I live in Funchal - Madeira Island. I can advice

[FeelingCruisy]

Biaria,

After reading every post here, and researching on my own, I have a few questions for you. Please ignore earlier questions.

 

2) I remembered taking the public bus up to monte and back down. I just found in my wallet a "Tranporte Publico e Vida!, GIRO" card. I remembered having to purchase this card and putting money onto the card before I can use public transportation bus to go to Monte. Unfortunately, I only found 1 card (there'll be 4 of us). Must we get this card before boarding the bus or can I just pay cash on the bus without the GIRO? The ride is now 1.80 Euros?

3) You mentioned the ride from the Tropical Gardens down to Center is about 15 - 20Euros (you had 2 numbers). Will the ride going up to Monte be the same?

4) From the Monte stops, we can go see the church or the Tropical Garden right? Is the T. garden far from the Monte stop?

5) http://www.horariosdofunchal.pt/ shows 20,20A,21A,21 with Monte destination. Does that mean I can take all these numbers? (I did remember researching in the past and concluded only 20, and 21)

 

Thanks so much.

__________________

2.2) I remember we took the bus up and when we took it down, the bus idling while the driver went for a smoke. He had refused us going on, quite rude, and then some locals told me it's alright to take the bus.. I can't remember what happen, but maybe there's different side of the street? What should I be looking at the sign on the buses to indicate the right bus?

[biaria]

Biaria-

We'll be in town on Nov. 10 (just like Amy and her mother). We're adventure types and are putting together a DIY trip using suggestions from http://www.love-madeira.com/index.html . I love all the walks and we're thinking about one available from Monte so we can combine it with the cable car and toboggan. With all your unfortunate mudslides and fires should we be rethinking our plan? Is this area recovered (or unharmed)? Is there a particular one you suggest? How long do you think the Monte to Terreiro da Luta Walk takes?

 

Also, we'll be traveling with DD 5 y/o. We plan mostly to use the bus and walk, but if we time things wrong and we need to take a taxi from the bottom of the toboggan are there any car seat rules? I would hate to carry the car seat around all day just for that.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Hello hooked-on-travel,

 

The Monte to Terreiro da Luta route is fine and it'll take you about 40 minutes, however you'll be walking on the road, not a pathway or a Levada.

 

I can suggest another itinerary starting in Monte. You'll walk on the old road until you reach Curral dos Romeiros, then you'll find a Levada that'll take you the Hortência area and then you'll proceed to the Blandy Gardens. This will be a 2 to 3h walk, the problem is, as you're with your 5 year old daughter, it may be far too much.

 

Your daughter won't need the child's seat, when travelling by taxi.

[biaria]

Thank you, Biaria.

 

Frances

 

Hi Frances,

 

You're welcome!

[FeelingCruisy]

Biaria - good morning.. hope you can answer my questions :D

 

sorry for the confusion, here're my questions:

2) I remembered taking the public bus up to monte and back down. I just found in my wallet a "Tranporte Publico e Vida!, GIRO" card. I remembered having to purchase this card and putting money onto the card before I can use public transportation bus to go to Monte. Unfortunately, I only found 1 card (there'll be 4 of us). Must we get this card before boarding the bus or can I just pay cash on the bus without the GIRO? The ride is now 1.80 Euros?

3) You mentioned the ride from the Tropical Gardens down to Center is about 15 - 20Euros (you had 2 numbers). Will the ride going up to Monte be the same?

4) From the Monte stops, we can go see the church or the Tropical Garden right? Is the T. garden far from the Monte stop?

5) http://www.horariosdofunchal.pt/ shows 20,20A,21A,21 with Monte destination. Does that mean I can take all these numbers? (I did remember researching in the past and concluded only 20, and 21)

6) I remember we took the bus up and when we took it down, the bus idling while the driver went for a smoke. He had refused us going on, quite rude, and then some locals told me it's alright to take the bus.. I can't remember what happen, but maybe there's different side of the street? What should I be looking at the sign on the buses to indicate the right bus?

Edited October 30, 2010 by FeelingCruisy

[biaria]

Hello FeelingCruisy,

 

Yes of course! Here are my answers to you.

 

2) When you pay your 1.80 EUR bus ride directly to the driver, he'll give you a new Giro card, valid for one ride. If you choose to pre-pay, for 2.50 EUR you'll get a Giro card with two rides. When pre-paying, 2 rides is the minimum you can get. Bring your Giro with you and check if there are still any rides in it. You can do this in one of the HF ticket machines in town, or when entering the bus, on the ticket reader.

 

3) A taxi from the centre of town, to the Tropical Gardens, will cost you from 10 to 12 or even 15 EUR, from the pier it will be 20 EUR. Going down, I think I posted 15 EUR to the centre and 20 EUR to the pier. These prices are all relative, because even though there's a price list, drivers then decide if they stick to it or not.

 

4) Yes, from Monte Bus stop, you can easily reach the Church and the Tropical Gardens.

 

5) To be honerst, I'm not sure about 20A and 21A, it can even happen that these two buses go to the Monte suburb, but not to the centre of Monte, which is what you need. Anyway, you'll be safer with 20 and 21. Apart from these, you can also take bus 22 - Babosas as it stops near the entrance to the Tropical Gardens.

 

6) Yes, some people can be really rude, can't they?! Maybe the driver didn't want you get in, while he was still outside. He could have thought you were going to buy tickets and he was having his smoke break. When the bus is going to town, it says Centro.

 

I hope I managed to clarify, in case you need further help, feel free to let me know.

[FeelingCruisy]

Biaria,

Thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate it. Follow up question about GIRO. I noticed some machines on the street (after exiting the port) that says GIRO or something if I'm not mistaken. Do you think they dispenses GIRO Cards as well as charge them? Also, can a GIRO card be shared by 4 people so all I need is just to charge that card 8 times (4 people X 2 trips each). This is just in case the machine only charges the card and not dispenses new cards. Thanks again.

[biaria]

Hello again,

 

You're welcome.

 

Yes, the Giro machines dispense, as well as charge Giro cards.

 

No, I'm sorry, but each person must have a Giro card. This turns out more expensive than one card shared by several persons, as each card costs 50 cents. Monopoly always has this type of disadvantages.

[biaria]

Biaria,

Thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate it. Follow up question about GIRO. I noticed some machines on the street (after exiting the port) that says GIRO or something if I'm not mistaken. Do you think they dispenses GIRO Cards as well as charge them? Also, can a GIRO card be shared by 4 people so all I need is just to charge that card 8 times (4 people X 2 trips each). This is just in case the machine only charges the card and not dispenses new cards. Thanks again.

 

Hello FeelingCruisy,

 

I came to realize that I may be wrong about the Giro machines dispensing cards as well. I know there's a "New card" option, but I then remembered it's used to activate a card bought inside the bus, the first time you need to recharge it.

 

What made me aware of this, is the fact that it's only after you insert the card in the slot, that you can use the screen.

 

Anyway, I think I better call HF and ask and then I'll let you know. Tomorrow is a Holiday, so I'll call them on Tuesday.

[FeelingCruisy]

Biaria,

Thank you so much. If it's too much trouble, don't worry about it, we'll just pay the extra $$. Thanks again!

[biaria]

No trouble at all!

 

Bye.

[biaria]

Biaria,

Thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate it. Follow up question about GIRO. I noticed some machines on the street (after exiting the port) that says GIRO or something if I'm not mistaken. Do you think they dispenses GIRO Cards as well as charge them? Also, can a GIRO card be shared by 4 people so all I need is just to charge that card 8 times (4 people X 2 trips each). This is just in case the machine only charges the card and not dispenses new cards. Thanks again.

 

Hello FeelingCruisy,

 

I phoned HF this morning, concerning the Giro cards purchase. The machines don't dispense them, but right next to the machine on the promenade at the waterfront (bus stops' area), there's a small office where you can buy them. This office is open from 9am till 1pm and again from 2pm till 6pm.

[oldmedic]

Hello MamaQuack....we used Daniel of www.danielmadeirataxis.com in April for our tour of the island. I found him as a recommendation from another person on Cruise Critic. We weren't disappointed! He was able to take us to everything we wanted to see, plus more. He tailored our day to suit us, because we had reservations in the afternoon for tea and therefore were doing more than a half-day tour, but less than a full-day tour. He was so sociable, knowledgeable, friendly and just a very happy person. He knew all about the island and was able to answer all our questions. He met us after dropping us off at the cable car, and tobaggon ride, and took us to a wonderful local restaurant for lunch where I was persuaded to eat a Black Scabbard sandwich....and was I glad I did....the best sandwich ever!!! The prices were very reasonable too.

 

I would not hesitate to recommend Daniel and I hope you do a tour with him. You will take away many happy memories of lovely Madeira!!

 

Enjoy your cruise and day on Madeira!!

 

thanks for this information!! we are looking for something to do in this port...

[Cruzer Two]

Hi Biaria,

Thanks again for the great service you provide cc members regarding Maderia.

 

I received a very nice email from George Marakis madeira.seekers@gmail.com in response to my request for information about the Funchal HONO bus http://www.madeira-seekers.com. He sent some nice pictures of port area where our ship will dock and a map of the HOHO routes.

 

After reviewing the information provided by you and George, we have decided to take the HOHO Yellow Route and then ride the cable car to Monte. From Monte, we will either walk or take the toboggan down the hill and spend the rest of the time shopping and sipping Mederia wire around the port area.

 

We’re really looking forward to our visit of your city.

 

Ron aka CruzerTwo

[biaria]

Hi Ron,

 

I'm always pleased to help.

 

You've made yourself a nice plan for your day in Madeira

 

The Toboggan ride ends half way between Monte and the centre, but, with the very same ticket you bought for the HOHO, you can take the bus down to town.

 

You can also try to walk all the way down, but the road is so steep, it may be too hard on your knees.

 

Enjoy!

[raindropsalways]

Hi Biaria,

 

 

Thank you so much for all the info you provided to us. We took the ship's shuttle bus to the cable car and then the cable car to Monte. There we went to the Palace gardens. We were able to utilize the garden cart for both down and back up the hill; so we got to see a lot.

 

 

After taking the cable car back, went to the Market. Even though there are a lot of steps in the market, we did find a path to see most of it. After that we just wandered around for a while and back to the ship.

 

 

I got home from our three weeks of cruising on Monday and am suffering from after cruise blues. Adjusting to home life is a bit of a challenge... would rather be cruising and seeing the world.

 

 

Betty

[biaria]

Hello Betty,

 

My pleasure!

 

The shuttle bus was a big help. Nice to know you managed to see a lot of the Tropical Gardens and I'm sure you enjoyed the market, too.

 

I was in town on the day of your visit and I thougt about you. I looked around for two ladies on scooters, but I didn't find any. I think it was about 1pm, so you probably were still up in Monte.

 

Oh... getting back to a normal routine after a vacation, is always so hard!!!

[llevy315]

hey thanks for all your help..still reading through the thread...

 

ive been looking into diff tour groups and each one is about 20 euros a person. i was just wondering if i just grabbed a taxi at the pier would it be cheaper. Im from ny and taxis here never charge per person. how is it over there. please let me know...do you advise planning a tour or just seeing the island on my own.

 

i have no preferences as it seems the island is full of beautiful scenery so ill enjoy whatever i see. I just want to do the toboggan.

 

please let me know what you think as we;re a big group that includes ppl who just dont have the money to spend so were looking for the best cost effective option to see ur island.

 

thanks for ur help

linda

[biaria]

Hello Linda,

 

I just finished answering you on the other thread.

 

In Madeira taxis don't usually charge per person either, but as you're an 18 person group (like you said on the other thread), it's more doable to charge that way.

 

Here's the answer I gave you on the other thread:

 

20 euros may or may not be expensive, all depending on what type of tour you'll be taking. Usually by pre booking you'll get a better deal, as taxis drivers at the pier practice high prices.

 

Yes, Madeira is mostly about scenery, but the toboggan ride is very popular. The Cable car ride to Monte is something you can try too.

 

As your family is on a budget, then maybe they'd like to take the two HOHO bus tours, they're economical, but then they won't take you too far.

 

Enjoy your time in Madeira!

[Trickie Dickie]

I loved Funchal!! I was there in November 2009. I plan to pop in again this year! I hope everything is okay after those horrible mudslides earlier this year.

 

I did the Toboggan Run! :D Enjoy my video!

 

[biaria]

Hello Trickie Dickie,

 

Nice video, thanks for posting!

[catharina]

Hi Biaria and other cruisers

 

Thanks for all this info! we will be in Madeira for 1,5 days with our cruiseship AidaBlu. We travel with 2 young children ages 3 and 4. Can you recommend things to do in Madeira or a day trip that would be nice for children?

 

Lots of greetings

Carina (netherlands)

[biaria]

Hello Carina,

 

You're welcome!

 

Well, for chidren as young as yours, I can only think of a playground where can have some kind of activity, as everything else is more appropriate for older children, oh... and maybe they'll love the Toboggan ride, too.

 

Have a happy 2011!

[biaria]

To everybody visiting this thread, I wish a Pleasant and Properous 2011!

[AVAD]

Happy New Year to you too, Biaria. Thanks so much for all your wonderful tips-I've been reading most of them, but the thread is so long. We will be in your wonderful city in March on an NCL cruise, but unfortunately will only be there for 5 hours--from 1300 to 1800. We want to ride the cable car up to Monte, visit the church, look around a bit, ride the cable car back, visit the market and perhaps the Wine Lodge. Would all that be doable? I don't think we would have time for the 40 minute wine tour, although we would love to squeeze that in.

We don't mind walking and love to see sights along the way, but due to time restraints, probably need public transportation to the cable car. Is there a public bus from the pier to the cable car area? If so, where exactly would we catch it? I don't believe NCL provides a shuttle bus.

Thanks again,

Ava

[biaria]

Hello Ava,

 

Thanks and you're welcome!

 

If NCL doesn't provide a shuttle bus, your best bet will be to take a taxi at the pier. From there to the cable car station you'll pay 7.50 EUR, however, as you like to walk, it will take you 30 to 40 minutes from your cruise ship to the cable car station, just walk close to the waterfront, but this of course will mean less time left for sightseeing.

 

As you're planing to take the cable car down to town as well, buy a round trip ticket, as it will be more economical than buying two separate tickets.

 

You can get in touch with the winery and find out at what time they're having guided tours, that way you'll plan your day better and you'll be able to see if it will fit in with your other arrangements. After you visit the market, and as, by then, you'll probably be short of time, you can take a taxi to the winery: coming out of the market through the front gate, turn to your left, after walking for a few meters you'll see a taxi rank.

 

If you prefer and if you still have enough time left, you can walk from the market to the winery. It will take you something like 20 to 30 minutes, but make sure you have a good map, or be prepared to ask for directions.

 

Even if you don't have enough time for the wine tour, you can still go to the winery for wine tasting.