From today, 1st of February 2008, on taxis in Madeira are all obligated to use and turn on the taximeter when someone enters the taxi. So if you are in Madeira and get in a taxi where there is no taximeter you have the right to choose another one. The taximeter will start on the 1,70 EUR as this is the starting taxation. If you carry luggage an extra value will be added to your sum but never more than 50% the total price you will pay.

Be aware that taxis are not licensed leisure companies so they are not allowed to make tours around the island, just transports. This means if you go on a tour by taxi and you stop on a view point and have some hazard there is no insurance to cover you and taxis only have insurance for their passengers inside the car.

This way, if you need transfer between point A to point B you choose a taxi with taximeter but if you wish to run a tour on Madeira or Porto Santo Islands you choose a licensed leisure company.

Finally Madeira is linked to Ireland on a regular basis!

From the 30th of October 2007 on, Aer Lingus will fly twice a week directly from Dublin airport to Funchal airport, linking Ireland to Madeira Islands with flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Good news for Madeira tourism! The airline market in Madeira Islands has finally become free for all air travel companies to operate. Until now the connections between Funchal/Porto Santo and Lisbon/Oporto/Faro was considered public service and so it was hard to new companies to join and compete freely. Finally the Portuguese government has decided to open this market freely and so from May 2007 on any airline can operate on the connections of Madeira Islands to mainland Portugal. Easy Jet will be the first low cost airline operating in Madeira.

The Funchal’s bus company has changed the tickets logistics. Now there is a Giro yellow card that works like a month pass and a Giro blue card that works as a ticket. These cards are rechargeable on the company offices, on authorized sellers and on automatic machines spread along Funchal city.

Bus tickets for all zones in Funchal costs now 1,60 EUR for a return ticket plus the acquisition of the card for the first time which is 0,50 EUR. After you have the Giro card you just have to recharge it whenever you need to.

You may also buy it in the bus though it will be more expensive as you will pay the price of the ticket (1,40 EUR) plus the price of the card (0,50 EUR).

These Giro cards work like the London Tube Oyster cards, where one have to validate the card when entering the bus and may also see how much money you still have on your Giro card.

Children up to 6 years old do not pay a ticket. These cards have 5 years validity.

Funchal’s Marina
Tel: +351 291 232 717
Fax: +351 291 225 521

Quinta do Lorde’s Marina
Tel: +351 291 960 200
Fax: +351 291 960 201

Lugar de Baixo’s Marina
Tel: +351 291 970 160
Fax: +351 291 970 169

Calheta’s Marina
Tel: +351 291 824 003
Fax: +351 291 824 006

Porto Santo’s Marina
Tel: +351 291 980 080
Fax: +351 291 983 742