I-VI 08:30 – 12:30 and 14:00 – 18:00
Avis at Funchal Airport (FNC) is the most polished international option on Madeira, but it is roughly 1.6x to 2.2x more expensive than budget locals — typically 28 to 38 euros (USD 30 to 41) per day in low season versus 12 to 22 euros from the cheapest competitors. Avis runs two desks on the island: the airport counter (open 08:00 to 00:00) and a small Funchal-city office at Av. do Infante. The brand wins on English-speaking staff, automatics, modern fleet and post-2024 smartphone keys, but Trustpilot reviews are dominated by post-rental damage charges and EUR 263 wrong-fuel fees. If you want Avis-grade reliability without the markup, this guide compares the airport pickup, real seasonal pricing, the four better-rated alternatives (Madeirarent, Rodavante, 7M, Sixt), insurance traps, and the best four scenic routes you will actually drive from Funchal.
Daily rates in May 2026 verified via KAYAK and DiscoverCars searches. Avis sits firmly in the upper-middle pricing band: more than budget locals, less than full-blown premium counters. Expect to pay roughly 1.6 to 2.2 times the cheapest available rate when Avis is in stock.
| Season | Months | Daily rate |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Nov to Feb | EUR 28 to 38 (USD 30 to 41) |
| Shoulder | Mar to May, Oct | EUR 38 to 55 (USD 41 to 60) |
| High | Jun to Sep | EUR 55 to 80 (USD 60 to 87) |
| Peak | Christmas, New Year, Easter | EUR 75 to 110 (USD 81 to 119) |
For comparison, Goldcar opens from EUR 12 to 46 per day, Centauro from EUR 10 to 59, Drive On Holidays from EUR 18 to 35, and Madeira Rent from EUR 22 to 40 — all significantly cheaper than Avis but with sharply lower Trustpilot scores.
| Cheapest month | February — about EUR 28 (USD 30) per day for an Opel Corsa or VW Polo class |
| Most expensive month | August — about EUR 80 (USD 87) per day; weekends near holidays push past EUR 100 (USD 109) |
Avis runs two locations on the island. Most travellers use the airport counter; the city office is convenient if you are already in Funchal and only need a half-day rental.
Address: Aeroporto Funchal, Sovialma LDA, 9100-105 Funchal. The desk is inside the arrivals hall, signposted from the baggage claim. Phone +351 291 524 392. Counter hours run 08:00 to 00:00 seven days a week, with a 24-hour key drop-off after closing. Once you have the contract you walk a covered ramp to the car park to collect the vehicle. Allow at least 30 minutes for paperwork in summer; the queue regularly stretches to ten people during evening arrivals.
Address: Largo Antonio Nobre 164, Av. do Infante, 9000-022 Funchal. Phone +351 291 764 546. Hours typically Mon to Fri 09:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, Saturday 09:00 to 13:00, closed Sundays. Useful if you flew in without renting and decide to grab a car for a day trip from your Funchal hotel — but the airport counter has 5x the fleet and far more car classes available.
Trustpilot and Google Maps reviews from May 2026 paint a clear picture: four local operators consistently rank above Avis on customer satisfaction at lower prices. If brand consistency across countries matters to you, Avis is fine; if value-for-money is the priority, the alternatives below are the smarter pick.
Madeira-based independent that has consistently scored 4.0 out of 5 on Trustpilot across roughly 157 verified reviews. Modern fleet (most cars under three years old), low EUR 200 to 350 deposits, English-speaking airport meet-and-greet, and free baby seats with advance notice. The single most popular choice on Madeira-focused TripAdvisor threads in 2026.
Founded in 1977, Rodavante has been a multi-year DiscoverCars award winner with a 9.0 out of 10 score at FNC. Reviews are polarised — happy customers mention smooth pickup and friendly staff; unhappy ones describe damage disputes. Take photos. Strong value in shoulder season, with regular EUR 22 to 30 daily rates on compacts.
Local operator with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot score from roughly 491 reviews — among the highest on the island. Famous for friendly airport meet-and-greet, low EUR 150 deposit, and smaller fleet of well-maintained Renault and Peugeot compacts. Best for travellers who hate counter pressure and want a calm pickup.
If you want a premium counter experience without Avis pricing, Sixt is the alternative. DiscoverCars FNC score is 8.0 out of 10. Widest selection of automatics, hybrids and electric cars on the island; Tesla Model 3 from EUR 110 per day in low season. Slight upselling at counter — book your insurance separately.
DiscoverCars score 6.0 out of 10 at FNC, Trustpilot heavily negative. Aggressive insurance upselling at the counter (“the standard cover does not work on Madeira hills” is a known sales script), large EUR 1,500+ blocks on the credit card, and damage disputes for pre-existing scratches. If your booking is Goldcar, photograph every panel before driving off.
Trustpilot 1.5 out of 5 from roughly 680 reviews. The standout pattern: counter price hikes after the prepaid voucher. One UK customer reported being charged an extra GBP 530 in mandatory insurance at collection in 2026. Read every line of the contract before signing and keep the pre-paid email confirmation visible.
| Company | Trustpilot | FNC DiscoverCars score |
|---|---|---|
| 7M Rent a Car | 4.5/5 | 9.0/10 |
| Madeirarent | 4.0/5 | 9.5/10 |
| Rodavante | 3.5/5 mixed | 9.0/10 |
| Sixt Portugal | 3.6/5 | 8.0/10 |
| Avis Portugal | 1.3/5 | 7.3/10 |
| Goldcar | 1.4/5 | 6.0/10 |
| Drive On Holidays | 1.5/5 | n/a |
Avis Portugal includes the legal minimum (Third Party + Collision Damage Waiver with excess + Theft Protection) in the base rate. The catch is the excess: roughly EUR 1,200 to 1,800 (USD 1,300 to 1,950) for a compact, blocked on your credit card at pickup. To zero that out you have two paths: buy the counter Super Cover or buy a third-party excess policy before you fly.
At the FNC counter Avis will offer Super Cover at EUR 18 to 30 (USD 19 to 33) per day, Personal Accident Insurance at EUR 5 to 8 per day, and a Wrong-Fuel waiver. Super Cover does reduce the excess to zero, but on a 7-day rental it adds EUR 126 to 210 — often more than the rental itself. Useful if you want zero hassle, expensive otherwise.
The agent will likely ask if you want a “Madeira mountain protection” extension, an automatic upgrade, or a roadside assistance add-on. Standard Avis CDW already covers underbody damage on paved roads, automatic upgrades are often quoted at retail prices, and roadside assistance is included in CDW. Most Avis FNC customers can decline all three safely.
Buy a standalone “rental excess” policy from iCarHireInsurance, RentalCover, or Allianz before you travel. Typical price is EUR 4 to 8 per day for full excess coverage including tyres, glass, and underbody — 60% to 70% cheaper than counter Super Cover. The excess is still authorised on your card at pickup, but if anything happens you claim it back from the third-party insurer.
| Option | Daily cost | 7-day total |
|---|---|---|
| Avis Super Cover | EUR 18-30 (USD 19-33) | EUR 126-210 (USD 137-228) |
| iCarHireInsurance | EUR 4-6 (USD 4-7) | EUR 28-42 (USD 30-45) |
| RentalCover | EUR 5-8 (USD 5-9) | EUR 35-56 (USD 38-61) |
| Bare CDW + EUR 1500 risk | EUR 0 | EUR 0 — risk: full excess on damage |
The single best thing about driving on Madeira: there are no tolls anywhere on the island. The VR1 expressway, the VE1 to VE4 regional roads, and all 150-plus tunnels are completely free. You will not need a Via Verde transponder or a toll-payment Avis upgrade — they do not apply here.
Urban areas 50 km/h, rural roads 90 km/h, VR1 expressway 100 km/h, tunnels 80 km/h. Blood alcohol limit 0.5 g/L (0.2 for drivers with under three years experience or professionals). Headlights are mandatory inside tunnels — switch them on before entering, day or night. Madeira has 150-plus tunnels and you will use them constantly.
The mountain roads — ER101, ER103, ER202, ER222 — are tight, paved, but full of switchbacks. A compact car with at least 90 horsepower handles them fine; the agent at Avis will sometimes try to upsell a 1.6-litre or larger “for the mountains” but this is mostly a sales tactic. The genuinely useful upgrade is an automatic transmission if you are not used to first-gear hairpin starts.
| Route | Distance | Estimated time | Toll |
|---|---|---|---|
| FNC Airport to Funchal centre | 22 km | 25 min via VR1 | EUR 0 |
| Funchal to Cabo Girao Skywalk | 17 km | 25 min via VR1 + ER229 | EUR 0 |
| Funchal to Pico do Arieiro | 22 km | 40 min via ER103 + ER202 | EUR 0 |
| Funchal to Santana via ER101 | 41 km | 1 h 10 min | EUR 0 |
| Funchal to Porto Moniz | 75 km | 1 h 15 min via VR1 + VE2 | EUR 0 |
Avis is rarely the cheapest, but its loyalty program (Avis Preferred) and pre-paid bookings can drop the rate by 15 to 25 percent versus walk-up. Always check at least three platforms — Avis direct, KAYAK, and DiscoverCars — and pick the cheapest legitimate quote.
For July to September and Christmas weeks, the cheapest stock disappears 30 to 60 days before pickup. Booking eight weeks out gets you EUR 30 to 50 days; booking the week of arrival often hits EUR 90 to 120.
Automatics on Madeira cost EUR 8 to 15 per day more than manuals. If you are comfortable with a clutch on switchbacks, the savings on a one-week rental are EUR 56 to 105. Keep in mind the steepest stretches (Pico do Arieiro, Curral das Freiras) genuinely demand a fit clutch leg.
This is the single biggest line-item to control. Buy excess insurance from a third-party provider (iCarHireInsurance, RentalCover) before you fly. Saves roughly EUR 90 to 150 on a one-week rental.
If your flight lands at FNC after midnight, the airport counter is closed. Some Funchal-city operators (Madeirarent, Rodavante) will deliver to your hotel for free with 24-hour notice — saves the FNC counter premium and the late-night queue.
Petrol at supermarket-attached stations (Pingo Doce, Continente) runs around 5 cents per litre cheaper than airport BP. On a full 50-litre tank that is EUR 2.50 saved per fill — small but it adds up across a Madeira road trip.
| Line item | Smart booking | Walk-up tourist |
|---|---|---|
| Compact daily rate (May 2026) | EUR 28 to 40 (USD 30-43) | EUR 65 to 85 (USD 71-92) |
| 7-day base total | EUR 196 to 280 | EUR 455 to 595 |
| Excess insurance | EUR 35 (third-party) | EUR 175 (counter Super Cover) |
| Automatic upgrade | Skipped (manual) | + EUR 70 |
| Fuel | EUR 70 (supermarket) | EUR 80 (airport) |
| Total | EUR 301 to 385 (USD 327-418) | EUR 780 to 920 (USD 847-999) |
17 km, 25 minutes via VR1 then ER229. Europe's highest sea-cliff skywalk at 580 m above the Atlantic, with a glass floor over the cliff edge. Free entry, paid parking around EUR 1 to 2 per hour. Best in early morning before the tour buses arrive (9:00 to 10:30 ideal). Combine with lunch in Camara de Lobos fishing village 5 km back along the coast.
22 km, 40 to 45 minutes via ER103 and ER202. The summit sits at 1,818 m, frequently above the cloud line. Arrive before sunrise (5:30 to 6:30 in May, 7:00 to 7:30 in winter) for the famous “sea of clouds” view. The road is paved but tight; pack a jacket because temperatures up there are 12 to 15 degrees colder than Funchal. Free parking at the summit.
41 km, 1 hour 10 minutes via ER103, Poiso, Ribeiro Frio. The classic Madeira mountain drive — laurel forest tunnels, levada walks at Ribeiro Frio (the Balcoes trail is 1.5 km easy), and Santana's triangular thatched houses (Casas de Colmo) at the end. Stops easily fill a half-day.
75 km, 1 hour 15 minutes via VR1, then VE2 to Sao Vicente, then ER101 along the north coast through Seixal. Volcanic lava-rock natural pools at Porto Moniz (admission EUR 1.50, towels rentable). The drive itself is the highlight — coastal cliffs, waterfalls cascading onto the road in winter, and one-lane tunnels carved through volcanic rock. Plan a full day with lunch in Seixal or Porto Moniz.
For most travellers, no. Avis is 1.6 to 2.2 times more expensive than Madeirarent or 7M Rent a Car, both of which score significantly higher on Trustpilot (4.0 and 4.5 versus 1.3). Avis wins if you have a corporate booking, Avis Preferred status, or specifically need a particular brand new model. Otherwise, Madeirarent gives you a similar fleet at 50 percent of the price and a smoother pickup experience. Save Avis for the moments when corporate travel terms or loyalty points genuinely tilt the calculation.
Third-party excess cover (iCarHireInsurance, RentalCover, or Allianz) is enough for almost every traveller. It costs 60 to 70 percent less than counter Super Cover and provides equivalent or better coverage. The only caveat: at pickup the rental company still authorises the full excess amount on your credit card; if anything happens, you pay first and reclaim from the third-party insurer. Make sure your card has at least EUR 1,500 available headroom on top of any other authorisations.
Avis does not accept debit cards on Madeira — credit card only, in the main driver's name, with EUR 1,200 to 1,800 available for the deposit hold. If you only have a debit card, you have two options: book through Goldcar or InterRent who accept debit (with a higher mandatory insurance), or use a local operator like 7M Rent a Car or Madeirarent who sometimes waive the credit card requirement when you buy their full insurance package. Always confirm in writing before flying — counter agents have rejected confirmed bookings in 2025-2026.
No. The entire Madeira road network is toll-free including the VR1 expressway, VE1 to VE4 regional roads, and all 150-plus tunnels. You will not need a Via Verde transponder or any toll-payment add-on at the rental counter. Avis sometimes offers a “highway pass” upgrade — decline it. The mainland Portugal toll system does not apply on Madeira.
A standard 1.0-litre or 1.2-litre compact (Opel Corsa, VW Polo, Renault Clio class) is fine for Madeira's mountain roads if it has at least 90 horsepower. The roads are paved and the steepest gradients are around 13 percent — manageable for any modern small car. The genuinely useful upgrade is automatic transmission if you are not used to clutch starts on hairpins, not engine size. Skip Avis upsells suggesting you “need” a 1.6-litre for the mountains.
If you do not regularly drive a manual, yes. The Pico do Arieiro road, ER202, and the older ER101 sections have repeated hairpin starts on 10-percent gradients where stalling is embarrassing and dangerous. Automatics cost EUR 8 to 15 per day extra at Avis (EUR 56 to 105 for a week), which is genuine value if you are nervous on a clutch. If you drive manual daily at home, save the money — Madeira manuals are perfectly drivable.
Disclosure: Some links on this page (DiscoverCars) are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We choose partners based on rate transparency and free-cancellation terms.
Fact-check date: 9 May 2026. Sources verified within the past 7 days: avis.com/en/locations/pt/funchal-madeira-island/fnc, trustpilot.com/review/avis.com.pt, kayak.com/Madeira-Car-Rentals.r2427.crr.html, discovercars.com FNC, globalpetrolprices.com Portugal, madeiraislandnews.com.
