How to get to Madeira

It takes around 3hr 36 min fly to Madeira. Madeira Airport the largest construction project ever undertaken on the island. It used to be called Funchal Airport, but on July 23, 2016, the Madeira International Airport was renamed to Madeira Airport – Cristiano Ronaldo. Its runway has been extended from 1,600 m to its present 2,781 min length. The new part of the runway is built partially over the sea and it is very impressive. It is supported by180 pillars constituting a monument to engineering. Each pillar is 3 meters diameter and the tallest are 50 meters high.

Around Madeira

Buses are best suited for travel around Madeira and they run along the coast every 10-15 minutes. Renting the car give you more freedom and you can see hidden places you can't get to by bus. Normally I would recommend to book a cheapest small car, but not in Madeira. We booked as usual a small car and end up with Fiat Panda. A small car like that can't handle Madeira's hilly and mountainous road very well, most of the time we had to drive on second gear and wasted a lot of time and petrol, at some point locals had to give us a push because the hill was so steep and the car just couldn't make it. Go for the medium, it will cost more to rent, but it's well worth it.

Safety in Madeira

Madeira is a very safe place to be on holiday. The crime rate in Madeira is low in terms of violent crimes as well as for small, petty crimes like pickpocketing. Violence against tourists is very, very unusual. It is also safe for anyone walking about during the evening and at night.

Money in Madeira

Madeira can be as expensive or as cheap as you wish it to be. I agree that if you eat in restaurants frequented by the locals, it is less expensive than eating in the 'touristy' places. Surprisingly, Madeira is not as expensive as I expected, considering it's an island and a lot of products had to be shipped here. Main course in a good restaurant will set you back £10-15 depending on what you order, seafood will cost you more. Glass of wine less than £2.50, overall I thought Madeira was a very good value for money. Not to mention, that most of the attractions, like mind-blowing beauty of the nature and breathtaking scenery are free.