On foot

The areas in and around Funchal are easily accessible on foot. Keep in mind 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).

By bus

Horarios do Funchal (abbreviated HF, www.horariosdofunchal.pt, website in Portuguese, English and German), a corporation operated in partnership with Transportes Publicos, S.A. and the Madeiran regional government, operates local bus service in Funchal. There are 58 routes serving Funchal and environs, and 15 interurban routes serving the eastern side of Madeira Island. There are also three late night/early morning routes (called Linhas Madrugadas, literally `the dawn lines`). The most popular route for tourists will be the Linha Eco, line 00, noted on maps in an orange hue. Two circular routes leave the Palacio da Justica (also called the Tribunal) on Rua de Marques do Funchal, with one heading to Pontinha and the other heading to Rua das Cruzes. The third Linha Eco circular route travels to the north of the city from Rua de 31 de Janeiro via the Rua de Bom Jesus and the Rua de Santa Luzia. These routes typically run every 40 minutes, with a few exceptions, from about 7:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. For the first two routes, there are no fixed stops; simply raise your hand when you want to get off the bus and the driver will stop for you. The same applies if you want to board the bus and are not boarding from the main arrival/departure stop. The third route, leaving from Rua de 31 de Janeiro, does have set bus stops and you must board and leave from these stops.

For other points of interest in Funchal, note that bus routes 1, 2 and 4 leave from the Praca do Autonomio on Avenida do Mar in the center of town. They travel west on the Avenida do Infante and the Estrada Monumental toward Amparo (route 4), Ponta da Cruz (route 2) and Ponta Laranjera (route 1). Route 2 loops around to drop tourists off at Forum Madeira, a popular shopping center, adjacent to Ponta da Cruz. The botanical garden can be reached from the Praca do Autonomio on lines 29 and 31; if you take 31A, you can reach the cable car which connects the city with Monte Funchal. Routes 36, 36A and 37 connect central Funchal with Palheiro. Routes 56, 103 and 138 go to Santana and stop at Ribeiro Frio. Take Route 24 from central Funchal to Piornais and switch buses to the 43 to reach Praia Formosa. Route 9 takes tourists from the Praca do Autonomio to Courelas, adjacent to Madeira Shopping in Santa Quiteria. The inter-urban route 113 connects central Funchal with Santa Cruz, 81 connects central Funchal with Curral das Freitas and Eira do Serrado, and 138 connects central Funchal with Sao Roque do Faial, Faial, and Santana.

Tickets can be bought on-board the bus and at Horarios do Funchal shops and vending machines. You will find these vending machines at Avenida do Mar near the main pick-up and drop-off point in central Funchal, as well as at approximately half a dozen other points in the city. Tickets cost approximately €2 before fees if you buy as you are boarding the bus; there is a discount of approximately 25% if you buy from a vending machine or HF shop. GIRO tickets (which allow the rider to traverse all of the HF routes for 24 hours) must be bought at a vending machine or HF shop and cost about €15. For more information, including bus route maps, visit www.horariosdofunchal.pt.

By the Cable Car and by toboggan

The Madeira Cable Car (referred to in Portuguese as Teleferico da Madeira, www.madeiracablecar.com/en) offers a two-mile cable car ride up from the waterfront, off Rua Dom Carlos I and opposite the Madeira Story Centre, to just west of the Our Lady of Monte Church. Tickets for the Cable Car cost between €12 and €20 depending on whether you want a round-trip ticket or a one-way pass. Wheelchair use is allowed on the Cable Car but only one wheelchair per car is allowed, so if you are traveling in a group with multiple wheelchair users, they will have to use different cars. The trip is 15-20 minutes in duration each way and the Cable Car runs from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. every day of the year except for Christmas Day.

Once you disembark on Monte Funchal, you can walk to the Jardim do Monte Botanical Garden and the Our Lady of Monte Church. At Caminho do Monte 4, you can purchase a ticket for a ride on a wicker toboggan (Carreiros do Monte, www.carreirosdomonte.com, website in Portuguese, English, German and French), a traditional way to transport goods and people down the mountain. The ride takes people 1.2 miles down the hill to No. 82, adjacent to the Igreja do Livramento. Tickets start at €25 per person. The toboggan rides are open every day except for August 14-15, the Feast of Our Lady of Monte; December 25, Christmas Day; and January 1, New Year`s Day.

By catamaran

Catamaran tickets are available for those who wish to visit the Ilhas Desertas. These catamaran trips leave daily from Funchal Marina at 9 a.m. and return at 6 p.m. The catamarans run from May to September and cost €80 per person. For more information, visit www.vmtmadeira.com/catamaraon-trips/desertas-islands/?lang=en.

By taxi

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. 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, especially after the 2018 decision by the city government to limit the number of taxis allowed to idle in the city limits. 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)

By bicycle

Cycling holidays are popular in Madeira, although many of the routes involve steep ascents and are not for the faint of heart. One popular cycling route in the Funchal area that is less steep than others is the route traveling east to Cancela, just east of the Palheiro Golf Course. The route starts up the Rua da Ribeira de Joao Gomes, turning east on Rua Visconte Cacongo and continuing on Estrada da Aeroporto, then heading back toward town on Estrada Conde Carvalhal. This route is roughly 13 km in total (8.07 miles). For more suggested cycling routes on Madeira, visit www.bikemap.net/en/l/2593105. Two bicycle rental shops are open in central Funchal: E-Bike Madeira (Estrada Monumental 182, Loja 2, +351 926 672 808, www.ebikemadeira.com) and Happy Bikes (Rua Princesa Dona Maria Amelia 7, +351 926 889 555, www.happybikes.pt/index.php/en).

By car

Funchal can be difficult to navigate for those unfamiliar with the town`s narrow streets and temperamental drivers. If you do decide to rent a car through TripMasters, you will be picking it up at Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira Airport, and not in Funchal. Avis, Hertz and Europcar all have offices at the airport. 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.