Tips from A to Z

The most important key data for your target area

Pharmacies
In Madeira they are called Farmacia and are marked with a green cross on a white background. They are open during the usual business hours, night and Sunday shifts in alternating cycles. At the reception of your hotel they will be happy to provide you with information.

Doctors & Medical Care
There are health centers (Centro de Saúde) in all larger towns. The state hospital Cruz de Carvalho with an emergency room (Urgências) is located in Funchal, Avenida Luis do Camoes (tel. 291 705 666).

Other health centers & private clinics
Da Se private clinic (medical center), Rua dos Murcas (tel. 291 207 676)
Policlinica do Caniço (private medical center), opposite the pharmacy (tel. 291 934 504)
Santa Katharina Private Clinic, Rua de Outobro (Tel. 291 741 127)

German speaking doctors
Dr. Pierre Curado, Caniço de Baixo (Tel. 292 932 218, Mobile 00351 96 507 51 00)

With the European Health Insurance Card EHIC you are entitled to medical care in state hospitals and health centers in an emergency. Private medical treatment must be paid for in cash. If you have additional insurance or are privately insured or have taken out travel health insurance, you can submit the invoices after your return.

Banks
At ATMs, you can withdraw up to €200 per transaction and €400 per day using your EC card and PIN number. Bank opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 15 p.m.

buses
The bus stops are marked with the PARAGEM sign. A uniform tariff applies within the city. Timetables for all bus connections on the island are available from the tourist office. You can buy tickets for the yellow-orange city buses either from the bus driver (only one way) or in the green ticket booths at the port. There you can also get a weekly pass, the “tourist pass”. As a rule, you cannot purchase tickets in advance for the intercity buses; you pay directly to the bus driver.

Further information can be found in the “Public Transport” chapter.

Diplomatic missions
The German Honorary Consulate is located in Funchal, Largo do Phelps 6, Tel. 291 220 338, open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Fax 291/230 108
Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Austria, Funchal, Tel. 291 206100, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 15 p.m. to 18 p.m
Swiss Embassy (Lisbon): Tel. 213 944 090

shopping
Funchal is ideal for a shopping spree through the various shopping centers. For example, you can buy high quality items such as the world famous Madeira embroidery. If there is a small quality seal on the work, it is real craftsmanship, which has been checked by the local Chamber of Crafts.

Of course there is also something for the palate, for example the Madeira wine, which is offered in four different varieties. In the wineries you can of course get
a taste.

Wicker items are also popular souvenirs. You can get everything your heart desires in the many shops in town as well as in the basket weaving center in Camacha, from small bread baskets to shopping baskets and furniture.

There are shoe shops for all budgets in the city's shopping streets. For example, the Helio Bottier shoe store on Aljube-Strasse is quite cheap).

Incidentally, there are fixed prices in all shops. You can get a good overview of the local offer in the "Casa do Turista", the tour through the rooms of a former residential building is like visiting a folklore museum. You will find a wide range of island and mainland products here.

The island's flowers are of course a popular souvenir. There is a rich selection all year round. The offer is particularly varied during the winter months, because from November to around April is orchid season. Throughout the year there are Strelitzia,
Anturia, Proteas and much more

Holidays

In addition, each district has a fixed municipal holiday.
Banks, post offices and, with the exception of the large shopping centers, most shops are closed on public holidays. Easter Monday and Whit Monday are not public holidays in Madeira.

Filming & photography
The Madeiran landscape offers an infinite variety of beautiful motifs. Nothing is as fascinating as foreign cultures and faces. Nevertheless: ask beforehand whether you can take a picture and respect people's privacy!

Tourist Office
Funchal, Avenida Arriaga, open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 20 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 18 pm.

Business hours
Shops are generally open from 9 am to 13 pm and from 15 pm to 19 pm (except Saturday afternoon and Sunday). The banks are open continuously from 8.30 a.m. to 15 p.m. An exception are the shopping centers (Centro Comerçial), which are open all week from 10 a.m. to about 22 p.m. Some large supermarkets and hypermarkets are also open throughout the week.

Church services
Services usually take place on Saturday evening and Sunday. A German (Protestant) service is held regularly in the Scottish Church, Rua do Conselheiro in Funchal. Outside of mass, the churches are usually closed and there are no precise opening times.

Clothing
Because of the often quite fresh Atlantic wind, you should definitely have a warm cardigan or sweater with you on excursions or strolling. Even when the sun is shining in the morning, the weather can change very quickly. On excursions or hikes, especially in higher altitudes, you should also take a wind or rain protection with you as a precaution.

Criminality
In a European comparison, the crime rate is very low. But the same applies here: Opportunity makes thieves. You should therefore keep your valuables and papers in the hotel's rental safe if possible. Otherwise, the same precautionary measures apply as at home. Do not leave money in the room, keep an eye on your bag wherever there is a crowd, only take as much money with you as you need, do not put your wallet in your back pocket and do not leave any items, as worthless as they may be may be visible in the car. Should you still lose something, report the loss to the police immediately. You will need a police report for any claims with your insurance company. Neither the hotel nor the tour operator are liable for stolen items in the room.

tap water
The tap water is officially drinking water. You can safely use it for showering, washing, and brushing your teeth. However, we recommend mineral water for drinking.

Selected Literature
In the bookstores you will find all kinds of illustrated books about the island of Madeira.

Markets
Mercado dos Lavradores (market hall), Monday to Friday from 8 am to 20 pm, Saturday until 14 pm.

Nightlife
Night owls get their money's worth almost exclusively in the capital Funchal or in the hotel zone. Many hotels have nightclubs and bars, and some have a disco. There are also numerous bars in the "Zona Velha", the old town of Funchal. The casino is located on the grounds of the Carlton Park Hotel.

Emergency call
Police emergency number, fire brigade and ambulance: 112
If your car breaks down, the Madeiran counterpart to the ADAC will help you: Delegaçao de Automóvil Clube da Madeira, Rua Dr. António José de Almeida 17 II, Tel. 291 223659.

Local time
In Madeira you have to put your h back 1 hour.

Oporto
Postage fees change very quickly due to inflation. Currently (as of February 2012) valid for EU countries:
Postcard and letter € 0,68 each
In most hotels you can get stamps at the reception, you can also hand in your post there. Mark your post with Por Aviao (air mail). Germany is called Alemanha.

Post
Post is called correio in Portuguese. The main post office is located in Funchal at Av. Zarco and is open Monday to Friday from 8.30:20 a.m. to 9:12.30 p.m. and Saturday from XNUMX:XNUMX a.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

Radio
Radio Turista, medium wave 1485 kHz and VHF 96 MHz, Monday to Friday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. a German-language program with news and event information is broadcast.

You can hear Deutsche Welle on 15275 or 17869 kHz.

Sun
Take precautions and use a sun cream with a high sun protection factor and avoid direct sunlight, especially in the first few days of your vacation. And don't let the cooling effect of the trade winds irritate you: the sun's rays are very intense, even when the sky is overcast.

Language
In Madeira, Portuguese is spoken with a slightly wider emphasis. The characteristic sound is created by a mixture of vowels, diphtongs, nasal sounds, voiced and voiced sibilants as well as the throaty spoken "r". Many words are pulled together, so that even Portuguese-speaking tourists have some difficulties understanding.

voltage
Generally 220 volts. If the plugs on your electronic devices do not fit, please ask for an adapter at the reception of your hotel.

Taxi
The taxis are equipped with a taximeter, which must always be switched on when driving in urban areas. The basic fee is currently approx. € 2. At night and on Sundays and public holidays, a surcharge of 20% is required. When driving beyond the city area, you should agree a price with the driver beforehand or ask for the price table in the taxi.

Phone
You can make calls from credifon booths (phone cards are available from the post office or in large supermarkets), post offices or via the hotel reception. However, calls made from the hotel are much more expensive than from public telephones.

The area code for Germany is 0049, for Austria 0043 and for Switzerland 0041, then the area code without zero, then the subscriber number. The area code for Germany / Austria and Switzerland is 00351 291 ... and then the subscriber number.

Tip
Service is included in the price. Even so, it is customary to tip in bars, restaurants, and hotels. Of course, it is your individual decision whether and how much you give. The guide value is around 10% of the invoice amount.

At the hotel, you should consider housekeeping and porters, as well as the waiters in the dining room. If you don't wait until the day of your departure to tip, you will be served even more attentively and courteously. The bus driver who drives your excursion bus will also be happy to receive a small tip.

Of course, tips should only be given in recognition of good performance.

Accomodation
There is accommodation for every taste and budget in Madeira. You can spend the night in restored mansions (quintas), historical walls (pousadas) or in luxury hotels, apartments, middle-class hotels, bungalows, country houses or guest houses. The hotels and apartment complexes are categorized and controlled by stars (1 to 5). Further accommodation options are:

Estalagems: Hostels that offer a few fewer amenities than hotels, but are more typical of the region and are often more comfortable, even without a TV in the rooms.

Albergaria: Guesthouses that are somewhere between a hotel and a pension in terms of comfort.

Pensaos: Guest houses, which are often located in the city center, with clean, simple rooms, some without their own bathroom, optionally with breakfast.

Residences: Like the pensão, but without breakfast.

valuables
If you do not have a safe in your room, we recommend that you rent a safe at the reception of your hotel for your own safety.

newspapers
German magazines usually appear 1 to 2 days later than in Germany.