7 Things to know about the TOUR you just booked!

If you’re reading this, congratulations on booking with the best tour company in the world which happens to be in Madeira! So now what? What time is pick up? How should you dress? Here’s 7 tips on everything you need to know about your Tour in Madeira;

I took advantage of modifying some commonly asked questions for you guys;

1.  What time is pick up in the morning ?

For our sunrise tours, you’ll be picked up somewhere around 6AM, depending on the season and where everybody is staying. For the Full day tours, 9AM and for the sunset tours anywhere between 4PM and 6PM again depending on the season and other pick ups. We will send everybody a pick up time on the evening before each tour, so don’t panic! We like to get in touch via whatsapp or email, so please keep an eye on these channels 😉

2.  Do we need 2 cars for 6 people?

Our vehicles of choice are Land Rover Discovery 1’s from the 90’s! They’re workhorses and the perfect car for an adventure in Madeira. They’re closed top by preference for comfort and protection from the elements and seat 6 passengers reasonably comfortably. If you’re on a group tour, you’ll be sharing seats with everybody on the tour. If you want to be a VIP, you can take 2 cars for 6 people, at an extra price of course, otherwise one vehicle will be more than enough to take a family of 6 around comfortably.

3. How long is the walk at each stop?

Our Jeep Tours are made for “everybody”. We try and include some walking on each tour but almost all of it is optional. If anybody cannot walk or doesn’t want to walk any kind of long distances, an alternative will be made available. Expect 30 – 45 minutes of walking on one of our full day tours and maybe half that on a half day tour. Each tour is different and of course Private Tours allow for more personalisation, you can never go wrong asking your tour guide on the day or emailing us/whatsapping us before booking, we’re happy to help!

4. What is the approx temperature up the mountain?

The mountains are of course almost always cooler than the coastal regions with the exception of the summer season where in July/August it can be hotter in the mountains (during the day). So unless you’re coming over in the summer time, I would recomend “autumn clothing” paired with a jacket. If you’re on a sunrise tour, make sure to be well prepared, in winter, gloves, beanies, etc. There’s loads of microclimates so the weather in Madeira can change drastically within a short space, sometiumes within the hour. Closed shoes, long pants, jersey and a jacket will be perfect for the coldest months (October – March)

TIP: Checkout our WEATHER IN MADEIRA Blog

5. What if the weather is bad?

A Jeep Tour in bad weather has a certain charme. The locals love going out in bad weather, primarily to drink poncha in the cold! Jokes aside, we’re prepared to handle all the weather Madeira has to offer, even snow! We have indeed toured with a bit of snow, we even built a snowman on the hood of the Land Rover, a popular tradition amongst the locals 🙂 We’re great at improvising and the first thing we would do is check the webcams and draw up a Plan B. Luckily Madeira is packed full of magic and we can easily show you a grand time on a rainy day! Of course we’ll never go out if it’s dangerous, especially if the authorities recommend against it. So slap an adventurous smile on your face and lets go!

6. Will you pick us up from our Hotel/Apartment?

Madeira’s a big place and we have everyday more and more visitors booking their stays in more and more rural areas which of course is amazing! Unfortunately some of these places are too far for us to operate economically and ethically. Imagine you’ve booked a sunrise tour, which is a half day tour, and you’re staying 45 minutes from Funchal, our base. Our driver would have to drive out to get you, drive back to Funchal, pick up the others, do the tour and then repeat that process once more. All this to explain how that particular guide has to be on the road for an extra 3 hours!

Long story short, the further out of Funchal you are, the tougher it is for us, which could mean we charge you pick up fees or you get yourselves to Funchal for pick up (which most people do). If you’re uncertain, just ask!

And YES, we will PICK YOU UP FREE OF CHARGE (If you’re in, or close to, Funchal)  ;))

7. Do I need to bring anything else?

A good attitude! It’s our job to show you around and entertain you on during your vacation but remember, we don’t really see this as our job. We love what we do and we love meeting new people and making new friends! So please, bring a positive attitude, engage with us, laugh with us, get to know us and we’ll show you the best island in the world 🙂

Let’s Hit The Road!