P5 Premium sits in the covered section close to Faro T1
P5 Premium is a covered car park at Faro – Gago Coutinho International Airport (FAO), serving Terminal T1 only. It sits on the official airport grounds, in the premium category rather than the cheaper remote fields you see advertised off-site. Bays are standard European size, so larger SUVs or vans may feel tight, but the payoff is shade from the Algarve sun and some protection from coastal weather.
This is a short- to medium-stay option, with pricing based on a daily rate rather than long-stay weekly deals; Faro airport’s own tariff brackets reset every 24 hours. P5 Premium is aimed at drivers who want to park close to T1 and walk, instead of waiting 10–15 minutes for a shuttle from a third‑party lot. You pay at airport machines or online through the airport’s system, so it slots neatly into your existing trip planning without dealing with external operators.
The car park is post-access control in the sense that you drive directly onto airport property before reaching the T1 departures doors, but it remains outside the actual terminal security zone. The walk from P5 Premium to the T1 check-in hall is typically under 5–7 minutes at a normal pace. Luggage trolleys around Faro airport usually require a small coin deposit (commonly €1), so keep some change ready if you are parking farther from the pedestrian exits.
There are no widely reported issues unique to P5 Premium on Faro‑focused forums; most complaints online talk instead about general airport traffic at FAO and queues at departures in peak July–August weekends. Official airport parking like P5 Premium avoids the van pick‑up delays you sometimes see mentioned with off-site providers, where a late shuttle can cost you 20–30 minutes. If you land after 22:00 in T1, factor in that pay machines and on-site help desks may operate on reduced staffing, so pay at a machine as soon as you return to your car.
Tip: In summer, pick P5 Premium over open-air long-stay if your car sits 2–4 days; the covered structure at FAO noticeably reduces interior heat when outside temperatures push past 30°C.