Rent a car and discover Madeira with these driving tips!
Madeira is one of the travel locations of 2021. Its popularity is still rising, and after spending some time there, I bet it will become one of the most-visited islands in Europe. Endless hikes, waterfalls, beautiful beaches, and seductive gastronomy are only some of its appeals.
Being a volcanic island, it is possible to go from over 1000 meters to sea level in a matter of minutes. However, this means that driving around Madeira involves hilly roads, U-turns, and some experience driving. If you are thinking if you should rent a car in Madeira or looking for some tips on how to explore the island driving, keep reading!
- Madeira driving tips [with a rental car]
- Make sure you are used to the conditions
- Choose your car carefully
- Manual or automatic?
- Consider paying the extra insurance free
- Madeirans don’t have parkings
- Use the tunnels (only when necessary)
- Beware the fauna
- Speeding is not the solution
- Drive according to the weather conditions
- Don’t be conservative with gas
- Don't miss the viewpoints
- Drive it!
Before getting into the Madeira driving tips, there are two key questions that you should ask yourself:
Can I rent a car in Madeira?
Renting a car in Madeira will require you to have a valid driving license in Portugal. If you live in Europe, it is quite likely that your driving license can be used in any other European country. Otherwise, you will need the International Driving License.
Should I rent a car in Madeira?
The answer to this question is quite simple: unless you only want to say in Funchal, YES. Madeira has a lot of positive things, but its public transport is not one of them.
Within Funchal, its capital, it is quite feasible to use the buses (at a reasonable price), but once you leave the city, it becomes a nightmare. Renting a car in Madeira is a must if you want to explore the island at its best.
Yet, driving in Madeira is not an easy thing. These are my top tips for exploring (successfully) Madeira driving a rental car.
Madeira driving tips [with a rental car]
Make sure you are used to the conditions
Driving in Madeira is not like driving on a large highway. Madeira is all about narrow roads, u-turns, people parked in the middle of the road, and many other challenges. While roads are not in a terrible state, some could use some tarmac.
Unless you are an experienced driver, if you have not driven a car recently, driving a car in Madeira will be at least, challenging. Moving around the main villages will be easy but reaching most hikes and viewpoints could be a test.
If you are used to driving in the mountains, in rainy conditions, or in winding roads, Madeira will feel like home.
Choose your car carefully
Madeira is not a flat island. Slopes are everywhere. Thus, choose your car carefully. The cheapest options in most renting houses are Fiat 500 or Smart. Although it is totally possible to explore the island with a Fiat 500 (I did it!), if you are not used to slopes, a more powerful car might be a better option.
Manual or automatic?
This is a very personal question, and you know the answer better than anyone. If you have never driven a manual car, Madeira is not the place to do it. Stick to what you are used to, and choose a car that you would feel comfortable driving back home.
Consider paying the extra insurance free
I am quite strict with how I spend my money. Thus, when I booked my car, I did not choose the full-insurance package. It took a bus trip from the airport to Funchal to make me regret my choice.
It is not that difficult to have a small incident in Madeira. Some roads are narrow, vegetation is everywhere and some parking lots (especially the ones from where the hikes start) are tiny.
Thus, although it was more expensive, I choose to pay the extra insurance fee. It was a good decision, as not only I did feel more confident while driving, but when due to the bad pavement I slightly scratched the car, no extra charges were applied.
From all the tips of this list, if I had to give only one to anyone driving in Madeira it would be this one. Make sure to consider where you will be driving and the possible extra fees in case of an incident.
Madeirans don’t have parkings
The first time I saw it I was surprised. People park their cars on the road in Madeira. Not in parking lots by the road, but in the road itself. A 2-lane narrow road suddenly becomes a 1-way lane.
Due to the orography of the island, it is difficult to build parking areas even in the houses. Thus, people park it on the street. Driving in Madeira implies a bit of chaos sometimes, but it has its charm.
Use the tunnels (only when necessary)
If nowadays it is challenging to drive in Madeira, I can’t imagine how it was many years ago. Tunnels are everywhere, and they are the key to everything being one hour away from where you are.
Yet, driving through the tunnels does not allow tourists to enjoy some of the most impressive views of the island. Thus, if you are not in a rush, take (at least once) the longer route. It might surprise you!
Beware the fauna
I have never seen so many bunnies crossing the road as I did in Madeira. They were everywhere and came from nowhere. Luckily, I did not run over any of them. Be careful when driving, not only to save their lives but for your own safety.
Although these situations are more common at sunrise and sunset, if you are driving in foggy conditions (quite common in Madeira), keep a good distance from the car in front of you.
Speeding is not the solution
This might seem an obvious tip, but it is especially important on hilly roads. Cliffs and u-turns are everywhere, and they don’t get on well with high speeds.
Moreover, driving slower will let you enjoy more the fantastic landscape and the views from the car.
Drive according to the weather conditions
It is said that if it is raining on one side of the island, the sun will be shining on the other side. Truth is, weather conditions are crazy, and forecasting them is almost impossible. Fog and rain appear out of nowhere, and what once was a beautiful road with impressive views becomes a Silent Hill scene.
Be careful when driving in thick fog and heavy rain. Some people choose to stop and wait for conditions to improve. I found it useful for the rain but not for the fog, especially during the afternoon, when it is quite common to get thick fog at the highest part of the island.
Don’t be conservative with gas
Gas is expensive in Madeira, at least compared to my Spanish standards. However, it is a terrible idea to “wait until the next gas station”. The road to the next gas station might be a 20km road that only goes up, and you could run out of gas very easily.
Most modern cars (and rental cars) have an estimation of how many km you can drive until you run out of gas. However, these are calculated based on your previous kilometer’s gas consumption. If you have been going downhill, the gas consumption is almost null, while on an upwards slope, it can be very high.
Don’t miss the viewpoints
Stop at viewpoints. Seriously. The first two or three days I spent in Madeira I committed the mistake of thinking: “I will find a better one later on”, and it does not happen. If you see a viewpoint you want to stop at, do it. Most of them are well signaled, and the views are breathtaking.
Drive it!
Don’t rent a car if you will not use it. If you have a car in Madeira, make the most out of it. Go on hikes, sunrises at viewpoints, explore the little villages… Madeira is the perfect island to explore driving, enjoy it!
These are my top tips for driving a rental car in Madeira. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram (@aniolvisuals), or to post a comment below. For business inquiries, send me a message at hello@aniolvisuals.com
