Updated 2026
The GIRO card is Madeira's reloadable smart card for paying bus fares on the SIGA network.
It costs just €0,50 for a paper card and saves you up to 30% compared to paying cash on the bus. For tourists spending more than a day or two using buses, it is an essential purchase.
Everything you need to know about bus fares, passes, and saving money on public transport
GIRO is the card that holds your ticket. Choose the ticket’s coverage and validity for your journeys, rather than buying a pass just because you are staying several days. Official Portuguese product names below help you ask at a sales point.
For a few regular-bus journeys, compare Bilhete de Bordo with Bilhete pré-comprado (por viagem). Pre-purchased journeys are loaded in sets of at least two. Choose municipal for journeys within one municipality, or intermunicipal when crossing municipal boundaries. These regular-bus tickets exclude Aerobus.
Count the days you will actually use buses. Compare separate prepaid journeys with Bilhete Diário 7 dias for frequent travel. Choose municipal if all journeys stay within Funchal municipality; check intermunicipal coverage if you plan trips beyond it. A week’s accommodation alone does not make a week ticket the best choice.
Compare Bilhete Diário for unlimited regular-bus journeys within the purchased coverage and validity, starting at first validation. It excludes Aerobus. For wider travel including Aerobus, compare Bilhete Regional Turístico; confirm where it is currently sold before relying on it.
For the airport journey, use Bilhete de Bordo Aerobus or an already purchased Bilhete Pré-Comprado Aerobus. A regular Bilhete Diário does not cover Aerobus. Bilhete Regional Turístico includes it under the official conditions, but confirm availability before arrival. Do not assume you can buy or load a GIRO card at the airport.
Before paying, confirm the coverage, first-validation rule and current availability with SIGA. The card alone does not make every ticket valid on every bus.
GIRO is SIGA's contactless fare card. The unified SIGA network launched in July 2024, and multi-operator GIRO products have expanded in phases since then. Check the official conditions for your specific ticket or pass before travel, because validity can vary by product.
GIRO cards are widely available across Funchal:
A basic paper GIRO card costs €0,50. For longer stays, a reusable plastic GIRO pass costs €5,00 and is valid for 5 years.
Scroll horizontally to view all fare columns.
| Ticket Type | GIRO Card | Cash (on bus) | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban (within Funchal) | €1,45 | €2,05 | 29% |
| Inter-municipal | €2,00 | €2,65 | 25% |
| Child urban (6-12) | €0,75 | €1,00 | 25% |
| Aerobus (airport) | €5,55 | €6,70 | 17% |
If you plan to take 4 or more bus rides in a day, a day ticket offers better value than individual fares. The prices below are the 2026 municipal day tickets (valid within one municipality, such as Funchal); inter-municipal versions cost more. Load them onto your GIRO card at any ticket office:
For island-wide travel, the Bilhete Regional Turístico (€13,75 for 24 hours) covers all SIGA lines across every operator, with 2- to 7-day versions also available — useful if you're planning an island-wide tour.
Simply tap the card on the reader when boarding the bus. The correct fare is automatically deducted based on the route type (urban or inter-municipal). Make sure you have enough credit loaded before your journey — the driver cannot add credit.
Yes, a basic paper GIRO card is not personalized and can be shared. However, you must tap once per passenger — tell the driver how many people are traveling.
You can pay cash directly to the driver when boarding. However, you will pay the higher cash fare (€2,05 urban instead of €1,45, or €2,65 inter-municipal instead of €2,00).
Children under 6 travel free. Children aged 6-12 pay a reduced fare (€0,75 with GIRO, €1,00 cash). Children over 12 pay the adult fare.
Unused credit on paper GIRO cards is non-refundable. For the reusable plastic card, refunds may be available at SIGA ticket offices. Load only what you expect to use.
Madeira Bus is free to download: the free version covers journey planning on the SIGA network and offline timetables in English, Portuguese, German and French. The offline route map is a paid premium upgrade.
