ATTENTION ALL REMAINING TOURISTS

Tobi Hughes·
News Blog

Portugal and Madeira now have conditions and restrictions in place as the country declared a state of emergency Thursday.

There have been warnings leading up to this with several notices requesting that all persons who are not resident return to their own countries. During this time, flights have been repatriating citizens already. There have been changes to schedules, flights cancelled and much worry caused during this time for many people who have wanted to return home.

It now is imperative to make travel arrangements as soon as possible! Please do go on to your government websites and read the information about the current situation if you are still unsure. I cannot stress enough to those of you who have contacted Samantha already with flights booked for April, and that you can say these flights will still exist. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE.

Therefore, please be advised to contact your airline NOW and try to get on an earlier flight home. If you are having problems changing your flight to an earlier date (in the next few days) then please contact Samantha at the email address below. If you want to return home, you need to do this now, anyone who insists on remaining for the next week or so faces the higher risk of having to stay in Madeira for an indefinite period.

Also please let me remind you that while you are still in Madeira and as we are in a state of emergency, the rules of such are to be followed without exception. For more details on the restrictions please look at earlier blog posts where this has been translated into English. Basically stay at home only go our for essential items, medical stuff etc.

Please try and stay calm, we are trying to help and do remember that we have never encountered this situation before, so we are all stuck in this together.

I can speak for the whole island, in that we would never want to have urged our visitors to leave, but the Covid-19 situation took this from our control and your safety and the ability to get home in the middle of this crisis is more important. Please only contact Samantha if you have exhausted all avenues yourselves to find a way home.  aromasammy@icloud.com

Thank you for you cooperation.

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Tobi Hughes

22 Responses

  1. We arrived on the 9th March and are staying in our apartment. Jet 2 cancelled our flight home on the 23rd March and offered no alternative. Now we don’t know whether to stay or try to get home via ba flight. Don’t know if other Jet2 customers found themselves in same situation.

      1. Hi Tobi, we are leaving Tuesday on TAP 1696 then catching another TAP flight to Canada. Do you see any reasons for TAP flights out of Funchal to be cancelled next couple of days?

    2. Gillian

      We are in the same position as your first message said you were. We are also doing what this message says. Keep safe

  3. Tobi,
    We would just like to say how helpful and informative your post’s have been for us during our stay.
    After many stressful hours on the phone to easyjet, with no success! we contacted Samantha and she has got us a flight home on Tuesday.
    We are so very grateful for all your help. Thank you.
    Janet, David, Nigel and Robert.

  4. Hi Tobi. Do you know how Norwegian will fly? No info from them. Flying to Copenhagen saturday 28
    Lena

    1. Flights are changing every hour and cancellations all the time. Norwegian Air say they will contact passengers if any change to their flight. So keep eye on your email and SMS. I personally don’t know if this flight will take place, and now I wonder how many are here waiting to get this flight.

  5. Hi Tobi, we are concerned with the email that from the Goverment all people who are not residents must leave Madeira or risk having to stay permanently.
    We have 5 year residency certificate that does count as a resident, and will we be restricted to going home at a later date, possibly in September/October

    Worried.

    Susan Clark

    1. You can stay at your place here, but if you want to return home because you have to, then you need do it now and not wait. They may not be any flights next month, and who knows about May.

    2. This has been a really useful blog keeping us up to date with what has been going on. Thank you Tobi.

      However, please be aware that we are due to return to Manchester, UK on the 23rd March 2020 with TUI.

      We were a little concerned as you mentioned that there are only three flights departing tomorrow and we also had seen this on the madeira departures listing from the airport.

      However, we have now contacted TUI direct and after a lengthy wait in the phone queue they confirmed that the flight is still due to go ahead tomorrow. They confirmed that there are no changes planned at present, however, if the flight changes we would be notified by text.

      I wanted to share as aware there maybe others in the same situation. If in doubt I would suggest you check with your airline direct.

      1. Great, I will let Dorita know from the tourist board who me and Sam are helping, and ask why the flight is not showing on the departures.

  7. Tobi, thank you for all your great articles. We came to the island in Jan and are thinking of just staying now because of long flights and layovers and short times between connection in Amsterdam. Are there any consequences with the local government for overstaying. We are 70 and don’t want to take the risks involved with flying and spending time in four different airports.. Thank you

  8. Im flying with BA tomorrow. They have informed me there will be flights all week from Madeira to London and as of yesterday they still have availability. In London there are still trains from Gatwick into London and trains and buses are still running.

  9. A few days to a week late on this post… And where were the warnings? Wednesday was the earliest we found out because our rental car company called and said they were cancelling our contract. This has all been very sadly enacted on all parts. And all the fingers pointing blame and hate should think twice. Don’t let fear control your emotions. Those things that you worry about are usually not the ones that cause you your most harm. The recent earthquakes should tell you that. People need to stand together, help eachother out and prove that humanity is worth its existence.

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