How much money should I bring to Madeira?

You should plan to spend around €95 ($101) per day on your vacation in Madeira Islands, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, €33 ($35) on meals for one day and €9.87 ($10) on local transportation.



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Currency. Madeira uses the Euro, though major credit cards will work and ATMs are widely available. If you're flying direct to Madeira, currency can be exchanged at airports, banks, and hotels.

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Most places in Madeira do take cards, but you'll need some cash for buses, and I've heard that some of the cable cars only take cash too (the cable car from the promenade in Funchal does take cards). The small shops and cafes I visited all took cards but it's best to have some money just in case.

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Madeira in general isn't an expensive place to live. Housing, transport, and food are quite affordable for expats staying in Madeira longer term.

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My little AA Essential Guide to Madeira suggests that, as Flowercity says, tipping is appreciated but not required in Madeira. If you do want to tip, the advice is 10% in restaurants and for taxi drivers and hairdressers. In bars it suggests just loose change but nothing for chambermaids in hotels.

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Average monthly temperatures For the highest temperatures the best time to visit Madeira is between August and September although the sub tropical climate offers sunshine throughout the year and winter months are equally popular with visitors.

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The average standard of living tends to be a bit lower than in mainland Portugal, and the local autonomous government gives generous subsidies coming from the tourist industry revenues and from the Portuguese national budget. Go where the locals go and everything will be cheap.

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Madeira uses the Euro, though major credit cards will work and ATMs are widely available.

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Visiting Madeira However, there are other means of transport available such as buses, taxis, tuk-tuks, bicycles and scooters. It is also worth mentioning the importance of the cable cars, which connect to some of the archipelago's most iconic points of interest.

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ELECTRICITY AND WATER The electric current in the archipelago is 220 volts. There is plenty of water in Madeira and it is all drinkable and of excellent quality.

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Madeira is a pretty small island, and so luckily you don't need very long to see all of the incredible things that this destination has to offer. If you're looking to experience the must-dos then a short four-day break would be fine. However, a week is the perfect amount of time to really make the most of the island.

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While meal prices in Madeira Islands can vary, the average cost of food in Madeira Islands is €33 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Madeira Islands should cost around €13 per person.

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Funchal is the most expensive place to buy property on the islands – given its higher demand and abundance of services.

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With both rent and restaurant prices being around 25% cheaper than in Lisbon, Funchal allows you to live your island dream without paying the more expensive prices of mainland Portugal.

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If you don't already know, Funchal is the capital city of a magical Portuguese island archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic known as Madeira.

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So you can swim all year round in Madeira if you are not cold. If you want to sunbathe and swim, the months of May to September are obviously the best. The island of Porto Santo and its 7 km long beach should interest you, even if the influence of tourists is impressive in high season!

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Calheta Beach is one of the island of Madeira's few yellow sandy beaches. A peaceful swimming experience is guaranteed by two piers, so you can exercise in the sea all year round.

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The rainy season is between November and February, during which time rolling clouds and frequent rainstorms are typical. Most days during this time will have at least one rainstorm passing through. The months between May and August are the driest of the year.

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You should tip your taxi driver at least 15 to 20% of your trip fare. If you think of giving anything less than 10%, you might as well leave without tipping at all. If your fare is less than $10, leave a tip of not less than a dollar. Something like a 50-cent tip is insulting and more of a hassle to come up with.

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Unlike some other countries, tipping in Portugal is not expected. If you receive sub-par service, there is no need to tip. Ask the locals and follow their lead when it comes to tipping situations. By blending into the Portuguese culture you'll be appreciated by service providers and locals alike.

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In France, leaving a tip swings both ways. If you don't tip, that's fine – no one will think you're particularly rude. Pressuring you to leave a tip is exceedingly rare and I've only seen it happen in establishments that cater almost exclusively to tourists.

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