Madeira Airport to Funchal: Bus, Taxi, Uber or Transfer

Madeira’s airport sits on the east coast near Santa Cruz, about 20 minutes by road from Funchal. You can take the Aerobus, a regular SIGA bus, a taxi, Bolt or Uber, a pre-booked transfer or a hire car. Here’s what each costs, how long it takes and when it makes sense.

Quick answer: landing in the daytime with normal luggage? Take the Aerobus (€6.70 cash, about 25 minutes to the seafront). Landing late, or with kids or lots of bags? A taxi (usually about €25–35 to central Funchal) or a pre-booked transfer takes about 20 minutes. Exploring the island? Pick up a hire car at the airport.

Your options at a glance

Option	Time to Funchal	Rough cost	Best for
Aerobus	25 min to the seafront	€6.70 cash (€5.55 prepaid)	Budget, daytime arrivals
SIGA regular bus	About 35–50 min	€2.65 on board (€2 prepaid)	Light luggage, Machico and the east
Taxi	20–25 min	About €25–35, metered	Late arrivals, no app
Uber / Bolt	20–25 min	Shown in the app, rises at busy times	App users
Private transfer	20–25 min	From about €30	Families, groups, late flights
Hire car	About 20 min	Varies by season	Exploring the island

Prices checked October 2026. Taxi and app fares vary with the time and demand.

About Madeira airport

The airport’s official name is Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, after the Funchal-born footballer, and its code is FNC. It’s in the municipality of Santa Cruz, about 20km by road east of central Funchal along the VR1 expressway.

The runway is famous. It was extended in 2000 on a platform partly over the sea, held up by 180 columns about 70m tall. Flights from outside Schengen, including the UK, go through passport control and Entry/Exit System checks, so allow extra time.

Wind diversions

Madeira has official wind limits for landing. When gusts are too strong, planes circle, try again or divert, usually to Porto Santo, Lisbon, Faro or the Canary Islands, and some flights are cancelled. It happened several times in spring 2026, so don’t plan a tour for the afternoon you land.

The Aerobus

The Aerobus is the airport bus, run by CAM as part of Madeira’s public SIGA network (it’s listed as route 500 on the SIGA website). It leaves from outside arrivals, runs non-stop into Funchal, then follows the seafront and the hotel zone west to Praia Formosa.

• Stops: about 25, including the Mercado (the Farmers’ Market, by the old town), Avenida do Mar on the seafront, the Lido and the hotels along Estrada Monumental.
• Journey time: about 25 minutes to Avenida do Mar and 50 minutes to Praia Formosa.
• Hours: on the timetable in force since 1 April 2026, buses leave the airport from 8:30am to 10pm, about every 30 minutes in the morning and hourly after midday, with fewer on Sundays and holidays. Back to the airport, they leave Praia Formosa from 7am to 9pm. No buses on 25 December.
• Tickets: €6.70 for adults and €3.30 for children aged 6 to 12, paid to the driver in cash only. A prepaid ticket costs €5.55 on a rechargeable GIRO card (€0.50 for the card), sold at the SIGA ticket point in the arrivals terminal and at Payshop agents.
• Tourist ticket: SIGA’s Regional Tourist ticket (from €13.75 for one day) covers the Aerobus and every SIGA bus on the island.

The catch is the hours: with no bus before 8:30am or after 10pm, early and late arrivals need a taxi or transfer. Check the SIGA timetable before you fly.

Regular SIGA buses

Ordinary CAM buses between Funchal, Machico and Caniçal also call at the airport on many trips, including route 702 (Funchal to Caniçal). In SIGA’s timetables, those trips are marked “via Aeroporto”. They cost €2.65 on board or €2 with a prepaid GIRO card, but take about 35 to 50 minutes to Funchal, stop often and aren’t built for big suitcases.

• Going east: the same buses are the cheap way to Machico, about 10 minutes away, and Caniçal.
• New numbers: every route got a new three-digit number in March 2026, so ignore old numbers in older blogs and forums. Timetables differ on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Taxis

The taxi rank is right outside arrivals, and Madeira’s taxis are yellow with a blue stripe. They’re metered on the island’s own fares, last updated in 2025: the meter starts at €4 by day (6am to 9pm on weekdays) and €4.80 at night, at weekends and on holidays, and a supplement of about €1.50 can apply for bags bigger than a cabin case. Portugal’s new national fare rules may change these rates.

• To central Funchal: usually about €25 to €35, at the top end at night and at weekends.
• To Machico: a short ride of about 10 minutes.
• Longer trips: for Calheta, Porto Moniz or Santana, ask for a rough price before you set off and compare it with a pre-booked transfer.

Uber and Bolt

Both apps work in Madeira. Bolt has the most drivers, about 400 on the island in early 2026, and Uber returned in December 2024 after leaving in 2021. Both can also send a licensed taxi. There are far fewer cars than in Lisbon, and prices rise when several flights land together, so compare with the taxi queue. See Uber vs Bolt vs taxi.

Private transfers

A driver waiting at arrivals with your name is the easiest start with children, car seats or lots of luggage, or if you’re staying outside Funchal. Prices to Funchal start at about €30 for a car, a little more at night. Give your flight number, so the driver can follow any wind delays.

Landing at Madeira airport? Book a fixed-price pickup with Welcome Pickups. An English-speaking driver meets you at arrivals with a name sign, tracks your flight if it’s late, and child seats can be added when you book.

Hire car

The big rental firms have desks in the arrivals hall. From the airport, the VR1 gets you to Funchal in about 20 minutes.

• Mountain roads: the VR1 and its tunnels are easy, but the old roads are steep, narrow and full of hairpins. Choose a car with a decent engine, ideally an automatic.
• Hire later: many visitors spend their first days in Funchal without a car, where parking is tight, then hire one to explore. See car rental and driving in Portugal.

Hiring a car? Compare prices on Discover Cars, and book early for an automatic, as they’re fewer and cost more.

Getting to other towns

• Machico: about 10 minutes by car or taxi, or take a CAM bus that calls at the airport.
• Caniço: about 15 minutes by car. The Aerobus doesn’t stop there, so a taxi is simplest.
• Santana: about 40 minutes by car through the tunnels. Buses run from Funchal, so you’d go into town first.
• Calheta: about an hour by car. SIGA Rodoeste buses run from Funchal, slowly.
• Porto Moniz: about an hour and a quarter by car. Buses from Funchal are few.

FAQ

How much is the Aerobus from Madeira airport to Funchal?

€6.70 for adults and €3.30 for children aged 6 to 12, in cash on board, or €5.55 prepaid on a GIRO card. It leaves the airport from 8:30am to 10pm.

How much is a taxi from Madeira airport to Funchal?

Usually about €25 to €35 on the meter, more at night, at weekends and on holidays. The ride takes about 20 to 25 minutes.

Does Uber work in Madeira?

Yes. Uber returned in December 2024, and Bolt also operates, with more drivers. Both apps can also book licensed taxis.

What happens if my flight to Madeira is diverted by wind?

The airline has to get you to Madeira, often on a later flight once the wind drops. Wind counts as bad weather, so EU compensation isn’t usually due, but the airline must still provide meals and, if needed, a hotel.

More: getting around Madeira and where to stay in Madeira.

See also: Madeira travel guide, things to do in Funchal, Funchal’s old town, Madeira on a budget and flight delays and compensation.

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