If you’re headed to Madeira for a well-deserved vacation and are wondering how to get around the island, then look no further. Here, we will lay out why renting a car is the best option for visitors. (Don’t worry, the roads are well signposted.)
1. Save precious time
You might think that Madeira is a small place, which will be easy to get around in no time flat. This is a fair enough assumption, considering that the island is only 35 miles by 14 miles, but it’s unfortunately not true.
The public buses will take you up the mountains on most routes, in order to serve the local residents. Meanwhile, car drivers can use the ground-level roads and zip through tunnels to get to places much more quickly. The lesson is that mountainous terrain makes for good photography, but not a short journey.
How much time could you save? Based on the estimates of a popular map application, it can take 3-4 hours to travel from Funchal to Porto Moniz by public transport, depending on the time of day. (The buses can stop running in the early evening, which might leave you without a ride back to your hotel.) If you drive the same distance, it can take 55 minutes.
2. Take your time
On a similar note, you don’t want to feel rushed on your holiday. On some parts of the island, there are less than five buses per day, so if you miss it, you might end up with an expensive (and unexpected) taxi ride.
You don’t want to realise halfway through your meal that the bus is in 15 minutes and you still have to pay the bill. With a car, you don’t have that problem.
One thing about travelling by bus no one talks about enough is that their rigid stop schedule leaves little room for spontaneity on your holiday. If you saw an interesting mural or some beautiful scenery and wanted to take a picture, your bus might not have a stop for a long time, so you’d have to take it through a window in moving traffic. (We all know how well that goes.)
With a car, you can go where the mood moves you.
3. Make the most of your trip
We’ve already told you that public transport isn’t the best option for visitors. This is especially true if you have limited time or would like to go to more than one place in one day. (Can you imagine going on a day trip you spend longer on the bus there than at your location?) Driving allows you to see more of the island in less time, meaning no wasted evenings and more bang for your buck
Speaking of saving money, you can save up to 30% on car rental in Madeira by going to BookingCar Europe as opposed to directly to the car hire companies.
4. Enjoy beautiful roads
Let’s talk about some of the amazing scenery that you can see from Madeira’s roads. Given that Madeira has about 170 km of coastline, you get beautiful views of the sea, the cliffs, and even some waterfalls. Pull over somewhere safe and get pictures to make your Instagram followers jealous.
I hope this has helped you make the most of your trip to Maderia.