What travellers report

Many cars are badly parked in Funchal, and there are few proper parking spots; hotels often lack spaces for all guests with rental cars.

Take a day trip to the small island Porto Santo; it has amazing coastlines and rock formations, especially the sand-eroded rock facades on the east coast.

In June/July, staying in Funchal with no car and doing a tour to see the sights worked well; the weather was amazing and there were no crowds in the off-season.

Usually you pay extra to get an automatic transmission when renting.

Stop off at a fruit farm for fresh delicious fruit.

Magic Islands rent-a-car is notorious for not returning deposits, takes the money in full instead of just blocking it, and ignores emails.

Don't trust navigation; roads might be too steep. Stop and wait for space to join the main road at highway ramps.

Never do roundabouts always on the outside lane; only enter the outside lane if you take the next exit.

Beware the GPS; it may lead you through very steep and narrow roads that are not the quickest way.

Avoid cemented roads and/or with steps in the middle of the road; that is a good sign it's a very steep road.

Use the engine to brake when going downhill.

A low HP car may be the reason for feeling unsafe, as you can't push the car to go fast enough and everybody around you is in a faster car. Driving in cliff side roads adds to the stress.

Try poncha, a traditional drink. Places: Taberna da Poncha, Poncha De São Vicente, Poncha do Lombo doutor, Pub Number Two, Rei da Poncha, Pharmacia Do Bento, Bar_Agrela. Also try 'Nikita' and 'Pe de cabra' (poncha too), both traditional drinks.

During Christmastime there are Xmas markets, and Funchal is a nice mix of vibrant and laid back.

Do not use a Fiat Panda 1.2 for driving in Madeira; there are steep roads where you would appreciate a car with more power.

If a rental company doesn't refund your deposit, approach your bank or Revolut and dispute the payment; one user got their refund 2 days after starting the dispute.

The parking situation in Funchal has worsened after the tourism boom and increase in rental cars.

Depending on which spot you are, it is one of the most unique New Year's events in the world.

Returning on 31 December or 1 January is almost double the price in airplane tickets, about 400€ more, reported by a user.

The Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike is spectacular, some of the best views you can get hiking in Europe. For the best views don't take the tunnels (shortcuts). The path that goes around the tunnels is pretty difficult. Unless extremely fit, only do the hike one way, from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo then descend to the restaurant in Achada do Teixeira and get a taxi back to your car at Pico do Arieiro. Must do when the sky is clear; on a cloudy day you won't see anything as you will be walking through the clouds.

It can be chillier than expected based on images.

Mad Point rental car company had great service, great price, and no deposits.

La Carbonara in Marina Shopping, Funchal is recommended for pizza, especially the shrimp one with pineapple and cocktail sauce.

Nico's Avenida in Funchal is a small street cafe with decent Pastel de Natas.

Kampo by Chef Julio Pereira in Funchal has very delicious dry-aged meat and tasty tuna tartar in a cone as a starter. It's on the pricey side but worth it.

Restaurante Vila do Peixe in Camara de Lobos had an absolutely fantastic Dragonfish grilled on their bbq, and the best octopus on the whole trip. A bit on the pricey side.

CVrent's Google Maps profile says 'closed temporarily' and the only reviews in the last month are all 1 star and all talking about cancelled bookings. Their booking system uses Anyrent so it's not possible to 'overlap bookings'.

You definitely do not need a car; the buses were fine as were the tours, and if you're solo traveling, a car is a waste of fun money.

Bela 5 snack bar is a dive joint, constantly busy often with local police who pay full price, menu alters depending on what is available and as they sell so seasonal and fresh, at least half the price of nearby restaurants on Rua Santa Maria, friendly and welcoming, and excellent poncha made to order.

The restaurant next to the church in Santa Cruz, a bit far from Funchal, is Bom Jesus; the garlic bread is amazing.

On a day with snow in Funchal, it was the day with the most accidents; people were minimally prepared for slippery ground.

Automatic Rental Cars Madeira was highly recommended for a seamless experience from booking to drop-off.

A Fiat Panda is okay for 1-2 people; you can't race but you can reach every destination fast.

If you end up on a narrow road and traffic is coming the opposite direction, the largest vehicle gets to go.

PVP in Funchal, central zone in Lido, in front of Meliã with lots of parking and a huge room, has exterior and interior and a large menu with various options, always fresh. The price is super economical for the quality. Personally recommend the bife de filete.

Avoid big car rental companies at the airport; look for more local options. Rentx and City Car Rent are recommended.

If you arrive at the Achada do Teixeira parking lot around 12pm, you may have trouble parking.

Nuno's Rent A Car offers good prices and all-risk insurance so you don't have to worry about scratches.

MadPoint includes insurance and has great customer service.

Madpoint is the best: no deposit, no credit card required, can pay cash. If you get full insurance they don't even check the car when you return it. They are 5 min away from the airport but they come pick you up and bring you back.

Google Maps would send you down an old road that was supposed to go here and there but it's basically a dead end or too incline to drive on. Too many traffic circles.

If you are staying at a hotel, they can provide partner companies for trips or hikes, or make renting a car easier.

The Calheta area in the southwestern part of the island has great weather, is not too busy, has nice places to stay, and is still close enough to do dinner in Funchal.

Ask for the Livro de Reclamações (complaints book, now digital) when filing a complaint about a rental company.

Try autocanhas, no credit card/deposit needed.

Don't get the cheapest car when you're there. A Fiat Panda was too weak and slow to get up a lot of the hills.

Go up to Santana and walk to Ribeiro Bonito (PR18 Levada do Rei); it is relatively easy, about 11km total, with breath-taking views.

You need a car or a tour guide to really see the island's hikes and viewpoints high on the mountains or north coast.

Madeira has relatively stable weather that is nice all year round.

Madeira is basically the top of a mountain, very steep and lush; almost all the population and almost all the hotels are on the south coast.

Progresso is a driving school in Funchal that one user attended and can recommend.

Magoscar was really good for one user.

If there are a few people in the car, get something with more power than the ~1L options.

The best food was in snack bars: Bela 5, Snack Bar A Pipa, Snack Bar Restaurante Boca Da Encumeada, Restaurante Seixal Butcher. They were perfect: beer, poncha, wine, Bolo do Caco, fresh octopus, delicious steak sandwiches, grilled skewers of meat. A LOT cheaper than restaurants.

5 Sentidos is recommended for a nicer dining experience; small and intimate with delicious food.

Akua and Taberna do Capitao were a waste of time; not memorable, just fine.

Informal Restaurant is also great and they just opened their Drinks Lab next door, easily the best signature cocktail place in town.

For Neapolitan pizza, Pizzas do Mauro. Amazing pizzas and their basque cheesecake is the perfect finisher.

The espetada at Churrascaria Sao Roque was spectacular, friendly bar, on a cute little plaza in a quiet part of the city, worth an uphill walk or cab fare.

Don't get the fastest route (most of the time is the steepest) but the longer alternative.

Try: Viola, Parada dos Eucaliptos, Abrigo do Pastor, Montanha. All are great, though a tad heavy on the wallet, but none are in the center of Funchal.

Coimbra is almost surely not worth it. If taking transports it's a convenient stop but either stay one more day in Lisbon (day trip to Tomar or Obidos or Cascais/Cabo da Roca) or spend another day in Porto with a day trip to either Braga or Guimarães.

Salema is nothing special, there are tons of other little villages along the natural park. That part of the coast is pretty windy.

Late December and early January can be a great time to explore Europe. For food, culture, views, focus on Vietnam (perfect weather, amazing food, super affordable, lots to see, no hiking needed for nature), Canary Islands (warm, low humidity, volcanic scenery, great food and cafés, easy exploring without hiking; Tenerife and Lanzarote are great picks for views & culture; busy for holidays but not overwhelming), Malta (good weather, tons of history and architecture, super walkable, café culture).

In March, Portugal is best. May be Portugal with a couple of days in Lisbon, Douro valley, Porto and the beautiful Algarve.

For a first visit, there is no point basing yourself anywhere other than Funchal.

Some rental desks refuse Revolut debit cards, claiming they are pre-paid; if a company states it cannot accept pre-paid cards, find another place.

Car rentals create a sometimes very large hold on your funds, so a limited pre-paid card may be refused.

Rent a car and drive along the coast and around the island, especially on a sunny day; cover Ribeira Brava, Ponta do Sol, Porto Moniz, Seixal, Santana, and maybe walk along Sao Lourenco.

Get up early and have a taxi take you to Pico do Arieiro to watch the sun rise over the clouds; pay the driver to wait for you.

Even though it is a tourist trap, take the cable car up the mountain and ride the wicker baskets down the street.

If you go in summer holidays, visit nearby Porto Santo too; it is practically a tropical paradise minus the tourists.

With five days you need to be conservative about how much you can see, particularly if you lose half a day or more travelling.

You need to consider where you are able to fly home from, which dictates where you might choose; you don't want three connecting flights to get back home.

Always take layers and a pac-a-mac because the weather is highly changeable, especially in the mountains where you may experience wind, rain and ominous clouds that usually blow over quickly.

Rent a car; buses to touristic spots are not frequent or reliable enough. A 30-minute drive can turn into an almost 2-hour bus ride, and the bus back to Funchal was 30 minutes late, requiring waiting in the dark.

Renting a car is inexpensive, reported by a user as 30€/day with full insurance; manual cars were even cheaper.

Given how steep and winding the roads are, manual cars are recommended against; big cities like Funchal can be a bit chaotic with cars parked everywhere.

You have to pay a 3€ fee to walk the levadas/hiking routes or you risk getting fined; make sure to do so before leaving for the actual hike as often there's no signal.

Sunrise at Pico do Arieiro is pretty crowded; rather go to Pico Ruivo.

You can find hikes like the Old São Jorge pass on Komoot.

Bringing an analog camera along turned out to be a great conversation starter; many people approached to talk about it, making it easy to connect with others as a solo traveler.

When renting a car, note that some rentals are stick shift/manual; an American collecting a car couldn't/wouldn't take it because it was stick shift, and the rental desk said this happens a lot.

Hiking Pico do Arieiro was one for the books.

The Aeroporto shuttle from the airport costs 5€ or 7€ round trip; it goes through Funchal and you tell the driver where you need to go and they let you know when it's your stop.

The Aeroporto shuttle is 5/8€ (with return) now.

Before taking a taxi, negotiate the price; you'll probably pay less and avoid getting scammed.

Renting a car is highly recommended, especially if you intend to go hiking; rentcarmadeira.com requires no credit card, just a driver's license and an ID, with pickup at the airport (for a fee) or the Funchal office.

Don't rent big cars; many roads are mountain roads or small residential streets allowing only one car in width.

Don't blindly follow your GPS; if in doubt about a road, stay on the main one.

Look at the web cams before deciding where to go, since the north has different weather than the south of the island; swap your day around according to the weather.

In the many traffic circles, stay in the inner lane until you get to your turn off.

The bus system is pretty reliable although it takes longer getting places and you have to plan more; a Bolt cost $30 a few times for more specific trips (reported by a user).

A dude at Europcar at the airport tried to make people upgrade to bigger cars; a Fiat 500 was the maximum that could get out of their garage.

PR1 is ~15.6 km with ~1,000 m elevation gain, 7–8 hours, rated HARD; set out early.

Following a rule change in April 2026, the trail operates exclusively from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo (two-way traffic only on the short section between Pico do Areeiro and the Pedra Rija viewpoint); arrange your return transport in advance from Achada do Teixeira.

Buy a ticket in advance for 10 EUR.

Be prepared for the weather to change quickly and for unreliable forecasts; bring plenty of water and a light jacket even if it looks clear at the start.

Allow for 3 extra days so you can freely adjust your plans.

At Rent-a-Car Madeira/RentCarMadeira, take extensive pictures and timestamped, 360 degree videos of the vehicle condition or they will try and claim you for pre-existing damages; a 600 euro deposit was required for individuals 23 and younger (reported by a user).

At Europcar, a rear view mirror fell off while parked and they charged $1200 for the repair (reported by a user).

Never rent a car from local small car rentals; cheap deals always end up costly, and every time not renting from Europcar led to problems.

A free web app (madeira.edza.lv) lets you put in when you want to go and how far, find warmth, sort by sun, and filter out high wind and rain, plus hiking trails and webcams.

Drive carefully; car culture is strong and most locals drive fast, so slowing down on the freeway to watch a plane land is a no no.

Madeira is a hiking island; wear appropriate gear.

Don't drink more than 4 ponchas.

For PR 6 (25 Fontaines), park at the alternate spot instead of the busy starting point in Rabaçal to skip the hellish stairs and elevation at the beginning by doing PR 6.6 and then continuing down PR 6 when it gets flat, and start with a tunnel.

In Calheta there were no nearby laundromats and the resort's laundry service was very pricey (€18 per shirt, reported by a user), while Funchal offers more reasonable laundry options including services that deliver to your hotel.

In Madeira they speak Portuguese, not Spanish; speaking Spanish to waiters is not appropriate.

The roads on the island are extremely steep and tight; smaller group tours are an option if you're not comfortable driving and navigating.

The public lido is great for a day of sunbathing and chilling out.

Multi-day hikes are not really a thing in Madeira; it's all about day hikes.

With limited public transport options, you often need your own transportation (rental car, which can be pricey especially in high season) or a taxi to get to most PR trails.

Most levada walks are out-and-back, meaning you do the same hike twice, often on a very narrow path which makes crossing other hikers difficult.

PR8 is extremely crowded; highly recommended to get there as early as possible.

You can book a boat ride back from PR8, which was more fun than the hike itself, but the walk from the marina back to the parking lot was very far.

Avoid Vereda do Larano during heavy rain or wind as the cliffs drop hundreds of feet down into the ocean; if you are afraid of heights, skip this.

Renting a car in Madeira is ideal.

Bring a raincoat and shoes with good traction that can get wet.

Cabo Girão Skywalk is not worth it; it was not cheap and no more than 10 minutes of entertainment. Instead, go to the statue of Cristo Rei for the same view for free with less people and free parking.

Cable cars are super expensive and you definitely need to buy your ticket in advance; even in off season at 10am on a Tuesday there was a 30-minute wait.

CVRENT / NUNO cancelled a reservation made 9 months in advance due to an error in their system and an overlapping booking, and they were fully booked for the period. They said they would refund the deposit but didn't provide a specific timeframe or alternative solution.

Driving in Madeira can feel dangerous: locals or others who know the roads don't seem to have respect for people driving carefully, speed limits are insane and they don't seem to care about them. Constantly overtaken by drivers who think there's a rally or street race going on. Rented a car with Hertz (Seat Ibiza, small car) as recommended for driving in Madeira, but the car is the lowest of the lowest in HP, so you have to go up in 1st gear, and the oil temperature goes up like crazy, risking overheating.