The fastest and most convenient way to get to Lisbon from Lisbon is on a  90-minute  TAP flight   . Daily flights (9-13, depending on the season) stop at Madeira Airport and head to Porto Santo.

Getting to Madeiras capital Funchal is easier and cheaper than you think, especially if you fly aboard any TAP plane to Lisbon from anywhere outside Portugal and then connect with a TAP flight from Lisbon to Funchal. If you fly business class to Lisbon from virtually anywhere within TAPs international network (including flights to Portugal originating in both the New York and London areas), no additional funds are charged to passengers continuing in Madeira. However, if you travel by bus, even with the cheapest APEX offers, the supplement you will pay for your last round trip to Funchal will rarely exceed € 100 and in many cases may not exceed € 50. If you are going to Madeira, it is advisable to book all stages of your trip to Portugal as part of the same ticketing process.

In addition, TAP has five daily daily flights and British Airways flies nonstop (Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat) from London to Funchal. Travel time is 4 hours.

In Madeira, airplanes arrive at  Madeira Airport www.aeroportosdamadeira.pt, east of Funchal, in Santa Cruz. Taxis  to central Funchal can take 15-20 minutes and cost € 25 for a standard fare. However, taxis waiting at the airport will take airline passengers anywhere they wish on the island. If you are going to Funchal or from Funchal back to the airport, you can also take a  bus,  run by the Madeira Automobile Society (tel.  29 / 120-11-50). ), which can take anywhere from 40 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the number of stops) and costs only 17 € one way.  These buses run as needed and are scheduled to cater for inbound and outbound flights. They stop at three or four places in the city center when the need arises because there is no central bus station.

Visitor Information

An English-speaking team heads the desk of   the  Madeira Tourism Office ,  Av. Arriaga 16 (tel.  29 / 121-19-00;  www.madeiratourism.org) in Funchal. It is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 6pm. The office distributes maps of the island and the staff will make suggestions on the best ways to explore the beautiful landscape. They also have information about ferry connections to the nearby island of Porto Santo.

TAP has an office in Funchal at Avenida  das Communities Madeirenses 8-10 (tel.  70 / 720-57-00  or 29 / 123-92-48). It is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm.

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