I live in Funchal - Madeira Island. I can advice

[Kween Karen]

My Grand Voyage is leaving in 13 days.....and will be in Madeira 9 days after that. Wow....it is a LONG way across that ocean!! I am getting pretting excited!

[12sailaway]

Hi Bruce,

 

With the amount of time you'll be staying here, you can still do a couple of things, for instance:

You can choose to walk around and explore the town: the gardens, churches, the Old Town, etc.

You may also like to take the cable car up to Monte and stay there for a while. The cable car station is close to the waterfront, in the Old Town area.

The HoHo bus may also interest you.

Another option is to take a taxi tour - the most economical way is to take a taxi in town rather than at the pier.

 

You're welcome and enjoy your day in Madeira.

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. We are looking forward to visiting your home.

[biaria]

My pleasure.

 

You'll love Madeira!

Edited February 29, 2012 by biaria

[biaria]

Hi kween karen,

 

I bet... you're in for a great cruise. Enjoy!

Edited February 29, 2012 by biaria

[Traveling Shih Tzu]

Aloha, Biaria:

 

We will be arriving Funchal on Tuesday, 3/27/12 and currently booked a tour from 9 - 12:30 pm. Port time is from 8 am to 5 pm. Briefly, our tour consisted of a motor coach ride to Monte, follows by Basket ride and then to Terreiro da Luta, finally to Camacha Wicker center. The tour ends at 12:30 pm, after a quick lunch, we would like to visit the Botanical Garden and possibly the Market place in old town. We would like to return to the ship by 4 pm. Please advise if this is possible and how best to approach doing it via public transit. Thank you!

 

Irene from Honolulu

 

 

That's right, for you to catch the bus to the Botanical Gardens you'll have to go to the center of town.

 

There's not a normal bus that you can take, but you can try to find out if there's a shuttle bus at the pier. Failing that, and as walking is out of the question, your only option is a taxi - from the pier to town you'll be charged 7.50 EUR.

 

The bus stop for #31 - Botanical Gardens - is near the entrance to the quay. You'll pay 1.80 EUR per person for your bus ride.

 

Bus #31A is also good and it departs from the same bus stop, the only difference being that, instead of it finishing at the entrance to the Gardens like #31, after stopping there it continues a bit further, till it reaches the entrance to the Botanical Gardens Cable Car station, where there's also an entrance to the Gardens.

 

A taxi all the way from the pier to the Botanical Gardens, will be something like 15 EUR.

[biaria]

Hello Irene,

 

If you can choose your drop off location after your tour, ask to be left in the Old Town, as it's a good place for your lunch.

 

Visit the market afterwards and then take bus #31 or 31A to the Botanical Gardens. In fact, I just had a look at the timetable and the best will be #31A at 2pm. You won't need to walk all the way to the main bus stop at the waterfront avenue, because you can catch this bus near the market. The bus stop is in Rua da Infancia, which is to the right, as you're leaving the market through the main gate, but ask someone to direct you, if you prefer. Bus # 31A says "Teleferico Jardim Botanico".

 

At 2:55pm, bus #31 leaves the Botanical Gardens and this is the one you'll need to take for your ride to the centre of town, so that you have enough time to walk back to the pier and be returning to your cruise ship by 4pm.

 

There was a bus ticket price increase in February and now a ticket bought inside the bus is 1.90 EUR per person, per ride.

 

To be able to accomplish all this, you can't spend too much time anywhere. If you see the bus won't work for you, take a taxi in town for your ride to the Botanical Gardens - you'll pay about 8 EUR. Then when you're finished with your visit, you take another taxi at the rank outside the Gardens and ask the driver to drop you off either in town - 8 EUR - or at the pier - 15 EUR.

 

There's a taxi rank a few meters down to the left from the market.

[Traveling Shih Tzu]

I believed the bus ride is about 30 minutes, that gives us 20 minutes to walk around the garden. According to the bus map I found online, it will be a downhill walk from bus stop #31A through the garden to bus stop #31.

 

Prior to your reply, I was thinking of taking bus #31 @ 1:10 pm, arriving at the garden around 1:40 pm, walk around for an hour til 2:40 pm, take the Botanical cable car up to Monte, 3 to 3:15 pm, take the Monte Cable car to town, 3:25 to 3:40 pm, take a taxi back to the ship. This plan will likely takes us back to the ship a little after 4 pm and there might not be time at all for the Market. Unless, we cut down the time spend at the Garden. What do you think?

[biaria]

That's a very good plan, Irene and gives you more time for the Botanical Gardens. If you try to see the Gardens in 45 minutes, you may still fit in a quick visit to the market at the end. Or you leave the market for your next visit.

 

I know it's not your intention to take bus #31A, but it stops at the lower entrance to the Gardens, before carrying on up.

[Traveling Shih Tzu]

Would that be the Rua Azeredo Menezes stop? Looks like this is a shared stop for buses 31 & 31A. On a different note, I read somewhere that Honey Cake is a popular item to bring home to friends and family. Will we be able to purchase Honey Cake at the Market?

[biaria]

The bus stop at the lower gate to the Botanical Gardens, is where says Jardim Botanico. Both #31 and 31A share the same stops along the way, the only single difference is that #31 ends at the entrance to the Gardens, while 31A continues, till it reaches the cable car station.

 

That's right, Honey Cake - Bolo de Mel - is one of Madeira's gastronomic specialities and, as it last for a good few months, it's common to be taken home by tourists. It's made with sugar cane molasses. Yes, you can buy them at the market.

[Traveling Shih Tzu]

Biaria:

 

Thank you so much for all of your advises. Will let you how we did when we returned from our cruise. Much mahalo!:)

[biaria]

Pleasure.

 

Enjoy Madeira!

[Silverwing]

We have been researching car hire in Funchal for our 2 day stay in April. Would you be able to recommend a reputable local company with an office close to the port?

 

We are looking at collecting a car at 3pm for 24 hours.

 

Our arrival day is Sunday 22nd April which is the day of the Flower Parade at 4pm. The pictures of this look wonderful. Where would be the best place to view this from? Perhaps it is possible to buy tickets in advance for the grandstand?

 

Many thanks.

[Raga59]

Hello Biaria, we 2 adults from Germany (52 years old) will have a one day stop in Madeira when we cruise from San Juan - Malaga with the Adventure of the seas. We don't like to book tours by Royal Carribbean but prefer local tour operators. What would you recommend us to get a first impression of the island. Which local operator offers tours of this kind. Are there also operators present when the cruiseship arrives or do we have to arrange things in advance ?

[biaria]

Hello Raga59,

 

By contacting a tour operator in advance, you'll get a better price than by just approaching any driver at the pier. I'm not allowed to recommend anybody, but you'll find them on Google. You can even contact several operators and choose the one that offers you a better deal.

 

A half day tour, covering the central part of the island, will show you some of Madeira's highlights and you can spend the rest of your time exploring the town.

 

Oh, we share the same age! :-)

[biaria]

We have been researching car hire in Funchal for our 2 day stay in April. Would you be able to recommend a reputable local company with an office close to the port?

 

We are looking at collecting a car at 3pm for 24 hours.

 

Our arrival day is Sunday 22nd April which is the day of the Flower Parade at 4pm. The pictures of this look wonderful. Where would be the best place to view this from? Perhaps it is possible to buy tickets in advance for the grandstand?

 

Many thanks.

 

Silverwing,

 

I'm so terribly sorry I never answered this message. This came right before I went on holiday and I completely forgot about it. You probably have this matters sorted out already by now, but I'm still answering.

 

There's not a rent-a-car office close to the port, but if you make arrangements in advance, they'll deliver your chosen car to the pier. I'm sorry I can't post any recommendations.

 

Yes, by all means, try to watch the Flower Parade, it's very, very beautiful! The Flower Exhibition is also not to be missed.

 

You'll need somewhere to park the car to watch the parade and it won't be that easy. Probably it will only be possible inside a parking lot.

 

The best possible place to watch the parade is on the grandstand, because you'll be seated, but lots of other places are good too, however you'll most probably will have to be standing up. I'm not sure if you'll be able to buy tickets in advance, at least it's not something that's freely publicized.

 

Enjoy your time on Madeira.

[Raga59]

Hello Raga59,

 

By contacting a tour operator in advance, you'll get a better price than by just approaching any driver at the pier. I'm not allowed to recommend anybody, but you'll find them on Google. You can even contact several operators and choose the one that offers you a better deal.

 

A half day tour, covering the central part of the island, will show you some of Madeira's highlights and you can spend the rest of your time exploring the town.

 

Oh, we share the same age! :-)

 

Hello Biaria ! Thank you very much for this advice ! :)

[biaria]

You're welcome!

[gdayhoff]

Raga59---My wife and I used Daniel of Daniel Taxis for a 6-7 hour tour of Madeira.Very pleased.Not only an outstanding guide but a true gentleman from the old school.Not once did he fail to open the door for my wife.It was a race but he always beat me.Just a joy to be with.Do a search of this forum for Daniel Taxis and you will find nothing but good recommendations for him

You will enjoy Maderia and its people

[boingboingbaggy]

Hi

I read with interest all the help and advice you have given to visitors to Funchal. Now I have a challenge. Where and how would you suggest my wife and I go or do? She is totally confined to her electric wheelchair but is not frightened of a tough adventure. We tend to walk everywhere and its me who ends up tired by the days end. We arrive in November on the Cunard QV and only have the one day there.

Any guidance would be brilliant as once we get ideas we can hit the internet for further details etc.

Thanks

Daz and Lou

[biaria]

Hi boingboingbaggy,

 

Your wife will be able to see a lot of Funchal on her wheelchair and as she's the adventurous type she'll love it. It's even possible for her to go all the way from the pier to town.

 

Monte is not good for wheelchairs and most parts of the Botanical Gardens aren't either.

 

In case you'd like to see more than the city centre, you can hire a taxi. Some vehicles are prepared to accomodate a wheelchair with the person siting on it, but if your wife can be transfered to the taxi's seat and her wheelchair fits inside the boot, any car will do.

 

You're welcome, bye.

[Traveling Shih Tzu]

Biaria:

 

Thank you so much for all of your advises. Will let you how we did when we returned from our cruise. Much mahalo!:)

 

Aloha, Biaria:

 

We returned home last friday and would like to let you know that we enjoyed our visit to Funchal. Our tour guide dropped us off within a 15 mins uphill walk to the Botanical Garden, around 12:15 pm, this provided ample time to visit the main part of the Botanical Garden, follows by cable car ride up to Monte, then second cable car ride from Monte back to town. We then walked around and took a complimentary shuttle bus back to our ship by 4 pm. Your island is beautiful and the people so friendly. Thank you so much.

 

Irene from Honolulu, Hawaii

[biaria]

Hello Irene,

 

I'm so pleased to know you enjoyed your visit to Funchal. It's good that you managed to get to the Botanical Gardens early.

 

And thank you so much for the kind words about us :-)

[smileon]

Hi Biaria

 

Thank you for all the helpful advice you have given through this thread - I have been slowly working my way through it and wondered if you would advise regarding our plans so far.

 

We are a family of 4 - 2 adults , 2 teenagers ( 17years and 13years) and in Funchal on Saturday 25th August. we are due to dock at 08:00 amd leave at 18:00

 

 

We are thinking first we would join a catamaran trip with Madeira Catamaran to see dolphins/whales at 10.30 - 13.30

• will we be OK to walk to this from our ship?
  
• I know you can't advise but has anyone else used this company? - they seem to have good reports on tripadvisor
  

We would then like to take the cable car up to Monte - hopefully have time for a look round the gardens and then take the toboggan back down.

• Can we walk to the cable car from the boat trip?
  
• What would be best getting back from the toboggan to the ship. I have read your cautions about taxis but wonder if when there is 4 of us and time is critical this might be the best way.
  
• I have read elsewhere that we should ensure that taxi-drivers turn on their meters to calculate the cost or are we better to agree a fixed cost?
  

Thank you so much for your help

[marwood]

Hi Biaria,

 

We will be arriving on the Ruby Princess on a Sunday from 2pm to 8pm. We plan to take the Carristur hop on, hop off bus. Can you tell us a few things we should see such as the botanical garden?

 

Thanks,

Wood