Madeira News Blog

Important Things To Remember If Driving On Madeira 

Please read the disclaimer at the bottom of this page.

1. If you are a tourist or visiting Madeira, you may hire a car. You cannot own and drive, or borrow a car, unless your licence has been registered with the driving authorities. Nearly all of the car rental agencies are based in Funchal, and some also have booths at Madeira Airport. Most international car rental companies cover Madeira, but not all, and so reservations can usually be made online.

Research shows that most problems with car rental generally are the result of surcharges for extras, petrol, and vehicle damage. Keeping petrol receipts, and doing a careful inspection with photographs of any damage might help you later in the event of problems. Also check the terms of the insurance, as if you make a claim and haven’t followed the requirements, your claim could be rejected.

2. If you are resident on Madeira, you have the option to keep your own European format driving licence, having registered it with the authorities, or you may swap your driving licence for a Portuguese licence. You must register with DGV within 30 days of becoming resident on Madeira.

Registering A Driving Licence – The DGV (Direcção Geral de Viação) is the licensing authority, and is based either behind the casino in Funchal or in the ‘Loja do Cidadão’. To register a EU issued driving licence, you need to complete their registration form, copy it, and take two copies of your ID and two copies of your driving licence. Also you may need to provide photographic ID. You can do this by post or in person. They will give you back a stamped document, which you must keep. With the exception of hire cars, you cannot drive a car on Madeira without registering first.

3. In line with most of Europe, in Portugal you drive on the right hand side, and if you buy a new car it will be left hand drive. You use roundabouts in an anticlockwise direction, otherwise the driving rules are similar to the UK, and the traffic signs and warnings should be recognisable, if not readable.

Many of the roads on Madeira are hilly and have sharp bends, so extra attention is needed. The standard of driving is generally good on the island, but as in any country you need to be beware of the odd idiot driver.

Speed limits on Madeira are signposted, and are generally 40 to 50 kph (kilometres per hour) in built up areas, other wise you can drive at up to 80 kph. The major dual carriage ways (via rápidas) have speed limits of up to 100 kph, with lesser limits displayed where road conditions warrant a reduction.

4. You can import a right or left hand drive car onto Madeira, but the importation process is complex and time consuming, and the re-registration will require you to have a new vehicle registration plate. Right hand drive cars are not popular, and if you try and sell one it will be difficult and you will achieve a considerably lower price than for the same left hand drive model.

The car must be registered within 30 days of arrival on the island, and the importation process must be complete within 180 days, on the risk of impoundment for tax evasion.

5. Depending on  your residency status, you may be able to import a car tax free to Madeira if you have owned the vehicle for sufficient time. If you do have to pay tax it is based on the car age and emission rating, and may result in a considerable tax charge. The charges are available at Finance offices, otherwise the company managing the car import should be able to advise on tax liabilities. You are strongly advised to consider tax implications before bringing a car to Madeira.6. Portuguese law states that you must carry a red warning triangle and a yellow reflective vest in the car at all times, for safety reasons, for use in the event of a breakdown or accident. You must wear the seat belts in both the front and back of the car, and children under the age of 12 years must sit in the back seats.

7. You should carry your insurance, car registration documents, and driving licence with you, when out driving. If stopped by the police you should produce these at the time, if not you may be fined and told to report to a police station on Madeira with your documents. All cars on Madeira should also show 2 or 3 stickers in the top right corner of the windscreen.

The first is provided by the insurance company (seguro automóvel). Car insurance is available on 3 main levels, fully comprehensive, third party fire & theft, and third party. Other additions such as windscreen damage are available for an extra premium, and ‘no claims’ are accrued and can normally be ‘imported’ from non-Portuguese insurance companies, and these ‘no claims’ can also be insured for the car owner only.

The second should show that you have paid your car tax for the year. From 2008, the car tax is paid annually on the anniversary of the vehicle registration,  and can be renewed at Finance offices or over the internet. Car tax has been very cheap for many years, but new rates based on fuel consumption and exhaust emissions are now in place that will penalise gas guzzling cars. You should receive a bill at the address registered in Finances when the car tax (IUC) is due, although Madeira does not seem to be in line with the rest of Portugal in this respect, so it is best to keep a diary note to avoid a late payment fine. There is more information on renewing car tax via the internet below.

The third sticker is necessary if the car is over 4 years old, and will be issued at one of Madeira’s inspection (MOT) centres. After the first inspection (4 years), the next is at 6 and then 8 years, and annually thereafter. The inspection will give one of 3 decisions. Pass, with up to 7 minor defects (which although not serious safety issues still need to be rectified). If more than 7 minor defects or a safety defect, you can be failed, on the proviso that you bring the car back promptly with the faults fixed. And lastly, failed with a serious defect(s), in which case the car has to be towed to a garage for repair.

Getting Your Car Inspected (MOT test) – In some respects the car inspection system on Madeira is quite advanced, and a lesson in production line methodology that other countries could learn from. No appointment is needed.

Having got yourself to the test centre, going west out of Funchal and turning off after the petrol station at the sign for the Botanical Gardens, you park up and go into the reception.

There you have to produce the car registration documents, insurance, the previous inspection record, and the princely sum of €26 (2007). Strangely there is no receipt issued. You then put yourself and your car in one of the queues at the back of the building, and drive bit by bit into the building where the test is carried out.

At the first stage they test exhaust emissions, lights, horn, and some under the bonnet stuff. Also they check you have the safety jacket and red triangle in the car. The car then goes onto some rollers to test the brakes, and then is driven over a pit where the car is shaken around to test for unwanted movement in steering and suspension mechanisms. And that is pretty much it!

You then park up at the front, and go into the office to wait for the verdict, hopefully a green certificate with as little printing as possible. This is where things may become a little puzzling, as on occasions money changes hands. Whether this may or may not influence the outcome of an inspection is hard to say. Just ‘tips’ perhaps! And, whilst on the subject of ‘puzzling’, you will also find a bar on the premises, so take it steady!

If you are not so lucky, they will explain what you need to do, which could involve a retest (about €13 in 2007). There is a further test centre at São Vicente, but it is a mobile unit but it is worth checking it is in place to avoid a wasted journey.

Vehicle inspections take place on the anniversary of registration of the vehicle in Portugal, and are based on age of the vehicle. Private vehicles have their first inspection after 4 years of age, then 6 years, 8 years, and then every year. You can take your vehicle for inspect in the two months prior to the due date. Do not leave it until the very last day possible, as the queues can be substantial.

8. On the spot fines are normal for minor traffic offences on Madeira. More serious offences, such as drink driving, may land you in court, resulting in a suspension of your licence and a driving ban, as well as a large fine. If you drive with more than 1.2 g/l of alcohol in your body you will be arrested. Using a mobile phone whilst driving is also an offence.

Drink Driving Limits For Portugal & Madeira – If after a test the alcohol reading equals or exceeds 0.5 g/l but is than 0.8 g/l, the penalty varies between €250 and €1250.  If it is equal or exceeds 0.8 g/l and is lower than 1.2 g/l, the penalty varies between €500 and €2,500 and the driving licence is withdrawn. The length of withdrawal depend on the circumstances and the quality of the defence, but in the best cases it is likely to be at least 3 months. Police are now very vigilant for drunk and dangerous drivers, and the local newspaper publish the numbers arrested every week.

9. Portuguese car insurance covers the car, not just the person. If you lend your car to someone they should be covered, but they must have your authority in writing to borrow your car (meeting a specified format). You must check your insurance policy before lending your car to someone.

10. Outside of Funchal, petrol stations can be sparse, so its best to fill up when you see one unless you know where they are situated. You can buy ordinary grade unleaded petrol (gasolina 95), high grade (gasolina 98) and diesel (gasóleo), but they are all fairly expensive due to the importation costs to Madeira.

11. If you breakdown on the Madeira dual carriageway (via rápida) phone 800 290 290 for
assistance. There are plenty of cameras along the busiest sections, so you may find help is on the way before requesting it. Be aware that mobile phones may not work inside the tunnels, and keep clear of any burning vehicles inside tunnels.

12. If you need to park on Madeira, you will probably have to use a car park if you are in or near a town / city centre. There is no established formula across the island for calculating parking charges, but they are comparatively expensive for local people, who tend to know where else to go to avoid paying. Also, some supermarkets will pay for limited parking when you shop with them. 

Where the ‘P’ sign shows the word ‘LIVRE’, it means parking spaces are available. ‘COMPLETO’ means full up.

13. Car Tax is due on the anniversary of the month of the vehicle registration in Portugal. The tax authorities on Madeira are encouraging car owners to renew car tax through the internet, although it is still possible to do so in your local Finance Office (take all your vehicle documents and tax number with you).

To renew on the internet is fairly simple if you understand Portuguese and have a password to access the IRS website. If you don’t speak Portuguese but are happy to give it a go, go to the IRS website and enter your tax number (Nº Contribuinte) and password (senha). Then go to the grey menu on the left, and select CONTRIBUINTES, ENTREGAR, IU CIRCULAÇÃO. You should find your vehicle listed. Once you have selected your vehicle and submitted your application (EMITIR), you then need to make arrangements to pay. This can be done at the Finance office, through the multibanco machines (ATMs), or through internet banking. Whichever way you choose, you will have to refer to the PDF document that will be presented to you after ‘EMITIR’  to obtain the payment references.

The payment references can also be obtained through the grey menu : CONTRIBUINTES, CONSULTAR, IU CIRCULAÇÃO, DOCUMENTOS.

If you go back through the links above a couple of days after payment, the certificate should be updated with your payment details. Print this off and keep it in your car as proof of payment. You should be sent a window sticker to prove you have valid car tax, but this can take some weeks after renewing to arrive by post.

DISCLAIMER – THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE, AND IS PROVIDED FOR BRIEF GUIDANCE ONLY, ON A BEST ENDEAVORS BASIS.

NO RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR THE ACCURACY OF INFORMATION SHOWN HERE, AND YOU SHOULD SEEK INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OR PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE. THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED IN 2008.

This information sheet is copyright material – do not reproduce in part or full without written consent                                     

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OVERVIEW

The Madeirans love to go out and eat, and whilst it is very affordable for many western Europeans, it is comparatively expensive for many people on Madeira on minimum wage of around €500 per month.

Madeira has snack bars and restaurants in vast numbers from one end to the other. Most of the snack bars prepare steak sandwiches and burgers, but there are a great many restaurants specialising in local recipes, and others serving more familiar dishes, including Italian, Indian and Chinese food, with some excellent seafood establishments.

Vegetarians are catered for on Madeira, but mostly in Funchal, where there are several restaurants serving a variety of dishes.

All restaurants and snack bars serve a large variety of soft and alcoholic drinks, and tea and coffee also. The wines are both Madeiran and imported, the main beers on offer will almost certainly come from Coral,
a local producer that has a huge dominance over the Madeira market, and produces light and dark beers, as well as non-alcoholic brews. Many of the soft drinks will be familiar too, with Coca Cola being a major brand. Most of the other juices and fizzy drinks come from Brisa, who also manufacture on the island, with a huge range of the usual and more exotic flavours. 

Most of the locals and visitors like to eat outdoors when out for the night. The people of Madeira tend to eat quite late at night, often with friends and families, including children.

Service charges are not normally included in the bill, and tipping is optional.

FOOD SHOPPING

Madeira is well blessed with 3 large supermarket chains, with one or more represented in most larger towns. Modelo and Pingo Doce are Portuguese national brands, whilst Hiper Sã is a local supermarket, just trying to reach out and establish itself in mainland Portugal. There are plenty of other smaller privately owned supermarkets and food shops to choose from, but the larger ones have a significant pricing advantage, and small businesses struggle in the competition.

However, on Madeira, there is a third source for fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and fish, and that is direct from the farmers and fishermen, of which there are many, If you live outside of the city, and you get to know your neighbours, for sure there will be packages and boxes turning up with bananas and oranges, as these are plentiful and often surplus to requirements. Once you know your way around a bit, if you live in the country you will probably find that a lot of your heavy and fresh shopping comes home this way, with a bit from the neighbours, something from the man in the fish van, some wine from a local winery, and so on.

Having established your bulk food sources, you go out and buy everything else in your local shops or supermarkets, and quite likely end up with some goods imported to Madeira.

The quality of food is good, the fruit and vegetables are wide in variety, and usually good in flavour.  Prices fluctuate widely, due to seasonal availability and importation costs.  The meat (limited in choice) and fish (big choice) prices usually stay more steady.

Here are some rough price guides
for basic food & drink from 2008:
Potatoes €0.60 – €1 / kg
Oranges €0.50 – €1 / kg
Tomatoes €1 – €2.50 / kg
Bread €0.70 – €2 medium loaf
Lean beef €4 – €6 / kg
Chicken €1.70 – €2.50 / kg
Small fish €1 – €3 / kg
Large fish €4 – €8 / kg
Milk €0.40 – €0.70 / litre
30cl local beer €0.20 – €0.45
Wine starts at €0.70 / litre, up to several Euros for a reasonable bottle

The average Madeira family shopping bill for 2007 was €399 per month

EATING & DRINKING OUT

Portuguese & International Cuisine

If you are up for a burger, steak sandwich, chips or whatever, then you will need to walk no more than a few meters in any town to satisfy your appetite, as there are numerous snack bars and cafés on Madeira, catering for the most popular local tastes in snacks. There are also plenty of restaurants, but as you will no doubt wish to try some local dishes, this is where we will start.

Several dishes stand out as being particularly Portuguese or Madeiran, and are very popular with the locals. The first is Espetada, which is a kebab type meal of grilled or barbecued beef, in very large chunks, well flavoured with garlic. You will often see the huge skewers hanging upright on the tables. You may see it served with chips, vegetables, or salad, or fried corn is also popular. This dish and other grilled and  barbecued meat will certainly be found in any restaurant marked or named as a churrascaria, and if you go to a street festivals you will almost certainly see it on sale, and perhaps even cook it yourself.

Fish is also very popular, and one deep sea fish caught locally is called espada (scabbard fish), and although you won’t recognise it on your plate, if you look in a Madeira supermarket it will be the very long black fish with large eyes and wicked razor sharp teeth. The other very popular fish dish is ‘bacalhau’ or cod fish. This is familiar but imported cod, usually dried and salted when brought, but this is unnoticeable when rehydrated and prepared.

There are specialist fish restaurants, mostly in Funchal, but as much of the more exquisite fish is imported, they can appear expensive, and you may pay for the fish by uncooked weight. Look out for ‘Marisqueira’ outside a restaurant.

One stew of worthy note, named feijoada, is made of boiled beans, and can be made with a variety of meats and flavourings, in a sauce. It’s very filling and very popular with Madeirans.

International cuisine restaurants are common place in Funchal, but are much harder to find on the rest of the island, with the exception of Italian style restaurants serving pizza and pasta dishes. In Funchal there are several Chinese and Indian restaurants, as well as the Italian ones, and French, and a few more obscure themes dotted around the city. Also, but barely under the theme of ‘International Cuisine’, you will find MacDonalds & Kentucky Fried Chicken, and familiar looking fast food Pizza outlets in Funchal.

Money Saving Tip – Meals are well renowned in Portugal & Madeira for being rather large, so if you have children with you often you can ask for a half portion "Meia dose de … se faz favor". It will probably cost more than half the price of a full portion, but that’s to be expected.

The Madeiran ‘Café Culture’

Cafés and Bars form a huge part of the social life enjoyed by many Madeirans and Portuguese people. As well as a simple and often practical way of feeding and hydrating yourself, the bigger role is the social environment it provides, with friends and family, business acquaintances and anybody else who might turn up! This life is generally a daytime affair, with little if any alcohol being consumed, but plenty of very strong black coffee in very small cups.

Most of this socialising takes place daily outside the numerous cafes and bars that are spread out across the island, weather permitting of course, and mostly during the day. At night-time, especially later on, it is more normal to see younger people, often with children but still sitting outdoors. Again, drinking mostly coffee and juices.

Not so much these days (unless you ask), the staff will give you a dish of something to eat with your drink, known as ‘dentinhos’, something like the tapas bars of Spain do. Sometimes you will be given a small plate of yellow beans (tromoços), or salted peanuts or monkey nuts, others may give you something hot like tripe, or chicken hearts, or ‘patinhas’ (pigs feet).

Bars, Pubs, & Drinking Establishments

The opening times of most the bars, pubs and cafés is pretty universal, and usually pretty early, but the closing times vary from town to town and from establishment to establishment, with the bars further away from residential areas usually having later closing times (later licences are allowed if the establishment is not going to be disturbing people).

All bars / pubs / cafes sell alcoholic drinks, but they would normally represent the smaller part of the days trade where coffee, juices and snacks give the owners their main income, though that may vary with establishment that serve a lot of tourists.

Many of the bars have TVs, but most people don’t watch them unless there is a big football match on.

Smoking

On 1st January 2008, Portugal introduced measures to stop smoking in public places. Madeira was equally affected, but the president of Madeira, a cigar smoker, had the law changed for Madeira. Now there are bars and restaurants that allow smoking, and by law they have smoke extraction equipment installed.

In public places such as the airport and on buses, smoking is not permitted. Bars, cafes and restaurants can choose to be a smoking or non smoking establishment. There are stiff fines for businesses, and fines for smokers themselves who do not comply with the law. A red sticker is used is used to indicate ‘no smoking’ establishments and areas. The majority of places have opted for the ‘no smoking’ option.

However, for those who still wish to smoke, it shouldn’t be a problem, as with a climate like that on Madeira, who wouldn’t rather sit outside anyway? Cigarettes are priced in the range of €1.50 to €2.80 per
packet, the higher price being for imported cigarettes. Most bars and cafes have vending machines that are operated by a remote control to stop underage use, so you may have to ask for the machine to be switched on.

The prices in bars, pubs & cafes vary enormously around Madeira, and going from one extreme of a café in a busy tourist area in Funchal, to a small bar in a small Madeiran village, exactly the same drink could cost you half as much, maybe less. At the lower end of the scale, a small beer should cost between 80 cents and €1, a large white coffee 70 to 90 cents, a bottled juice or cola probably €1 or just under, a large shot of spirits between €1 and €2, depending on the measure and spirit chosen.

The food is limited in choice, burger and steak sandwiches being more popular with the locals on Madeira, but you can buy your lunch for between €3 and €5 as long as you don’t stray from the regular menu or the dish of the day which should have it’s own price marked up.

The prices discussed above are the prices you should pay and those normally advertised or listed somewhere in view, but legally, owners of bars, pubs & cafes are permitted to charge a service charge if they take your order and serve you outside, and normally this would be as little as 10 cents a drink, but some owners or their waiting staff take this to new levels by adding 50% or 100% or more onto a drinks bill, and this is a big problem with foreigners whether they realise it or not. Normally with food there is never a problem, and most bars, pubs and cafés do employ honest staff.

Another favourite trick is to take your €5 note, and ‘forget’ to give you the change, unless you ask for it of course, so you should keep an eye open for these small but annoying and costly tricks. Another warning, some bars / pubs / cafes & restaurants have tills that can produce different priced bills / receipts for the same item!

The staff and the customers in the Madeira bars & pubs are generally helpful, friendly and understanding, and you will see this manifest itself in different forms, from the busy city centre bars & cafés to the remote snack bar in the middle of nowhere. You ought to experience this for yourself.

Tips To Avoid Being ‘Had’

1. Use the bars / pubs you know and trust.
2. Order your drink at the bar, and make a mental note if you see the price list  (which should be displayed). Likewise, if you order anything from the menu. By law, these establishments are permitted to charge more for outside service. The chances are the locals will not be charged this, or if they are it will be 10 or 20 cents per drink. However, some pubs / bars / cafes will mark up huge amounts in order to charge foreigners more.
3. Where convenient, pay your bill inside the bar / pub / cafe, and check your change.
4. If you don’t see a bill and are unhappy with the amount charged , ask the bar man or pub manager for a ‘recibo’, and check that what is printed is correct.
5. If you want to ask for the manager, ask ….. "quero falar com o gerente"
6. As a last resort, ask for the ‘Livro de Reclamacões’ (complaints book), and that should resolve matters. This should always be as a last resort, as there can be serious repercussions for the business involved.

DISCLAIMER – THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE, AND IS PROVIDED FOR BRIEF GUIDANCE ONLY, ON A BEST ENDEAVORS BASIS.

NO RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR THE ACCURACY OF INFORMATION SHOWN HERE, AND YOU SHOULD SEEK INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OR PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE. THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED IN 2008.

This information sheet is copyright material – do not reproduce in part or full without written consent 

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