Best Place to Exchange Money in Funchal

Where to change money in Funchal

Madeira is part of Portugal and uses the euro, so most UK visitors need cash only for buses and small purchases. Visit Portugal says money can be changed at banks, which open from 8.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, at bureaux de change and at automatic exchange machines. Two independent sources could not be found for any Funchal bureau or branch, so none appears here.

• Bank branches, central Funchal - Open weekday mornings and early afternoons. Whether a branch will change pounds for someone who is not a customer was not confirmed, so ask at the counter first.
• Multibanco (MB) cash machines, Funchal - Portugal's national network, paying out around the clock. Pick one set in a bank's wall; Which? says free-standing machines often charge more.

Changing money at the airport

Madeira Airport (FNC) is 20 to 25 minutes from Funchal by road, Visit Madeira says, and Uber and Bolt operate on the island. The Aerobus leaves from Arrivals and stops near several hotels on its run of about 50 minutes to Praia Formosa, where a connection of around 20 minutes carries on to the centre. A pre-bought Aerobus ticket costs EUR 5.55 (EUR 2.75 for children aged 6 to 12), loaded on a GIRO card.

Taxis wait at the rank in Arrivals, on level 0. The airport says weekday trips from there start at a base price of EUR 4.00, with 20% added between 21:00 and 06:00 and throughout Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and EUR 1.50 extra to carry luggage or animals. None of the airport pages checked mentions an exchange desk or cash machines, so withdraw in town if you can.

ATMs and cards in Funchal

Visit Portugal says the country has two cash machine networks, the national Multibanco (MB) and the international ATM network, and both pay out 24 hours a day. Visit Madeira says most businesses take cards. No source gave the charge for a UK card at a Multibanco or an independent machine, so check your own card's fees before you go.

When a terminal or ATM shows a sterling option, press euros instead. Which? (March 2026) explains why: choose pounds and the shop decides the rate; choose euros and Visa or Mastercard does.

Paying for transport in Funchal

Funchal's buses belong to Madeira's SIGA network. A ticket bought on board covers one trip in its fare zone and, SIGA says, can be paid only in cash, not by card; a ride in the municipal zone costs EUR 2.05 (EUR 1.00 for children aged 6 to 12) under the fares set in March 2026. Loading trips onto a GIRO card, which costs EUR 0.50, brings a municipal journey down to EUR 1.45. GIRO cards are sold and topped up at operator counters, Payshop agents and ticket machines; old Horários do Funchal cards no longer work.

Day tickets for the municipal zone run from EUR 4.95 for one day to EUR 23.50 for seven. The Regional Turístico ticket, from EUR 13.75 a day, allows unlimited travel across Madeira, the Aerobus included, whereas multi-trip pre-bought tickets are not valid on the Aerobus.

Good to know

• Funchal's tourist tax is EUR 2 per person per night, for up to seven nights in a row, on guests aged 13 and over who do not live in Madeira. It has applied since 1 October 2024 and your hotel or host collects it.
• Cruise passengers who come ashore in Funchal have paid the tax too since 1 January 2025, under the council's regulation.
• Visit Portugal says service is included in restaurant bills but an extra 5 to 10% is customary. Lonely Planet adds that groups of six or more may see a service charge; otherwise leave 5 to 10% in euro cash.
• For taxis, Visit Portugal suggests 5 to 10% or rounding up to the nearest euro.
• Visit Madeira says visitors living outside the EU, which includes UK residents, can claim back VAT on purchases at shops in the tax-free scheme; ask for the form when you pay.