Sea
In case you prefer to travel by boat, your journey to Faial will probably turn out to be an exciting adventure, since the sea of the Azores is not as calm as its people, even in the summer.
Regular passenger trips between the islands of the Central Group are provided by Transmaçor, in small but safe ships called "Cruzeiro do Canal", "Cruzeiro das Ilhas" and "Espalamaca". The first ones consist of two floors, having seats, bar, washrooms and TV set on the inside compartments and seats covered by sunblind on the outside. The journeys are usually pleasant when the sea is relatively calm, but if you get seasick easily it is advisable that you travel on the outside, and in addition you will be in a better position to admire the view, specially when passing by the Madalena islets.
In the Winter time there are four journeys between Horta and Madalena in Pico, at 07:45, 10:00, 13:00, 15:00 e 17:00, each journey taking half an hour. The return from Madalena is at 08:30, 10:45, 13:45, 15:45 e 17:45. In the Summer time there is an additional service leaving Horta at 19:00 and returning from Madalena at 19:45, although during the festivals there may be even more additional services.
Faster journeys can be made with the Expresso do Triângulo vessel, which also operates regular services between the islands of Pico, São Jorge and Terceira in half the time of the other ships, although this depends on the weather. On Fridays it leaves Horta at 09:00, arrives Madalena do Pico at 09:15, São Roque do Pico at 10:10, Velas de São Jorge at 11:00 and Angra do Heroísmo in Terceira at 14:00. All other days it leaves Horta at 07:55, 09:00, 17:10, 18:45 for Madalena, and the 09:00 service continues on to São Roque and Velas.
From Horta there are nonstop journeys to Madalena(2.5 euros) and São Roque(7.5 euros) in Pico Island, and with stopovers to Velas(10 euros) and Calheta(12.5 euros) in São Jorge Island, and Angra do Heroísmo(30 euros) in Terceira. For more details contact the ferry terminal in Horta where the tickets are sold, it is located on the right-hand corner of the harbour, at Largo Dr. Manuel Arriaga. Bear in mind that the weather conditions may prevent some journeys from taking place, and it is wiser to purchase the return ticket at the origin so that you won't be in danger of not having any vacancy, especially during the festivals. Trips on holidays will e postponed and to the above mentioned prices a half fare is applied to children between the ages of 4 and 11 inclusive.
In the months of June, July, August and September, the company Açorline operates large cruise ships that in addition to carrying people, also have a hold for vehicles. The Lady of Mann stops over in Horta, São Roque do Pico and Velas de São Jorge twice a day while the Golfinho Azul has trips to the farther away islands of Flores, Terceira, São Miguel and Santa Maria on specific days and at competitive prices. Journeys take longer but there are rooms, restaurants, bars, and entertainment on board. Reservations must be made on travel agents.

Transmaçor Rua Nova nº29, Horta Tel:292 293 334 Fax:292 292 585 Internet:www.transmacor.pt

Açorline Gare Marítima, Horta Tel:292 392 639 Internet:www.acorline.pt

Land
Inside Horta the taxi fares are fixed at about 2.5 euros and to the rest of the island they increase according to the distance covered. Fast and good quality vehicles are used, most drivers understand English and they operate between 8am and 1am. In Horta the taxi terminal is in Rua Vasco da Gama, right in front of the Nautical Club, and there are also others near the ferry terminal and the airport, although they can also be stopped on the street if the green light is on.
The island's bus network operated by the company Farias Lda functions from Monday to Friday in large red-stripped and beige buses and is mostly used by students and countryside people who come shopping to town. Their final destinations are the parishes of Flamengos, Cedros, Praia do Almoxarife, Castelo Branco and Praia do Norte, also stopping over at other places. The terminus in Horta is located near the marina while the rest of the bus stops are the numerous small white shelters, and tickets are purchased inside the bus. In addition, there are also the city bus route that covers the whole of Horta several times a day and the round-the-island route that departs daily at 11:45am from the bus stop in front of the tourism office.

Taxis Central Rua Filipe Carvalho, Horta Tel:292 391 500 Tel:292 293 505 (24 hours) Fax:292 391 300 Internet:www.apoioacores.com/terryscab

Transportes Farias Lda. Rua Vasco da Gama nº42, Horta Tel:292 292 482

If you really want to explore the island without getting tired, then there are two options: either hiring a taxi cab with driver, commentary, and a set sightseeing tour lasting between 3 to 7 hours, or renting a car and use it at your own pace. There are several rent-a-car agents with offices at both Horta town centre and the airport, and some of them also sell and repair vehicles, so this is certainly a good option.
Note that although Faial's roads are narrow, driving is done on the left-hand side, as in continental Europe and the USA, and the use of a seatbelt is compulsory at all times. It won't be very difficult for you to find parking spaces but do pay attention to the one-way streets and to cattle on the countryside roads, and don’t be surprised with local drivers that bring traffic to a stand still when they stop to chat with each other. The speed limit is 50km/h and it’s wise to stick to it most of the time, not only because a number of roads need to be repaired, but also because the police is usually hidden where least expected.

Auto Turística Faialense Rua Conselheiro Medeiros nº12, Horta Tel:292 292 308 Fax:292 293 608 Internet:www.autoturisticafaialense.com	Rent-a-Car Ilha Azul Rua Conselheiro Medeiros nº14, Horta Tel:292 208 600 Fax:292 208 609 Internet:www.marquesesilva.pt/ilhaazul
Horta Rent-a-Car Rua Conselheiro Medeiros nº, Horta Tel:292 208 589 Fax:292 208 584 Internet:www.monixweb.com/hortarent	Hertz Rua Vasco da Gama nº22, Horta Tel:292 200 031 Fax:292 200 033 Internet:www.hertz.com

Contacts of travel agents in Horta: