UPDATED 16-07-2020 ◊ ZMIEŃ JĘZYK NA: POLSKI
Agata visited Madeira in the same period as me. If I knew that they were on Madeira, I would definitely invite them for a delicious Poncha and I would look closely at all passing… motorcycles and scooters, because that’s how Agata and Mariusz decided to explore the island.
Today, an interesting interview with Agata, creator of the Polish blog Okiemplecaczka, who will tell us all about their trip to Madeira in December, staying at the Dorisol Florasol and give us useful tips for, among others, renting motorcycles and scooters in Madeira.
SYTM: Tell us about your trip – when did you visit Madeira?
I visited Madeira with my husband during the Christmas and New Year period 2018. Our plan was to spend Christmas Eve with the family, and for the next 7 days take a trip to a motorcycle-friendly place. Analysing the available options and destinations I mainly considered the date, location of the hotel, and things to see. Initially, we wanted to organize everything on our own, but in the end, we decided on a holiday package offered by the tour operator TUI.
SYTM: Do you often travel abroad on a motorcycle?
Motorcycles are our passion, and we frequently explore the world this way. We own for example a Triumph Tiger 1200, and on this motorcycle, we visited an entire Romania.
However, Madeira is the third island that we visited on a rented motorbike. The same way we already had explored Palma de Mallorca and Lanzarote. We love to spend our holidays this way, sunbathing and being lazy is not for us, we would probably die from boredom.
SYTM: Taking your own motorbike to Madeira by ferry is not an option, so your only option was a rental. Are there a lot of local motorcycle rental companies in Madeira?
Researching motorcycle rental companies online is always our first step when travel planning. Only then we focus on choosing the hotel, never the other way around. The hotel’s vicinity to the rental company is a priority, I could not imagine choosing a hotel located on the other coast.
Before arriving in Madeira I found a couple of booking websites; sort of booking engines where you book and pay a deposit, but never receive the address of the actual company. Once we arrived, we found only two rental companies offering motorcycle rentals in Funchal. Renting scooters is a different story, they are much more popular and it is easy to find one.
SYTM: How do you rate their offer? Their prices? Which company would you recommend to others?
Based on our own experience of renting motorcycles, it is better to book one after arriving, because the actual offering doesn’t usually match the information available online… For example, it was clearly stated on the website that the motorcycle had a top case (which was crucial for us, not only for storing the helmets while we visit the attractions, but also to serve as a support/backrest for the passenger). Unfortunately, in reality, not even one motorbike had it. In addition, most of the advertised motorcycles were not available. True, you can book it on one of the websites, but I do not trust any company that does not respond to questions by e-mail.
Prices for renting motorcycles are unfortunately much higher than renting a car. They depend mainly on the capacity and the duration of the lease, but on average it is around 50 euro per day. In addition, a refundable deposit must be paid in cash or by card (I recommend cash because sometimes it takes a couple of days to have the funds deposited back on your credit card).
SYTM: Which vehicles did you rent in Madeira?
We initially wanted to rent at Rent a Scooter Funchal as we liked their options, especially the Honda NC750X. Unfortunately, it was closed for Christmas when we arrived… In our hotel room, we found a brochure from ESPAÇO MILÉNIO. One Honda CBF600 was available to rent, are we decided to go for it. We rented it for three days.
Later on, we rented, for two days, a scooter – Sym Symphony ST 125cc from Rent a Scooter Funchal.
SYTM: How would you describe roads in Madeira? Would you recommend renting a motorcycle to those who aren’t yet very experienced motorcycle drivers?
The quality of roads in Madeira is very good. However, they are very demanding: winding, sometimes very steep, and located very close to the edge.
The scooter is great for moving within and around the city, but unfortunately, in my opinion, won’t be sufficient to discover the entire island. It is simply too weak and won’t go uphill and believe me, there are many steep roads in Madeira.
Discovering Madeira on a good motorcycle is another story. Madeira will be a perfect destination for experienced motorcycle lovers… driving on beautiful mountain roads on Madeira will be a great experience… Inexperienced drivers, however, might find it a bit challenging.
The most challenging, but also the most beautiful route we took was the route to Pico do Arieiro. At first, we drove through fog with poor visibility and it felt like a gloomy horror film… but once we found ourselves above the cloud level, it was just jaw-dropping… We felt like we were driving in heaven…
On my blog you will find a lot of motorcycle tips and tips on the most scenic roads on Madeira Island.
SYTM: So to sum up; what are your best tips for renting motorcycles and scooters on Madeira?
When choosing a motorcycle, focus on the overall technical condition and especially the condition of the tires. In order to prevent any problems with getting back your deposit, it is always a good idea to take a lot of pictures of the vehicle during the handover. You should take pictures of all the scratches and defects, even small ones. This tip is useful for renting all kinds of vehicles, not only motorcycles.
Some motorcycle rental companies offer also helmets in the price of the vehicle. Since safety and comfort are vital for us, but the choice of rental helmets limited, we always take our own helmet with us. It is important to have a good helmet, which would not only fit and be comfortable but protect us during an accident.
We always pack our full motorcycle outfit; our shoes, pants, jacket take an entire suitcase, but it does not matter. As I say, safety and comfort first. We used to pack also our helmets, but since it got damaged by the airline after our Lanzarote trip, we now take it as our hand luggage. It was allowed to take it on board, but we checked that with the airline beforehand.
SYTM: You stayed at the Dorisol Florasol Hotel in Funchal; How would you rate this hotel?
Very good. It is a 3-star hotel located in the Lido district. We stayed on the 3rd floor in a studio room. From the room balcony, you had (partially) a view of the ocean. The room renovated, the kitchenette was fully equipped (there was even a corkscrew). Breakfasts were tasty, hotel parking was available. There were no evening animations, but it did not bother us, because we spent the evenings in the centre of Funchal. I recommend for everyone whose main purpose is to have active holidays in Madeira.
SYTM: So… Did Madeira meet your expectations?
I read a lot about the island and I prepared an itinerary. However, the reality exceeded my expectations. Madeira offers beautiful views, and if you like hiking, two weeks is, in my opinion, the absolute minimum. We stayed on Madeira for seven active days, and we did not visit everything we planned. In summary – the island is great, I am truly enchanted.
SEE ALSO: THE ULTIMATE “BEST OF MADEIRA” GUIDE
SYTM: Which are your TOP 3 attractions of Madeira?
It’s really difficult to choose only 3. Everything is worth a visit. For me, the Toboggan ride from Monte was something special (it’s probably the only place in the world where a tourist can take a sleigh ride on streets with no snow).
Ponta de São Lourenço enchanted me with colours (especially during the sunrise), and the New Year’s fireworks display was one of the most beautiful moments of my life (I really recommend spending New Year’s Eve in Madeira).
SYTM: And the other way around: What did not impress you at all?
Somehow I was not convinced by the Chinese and Japanese elements mixed with the landscape of Madeira at the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. Out of these two biggest botanical parks in Funchal, I found the Jardim Botânico to be a much more pleasant place. More peaceful, quiet, less crowded…
SYTM: You favourite Madeira food and drinks…?
I love seafood. Grilled Octopus was the best main course I’ve had on Madeira. Lapas (limpets) served in shells, baked with garlic butter and sprinkled with lemon, are an excellent appetizer. I liked Poncha, no matter which tastes. However, we did not like the taste of Madeira wine.
SYTM: Did you have any funny moments on Madeira, any interesting encounters with the locals?
A friend recommended us Bar o Avo in Funchal, which owner collects beers and scarves of football teams from around the world (this is the largest collection in Europe – currently about 1,800 pieces). We handed the owner a scarf from a local team (GKS Tychy) brought from Poland.
To thank us, the restaurant owner showed us around the premises, in particular, all the “exhibits” from our country, he treated us with dinner and local drinks… Such a nice memory, it was nice to make someone happy with such a small gift.
SEE ALSO: LOCAL DRINKS OF MADEIRA ISLAND – FOR DUMMIES
SYTM: If you could summarize your trip with just one sentence…..?
Christmas/NYE on Madeira Island – aka – The Island of eternal spring on a motorcycle!