News for holiday makers who are planning to travel to madeira in the next few weeks

 We have had a lot of emails from concerned travellers wanting to know whether they should carry out their planned holiday or postpone to a later date.
Some of the questions we have been asked are as follows:

Q: Were the Hotels affected during the floods and where will we stay?
A: Most of the hotels in Funchal are in the area of the Lido which was unnaffected by the Floods and are operating as normal.
The Hotels outside of Funchal are also open for business and are functioning and accepting guests as normal.

Q: We are worried that if we come to Madeira during this time, that we will become a hindrance and get in the way of the cleaning up process, we do not want to be a burden on the local people.
A: Please be assured that you will not be a hindrance to the cleaning up process and that you are helping and supporting the island by continuing with your planned and booked holiday as normal.

Q: If we take our holiday now we won't be able to see much as the island has been so badly destroyed.
A: This is not true, only parts of the island were affected and in localised areas which are now being cleaned up and restored so that access routes around the island will be available again. Already, the restoration process over the last couple of days has exceeded expectations and visitors are able to enjoy the scenery again and many areas in Funchal are open to the public again.

Q: We chose our holiday to Madeira to walk and visit many of the beauty spots on the island. Is it safe to walk in the mountains and can we get around the island by car?
A: Roads and access routes are being cleared making it possible to reach most areas of the island - for more information on the roads please see our next bulletin. With regard to walking, Many of the islands qualified quides have been out surveying the walks to establish which of them are considered safe and which ones are to be avoided. For more information and advice please enquire at the Tourist board or any of the licensed levada walking companies.

Q: As the island has suffered a flood and many shops and businesses have been affected, when we arrive in Madeira, will everything be closed?
A: No, it is simply....... business as usual!

Please keep an eye on this post as we will add more information as questions are asked. If you have a query or question that is not mentioned here, please do contact us.