Madeira & Porto Santo Additional Information

How do you find out more or make a booking?

We hope that our website has given you a clear picture of the type of holidays, service and properties we offer but we are always happy to answer any detailed and specific questions you may have. Our friendly team has first-hand experience of all our locations and if there is anything they can't answer personally they will certainly know a man who can!

Please telephone us on 020 8847 8700. Our office hours are: Monday to Friday 0900 - 1730 and Saturday 1000 - 1500

When you have decided on your preferred dates and location, just telephone us or complete a booking request form on this website and we will make the necessary reservations, subject of course to availability. In order to confirm the booking we require a deposit of £150 per person, plus any applicable prepaid air fares, or the full balance if you are booking within 8 weeks of travel. If your booking involves flights where the most advantageous air fares are tied to advance purchase conditions, the full cost of the flight will be payable at the time of booking in addition to the standard deposit.

We accept cheques and most types of debit cards and credit cards. Regrettably in order to keep the price of our holidays competitive, we have to pass on a credit card processing charge, so a 2.5% fee will be added for payments made by Visa or Mastercard and a 3% charge for payments made by American Express. There is no charge for payment made by debit card. If you wish to make your initial payment by cheque we allow 5 working days for its receipt and cannot purchase any flight seats until it is received.

We have allocations on some of the properties listed on this website, so we can confirm availability instantly for holidays at those properties. However, many of the smaller hotels and individual villas work on a request basis, which means that we will need to reconfirm the availability when you come to make a booking. The same applies to some flights, and in cases where we have already filled our contracted allocation at your chosen accommodation. To request flights or accommodation, we need to take your full details, including a credit card number as a guarantee for your deposit, and will confirm the booking back to you as soon as we receive confirmation from our suppliers, which is usually within 24 hours.

We are also happy to accept bookings via certain independent travel agents. Please ask us if your local agent is on our list.

What happens next?

We will issue a confirmation/invoice, which you should check thoroughly as soon as you receive it. If there are any errors or omissions please advise us immediately as any changes made at a later date will incur amendment fees. Your confirmation acts both as your contract and final invoice, so you should make a diary note of the date that your balance is due.

Tickets will be dispatched to you approximately 14 days before you travel.

What is included in our prices?

What extras are added to your invoice?

What costs are you responsible for?

Travel & Medical Insurance

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have Travel and Medical Insurance before embarking on any of our holidays.This can be purchased from a number of reputable companies who must comply with the latest legislation relating to the sale of insurance. Please ensure that your policy choice has adequate medical cover, including the cost of repatriation in the event of a serious illness or accident, and covers you for any of the activities you plan to engage in whilst on holiday.

What about children and infants?

Most hotels offer reduced prices for children as long as they are sharing with two adults - these prices are shown in the price list for the relevant properties. Any relevant flight supplements apply in full.
Infants under 2 pay just £35. This charge includes the provision of cots requested at the time of booking. 
Child seats for hire cars are charged locally by our car hire suppliers. Please indicate at the time of booking if these are required or if you are planning to bring your own.

What local support is there?

On Madeira, we employ our own resort representative, who will meet you upon arrival at the airport providing you arrive on our main flight day (guests arriving on other days will be met by our car hire agents or taxi drivers, depending on whether your holiday includes a hire car or a transfer). Our representative will visit you during your stay, if you so wish, and offer any friendly advice and guidance that you may need to make the most of your stay. Should you encounter any difficulties they are just a telephone call away and have all the local contacts needed to solve most problems.

What should you expect from your surroundings?

Our locations and properties are chosen to give you a relaxing and authentic holiday experience. Many of our properties are in beautiful rural areas where it is possible that you will experience the sight and sounds of some local wildlife. In many of our locations you will exist in close proximity with the local population so their way of life should be not only observed and enjoyed but also respected. In the low season and on Public Holidays some of the public facilities may not be available and during local festivals villages which are normally peaceful may be transformed. Sadly there are no seasonal building restrictions in many places and we have no control over such matters. In many areas, the local authorities are carrying out extensive infrastructure improvements, such as constructing new road tunnels and remodelling seafront promenades, which may lead to temporary diversions. Wherever we feel that any major construction work is close enough to your chosen property to impact on your enjoyment of that location, we will advise you accordingly and, where possible, offer the option of changing your accommodation to an alternative venue. Any short term local 'DIY' activities are however totally beyond our control.

What should you expect from your accommodation?

Hotel accommodation in Madeira is generally of a high standard, but naturally the level of service in the smaller, rural establishments tends to be more laidback and informal than in the larger city or resort hotels. Hotels on Porto Santo tend to be simpler than those of an equal official rating in Madeira, and the service here tends to be in keeping with the island's unhurried atmosphere.

Our self-catering properties range from simple apartments to luxurious villas and our brochure description should give you a good indication of the level of comfort of each property. All are equipped with linen and towels (except beach towels), as well as sufficient crockery, cutlery, glassware and utensils for preparing simple meals. Kitchen facilities do not normally include ovens, washing machines or dishwashers unless otherwise specified. Irons, ironing boards and hairdryers are also not always the norm.

Swimming pools described as "heated" in our brochure have the facility to be heated; however this may only be in use at certain times of year, according to the weather. The mention of satellite or cable TV indicates that some international channels will be available; but this often only extends to one or two news channels in English.

Our brochure is prepared and photographs taken well in advance so some of the décor and facilities may be updated. It is also impossible to describe and photograph each individual room or apartment, so whilst all the main facilities will be common the layout and furnishings may differ slightly. Maintenance and repairs may need to be undertaken from time to time in order to keep properties up the standards we require and our staff make health, safety and quality control checks.You however are responsible for any breakage or damages caused by you or any member of your party during your stay in your accommodation. It is your responsibility to either put things right or advise our local representative so that she can replace things and recharge you before your departure. Some hotels and apartments make additional charges for the use of such things as safety deposit boxes, sunbeds and sports facilities.

Maid service

In all hotels, maid service is offered on a daily basis, with towel changes at least two or three times a week. As is becoming the norm internationally, many hotels change towels on a request basis, whereby the maid will assume that you will reuse your towel if you place them back on the rack, and that you would like them changed if you leave them in the tub or on the floor. If your hotel operates this policy, there will be a notice in your bathroom explaining this procedure. 

Our self-catering properties are cleaned thoroughly before each arrival. Most villa or apartment complexes in resort areas provide subsequent maid service and linen changes once or twice per week, but this is not the norm in rural self-catering properties (although sufficient towels and linen for the duration of your stay will be provided). If the frequency of cleaning is of importance to you, please ask for more details at the time of booking.

Transfers

For those properties where complimentary cars are included in the holiday price, or where car hire is offered at a 'special rate', the car is collected from and returned to the airport, and we will provide you with detailed driving instructions on how to find your accommodation. All other properties include return transfers from and to the airport, usually by taxi or minibus, directly to your accommodation.

When is the best time for you to travel?

The climate in Madeira and Porto Santo is temperate, with relatively minor temperature variations throughout the year. The winter months are usually warm enough for al fresco lunches, whilst even in the height of summer it rarely gets too hot for exploring.

Although the summer months offer the most reliable weather, winter is traditionally the peak season in Madeira, especially during Christmas, New Year, Carnival and Easter. May and June are the quietest months, making them ideal for exploring the countryside, whilst July to November are the best months for sea swimming. August can be a little busy as it is a popular month for Portuguese holidaymakers.

Madeira's mountainous terrain creates distinct microclimates: the south coast is statistically drier and sunnier than the north coast, and temperatures drop noticably with altitude, so if you are planning on walking in the mountains, do take some warmer clothing.

Porto Santo is busiest between June and September, which offer the best conditions for enjoying the island's fabulous beach. In the winter months Porto Santo is extremely quiet, ideal for those who enjoy solitude and complete relaxation.

Average Peak Daytime Temperature:

January: 19C / 66F
February: 19C / 66F
March: 19C / 66F
April: 20C / 68F
May: 21C / 70F
June: 22C / 72F
July: 24C / 75F
August: 26C / 79F
September: 26C / 79F
October: 24C / 75F
November: 22C / 72F
December: 20C / 68F

What else is there to consider?

Our Booking Conditions are clearly laid out and you should read them carefully before making your booking. They should answer many of your remaining queries but please don't forget we are approachable and available on 020 8847 8700.

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