Walking Madeira's Levadas

The order of walks may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. Your local mountain guide will inform you of any changes. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times and change in itineraries. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of walks may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

A visa is not required for your trip to Portugal. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

It is your responsibility to check your passport validity. To enter Madeira your passport must: have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive and have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Your flight is to Madeira International Airport Cristiano Ronaldo in Funchal with EasyJet, from London Gatwick. Each passenger is entitled to 23kg of hold luggage plus 1 item of hand luggage not exceeding 56cm x 35cm x 22cm in size and one personal item (such as a handbag or laptop case). Weight restrictions will be finalised on your final documents. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. IMPORTANT: Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

During this walking holiday, walks will average 4-5 hours daily. Walks are through plain, level areas with some ascents and descents through countryside and forests. Other walks explore valleys and rugged coastal tracks. This holiday requires a reasonable level of fitness. If you are in any doubt as to the tours suitability, please speak to your GP as soon as possible as this is a physical holiday.

The island of Madeira has long been a favourite destination for tourists, owing to its luscious green scenery, landscapes dominated by mountainous terrain and most importantly, a year-round temperate climate without weather extremes. During autumn and winter from September to February, expect temperatures of around 18°C, with a moderate risk of occasional short showers on overcast days. Spring in Madeira is an ideal time to visit as it’s packed with floral colour and can often reach pleasant highs of 20°C. From June to August, expect a scarce amount of rainfall and mercury to exceed 25°C - perfect for those seeking a splendid amount of summer sunshine.

The currency in Madeira is the Euro. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour to withdraw money in your local currency.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any meals where these are not mentioned on your itinerary and personal purchases, such as souvenirs, drinks and snacks. Approximately £200-£300 per person should be sufficient for the duration of your tour. Tipping is at your discretion; However, we would recommend approximately 2-3 Euros per day. Tips are accepted in the local currency, however, it is asked that if you do not tip in the local currency that you only pay with notes, as coins cannot be exchanged.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10 and the maximum will be 19. In the unlikely event that there are fewer than 10 passengers booked on your tour date, you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your local assistant who you can contact for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local mountain guide and backmarker during your walks, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. Should the tour not meet minimum numbers, then it will be operated with 1 mountain guide only. Private Tour If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch will consist of packed picnics during your walks. Dinner will be served in your hotel.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information

On your arrival into Funchal you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Windsor Travel, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/ Windsor Travel representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your local guide will be on hand during the walks should you have any queries.

If you need to contact your local assistant during your stay the details are:

Windsor Travel: Contact numbers: 00 351 291 700 600, 00 351 913 755 568

Email: carolinaoliveira@windsortravel.ws or catarinagautier@windsortravel.ws

Emergency contact information: Please find below the emergency contact details for Windsor Travel: 00 351 291 700 600, 00 351 913 755 568