Last Updated on April 29, 2024 by Sam
Driving in Madeira is not as difficult or dangerous as it may seem despite the island’s mountainous landscape. There is a lot of information out there advising against driving on Madeira, but it’s much easier than some people make out. The roads are in very good condition, and while there are a few steep roads and some slightly different road rules, there is nothing overly hard about driving on the island. We rented a car during our stay, and we were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to drive in Madeira considering some of what we had read beforehand. As long as you are a reasonably confident driver and have a bit of experience with steep roads, then you should be fine to drive on the island. This article covers everything you need to know about driving in Madeira, with tips and advice for renting a car on the island.
Is it worth renting a car in Madeira?
Renting a car in Madeira is definitely worth it for anyone wanting to explore the island. It gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace, so that you can stop anywhere you want as you drive.
Whether you are staying in Funchal or elsewhere in Madeira, there is only so much you can see without a car. One of the ways to see the best of the island is to follow our 5 day Madeira itinerary – but a car is essential for this as otherwise you won’t be able to visit some spots.
For anyone wanting to get out and explore the island’s nature, a car really is essential unless you are prepared to pay for tours – but renting a car will inevitably be cheaper. Having a car means you can access some of the best hiking trails and levadas in Madeira, to enjoy as much of the island’s beautiful nature as possible.
If you are planning to drive to some levadas and hiking trails, then it’s worth downloading the AllTrails app. The app lists the best walking routes on the island (as well as all over the world) and its navigation is extremely useful for making sure you are going the right way as you walk! Click here to visit the AllTrails website and download the app today!
Where to rent a car in Madeira
When it comes to renting a car, we recommend checking Discover Cars to find the best deal. They compare between a number of local operators to get you the best possible price, and you can get a quote within seconds on their website!
The majority of car rental operators in Madeira are located either at the airport or in Funchal itself – so you can rent a car for your entire trip or just a few days if you prefer.
Renting a car in Madeira can cost as little as €20 per day depending on the time of year, which makes it a great value way to get around the island. When booking through the Discover Cars website you have the option to upgrade to full insurance too, to ensure you don’t have any unwanted bills in case of an accident!
Click here to get a car rental quote on the Discover Cars website!
Tips for driving in Madeira
Automatic v Manual
A key consideration for driving in Madeira is whether to rent a manual or an automatic car. There are some steep roads in Madeira, so it’s important to pick a car you are comfortable with.
We chose to drive a manual car and although we had no problems, we would opt for an automatic next time. With the steepness of some roads it’s easier to not have to worry about finding the bite point, and an automatic does the hard work for you.
Of course some people are more comfortable driving a manual anyway, so if that’s the case for you then stick with that. If you are driving a manual then make sure to keep to low gears when going down steep roads, as this is less strain on the breaks and gives you more control.
Automatic cars do tend to be slightly more expensive to rent in Madeira, but we think it’s worth the extra cost to make driving easier for yourself!
Steep roads
One of the hardest parts of driving in Madeira is driving on steep roads, but it’s really not as tough as it may seem. The island’s mountainous landscape means there are some steep roads and hills, but there are plenty of normal roads too!
It’s easy enough to avoid the majority of steep roads if you drive along the coast, although steep roads are obviously unavoidable if you are heading up into the mountains from Funchal or elsewhere on the island. We were initially wary of driving in Madeira after reading some other travel blogs and comments online, but in all honesty the steep roads weren’t an issue at all for us.
Unless you really struggle with driving uphill, then there isn’t anything to be particularly worried about. Just take the normal amount of care when driving and you won’t run into any issues.
One important thing to know is that you should give way to cars travelling uphill if you are coming down a steep road, as it’s harder for them to stop and then start again when travelling uphill. If you are driving down lots of steep roads then it’s also important to stop every once in a while to give the breaks time to cool down to avoid any issues.
The steep roads on the island are one of the main reasons we recommend renting an automatic car when driving in Madeira, as it makes hill starts easier without the potential to stall. It’s also worth considering getting a car with some more engine power, as this will make driving on steep roads easier too.
Driving Licence Requirements in Madeira
The minimum age to drive in Portugal and Madeira is 18, and in some instances you may need an International Driving Permit in order to be able to rent a car and drive on the island. If you have an EU, UK, or American licence then you are able to drive with your own licence as long as you are not staying for over 6 months.
Should you not have an EU, UK, or American licence then it is likely you will need to obtain an International Driving Permit in order to legally drive in Madeira.
Car insurance
We strongly recommend taking out full protection insurance when renting a car in Madeira, in order to avoid paying a large excess in case you do need to make a claim. There are some services that offer excess insurance at a cheaper rate, but in some cases it’s easier just to arrange the insurance through the rental car provider.
Although we didn’t have an accident when driving in Madeira, we did manage to scrape the car slightly when turning into our hotel car park (it was a small entrance with a tight turn!). Thankfully we had full insurance which meant no extra cost to us, otherwise some minor damage would have cost us over €700.
It’s always best to be safe when it comes to insurance, which is why we recommend paying for an option with no excess. Paying more for insurance is a little annoying, but in the long run it can save you a lot of money and it’s better than having an unexpected hefty bill to pay!
Roundabouts
A common mistake when driving in Madeira is to use the incorrect lane on a roundabout, as the rules are different to elsewhere in the world. In Portugal (and therefore Madeira) you need to stay in the inside lane until you are about to exit the roundabout, and then move to the outside lane to take the exit.
If you are in the outside lane then you must take the next available exit on the roundabout, or you are breaking the laws of the road. It’s important to know this as it can easily cause accidents if you carry on driving past an exit and remain in the outside lane.
So for example if you want to take the first exit on a roundabout then you will want to be in the outside lane immediately, but for any other exit you will need to be on the inside lane. Once you pass the exit before the one you want to take then you can move into the outside lane and take the exit once you reach it.
Speed Limits
When driving in Madeira it’s important to be aware that speed limits may be different to what you would expect in your home country. The speed limit in urban areas tends to be 50 kilometres per hour and on rural roads it is normally 90 kilometres per hour. Highways and expressways in Madeira usually have a speed limit of 120 kilometres per hour.
While these limits are generally correct, there are some places where road signs indicate a different limit. Make sure to pay attention to any road signs relating to the speed limit to ensure you are driving at a safe speed.
One unique thing about driving in Madeira is that they do have some areas where the speed limit increases by 10 kilometres per hour depending on the weather conditions. If the road is dry then you are able to drive 10 kilometres per hour faster than the advertised speed limit, but if the surface is wet you must stick to the advertised limit.
The picture below shows what these signs look like, and there are signs in place to advertise when the area for the increased limit ends.
Right hand side driving
One of the most important things to know for driving in Madeira is to drive on the right hand side of the road. Driving on the right side of the road is fairly standard in Europe, but there are a few exceptions such as the UK and Cyprus.
Being from the UK ourselves it is a bit of a change to drive on the right side of the road, but it’s not really much of a big deal. If you aren’t used to driving on the right side of the road it’s not something to be overly worried about, and it will feel completely normal within a few minutes!
The easiest way to make sure you are always on the correct side of the road is to make sure that you are driving with the steering wheel the same side as any oncoming traffic. Steering wheels are specifically placed this way so that the driver has better visibility of oncoming traffic, and it’s a useful way to make sure you are on the right side of the road – quite literally!
Four Wheel Drives
There is no real need to rent a four wheel drive when driving in Madeira, as it’s possible to get to the majority of places without one. Not only that, but normally your rental insurance won’t cover a four wheel drive for going off-road – which is the main reason it would ever be useful!
If you do want to explore Madeira in a 4WD then there are a number of great jeep tours on the island, which can be booked through Get Your Guide. There are several tours to choose from depending on where you want to visit, but some common stops include the Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools, the Fanal Forest, the Seixal Natural Pools, Cabo Girão, and more!
Click here to discover the amazing jeep tours available on the Get Your Guide website!
Parking in Madeira
One thing to be wary of when driving in Madeira is that some parking spaces are reserved for residents only. These spaces are normally marked with an M sign, so avoid using these spaces as you will be fined.
Although there are some free car parks around Madeira, it is fairly common to have to pay for parking. It’s useful to have some loose change available as often this is the only way to pay for parking.
Experience
As long as you are a reasonably experienced driver, then driving in Madeira is unlikely to be a real issue for you. If you have driven abroad before or are used to driving in mountainous areas then you should find it fairly comfortable.
Even if you have never driven abroad before it’s not as scary as it may seem, and the idea often seems more daunting than it is. If you follow the advice above then you should have no problems driving in Madeira, even if it is your first time driving abroad!
Of course experienced drivers will feel more confident in a shorter time, especially those used to driving on steep roads. Thankfully the roads in Madeira are in very good condition, and the only other things to be wary of are some slightly narrow roads and the occasional pothole.
Over the course of our travels we have driven in more than 10 different countries, and personally found that Madeira was an easy and safe place to drive. We haven’t ever driven in particularly bad places, but we found driving here a lot easier than driving in the Isle of Skye in Scotland – which we found had lots of potholes and single-track roads!
If you aren’t experienced in driving abroad or are nervous about driving on steep roads, then it’s still worth renting a car in Madeira – just limit your mountain driving. If you want to do things like the Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike then some steep roads are unavoidable, but it’s quite easy to limit your mountain driving if you want to.
Public transport/taxis
Public transport in Madeira is fairly limited and slow, which is another reason driving is the best way to get around the island. Buses aren’t particularly reliable for getting both to and from a place in the same day – so it’s much easier if you rent a car for your trip.
Of course you can always opt for taxis or tours, but these end up being a lot more expensive than renting a car and driving yourself. If you do decide that you would prefer to go down the route of tours then thankfully there are some great options available on the Get Your Guide website – including incredible whale and dolphin watching trips from Funchal!
Click here to see the amazing tours available through Get Your Guide!
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