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So on the point of booking a couples trip in a few weeks, envisaging some extreme light rambling, nice meals and coffee and cake consumption. And prob a day or so bike/surf. I was starting this thread to ask for car hire co recommendations. Something localish where they come pre-scratched like Autoreisen in the canaries being the ideal.
But actually there's also a bit of a cry for help/therapy coming, as I'm bothered by the prospect of driving in the hills. Never used to worry me - rattling round french mountains/narrow spanish tracks with kids bouncing in the back - but now it really does, to the extent it impinged on a recent Tenerife trip. Tunnels etc don't bother me, or windy narrow village roads, or anything much on a bike, but its the combination of LH drive car and exposure over the drop that are issues to the extent it's putting me off booking, which can't be right. So:
1. How bad is it? If freaked can you just stick to main roads which have barriers (like they don't always in france) to get round most of the island?
2. Car hire firm recs, and anything else basically.
Some of the roads are a bit exposed but they are decent roads, good surface, barriers in the right places so I wouldn't be too worried. The main road round the coast is fine (other than traffic) and will get you to most of the outer island. As you head into the central hills some roads get pretty small but you'll be driving slowly then. I wouldn't let it put you off.
Almost everywhere you will want to go to will have a main road close by, and these are all linked by tunnels to avoid the more interesting 'tourist routes'. I'm amazed the island hasn't crumbled into the Atlantic it has so many holes bored through it!
But the other roads are nice and if you want to get to some places you will need to do at least some steeper routes for a little bit. Best advice we got was to make sure we did not get an underpowered car for this! We coped fine
Having been back and forth to Madeira over the years I find the driving relatively easy. Sure there's some tight corners, steep hills (that can run away with you going down) and large 'drops' off the side of the road but it's actually relatively safe and easy to get round the island once you get used to it.
Venture inland through the villages or the peaks and it gets a little tight and tricky but you get used to it. Signage and directions are clear but some interchanges can be a little confusing at first. Most locals are respectful drivers with the odd hoon on a bike giving it the full knee down - like pretty much anywhere else.
The tunnels are ace, especially during the Rally BRRRRAPPPPPPP! 😉
2 things I learned on our first trip that I wish I knew.
DO NOT get a petrol car.
DO NOT get a automatic.
DO NOT get something like an estate or saloon.
Since then I've opted for a small (think Polo) size manual diesel. It's all you need really.
This is the first year for a while we won't be visiting - the missus wanted to go to Crete so the kids and I are going to miss it. Enjoy!
I went into a cake shop.
I said 'How much is that cake?'
The woman said '£2.'
'Ok, how much is that one?'
'£2'
'What about that one at the back?'
'£6.50'
'£6.50?? Why is it so much more than the others?'
'That's Madiera cake...'
, steep hills (that can run away with you going down)
<shits self>
‘That’s Madiera cake…’
But on the other hand - mmmm cake. Thanks all. I think.
If you do hire a car and go into Funchal. You will see a statue of Christiano Ronaldo there. Do us a favour and knock it down, it's bloody awful.
I dunno, something about it draws the eye
Driving in Madeira is fairly straightforward I think, so many tunnels (new ones every time we've been) that you can mainly stay off the old windy roads. I'd say generally the roads are better than in Tenerife.
We never found anything similar to autoreisen, just made sure we had separate excess insurance.