Madeira Airport to Funchal – Transport Guide

Madeira Airport, officially called Aeroporto Internacional da Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo and with the airport code FNC, lies at Santa Cruz about 13 kilometres east of Funchal. There are no trains on Madeira, so you get from Madeira Airport to Funchal by bus, taxi, Uber, Bolt, transfer or hire car. The easiest option is the Aerobus airport bus, which costs €6.70 (around £5.60) and runs all the way out to the hotel areas west of the centre. By car, the journey takes 20 to 25 minutes.

Here you’ll find all the options with prices, journey times and where to find them at the airport: the Aerobus, the regular buses towards Machico and Caniçal, taxis, Uber and Bolt, private transfers and hire cars, which many people choose on Madeira. I also explain what happens when the wind plays tricks during landing, and how to get back to the airport.

Madeira Airport to Funchal at a glance

• Aerobus: €6.70 (around £5.60) in cash on board and roughly 24 minutes to Avenida do Mar by the harbour in Funchal, 38 minutes to Lido and 50 minutes to Praia Formosa.
• Bus 113 and the express buses: €2.65 (around £2.20) and a short ride to Machico, but only some departures call at the airport.
• Taxi: metered with official fares, typically around €30 to €40 (around £25 to £35) to Funchal and 20 to 25 minutes without traffic.
• Uber and Bolt: both operate on Madeira, and you can see the price in the app before you book.
• Private transfer: from around €40 (around £35) for up to four people, and it needs to be booked in advance.
• Hire car: desks in the terminal. A car is the easiest way to see the island, but you don’t need one in Funchal itself.

How to find the transport at the airport

Madeira Airport has one terminal, and it’s small enough to make finding your way around easy. The airport is famous for its runway, which has been extended out along the coast on 180 tall concrete pillars, and the approach close to the cliffs is an experience in itself. The airport is named after Cristiano Ronaldo, who was born in Funchal, and there’s a bust of him in the terminal.

Once you’ve collected your luggage and come out into the arrivals hall, you’ll find the taxis and the Aerobus just outside. Several of the car hire companies have desks inside the terminal close to the baggage belts, and in the arrivals terminal there’s one of the machines where you can buy the island’s GIRO bus card. If you’ve booked a private transfer, the driver will usually be waiting with a sign in the arrivals hall.

The island’s public bus network is called SIGA and brings together the bus companies on Madeira and Porto Santo. The Aerobus and the buses towards Machico and Caniçal are run by CAM (Companhia de Autocarros da Madeira), which the old SAM buses now belong to. That’s why you’ll still see the SAM name on signs and in older travel guides, including at the Terminal SAM bus stop in Funchal.

1. Aerobus from Madeira Airport to Funchal

Aerobus is the airport bus to Funchal. It’s run by CAM as part of SIGA, where it also goes by the route number 500. The bus stops right outside the arrivals hall and runs through the centre of Funchal and on westwards along Estrada Monumental to Lido and Praia Formosa, where many of the big hotels are. There’s free Wi-Fi on board, and your suitcases go in the luggage hold under the bus.

According to the timetable, the first bus leaves the airport at 8.30am and the last at 10pm. In the morning there’s a bus every half hour, and in the afternoon and evening it runs roughly once an hour, with slightly fewer departures on Sundays and public holidays. The bus doesn’t run on Christmas Day, 25 December. If you land early in the morning or miss the last bus, your options are a taxi, Uber, Bolt or a transfer. Current times are on SIGA’s Aerobus page.

Fares and tickets

A ticket bought from the driver costs €6.70 (around £5.60) for adults and €3.30 (around £2.75) for children aged 6 to 12. On board you pay in cash, so have euros in coins and small notes ready when you land. Fares are set by the regional government and adjusted from time to time, so check the price with SIGA before you travel.

With a prepaid GIRO card, a ride on the Aerobus costs €5.55 (around £4.65), and the card itself costs €0.50 (around 40p). You can buy the card from the machine in the arrivals terminal, and you can also use it on the island’s other buses, where a prepaid journey is cheaper than a ticket from the driver. If you’re only taking the Aerobus one way, the saving is small, but it’s well worth it if you’ll be using the buses several times during your stay.

Where should you get off in Funchal?

The Aerobus has 26 stops, and the whole journey from the airport to the final stop at Praia Formosa takes around 50 minutes. Without traffic, you’ll reach Mercado, near the market and the Old Town, after about 22 minutes, Avenida do Mar by the harbour after 24 minutes, Terminal SAM after 30 minutes, Lido after 38 minutes and the Fórum Madeira shopping centre after 42 minutes. SIGA’s Aerobus page has a list of hotels in Funchal with the number of the nearest stop, so you can check where to get off before you travel. If you’re unsure on the way, just tell the driver where you’re going.

If you’re staying centrally, the bus stops on Avenida do Mar near the cathedral. From here it’s a few minutes’ walk to the three-star Hotel Catedral on Rua do Aljube, and you can check prices at Hotel Catedral here. If you’re staying in the Lido hotel area, get off at Lido or on Rua Simplício dos Passos Gouveia, home to the four-star Pestana Promenade, among others, with indoor and outdoor pools close to the sea.

If you’re not sure where to stay, read my guide to where to stay in Madeira. I cover Funchal, which is the easiest base without a car, as well as Calheta and Porto Moniz, where you’ll need a car more.

2. Bus 113 and the express buses to Machico and Caniçal

The Aerobus only goes towards Funchal. If you’re heading north to Machico or Caniçal, you can take CAM’s regular buses, many of which call at the airport. The most important is route 113 between Funchal, Machico and Caniçal, which is also numbered 702 in SIGA’s system. In the timetable, departures that go via the airport are marked with a small a for Via Aeroporto. Some of the express buses between Funchal and Machico also run via the airport, especially in the direction of Funchal.

You buy your ticket from the driver, and it costs €2.65 (around £2.20) for a journey between two municipalities, or €2.00 (around £1.70) with a GIRO card. From the airport it’s only a short ride north to Machico, where the bus stops at the bus station on Rua 9 de Outubro in the centre. The same buses also run the other way into Funchal and are cheaper than the Aerobus, but they stop at many more places and aren’t designed for large suitcases.

The regular buses don’t necessarily stop in the same place as the Aerobus, so ask at the airport information desk where to wait. They only run during the day and early evening, with fewer services at weekends. You’ll find timetables for all routes under SIGA’s timetables, where you can search for Machico or Caniçal.

Machico is just a few minutes from the airport and has a light sandy beach and a pleasant promenade, making it a good choice for your first or last night on the island. Right by the beach is the three-star White Waters Hotel, from where you can walk to both the bus station and the restaurants.

The Aerobus doesn’t go to Caniço and Caniço de Baixo, where many hotels sit on the cliffs between the airport and Funchal. Here a taxi or a pre-booked transfer is the easiest option, and the journey takes about 15 minutes. If you still want to take the bus, check the connection in SIGA’s timetables before you travel.

3. Taxi from Madeira Airport

Taxis queue right outside the arrivals hall, and there are usually taxis available even after the Aerobus has stopped running. On Madeira, taxis run on the meter, with fares agreed between the regional transport authority IMT and the taxi associations. The minimum fare is €4.00 (around £3.35) during the day and €4.80 (around £4) at night, and the night rate applies from 9pm to 6am and all day at weekends and on public holidays. Luggage larger than hand luggage costs a supplement of €1.50 (around £1.25).

The full fare table is in IMT’s official taxi fare table, and you can always ask the driver for a receipt. To Funchal, the fare usually comes to about €30 to €40 (around £25 to £35), depending on the time and where in the city you’re going, and the journey takes 20 to 25 minutes without traffic. Caniço and Machico are shorter and cheaper rides, while a trip to Calheta or Porto Moniz on the other side of the island quickly gets expensive. If you’re going a long way, ask for the approximate fare before you set off.

If there are three or four of you going to the same hotel in Funchal, a taxi doesn’t cost much more than Aerobus tickets for the whole group, and it takes you right to the door. That makes a taxi a good choice for families and for hotels up Funchal’s steep hills, where you won’t fancy dragging your suitcase the last stretch.

4. Uber and Bolt

Both Uber and Bolt operate on Madeira, as the island’s official tourism page on transport also confirms, and it has useful advice on parking and driving too. You book in the app just as you would at home and see the price before you confirm the ride. The price depends on demand, so when lots of flights land at once it can rise above the taxi fare, while at other times it’s a little lower.

Only book your car once you’ve collected your luggage, and check in the app where the driver will pick you up at the terminal. Uber and Bolt are also handy for the rest of your stay, for example if you need to get back from a restaurant up in the hills of Funchal late in the evening.

5. Private transfer

A private transfer is a pre-booked car with a driver who waits for you in the arrivals hall and takes you straight to your hotel. On GetYourGuide, prices to Funchal start from around 40 euros (around £35) for up to four people, and the journey takes about half an hour. It’s more expensive than the Aerobus, but it’s a good option if there are several of you, you’re travelling with children or you’re staying at a hotel the bus doesn’t serve.

Book a private transfer from Madeira Airport to Funchal here.

The transfer needs to be booked at least 24 hours in advance. Add your flight number when you book, so the driver can keep track if your flight is delayed. If you’re heading to Calheta, Porto Moniz or the north coast, expect a longer journey and a higher price than to Funchal.

6. Car hire from Madeira Airport

Madeira is an island where a hire car gives you a great deal of freedom. Many of the best walks, viewpoints and the natural pools at Porto Moniz are a long way from the bus routes, and with a car you can get from one end of the island to the other in a day. Several of the big rental companies, including Avis, Europcar and Enterprise, have desks at the airport, while others have offices just outside and usually pick you up in a shuttle bus. Check your confirmation to see where you need to meet, and compare prices on hire cars at Booking.com before you travel.

From the airport, you drive along the VR1 motorway on the south coast to Funchal in 20 to 25 minutes. There are no toll roads on Madeira, and the motorway is easy to drive, but it runs through lots of tunnels, so remember to switch your lights on. A hire car also makes sense for your first night if you’re staying in Calheta, Porto Moniz or somewhere else outside Funchal where the buses are infrequent.

What you need to know about driving on Madeira

Once you leave the motorway, the roads quickly become steep, narrow and full of hairpin bends. That applies in Funchal too, where many streets climb steeply up the hills and are one-way. So choose a car with enough power for the hills, and book an automatic well in advance if you’re not used to hill starts on steep slopes with a manual gearbox. Satnav works fine, but it sometimes picks the shortest and steepest route, so stick to the main roads if you’re in doubt.

Parking in Funchal is often the biggest challenge. According to the tourist office, white lines mean free parking, though in some places for residents only, blue lines mean paid parking, and yellow lines mean no parking. You pay on weekdays from 8am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 8am to 2pm at the machine or with the iPark Driver app, while Sundays and public holidays are free. Ask your hotel about parking before you book, as many hotels in the centre have no spaces or only a few.

My advice is therefore to take the Aerobus or a taxi into Funchal if you’re staying in the city, and hire a car for the days you want to get out and explore the island. Many rental companies also have offices in Funchal. You’ll find ideas for a trip around the island, from the surf village of Jardim do Mar to the summit of Pico do Arieiro, in my post on Madeira as Europe’s answer to Hawaii.

When the wind plays up on landing

Madeira Airport is known for its wind. The runway is squeezed in between the mountains and the sea, and when it’s blowing hard from the wrong direction, pilots have to go around and try again, hold in the air or land on the neighbouring island of Porto Santo or further away. This can happen all year round, and the approach is so demanding that pilots need special training to land here.

If your flight is diverted, the airline has to help you onwards, so keep an eye on its messages. For that reason, don’t make tight plans for your arrival day, such as an excursion, the ferry to Porto Santo or a hire car that has to be collected at a set time. If you’ve booked a transfer or a hire car, let them know if your flight is badly delayed. The Portuguese weather service IPMA has wind and weather warnings, including for Madeira, if you want to keep an eye on the weather in the run-up to your trip.

Onwards to Porto Santo

If you’re heading on to the neighbouring island of Porto Santo with its long sandy beach, you have two options. The Lobo Marinho ferry from Porto Santo Line sails from the harbour in Funchal and takes around two and a half hours, and there are short flights from Madeira Airport, which according to the tourist office take about 15 minutes. If you’re flying on, you stay at the airport, and if you’re taking the ferry, the Aerobus runs to Avenida do Mar close to the harbour.

Getting back to the airport

The Aerobus runs the opposite way from Praia Formosa via Lido and the centre to the airport, and you board at the same stops where you got off. According to the timetable, the first bus leaves Praia Formosa at 7am and the last at 9pm. From Avenida do Mar, allow about half an hour to the airport and longer in rush hour, so catch a bus in good time. Once again, you buy your ticket in cash from the driver, or you use your GIRO card.

If you have an early flight before the Aerobus starts running, a taxi, Uber, Bolt or a pre-booked transfer is the easiest option, and your hotel reception can call a taxi for you. If you’re returning a hire car, follow the signs for car rental returns, and allow extra time if you need to fill up, as there can be a queue at the petrol station near the airport.

If you’re flying home via Lisbon and want a couple of days in the capital, you can read where to stay in Lisbon, and see the metro, bus and taxi options in my guide to getting from Lisbon Airport to the city centre. If Madeira is part of a longer trip, you’ll find the mainland and the islands together in my guide to where to stay in Portugal, and if you want to combine it with the Atlantic’s other archipelago, I’ve also written about where to stay in the Azores.

Madeira Airport to Funchal: which option should you choose?

Here’s my recommendation based on where you’re going and how you’re travelling:

The centre, the harbour and the Old Town: Take the Aerobus to Mercado or Avenida do Mar for 6.70 euros (around £5.60).

Lido and Praia Formosa: The Aerobus runs along Estrada Monumental through the hotel area and drops you close to most hotels.

3 to 4 adults going to the same hotel: A taxi doesn’t cost much more than the Aerobus tickets and takes you right to the door.

Children or lots of luggage: A private transfer or a taxi, so you don’t have to haul suitcases up the hills.

Machico and Caniçal: Bus 113 on a departure via the airport for 2.65 euros (around £2.20), an express bus as well for Machico, or a short taxi ride.

Caniço: A taxi or transfer, as the Aerobus doesn’t go there.

If you land late or very early: A taxi, Uber or Bolt. The Aerobus runs from the airport from 8.30am to 10pm.

Calheta, Porto Moniz or a trip around the island: Pick up your hire car at the airport and drive west along the VR1 on the south coast.

Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇

• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers

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