Funchal: Airport Transfer

[bjmarren]

Hi All,

We are off to Madeira on Sunday for a week. Does anyone have any advice about the cheapest transport option form the airport into Funchal itself?
Also, are there any must see or do things, in your opinion, whilst we are there.

Cheers!

Brendan

[Watis]

It's been a few years since I went to Madeira but we arranged taxi transfers to and from our hotel in Funchal when booking the holiday. it's only a few miles so won't be too expensive.

My top recommendation is to do a Levada walk. Levadas are unique to Madeira I believe, so you'll be doing something you couldn't do anywhere else.

Here's a randomly chosen site to find out more, if you're interested: http://madeira-seekers.com/madeira-levada-walks/

HTH,

Watis

[PinkDalek]

[Also, are there any must see or do things, in your opinion, whilst we are there.

Hire a car, which is inexpensive, and then you can see much more of the Island at your leisure.

[kempiejon]

We got the Aerobus, it runs into Funchal and stops often, near the hotels, there was a stop right outside our hotel.
We did a Lavada walk with a guide the Rabacal with waterfalls. The Blandy's wine lodge for a history of the namesake wine, sunset dinner at Atlantic, cable car to the madness of Jardim Tropical de Monte, I wasn't impressed with the basket toboggan ride down hill, lunch at The Ritz, not that Ritz. I'd give the natural history museum a miss ditto CR7 the Ronaldo museum.

[malkymoo]

Another vote for the Aerobus.

kempiejon has given good advice. If you want a swim take the bus to Praia Machico. Low-key seaside resort with a man-made beach. If you go to the covered market in the centre of town, do not accept any of the samples of fruit, it's a tourist trap and you will be pressured into buying overpriced goods.

Funchal is one of those places where if you look like a tourist it is impossible to walk past a restaurant without having a menu thrust in your face. I work on the principle that if there is somebody outside a restaurant trying to persuade you to go in, it is unlikely to provide a good experience, and this did not leave many choices. In the end we found the restaurant in the Pingo Doce supermarket. The food is sold by weight, you put what you want on a plate and it is weighed at the till. Faine dining it is not, but good food and excellent value, our favourite was the salmon cutlets.

[bjmarren]

Hi,

Thank you all for your replies and particulary the recommendations, we'll definitely bear them in mind. We'll take a lookk at the Aerobus as we're staying in a hotel in the centre so hopefully there'll be a stop near our hotel. We're really looking forward to the trip.

Cheers!

Brendan