Car Rental at Madeira Funchal Airport

Airport travel guide

A large Atlantic island, Madeira combines the warm weather of the Canaries with the stunning volcanic scenery of the Azores. Whether your goal is to hit the beach, go into the mountains, or sample local delicacies — or, indeed, why not all three? — you’re going to have a great time. These are four of Madeira’s main attractions:

• Funchal. The largest city of Madeira is the main port of entry for foreign visitors, but it’s also one of its main attractions. Located on the island’s southeastern coast, it is home to many notable religious and secular buildings, as well as attractions like the Lavradores Market and Monte Palace Hotel Gardens. Many of Madeira’s best accommodations can also be found here.
• Câmara de Lobos. Called the chamber of the wolves in Portuguese, this village’s name actually refers to the monk seals — “the wolves of the sea”. Although nowadays the sightings of these marine mammals are much rarer than during the arrival of the traveler João Gonçalves Zarco who gave the area its name, Câmara is still a lovely place to visit, mainly thanks to its wild shoreline and Cabo Girão, one of the highest coastal cliffs in the world. 
• Laurisilva. Located in the most elevated, inland part of the island, this ancient laurel forest is one of Madeira’s most notable natural attractions. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is believed to be 1.8 million years old and is home to many prehistoric ferns and other plant species. It is important to take care inside the park not to damage the local flora and fauna, but there are several designated hiking paths that permit visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
• Calheta. A quaint fishing town on the island’s southwestern coast, Calheta is also famous for its stunning surfing spots and for the sugarcane mills and rum distilleries (now turned into a museum). Its founding dates back to 1430, so the area also has plenty of historical architecture to enjoy. The drive from Madeira Airport takes about 50 minutes.

Top international routes

• Lisbon
• Porto
• Porto Santo
• London
• Dusseldorf
• Frankfurt
• Manchester
• Ponta Delgada
• Prague
• Barcelona

Main airlines

British Airways, Condor, easyJet, TAP Air Portugal, Finnair, Brussels, and Lufthansa

Terminals

The single terminal has three levels and serves both local and international flights. The terminal building is mostly underground.

Location

Madeira Funchal Airport is 21 km (13 mi) east of Funchal, the largest city and the capital of the island. The trip takes about 20 minutes. Motorway VR1 is the main road connecting the airport to the city. All the other famous destinations of Madeira are also within your reach - for example, Calheta is 50 km (31 mi) northwest of the airport and takes about 50 minutes to reach by a rental car while Porto da Cruz is just 14 km (8.7 mi) north and can be reached in 20 minutes. All hotels are also easy to get — if you need ideas for where to stay, check out this list of Funchal’s top hotels

Most popular types of rental car

• SUVs - from $4 per day
• Station wagons - from $9 per day
• Vans - from $14 per day
• Small cars - from $3 per day
• Medium cars - from $3 per day
• Large cars - from $7 per day
• Premium cars - from $20 per day
• Convertibles - from $18 per day

Car rental desks

The car rental park is very close to the airport terminal and can be reached by foot.

Services and facilities

You’ll find a number of shops, three duty-free stores, a couple of restaurants and snack bars, ATMs on all three levels of the airport, a currency exchange, and a first aid station. The 24-hour luggage storage service is on the ground floor, and you pay per piece of luggage.. The airport provides assistance to travelers with reduced mobility, but you should contact your airline in advance if you’d like this service.

Nearest gas station

Repsol gas station, located at R. Cano, 3660-601 Santa Cruz da Trapa, can be reached in less than five minutes and is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. There are many other gas stations near the airport and on the island of Madeira.