You’ve booked your flights to Madeira. Now for the next piece of the puzzle: getting from the airport to your accommodation.
Of all the options, from the airport bus to hiring a car, an airport transfer is probably the easiest. There’s no need to search for the taxi rank or wait for the airport bus: your driver will be waiting for you inside the Arrivals Terminal. He’ll take you straight to your hotel where you can drop your luggage off, refresh, and then get out and explore Madeira.
Airport transfer companies
| Funchal City Centre | |
|---|---|
| Rideways.com | €23.58 |
| Hoppa.com | €21.21 |
| SunTransfers.com | €21.01 |
| ShuttleDirect.com | €23.78 |
| taxi2airport.com | €28 |
Journey is from Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport Airport to Pestana CR7 Funchal, which is in Funchal. Prices accurate at the time of writing (March 2019).
Airport transfers with young children
If you’re travelling with young children, a toddler, or a baby, you may want a car or baby seat for your transfer. The following companies have child or baby seats that you can request.
- SunTransfers.com – Baby or child seats can be requested for a fee (~€7)
You can also bring a baby or child seat with you on the plane. Most airlines allow you to bring this with you for free.
Minibus or large vehicles
If you’re a large group (or even a very large family) travelling to Madeira, you may decide that you want a larger vehicle like a minibus or people carrier so that you can travel together as a group. You can book either of these using hoppa.com.
Alternatives to taking an airport transfer
An airport transfer isn’t the only way to get from Madeira Airport to your accommodation.
Taxi
A taxi from Madeira Airport, especially one that hasn’t been pre-booked, is usually going to be more expensive than an airport transfer. However, it’s a good option for those that don’t want to take the airport bus and haven’t booked a transfer in advance.
Aerobus
The Aerobus (airport bus) connects Madeira Airport with the main town on the island: Funchal. There are around 20 stops along the way for those whose hotel isn’t in Funchal City Centre.
This option is the most affordable way to get between Funchal and Madeira Airport. You will find an up-to-date list of ticket prices, as well as a timetable and list of stops on the bus operator’s website: sam.pt.
Travelling to other parts of Portugal? Be sure to read the guides to airport transfers in Lisbon, Porto, Faro, and Ponta Delgada.