Cable car and Toboggan Madeira

[wowzz]

13 minutes ago, Happy afloat said:

getting one of the queueing taxis back to the top to get the cable car back down. 

Only if you have bought a return ticket. Better to get a taxi back to the centre of Funchal, or the ship.

[lindyloo22]

We done the cable car and toboggan diy a few years back the road was still cobbled and I’m sure they took you nearly to the bottom, I thought it was great fun.

[sandancer]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

From memory, there is quite a bit of walking, plus queuing for the cable car.

I might be inclined to reconsider.

When you are visiting definitely needs to be taken into account. We were there in August alongside a giant MSC ship and it seemed like everyone was heading for the cable car. Queues were way too long for us. Is it an advantage booking through the cruise line if they have some priority over Joe public?

[Josy1953]

We did it about 16/17 years ago, we walked from the ship to the cable car and walked from the cable station  to the Toboggan Station via the gardens which were absolutely beautiful.  The toboggans went down to the bottom in those days. One of my memories is that the Toboggan route crossed a road half way down and there was a bus approaching along that road fortunately the bus gave way to the toboggans.   

If I ever decide to get rid of DH I will take him on the Toboggan run again because with the heart problems that he now has I doubt he would survive.

[annarack]

2 hours ago, sandancer said:

When you are visiting definitely needs to be taken into account. We were there in August alongside a giant MSC ship and it seemed like everyone was heading for the cable car. Queues were way too long for us. Is it an advantage booking through the cruise line if they have some priority over Joe public?

We did it DIY when on MSC in August.  Yes, most of the passengers on the ship did the same thing as there was no excursion that did both the cable car and toboggan.  There was also another Cunard ship in port.  We walked along the front to the cable car station, bit of a trek in the heat with small children but do-able.  Then queued an hour to buy tickets, only to find we then had to join another hour queue to actually ride the cable car.  Trip was great though.  Then we queued 2 hours for the toboggan!  Also great fun.  Finally a 25 euro taxi back to the ship.

So, although more expensive we have already booked the P&O excursion for when we go next Easter, probably 50% more expensive for the 4 of us than DIY, but hopefully also 4 hours quicker!

[Shelley61]

We did this ourselves too when we were there on an RCI cruise.  We got a taxi over to the cable car for opening time though, so managed to beat the cruise excursions.  Because we were there just as they opened for the day we had a whole cable car to ourselves, rather than sharing, and had completed our toboggan run before the excursions had even got there.

 

Taxi to the cable car wasn't much - can't remember now, but even at €10 I think it's OK.  €12.50 per person one way on the cable car and around €15 per person.  We walked back in to town from the end of the toboggan run.

 

So, so much easier and better to do it privately, either before or after the cruise excursions take over.

 

You also have the option to look around the botanic gardens at the top too, but we were too early for those as they were shut!

[wowzz]

Strangely enough, my Madeira 2018 photos came up on Google today.

One of the advantages of being there on holiday. No cruise ships in port, so no crowds and no queues. 

[Purdey16]

Wowzz I’m going to Madeira in March for a 10 day land holiday and hiring a car so any suggestions or tips to visit somewhere different? 

[Grumpycruiser60plus]

1 hour ago, Purdey16 said:

Wowzz I’m going to Madeira in March for a 10 day land holiday and hiring a car so any suggestions or tips to visit somewhere different? 

Hello again,  If i may add we very much like Madeira having visited in 2017 on Britannia & then a hotel stay in 2018. We shall be returning again in Jan23 for a further 2weeks stay at the same hotel. we can recommend driving out to the north west of the island, ( valley of the nuns) take a Dolphin watch boat trip perhaps.  We shall be looking to visit some different places, as we are there for 2 weeks although we will use local taxis/ guides as i do not like to drive on holiday having being a professional chauffeur for 25+ years, i enjoy sitting in the back & "waving".🤣.

[Red Ray]

On 10/3/2022 at 12:20 PM, wowzz said:

Now that the downhill stretch has been tarmacked,  replacing the cobbles,  I am told that  the experience is far less exciting that it was previously. 

 

It is

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Purdey16 said:

Wowzz I’m going to Madeira in March for a 10 day land holiday and hiring a car so any suggestions or tips to visit somewhere different? 

We liked Porto Moniz in the North of the island,  with a scenic (read tortuous!) drive to get there. 

I would say that it is especially important to look at the local  weather forecast if you are planning any trips that take you through the centre of the island. If rain is forecast the cloud often comes down,  reducing visibility and making the drive quite unpleasant.

We ate out quite a few times in the Old Town. Out favourites were Restarante La Ao Fundo, and Restaurante Cidade Vehla, both near the fort.

 

[Purdey16]

Thanks grumpycruiser, and wowzz I’ve made a note of those restaurants name’s .

[picsa]

21 hours ago, Purdey16 said:

I’m going to Madeira in March for a 10 day land holiday and hiring a car so any suggestions or tips to visit somewhere different? 

 

Câmara de Lobos which you can do easily by bus from Funchal and try the cafe in the market rather than the tourist trap cafes with 'barkers' trying to pull you in- the market cafe isn't fancy but it's good, particularly the tuna sandwich, which isn't tinned tuna but whole slices of marinated tuna.

 

Then there are the standard tourist visiting tours which are nevertheless interesting and can be done by car or inexpensively by one of the many mini-bus trips that run there from Funchal.

 

A trip to Curral das Freiras (nun's valley) is a good 1/2 day trip. Along the south of the island to the Cabo Girão Skywalk, Ponta do Sol, then up over the centre of the island, and down the Porto Moniz and back via Praia da Ribeira da Janela. The north-east of the island tend to take in Pico do Arieiro, Santa and Alagoa.

 

Obviously the cable cars and gardens in Funchal - although the cable cars are rather highly priced. If travelling by bus which you can do to the gardens or Monte, then get one of the reloadable cards.

 

If you are fit then the Levada walks are good, and an easy one the trips tend to stop at is the 'trout farm' at Levada do Furado. Others are much more spectacular with crazy high drops to one side or needing to navigate unlit tunnels.

 

For restaurants, be aware that all those down the street with the painted doors (Rua Dom Carlos 1) are tourist trap places that I would personally avoid (as are many in the 'restaurant street' in town - Rua da Carrreia), but the bar at the top of the hill overlooking the Barreirinha Lido is a pleasant place to while away a morning (and their goat's cheese toasted sandwiches are fabulous). And obviously stop at the coffee shops and have a Pastel De Nata (and nice coffee is a 'garoto' an espresso with an equal shot of hot milk and specific to Portugal).

 

March is a good time in Madeira, but like last few years I will be spending a month this December and January there enjoying the fabulous Christmas and new year celebrations.

[paulatsea]

We did the toboggans once.
Scraping slowly down a road.

I wouldn’t recommend it. 
 

cable car was good.
 

Edited October 5, 2022 by paulatsea

[s&gsjollies]

On 10/3/2022 at 11:45 AM, majortom10 said:

Just be aware that when you get to the bottom of the toboggan run that the 2 who have expertly guided you down in perfect English will say how tiring and hot it is and they need a refreshing drink with their hands out for a tip.

We went to Madeira quite recently and decided to use a taxi up to Monte from out hotel on the far side of old town as there were three of us and it was a fair walk to the cable car (about 15 euros)

Our driver told us that the baskets are inherited through families and they are the best paid people on the island!

[Megabear2]

5 minutes ago, s&gsjollies said:

We went to Madeira quite recently and decided to use a taxi up to Monte from out hotel on the far side of old town as there were three of us and it was a fair walk to the cable car (about 15 euros)

Our driver told us that the baskets are inherited through families and they are the best paid people on the island!

Does that include Ronaldo and his mum?  Joking apart the baskets were fun, although I've not done them since the cobbles went. Always been a fan of any cable cars or funicular worldwide and this one was very nice, particularly liked they helped my mother who was not very mobile and extremely frail.  It was her first cruise at the age of 80 and she'd never been on a cable car before either.  This became the first of many and a lovely memory for me as well.

[Purdey16]

Thank you very much Picsa that’s a lot of information there I’m going to be writing all this down , we will be hiring a car for 10 days and exploring all .

[Snow Hill]

11 hours ago, paulatsea said:

We did the toboggans once.
Scraping slowly down a road.

I wouldn’t recommend it. 
 

cable car was good.
 

I was there Christmas of 2004, we did the cable car to the gardens with the intention of doing the toboggan down, but there was an accident whilst we were in the gardens and the tobogganing was shutdown for the day. 

[s&gsjollies]

19 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Does that include Ronaldo and his mum?  Joking apart the baskets were fun, although I've not done them since the cobbles went. Always been a fan of any cable cars or funicular worldwide and this one was very nice, particularly liked they helped my mother who was not very mobile and extremely frail.  It was her first cruise at the age of 80 and she'd never been on a cable car before either.  This became the first of many and a lovely memory for me as well.

Absolutely understand the enjoyment of the cable car - how exciting for her! I hope you had some time to go into the gardens at the top too, they were lovely although I was disappointed we missed orchid season. I got my mum to go on a cruise with me for her 80th as she's never flown and had never seen the southern med - she was blown away by real palm trees but would have been terrified in a cable car!

 

We've skied as a family many times and that part of the decision to miss the cable car as it wouldn't have been a novelty, plus my back isn't good at standing in lines and we'd seen the queues the day before. I'm wondering if you took her on the toboggan?!

[s&gsjollies]

12 hours ago, Snow Hill said:

I was there Christmas of 2004, we did the cable car to the gardens with the intention of doing the toboggan down, but there was an accident whilst we were in the gardens and the tobogganing was shutdown for the day. 

My daughter (23) was up for going on one but I'd read a few things about accidents and also don't have a great low back so enjoyed a lovely day in the gardens and grottos

Then we heard some people off a cruise asking a local lady in the kiosk whether she'd been on the toboggans and what she thought - she said "no too dangerous!" Hmmm

[Thejuggler]

On 10/4/2022 at 11:56 AM, Purdey16 said:

Wowzz I’m going to Madeira in March for a 10 day land holiday and hiring a car so any suggestions or tips to visit somewhere different? 

10 days is a decent length of stay.

 

Plenty to do as listed by others and if the weather is good I would suggest a visit to nearby Porto Santo.  You can take a ferry for a long day trip, or take the short flight. Hire a car as you can drive all the roads in half a day and it has a long stretch of beach for something different,

[paulatsea]

Open top bus is a great trip.