar below and lock it in before the price moves.

Which London Airport Should You Use?

Faro is popular enough that you have a genuine choice of airport, and the “cheapest” option depends on where you live in London as much as the headline fare.

London Stansted (STN)

Best for the lowest Ryanair fares. The Stansted Express from Liverpool Street takes about 47 minutes (book ahead for around £19 to £22 single), or National Express coaches run from around £12. Factor in the journey time — Stansted is the furthest major airport from central London — but if you’re in the north or east of the city it’s often the most logical choice.

London Luton (LTN)

Strong for Ryanair and easyJet. Thameslink or East Midlands Railway to Luton Airport Parkway, then a short shuttle, gets you from St Pancras in around 45 minutes for £17 to £20. A reasonable option if you’re north of the river.

London Gatwick (LGW)

The most versatile option for Faro, served by Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2. The Gatwick Express reaches Victoria in 30 minutes (around £20 single), and cheaper Southern and Thameslink services take closer to 45 minutes for less. If you’re in south or west London, Gatwick often wins on total door-to-door time and cost.

London Heathrow (LHR)

The base for TAP and British Airways. More expensive fares, but the Elizabeth line connects to Paddington in about 15 minutes and covers the full underground network for £10 to £13. Worth it if you value the included bag and the airport convenience.

The real total-cost comparison

A £19 Ryanair fare from Stansted, plus £20 train, plus £25 cabin bag, totals £64. A £60 BA fare from Heathrow with a free carry-on and a £12 Elizabeth line ride totals £72. The gap is smaller than the headline fares suggest — and in some configurations Heathrow comes out ahead when you count everything.

Use the Live Price Calendar

Green days are the cheapest. Scan across the month, spot the midweek dip, and book before it fills.

Seven Ways to Pay Less for London to Faro Flights

1. Fly midweek. Tuesday and Wednesday seats consistently undercut Friday and Sunday by £20 to £40.
2. Travel outside UK school holidays. The difference between term-time October and half-term October can be £60 per person each way.
3. Set price alerts. Flash sales on this busy route cut fares by 30 to 50 percent and close within 48 hours.
4. Book six to ten weeks ahead for off-peak, or three to four months ahead for July and August.
5. Compare all London airports in one flight search — the same dates can vary by £30 or more between Stansted and Gatwick once you factor in the train.
6. Travel hand-luggage only. A hold bag adds £20 to £40 each way — enough to push a budget fare into full-service territory.
7. Mix airlines on outbound and return. A Ryanair outbound and an easyJet return (or vice versa) sometimes saves £20 to £30 over booking a return with one carrier.

On the ground in Faro

Faro Airport sits just seven kilometres from the city centre. The Próximo bus line 14 and 16 runs to the terminal for under €2, or a taxi costs around €12 to €15. Prebooked transfers to Albufeira, Vilamoura or Lagos run €15 to €30 per car and save the hassle of working out the bus-to-train-to-bus connection. You can also take the Comboios de Portugal regional train from Faro city station westward to Lagos in about 90 minutes, or eastward to Vila Real de Santo António on the Spanish border — a useful base for exploring the whole Algarve without renting a car.

Faro old town is worth a wander even if you’re heading straight to the beach resorts. The walled Cidade Velha, the bone chapel at Igreja das Carmelitas, and the views across the Ria Formosa from the waterfront all reward the hour it takes to explore. Pick up a pastel de nata at a café on Rua de Santo António and you’ve covered the essentials.

Stay connected from the moment you land

Portuguese roaming charges on a UK SIM can catch you out, and airport SIM queues eat into beach time. An eSIM loaded before you leave means maps, transfer bookings, and restaurant lookups are live the second you clear customs.

Planning where to stay? Our hotel guides have the best-value spots across the Algarve, from Faro’s old town to the clifftop resorts around Albufeira and Lagos.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest month to fly from London to Faro?

November through February offers the lowest fares, regularly £19 to £45 one-way. The Algarve stays mild through winter — temperatures around 15 to 18°C — so the cheap-season compromise is far smaller than on most beach routes. The beaches are golden and near-empty, the cliff walks are at their best, and the café culture in Faro’s old town is genuinely charming. Avoid UK school holiday weeks in any month.

How long is the flight from London to Faro?

A direct flight from London to Faro takes around 2 hours 45 minutes. It’s one of the UK’s most popular sun routes, with daily departures from Stansted, Luton, Gatwick and Heathrow year-round. There are no one-stop surprises on this route — every major carrier operates direct.

Which London airport is cheapest for Faro flights?

Stansted and Luton tend to have the lowest Ryanair fares, but Gatwick is the most versatile — it’s served by Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2, and is quicker to reach from south London. Always add the train or tube cost before deciding: a cheaper Stansted fare can vanish into the Stansted Express ticket.

Do I need a visa to fly from London to Faro?

UK citizens need a valid passport but no visa for Portugal stays up to 90 days under the UK-Portugal bilateral arrangement. Your passport should be valid for the full duration of your stay. EU and EEA nationals can travel with a national ID card. Faro is in the Schengen Area, so your entry counts against any 90-day Schengen total.

When should I book London to Faro flights?

For off-peak travel (November to May outside school holidays), booking six to eight weeks ahead is usually optimal. For July and August, start looking three to four months out. Set price alerts — flash sales on this popular route frequently slice 30 to 50 percent off fares, but they close fast.

Is it worth flying into Faro for the Algarve?

Absolutely. Faro Airport is the Algarve’s dedicated gateway, just seven kilometres from the city centre and well connected by bus, taxi and prebooked transfer to every resort in the region. Flying into Lisbon and travelling south adds two to three hours of train or bus time and is rarely cheaper once you price it out. Fly direct to Faro and you’re on the Algarve in minutes.

Book Your London to Faro Flight Now

The Algarve doesn’t need high summer to deliver. I landed in late October into warm golden light, walked the clifftop path at Ponta da Piedade with almost no one else around, and ate pastéis de nata in a café in Faro’s old town for the cost of a London cappuccino. The cheap flights from London to Faro make all of this affordable year-round — and the only thing that spoils the deal is paying for a bag you could have left at home, or flying the week everyone else picked. Choose the quiet week and the midweek departure, pack light, and the Algarve is genuinely one of Europe’s best-value trips from London.