Madeira car hire

It’s easiest to pick up your car from Madeira airport – recently renamed the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC), in honour of the footballer, who was born on the island – where you’ll find a wide selection of well-known car hire companies including Hertz, Budget, Avis, Sixt and Europcar, as well as a range of local companies.

All rental desks are located before the security area on floor 0 of the arrivals hall.

Rental desks at Madeira airport include:

• Avis (Tel: +351 291 524 392)
• Europcar (Tel: +351 291 524 633)
• Goldcar (Tel: +351 291 523 689)
• Hertz (Tel: +351 291 426 300)
• Sixt (Tel: +351 291 523 355)

From the airport, it’s a 20-minute drive into Funchal. To Madalena do Mar, it’s a 40-minute drive.

The coastal road, ER101, circumnavigates Madeira and offers spectacular views and steep climbs with narrow sections that hug the cliffs of the coastline. During the rainy season, waterfalls cascade down rock faces along the roadside and rain down on the cars travelling below, and there are also sections where high waves may spray passing cars, so take extra care!

To make the road safer, the authority has made part of the road between São Vicente and Porto Moniz one-way (east to west). Besides the steep climbs and sharp turns, you also need to be aware of falling rocks while driving on ER101 – the best advice here is to get full insurance cover when hiring a car.

Porto Moniz is a gem of a village in the north-west corner of the island. It takes about an hour to drive there from Funchal, but once you’ve experienced the natural saltwater pools filled with clear sea water formed from volcanic rock, it’ll be obvious that the trip was more than worth it.

Another hidden gem is Calheta, on Madeira’s south-west coast, about half an hour’s drive from Funchal. The man-made beach is one of the best places to enjoy the clear waters and seafood restaurants that Madeira is famous for.

Porto Santo is a sandy paradise 43km (27 miles) north-east of Madeira. While it’s possible to take a scenic 10-minute flight from Funchal, it’s more of an adventure to hire a car and take the ferry instead. Once you’re on the idyllic island, there’s plenty to do, from wreck diving, golf and horse riding to simply lounging around on the beach.

1. Madeira’s very hilly, so make sure you’re comfortable with the clutch, or hire an automatic, as there’ll be lots of steep drives.

2. Unlike in the UK, where you can drive to the other side of the road if you spot a parking space, street parking needs to be in the same direction of travel in Madeira.

3. Prepare in advance for toll roads: many of them don’t have booths, so you’ll need to obtain an e-payment device or pay at a post office later. You can usually hire this device when you pick up your rental car.