The short answer, checked on 2 Nov 2026:
- One ride, paid to the driver: €2.05 within one municipality, €2.65 between municipalities. On-board tickets are cash only. Tariff table, Portaria n.º 128/2026, SIGA FAQ.
- Cheaper per ride: pre-bought trips at €1.45 / €2.00, loaded on a €0.50 GIRO bilhete card, sold in sets of two or more. Portaria n.º 128/2026, JORAM.
- Day passes (Diário): from €4.95 (one day, one municipality) to €31.10 (seven days, island-wide). The Aerobus is not included. Tariff table.
- Regional Turístico: €13.75 for 24 hours up to €36.00 for 7 days, valid on every SIGA bus on Madeira and Porto Santo, Aerobus included. Tariff table.
- Airport bus (Aerobus): €5.55 pre-bought, €6.70 on board. Portaria n.º 128/2026.
- Children: ages 6 to 12 pay the child fare; under-6s ride free with an ID document. Portaria n.º 128/2026, article 7.
These fares have applied since 1 April 2026 (Portaria n.º 128/2026, article 6). Since July 2024 the buses of Horários do Funchal, SIGA Rodoeste and CAM run as one network called SIGA, with one ticket system called GIRO. Not sure you need buses at all? Read Do I need a car in Madeira? first.
Which ticket pays off?
Pick where you ride, how many days in a row and how many bus journeys a day. The table shows one adult. Prices come from the tariff table cited above; check the SIGA tariff page before you buy.
| How you pay (one adult) | Total |
|---|---|
| Pay the driver every time | €38.00 |
| Pre-bought trips on a GIRO card | €29.00 |
| Diário pass 3-day | €24.10 |
| Regional Turístico 3-day | €23.50 |
As a rule of thumb, Horários do Funchal itself recommends pre-bought trips on a GIRO bilhete for short stays, and the 30-day pass for long stays. Horários do Funchal, recommended fares.
The fare zones
Every GIRO ticket belongs to a zone. SIGA tariff page.
- Municipal: a trip inside one municipality (concelho), for example within Funchal.
- Intermunicipal: a trip between municipalities on Madeira, or on Porto Santo.
- Regional: the whole region, Madeira and Porto Santo. Only the Regional Turístico pass uses this zone.
- Aerobus: the airport line only, with its own tickets.
Single tickets
| Ticket (adult) | Municipal | Intermunicipal |
|---|---|---|
| On board, paid to the driver | €2.05 | €2.65 |
| Pre-bought, per trip | €1.45 | €2.00 |
| Ticket (child 6–12) | Municipal | Intermunicipal |
|---|---|---|
| On board, paid to the driver | €1.00 | €1.30 |
| Pre-bought, per trip | €0.75 | €1.00 |
Source: SIGA tariff page and Portaria n.º 128/2026. VAT included.
A pre-bought trip is more than one ride. You may change bus, but each later leg must be validated within 45 minutes of the first (inside one municipality, same operator) or 90 minutes (between municipalities, any operator). Portaria n.º 128/2026, article 9. Validate the card every time you board, including after a change of line; a leg without validation counts as travelling without a ticket. SIGA FAQ, Portaria, article 9.
Day passes: Diário and Regional Turístico
Both run in hours from the first validation (24, 48, 72, 120 or 168 hours), with unlimited rides inside their zone, so the days must be in a row. Portaria n.º 128/2026.
| Diário (adult) | Municipal | Intermunicipal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | €4.95 | €6.55 |
| 2 days | €8.70 | €11.60 |
| 3 days | €12.50 | €16.70 |
| 5 days | €18.00 | €24.00 |
| 7 days | €23.50 | €31.10 |
| Regional Turístico | Adult | Child 6–12 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day (24 h) | €13.75 | €7.10 |
| 2 days (48 h) | €18.35 | €9.35 |
| 3 days (72 h) | €23.00 | €11.70 |
| 5 days (120 h) | €29.50 | €15.15 |
| 7 days (168 h) | €36.00 | €18.50 |
Child Diário passes cost €2.55 / €3.50 for one day up to €12.10 / €16.20 for seven days. SIGA tariff page. The Diário does not cover the Aerobus. The Regional Turístico covers Madeira and Porto Santo buses and the Aerobus. SIGA tariff page.
Staying a month: the 30-day pass
The Passe 30 dias costs €41.00 (municipal) or €51.00 (intermunicipal). You apply once a year with an ID document, proof of a Portuguese tax number (NIF) and a recent passport photo. The personal GIRO passe card costs €5. The Aerobus is not included. Portaria n.º 128/2026, article 20 and annex, SIGA tariff page.
The GIRO card: where to buy and top up
- On-board tickets are cash only; bank cards are not accepted on board. SIGA FAQ.
- GIRO bilhete cards (€0.50), pre-bought trips and passes are sold at operator counters, Payshop agents and ticket machines. The official list is on the SIGA sales points page. SIGA FAQ.
- In Funchal, Horários do Funchal lists counters at Anadia (Anadia Shopping, weekdays 08:00–18:30) and on Avenida do Mar (Marina and Pinga), and ticket machines at Anadia, the Loja do Cidadão, Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça (24 hours), Marina/Baião and the Teleférico stop. Horários do Funchal, sales points.
- Old pre-loaded cards from before SIGA no longer work. SIGA FAQ.
- A GIRO app is announced but not yet available (“brevemente”). SIGA tariff page.
Aerobus: airport to Funchal
The Aerobus is run by CAM between Madeira Airport and Funchal. The timetable in force since 1 April 2026 shows the first bus from the airport at 08:30 and the last at 22:00, every day except 25 December. The route runs through the city (Campo da Barca, Avenida do Infante, the Lido area) to Praia Formosa, about 50 minutes from the airport. The company may change times without notice, so check the current timetable (PDF) and the SIGA Aerobus page.
| Aerobus ticket | Adult | Child 6–12 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-bought (GIRO card) | €5.55 | €2.75 |
| On board | €6.70 | €3.30 |
Source: SIGA tariff page and Portaria n.º 128/2026. A pre-bought return ticket (€9.00 adult, €4.50 child) is in the Portaria but marked “available on a date to be announced”. Portaria n.º 128/2026. More on the first hour after landing: Madeira airport arrival guide.
Pico do Areeiro by bus
Horários do Funchal runs a special line to Pico do Areeiro from the Teleférico stop in Funchal. Winter times (25 Oct 2026 to 27 Mar 2027): up at 06:00 and 13:30, down at 12:15 and 18:00. The fare is €3.00 a trip, bought on board (cash or bank card); no other ticket is valid. Seats can be reserved two to seven working days ahead on +351 291 705 555, and the bus may not run in bad weather. Horários do Funchal, Pico do Areeiro. Planning the hike? See Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo.
Timetables, maps and route planners
- Official timetables for every SIGA line: siga.madeira.gov.pt/horarios.
- Many lines were renumbered in March 2026, so an old line number may now be a different route. SIGA FAQ, SIGA news.
- Horários do Funchal lists Moovit, HERE WeGo, Google Maps and its own route planner for journey planning. Horários do Funchal, plan a journey.
- Uber and Bolt also operate on Madeira. Visit Madeira.
Weekly notes from the island: subscribe to Madeira Journal.
Sources
Checked on 2 Nov 2026.
- Portaria n.º 128/2026 (tariffs, children, transfers, 30-day pass), JORAM I série n.º 51, 23 March 2026, PDF.
- SIGA / GIRO tariff page.
- SIGA FAQ and SIGA sales points.
- SIGA Aerobus page and Aerobus timetable PDF.
- Horários do Funchal: recommended fares, sales points, Pico do Areeiro, plan a journey.
- Visit Madeira, How to move around.
Written with AI assistance from official and cited sources. Report an error: hello@madeirajournal.com.
