Madeira Island isn’t a huge place, but you can’t navigate the whole island on foot while you have an accommodation in Madeira. That’s why you should rent a car. But be careful. Madeira isn’t your typical nation full of well-maintained straight roads. So here are a few tips on which car rental companies are out there and what to look out for when driving in Madeira.
Car rental companies in Madeira
There are many car rentals in Madeira. You can rent a car with many large European companies such as Sixt, Europcar, or Enterprise, or you can go for smaller, local companies such as Madeira rent or Funchal Drive.
The general rule of thumb is that while international companies may have better return policies or customer services (since they are used to dealing with foreigners), local companies will often have better deals. However, renting a car in Madeira is reasonably inexpensive, so don’t expect a significant price difference between companies.
You can pick up your car at the airport or in Funchal. Picking up and returning the vehicle in Funchal will be cheaper than doing so at the airport due to some extra fees. If you arrive by plane and want to rent a car, you can take a bus to the city and then use the public transport in Madeira to get to the car rental of your choice.
Generally, though, expect car rentals to be very few and far between beyond Funchal’s borders.
Driving in Madeira
As mentioned above, Madeira island is not exactly an easy place to navigate with a car. When choosing a vehicle, make sure you’re renting a good one, preferably one with a four-wheel drive.
The roads in Madeira are solid, but they twist and curve, sometimes going up and down in steep angles. And if you don’t have a car that can handle it, you won’t get very far.
Secondly, the roads can be pretty dangerous, particularly if you’re used to simple straight roads or city traffic. Sometimes you might find yourself next to an unfenced 50-meter-high cliff, and sometimes you’ll be doing a U-turn on a gravel road because the road before you is full of rocks. Sometimes, all of this will happen while there is a dense fog all around you, simultaneously. And all of this without an automatic clutch.
In short, even an experienced driver should expect a challenge. But if you take it seriously, then it is by no means impossible. It just needs some care and some mental preparation. However, if your plans for Madeira are primarily in or very near Funchal, it’s good to ask yourself whether it’s worth renting a car in the first place.
Funchal’s streets are often narrow, with few parking spaces that are challenging to navigate. However, public transport is usually cheap and easy to access. So while it makes sense to rent a car to explore the island as a whole, the city of Funchal is best navigated on foot, on a bike, or using public transport.
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