Travel tips for Madeira

Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal, so it sits inside the EU and the Schengen area for entry purposes — there's no island-specific visa, no separate currency and no border crossing to plan around, unlike destinations split between two countries. The currency is the euro, the same as mainland Portugal; cards are accepted almost everywhere, though a little cash still helps at small market stalls, rural cafés and the poncha bars of Câmara de Lobos.

Getting around is where the real planning sits: a rental car suits a trip built around the north coast, the highlands and the more remote levadas, since Madeira's steep, narrow roads — gradients over 20% exist on some minor routes — reward a small car and a manual gearbox over anything larger; Horários do Funchal buses cover the city and the nearby coast, while SAM serves the east, Rodoeste the west and EACL the north, though services to trailheads run only a few times a day; and organised day tours cover the middle-distance sights efficiently without driving yourself. Funchal parking is tight and largely paid, which is worth factoring in for a city-centre hotel stay.

The only realistic way in is Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira Airport (FNC) at Santa Cruz, whose runway sits on a platform carried by close to 180 piers above the sea; crosswinds occasionally divert flights to Porto Santo or Las Palmas, more often in winter. Weather shapes the trip more than in flatter destinations: the south around Funchal is sunny and dry, the north around Porto Moniz and Santana is green and considerably wetter, and the peaks sit above the clouds on many days — the three can be experienced in a single afternoon.

Funchal itself runs around 19-21°C in winter and 24-26°C in summer, with the sea between 18 and 23°C, but it can genuinely be near freezing at Pico do Arieiro or Pico Ruivo even when the city is mild. Electricity runs on Type F plugs at 230V, 50Hz, the emergency number is 112, and the time zone is Western European Time, UTC+0 (UTC+1 in summer), the same as mainland Portugal. Driving is on the right.

Tipping isn't obligatory in restaurants — rounding up or adding 5-10% for good service is normal rather than expected — and bargaining isn't expected in shops or markets, though it's worth being wary of market fruit vendors who offer a free taste and then weigh and charge for far more than was agreed.