Known as the “Hawaii of Europe”, Madeira is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations in Europe. However, heading to an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean means that costs can rack up quickly. So, here’s how to book a trip to Madeira on a budget.
Low-cost flights
First things first, the key part of booking a trip is booking the flights. If you’re flying from the UK or Europe, Ryanair and Wizz Air both frequently fly into Madeira. This is a super cheap way of getting here. We went in February for five days and the return flights from Manchester cost us just £70 return.
If you’re flying from the US, there are now more direct flights, especially from the East Coast. However, if you’re on a budget, it may be better to get a cheaper flight on a more popular route into a European hub, and then a low-cost ticket out to Madeira. Some routes will also transfer through Lisbon, as Madeira is a Portuguese island and Lisbon is the hub for TAP Airlines, the Portuguese national airline.
Baggage
It’s worth noting that we did not check any luggage for this trip and we didn’t purchase extra carry-on. This might not suit everyone. Low-cost carriers are notorious for high baggage fees and trying to catch people out at the gate.
I always opt for a small backpack that’s soft-sided, so I can squish more things down. It also makes it easier if you’re asked to get it into the metal frame if it’s soft. Of course, I wore my hiking boots, warm layers, and coat on the flight, so I basically only had summer-weather hiking clothes, swimsuits, and a couple of mix-and-match outfits in the bag.
If you do need luggage, I’d recommend buying a hold bag over a cabin bag. Cabin bags are priced by size whereas hold luggage is based on weight. I’ve bought 10kg luggage for £20 each way and shared it with whoever I’m traveling with. You can fit more stuff in and for five days to a week on an island, you’re not going to have a ton of stuff.
Cashback
Now, I love using cashback to get more money off my purchases. My go-to is usually Top Cashback as it’s fairly reliable and seems to have the most vendors. However, low-cost airlines are rarely on there unless you’re buying a holiday package.
That being said, accommodation websites are usually on there as are airport transfers, parking, and travel insurance companies. Use these savings and put them toward your next trip or something special!
Flexible Booking
To find the cheapest flights, be flexible. Using Skyscanner or Google Flights, opt for the “whole month” view and go from there. Be sure to check the times of the flights and work out whether you can feasibly get to and from the airport at that time. It might be worth paying more for the flight at a more reasonable hour to save on taxis or hotels the night before.
Ryanair loves a 6am flight, but that means I’m leaving my house at 2.30am to get there. There aren’t any trains at that time, so you’re relying more on the buses on the Omio app to get you there. I love National Express and FlixBus, but you have to time it right to make it work.
Accommodation
With such cheap flights, accommodation in Madeira is often more expensive than getting here. While there are a lot of hotels, resorts, and Airbnbs to choose from, it can soon add up. Most of the accommodation is in the Madeiran capital, Funchal. This is great for the airport, bus network, and if you’re joining any tours.
Hostels
My go-to when traveling on a budget is to stay in a hostel. However, when I’m not solo traveling, private rooms are the way to go. We stayed in 109 Hostel Funchal which is in the heart of the Old Town. It was more like a quiet guest house than a hostel, and it’s run by mountain guides, so they can give you advice about Madeira’s various hikes.
Realistically, there are only four main hostels in Funchal itself, with the others being more like bed and breakfasts. There are a couple of other hostels around the island in places like Machico and Porto do Cruz, but they’re still few and far between.
So, if you’re looking for dorm rooms, you’ll want to book fairly early as there isn’t a wealth of options.
Hotels
A lot of the hotels in and around Funchal are down towards the beaches. Here you’ll find luxury hotels and bigger resorts that are designed for package holidays or more luxurious travel.
It’s pretty difficult to find a deal here, but not impossible. There are often deals on sites like Booking.com to check out, especially if you log into your account to save 10%, and it’s a good way to compare holiday lets versus hotels to see what’s more appropriate for you.
Holiday Lets
If there is a group of you or you just don’t fancy staying in a hostel, holiday lets on Madeira can be cheaper. There is a huge range of options on both Airbnb and Vrbo to choose from. I’ve had friends stay for as little as £36 a night for a full place.
Of course, holiday lets tend to be further away from the action and have their own set of fees and rules to contend with. However, there are so many options that if there are two or more of you it’s a good way to get a more luxury experience on a budget while you’re in Madeira.
Bus network
If you’re traveling on a budget in Madeira, I would not hire a car. Not only is it an unnecessary expensive, but some of those windy mountain roads are sketchy!
Instead, you should take advantage of the super cheap bus network that centres around Funchal. I’ve already written about this in my post “How to Explore Madeira by Public Transport“. It’s one of the best ways to get around the island, especially to key trailheads, and keeps the costs low.
Eating out
As with many Portuguese cities and places, eating out in Funchal is pretty affordable. There are plenty of places to try out depending on the cuisine you’re looking for. Of course, seafood is big here and a lot of the iconic local dishes revolve around fish.
If you want to eat somewhere fancier on a budget, I’d suggest downloading The Fork app to find the best places to go with money-off deals. We booked a multi-course dinner and wine for Taberna do Capitao for under 30 Euros and had one of the most incredible meals I’ve ever eaten.
When you sign up, if you enter my referral code: 849022DB you’ll get £20 off your next meal!
