Bravacar Madeira: Local Car Hire, Rates and Monthly Rentals 2026

Key takeaway: Bravacar is the Madeira-based local rental operator that consistently undercuts Sixt and Goldcar on monthly bookings while keeping a Trustpilot rating above 4.5/5. Daily rates start around 24 euros (about 26 dollars) for an economy car, with a flat 28-day rate from 420 euros (about 460 dollars). Best for digital nomads on Madeira Island and travellers who want straightforward, no-upsell pricing.

Bravacar at a glance

Bravacar is one of Madeira's longest-running independent rental companies, with its main fleet based at Funchal Airport (FNC) and a satellite office in Caminho do Lombo da Boa Vista, Funchal. The fleet runs around 180 vehicles in 2026, ranging from Renault Clio and Citroën C3 economy class up through Peugeot 3008 SUVs and 9-seat passenger vans for groups. Bravacar does not operate outside Madeira – the brand is purely island-focused.

Bravacar 2026 pricing

Where to pick up your Bravacar in Madeira

Bravacar has two pickup points on the island – one inside the Funchal Airport rental zone and a smaller satellite office in Funchal city centre. There is no Porto Santo island branch; if you ferry across, you bring the Madeira car with you (Bravacar permits this on the Lobo Marinho ferry with prior notice).

Funchal Airport (FNC)

The main Bravacar desk sits in the Rent-a-Car Zone B at the arrivals level. A short 200-metre walk from baggage claim, or a free shuttle every 10 minutes. Express check-in is available for online bookings: send a photo of your driver's licence and passport 24 hours before pickup, and the entire process takes under 5 minutes. Office hours match flight arrivals – typically 7:00 to 23:00 – with after-hours collection via key safe for a 30-euro fee.

Funchal city office (Caminho do Lombo da Boa Vista)

The satellite branch sits roughly 8 minutes from the cruise terminal and 4 minutes from the Lido seafront. Hours 9:00-18:00 Monday to Saturday. Saves the airport surcharge (about 5 euros) and is the natural choice if you arrive by cruise ship or have already checked in to a Funchal hotel and want to skip the FNC trip.

How Bravacar compares to other Madeira operators

Insurance and excess

Bravacar's standard rental includes mandatory CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) with a 1,200-euro excess. Theft Protection is also included. This means you are liable up to 1,200 euros for any damage during the rental – one bumper scrape on a narrow Madeira road typically lands within this range.

Buying Zero Excess at the desk

Bravacar's Zero Excess package costs about 9 euros (~10 dollars) per day, dropping the deductible to zero. It is the cheapest desk-purchase Zero Excess on Madeira after Auto Jardim. Covers undercarriage, tyres, wheels and side mirrors – the four common Madeira claim sources.

Third-party excess insurance (RentalCover, Insurance4CarHire)

Annual policies cost roughly 35-80 euros and bring the excess to zero. You pay the 1,200-euro Bravacar excess upfront if anything happens, then claim it back within 14 days. Worth it if you rent more than 5 days; not worth the admin overhead for a long weekend.

Driving with Bravacar on Madeira

Madeira is a 740-km² island; you can drive the full perimeter in one long day but most visitors spend 3-4 days touring. The VR1 (Via Rápida) motorway is the only fast road, free of tolls, linking Funchal to Ribeira Brava in the west and Caniçal in the east.

Bravacar permits Lobo Marinho ferry travel to Porto Santo island with 48-hour notice and a 60-euro ferry car fee paid separately. No 4×4 needed for any standard tarmac route; off-road or unpaved tracks are excluded from insurance.

How to get the cheapest Bravacar rate

1. Book 4-6 weeks ahead

Madeira hits 90% capacity in summer about six weeks before the season starts. Bravacar's online rates drop 20-30% if you book in early April for a July trip vs walking up at the desk in July.

2. Compare aggregator vs direct site

Bravacar's own bookings on bravacar.com sometimes match DiscoverCars and Rentalcars for the same dates, but the aggregator-locked rate is contractually fixed – so if Bravacar raises desk prices, your booked rate is safe.

3. Use the Funchal city office for shoulder seasons

Pickup at the Lombo da Boa Vista office saves the 5-euro airport concession. Counts most if you rent for 7+ days, where the savings compound.

4. Refuse the desk fuel upsell

Bravacar offers “full to full” (pay only for fuel you use) and “full to empty” (pay full tank upfront, return empty). Always choose full-to-full. There are three Galp and two BP petrol stations within 1 km of FNC airport for the return refuel.

5. Long stays trigger flat monthly rates

Bookings of 28 days or more switch from daily multiplied rates to a flat monthly tariff – about 30-35% cheaper. If you are renting 24+ days, extending to 28 actually saves money.

6. Group + ferry to Porto Santo

If you are going to Porto Santo, the 9-seater Renault Trafic split between four people works out cheaper per head than four economy cars, plus halves the ferry cost (one car = 60 euros each way vs four cars = 240 euros).

Practical tips for renting with Bravacar

• Send your driver's licence and passport scan 24 hours before pickup to unlock the 5-minute express check-in.
• Park free in Funchal's “Anadia” garage with a Bravacar voucher – 4 hours at 0 cost when your rental booking includes the city office partnership.
• Bravacar's after-hours key-safe at FNC adds 30 euros but saves an overnight in Funchal if your flight arrives past 23:00.
• Drivers from EU countries need only the standard EU licence. Drivers from the UK, US or Canada need their national licence plus an International Driving Permit if the licence is not Roman-script.
• Bravacar accepts both Visa and Mastercard credit cards with a 1,200-euro pre-authorisation hold. Debit cards are accepted only with full Zero Excess insurance purchased.
• Child seats are 25 euros for the entire rental duration – flat fee, not per day.

• Do not pay any “cash supplement” to the desk agent – all Bravacar fees are itemised on the rental contract.
• Do not return the car with a different fuel level than you collected it – mismatches cost ~3.20 euros per litre at the desk vs ~1.80 euros at a Galp station.
• Do not take Bravacar cars onto unpaved levada tracks – the insurance excludes off-road damage.
• Do not assume “Madeira insurance” covers Porto Santo – confirm with the office 48 hours before ferrying across.

FAQ: Bravacar in Madeira

Before-you-book checklist

• Confirm flight arrival time – if past 23:00 enable Bravacar's after-hours key safe (30 euros).
• Send licence and passport scan 24 hours before pickup for express check-in.
• Decide on Zero Excess upgrade (~9 euros/day) vs third-party annual policy.
• Check your credit card has 1,200 euros free for the deposit hold.
• Download a Madeira offline map – mobile coverage on the north coast is patchy.
• If staying 24+ days, extend the booking to 28 to trigger flat monthly rate.