View of Porto Santo from the aeroplane on its final approach to
Madeira

Flight costs vary widely according to the time of booking, the time of day you want to travel, the UK airport and the airline. Our November 2008 guests travelled to Funchal from Luton by ThomsonFly. Cheaper flights are available with EasyJet although be aware that the initially quoted price may not include the taxes and airport charges which are added later!
We recommend that you arrange your own holiday insurance.

Once you arrive in Madeira getting to the Hotel is very easy. Just hail a taxi from the rank outside the terminal and tell then you want the Hotel Royal Orchid in Caniço. The trip will cost around €20 and takes about 15 minutes. If you decide to hire a car from the airport for the duration of your visit then you should allow a similar time to drive to the hotel - we can provide detailed driving directions. However our advice is to use the taxi to get to the hotel and then hire a car from the office opposite the hotel to hire a car for days you need it. This will be cheaper and easier.

We would also be pleased to tell you about local restaurants and facilities, plus plenty more about the delightful island of Madeira.
General Tourist Information is available in the Hotel.

A map of Madeira showing the larger towns and the airport
as well as Caniço de Baixo

There are three ways to get around Madeira:

Hire Car – there is a car hire office just outside the hotel and they can arrange car hire efficiently but they appreciate 24 hours notice.

Taxis – Taxis are widely available in Madeira, the hotel can call one for you or you can hail one from the taxi ranks in most towns and villages. All taxis are supposed to have meters and the rates are fixed. Between 9:00pm and 7:00am there is a 20% surcharge on the meter reading. This also applies at weekends and on Public Holidays.

Local Buses – There are four companies operating buses in Madeira and they each have their own bus station in Funchal and run services to specific areas. If you plan to use the buses during your visit then it is recommended that you obtain the Bus Timetable book from the Funchal Tourist Office which has details of all the services on Madeira. This information is all available online too although only in Portuguese. The buses are excellent and are well used by both local people and visitors. They provide an insight into the island that no other form of transport offers.