Cheap Flights to Madeira and the Algarve from the UK

The Algarve, in southern mainland Portugal, is a long coast of golden cliffs, coves and golf resorts that has been a British favourite for decades. Madeira, an island in the Atlantic about 600 km off the coast of Morocco, is mountainous and green, with flowers, hiking trails and a mild climate all year.

Jet2 and Jet2holidays include both in their winter sun programmes, with flights from bases across the UK, including new departures from Bournemouth. Both are less hot than the Canaries in winter, but more varied, which suits travellers who want sightseeing as well as sun.

Faro is about two hours 45 minutes from London, and Madeira about four hours. Portugal's mainland and Madeira use the same time as the UK all year, so there is no time change to worry about.

Madeira's airport is famous for its dramatic runway built on stilts and for its windy conditions. Flights are sometimes diverted or delayed by wind, so leave a buffer on your return day.

Faro is served from nearly every UK airport, by Jet2, easyJet, Ryanair, TUI and others. Madeira has flights from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford and others, with Jet2, easyJet and TUI.

Check your local airport first, and compare the cost of getting to a second one. Frequencies are lower in winter, and some routes run only a few times a week.

Funchal is the capital, with hotels, restaurants and a cable car, and it is the usual base. Calheta and Porto Moniz offer pools and quieter resorts, and Santana has traditional houses.

Madeira is famous for its levadas, irrigation channels with walking paths through lush landscapes, and for its cliffs, flowers and wine. It is not a classic beach destination, as beaches are mostly pebbly, but hotels have sea pools and swimming platforms.

The Algarve is warm and sunny from April to October, hot in July and August, and mild in winter, with daytime highs of around 16 to 18 degrees. Madeira is temperate all year, with highs of about 19 to 21 degrees in winter and 25 in summer, and more rain on the north coast.

The best months for both are April to June and September to October, with warm weather and fair prices. Madeira is also popular at Christmas and New Year, with famous fireworks, and in May for the flower festival.

Portugal is in the Schengen Area, so British visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Your passport must be valid for at least three months after you leave and less than ten years old on arrival.

The EU's Entry/Exit System has been phasing in biometric checks since late 2025, which can lengthen queues, and ETIAS is planned. Check the official information. Allow extra time at Faro and Funchal in summer.

Packages from Jet2holidays, TUI and others include flights, a hold bag and transfers with ATOL protection, and can be good value, particularly in winter and shoulder seasons. Flight-only suits villa rentals and self-catering.

Compare both for your dates. Our vacation packages service and beach hotels service can help.

Portuguese food is simple and good, with grilled fish, cataplana seafood stew, pastel de nata custard tarts and cheap wine. On Madeira, try espetada beef skewers, bolo do caco bread, fresh tuna and poncha, a sugar-cane spirit.

Meals are good value, particularly at lunch with the dish of the day. Tap water is safe. Tipping is modest, around 5 to 10 percent.

Away from the coast, the Algarve has cork forests in the Serra de Monchique, hot springs, whitewashed villages such as Alte, and the Ria Formosa lagoon near Faro, which you can explore by boat. Silves has a red sandstone castle and Lagos has a historic old town.

Many of these are an easy half-day trip from the main resorts, and a hire car or a tour makes it easy. Eat in small restaurants away from the seafront, where prices are lower and the food is more local.

Your UK GHIC covers state treatment in Portugal on the same terms as local residents, but not private clinics, repatriation or cancelled trips, so keep insurance as well. Pharmacies are easy to find and pharmacists will advise on minor ailments.

On the Algarve the sun is strong even in spring, and on Madeira the temperature falls quickly with altitude, so a light fleece is useful for the mountain viewpoints.

Madeira and the Algarve are popular for a winter break, with mild weather and festive lights. Hotels and flights are priced at a premium from 20 December to 3 January, and many require minimum stays.

If you are flexible, travel on the days around Christmas Day itself, or wait until the second week of January for lower prices. Packages often include a gala dinner, so check for supplements.

If you want to avoid the busiest resorts, base yourself in Tavira or Carvoeiro on the Algarve, or in Calheta or Santana on Madeira. These offer smaller hotels, quieter beaches and local restaurants, and often cost less than the big names.

A slow week, with a few walks, a boat trip and long lunches, suits Portugal better than a packed itinerary. Avoid the middle of August if you can, and consider October, when the sea is warm and the crowds have gone.

Funchal is best explored on foot, starting with the old town and the Mercado dos Lavradores market, then the cable car up to Monte for gardens and the toboggan ride down. The seafront promenade and Sao Tiago fort are pleasant for an evening walk.

Faro's old town, inside its walls, is small and charming, with a cathedral bell tower and a bone chapel. A boat trip into the Ria Formosa lagoon, with its islands and birds, is a restful way to spend a morning. Both are easy on a half-day basis, even with a hotel elsewhere.