You will be arriving in Madeira via air at Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira Airport (IATA code FNC). It is located in Santa Cruz, eleven miles by car east-northeast of central Funchal.

Some of you will be self-driving to Funchal. Consult your reservation information and keep in mind the name of the company from which you have rented. The car rental kiosks are located in the arrivals hall on Floor 0. Avis/Budget, Europcar, Goldcar, Guerin/Enterprise, Hertz, Madeira Rent, Rodavante and Sixt are all represented at Madeira Airport.

Driving directions to Funchal: Head northeast and get on the Via Rapida (abbreviated VR1). Use the right two lanes to take the ramp to Funchal. Drive a little over 10 miles and get off at Exit 11. Drive on Rua Mestre Sidonio until you reach Estrada da Fundoa. The one-way street going north will provide an outlet in a half-mile, going south, called Estrada Doutor Joao Abel de Freitas. Take that road to the roundabout at Rua 5 de Outubro and head south toward central Funchal, which is approximately a half-mile away.

If you are in need of a taxi, you can reserve it in advance or have your hotel reserve it for you. There is a taxi rank at Avenida Arriaga which is one of the few places taxis queue in town. Taxis also queue at the airport, but you can reserve that in advance as well, either by telephone or online.

Since Madeira is a fairly small island (the ring road around Madeira clocks in at approximately 67 miles, with select north to south routes spanning about 10 miles each), trips are not typically metered. Usually prices are agreed upon before departure, and in many cases, are already set at certain price levels. Taxis from the airport into Funchal start at about €25 (not counting extra fees for nighttime or weekend arrivals and bag-handling costs). These same companies offer tours of various tourist attractions and cities on the island, which include space for usually four (up to eight in many cases) people, transportation to and from the destinations you would like to visit, and a brief oral history of, and fun facts for, the destinations chosen. These trips typically start at €60 for a four-hour trip and over €100 for an eight-hour trip. Costs may rise when factoring in the number of people traveling as well, but the upside to this is that the cost can be split between the passengers. Lunches or dinners can typically be arranged for an extra fee. Tours are typically offered in Portuguese, English, Spanish, German, and sometimes languages such as French, Russian and Dutch.

Here are some well-known taxi companies in Funchal:

- Daniel Madeira Taxis (Rua da Pedra Sina 70, +351 919 791 289, www.danielmadeirataxis.com)
- Madeira Travel Taxi (Caminho da Penteada 71, +351 917 462 001, www.madeiratraveltaxi.com)
- Madeira Island Taxis and Funchal Airport Transfers (Rampa da Pico da Cruz 10 and Estrada Monumental 137, +351 969 872 701, www.madeira-island-taxis.com)
- Radio-Taxis Madeira (Beco da Amoreira 9, +351 291 764 476, www.taxismadeira.com)
- Madeira Airport Transfers (Rua Nova do Vale da Ajuda 2, +351 291 093 973, www.madeira-airport-transfers.com)

Cars are actually not recommended for Funchal and environs, because the streets are narrow, on inclines, and routinely have traffic. If you want to explore Madeira, cars are not essential, as many taxi companies are willing to drive everywhere you want to see (and usually for an affordable base rate). However, if you want to call the shots and make your own schedule, a car might be useful for you. If you reserve your car through TripMasters, you will be picking it up at Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira Airport and not in Funchal. If you do decide to rent a car on your own while in Funchal, there are Avis offices at Largo Antonio Nobre 164 and Budget Rent-a-Car offices at Estrada Monumental 239.

Walking is popular with locals and tourists in Funchal, and some would even label Funchal a `walking paradise`. In 2018, the city government limited the number of cars that are allowed in central Funchal in an attempt to curb traffic and encourage walking and other physical activity. Many tourists will be able to walk about in Funchal with no major problems. Keep in mind, however, that the area above central Funchal and the Zona Velha is a lot more hilly than the area around the coast, so there will be inclines on most streets. The incline may take a bit out of people who are not used to walking up and down hilly streets, but otherwise should be fine for most travelers.

Central Funchal is approximately a mile and a half from west to east and about a half-mile from the coast to the Madeira Wine Institute, just past the Museum of Sacred Art. For those who are more physically active, it is even feasible to walk to Camara de Lobos, five miles to the west. There are hiking and walking trails all over Madeira, including in Funchal and Camara de Lobos. North of Funchal, it is popular to walk the levadas (the aqueducts unique to Madeira that would bring water from the mountains to the coast).

Funchal is safer than many areas of Portugal and there are no places that travelers should worry about avoiding outright. Keep in mind that many touts in the old town and along the waterfront are aggressive in trying to get you to shop at their stores. Just ignore them and keep on walking and they will move to the next tourist group. They are an annoyance but should not make you feel unsafe.

Madeira is known for its homegrown souvenirs such as embroidery and Madeira wine. For the latter, be sure to visit the Madeira Wine Company on Avenida Arriaga 28 (+351 291 740 100). The building is a former convent dating from the eighteenth century. Not only do they sell various vintages of Madeira wine, they also do guided tours of traditional winemaking equipment and the oldest extant bottles of Madeira left in the world. Tour admission costs between €5 and €10, and the tours leave every hour Monday through Friday between 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. You can pick up exquisite and authentic embroidered items at Patricio & Gouveia (Rua do Visconde de Anadia 33, +351 291 222 928) and Bordal-Bordados da Madeira (Rua Doutor Fernao Ornelas 77, +351 291 222 965).

For other items, Funchal offers traditional and modern shopping experiences. If you want to go the traditional route, we recomend the Mercado dos Lavradores, on Rua Hospital Velho, which is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Haggling is expected for some items, so be ready to bargain if you feel the price is too high. For the shopping experience that mirrors the experience you would have back home, there are three malls in and around Funchal. The closest to the center of town is La Vie Funchal at Rua Doutor Brito Camara 9. The HF buses go to Forum Madeira, located at Estrada Monumental 390. Finally, to the west of Monte, there`s the shopping center MadeiraShopping at Caminho Santa Quiteria 44.

The currency of Portugal is the Euro and US dollars are not accepted for payment. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand or be prepared to exchange your dollars for euros upon arrival. Currency exchange desks and ATMs can be found at your arrival airport and at many hotels and banks throughout the city.

It is more common to find English speakers in Portugal than it is in other southern European countries, such as Spain. A recent European Union language survey found that 32% of Portuguese people over the age of 18 can speak English on a conversational level or better. The extent of the ubiquity of English on Madeira Island is similar to mainland Portugal, and in tourist areas you will encounter many people who speak at least some English.

With that said, you may encounter some difficulty finding an English speaker away from tourist areas, just as you might encounter this possibility on the mainland. It is recommended to brush up on basic Portuguese phrases before arriving, like basic pleasantries and numbers from 1 to 10. To ask someone if they speak English, say `Fala ingles?` Note that the Portuguese spoken in Madeira is heavily accented and will sound different than the Portuguese spoken in Portugal or Brazil. To ask someone to repeat themselves, say `Repita, por favor.`

Note: Do not speak in Spanish to a Portuguese person, thinking they will understand you when you do so. Responses will range from stunned silence to outright hostility; the Portuguese people are proud of their culture and heritage, and such an act will cause nearly everyone to take personal offense. On another note, the vocabulary and pronunciation in Portuguese differs from Spanish more than you may realize.

The legal drinking age in Portugal is 18, whether you find yourself in a pub or a nightclub. The drinking age in Madeira used to be 16, but it was raised to 18, in line with the rest of Portugal, in 2012. Asking for proof of age upon ordering an alcoholic beverage or entering a nightclub is becoming more commonplace, especially if you appear younger. Keep your passport with you as it doubles as proof of age and identification.

If you are renting a car, do not drive after consuming alcohol. A blood alcohol content level of 0.05 is considered the legal limit; penalties can range from fines to a jail sentence of up to one year. Save yourself the potential trouble and heartache.