Madeira car hire price study · 23 October 2026
What a hire car in Madeira really costs, week by week
A typical week with a small car from Madeira Airport costs €108 in November and €304 in August. Add full cover and you know the most you will pay. Below: the price for every week of the year, what the deposit and cover add, and how Madeira compares with other holiday islands.
The four things worth knowing
- €238
A typical week from 19 December: twice the €114 of the week before. Christmas and Easter cost almost as much as June (€255).
- +71%
What full cover adds to the cheapest car, at the median. Budget for it from the start.
- 1 hour
How long 67% of offers hold the car if your flight is late. Always give your flight number.
- +72%
What a car costs in Madeira in August compared with Gran Canaria. Book early.
When is it cheapest?
November and February. The price doubles for Christmas, jumps again at Easter and stays high from May to September.
| Pick-up month | Small manual | Small automatic | Small manual with full cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | €139 | €210 | €196 |
| Nov 2026 | €108 | €161 | €171 |
| Dec 2026 | €238 | €317 | €235 |
| Jan 2027 | €155 | €192 | €224 |
| Feb 2027 | €147 | €203 | €202 |
| Mar 2027 | €210 | €257 | €267 |
| Apr 2027 | €212 | €305 | €266 |
| May 2027 | €255 | €325 | €328 |
| Jun 2027 | €255 | €337 | €313 |
| Jul 2027 | €292 | €356 | €354 |
| Aug 2027 | €304 | €403 | €382 |
| Sep 2027 | €268 | €340 | €337 |
| Oct 2027 | €258 | €313 | €321 |
What to do: for Christmas, New Year (€265 from 26 December), Easter (€248) and summer, book the car as soon as your flights are fixed. Travelling soon? See prices for the next few weeks.
Bigger cars and the cheapest offers, month by month
| Pick-up month | Cheapest small manual | Typical SUV | Typical 7+ seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | €58 | €189 | €478 |
| Nov 2026 | €51 | €133 | €442 |
| Dec 2026 | €46 | €287 | €711 |
| Jan 2027 | €88 | €183 | €485 |
| Feb 2027 | €71 | €202 | €388 |
| Mar 2027 | €71 | €282 | €511 |
| Apr 2027 | €124 | €356 | €672 |
| May 2027 | €156 | €367 | €732 |
| Jun 2027 | €154 | €385 | €674 |
| Jul 2027 | €176 | €444 | €734 |
| Aug 2027 | €181 | €453 | €734 |
| Sep 2027 | €97 | €370 | €671 |
| Oct 2027 | €51 | €374 | €553 |
October 2026 has one week (from 31 October). Every Saturday is in season.csv.
What you will really pay
The headline price is only the start. Here is the cheapest week of the year, three ways.
- The cheapest small manual for a November week
- €51.38
- The same car with the booking site’s full cover
- €114.01
- The cheapest offer with no deposit and no excess
- €150
You leave a deposit of about €2,120 on a credit card. Damage costs you up to €2,000.
The deposit is still blocked, but if something happens you claim the money back.
Nothing blocked on your card and nothing to claim. Usually the dearest option.
Across the year, the median deposit on a small car was €1,000 and the median excess €1,365. 72% of offers needed a credit card; 28% took a debit card and 6% needed no card.
What to do: pick either full cover or a no-deposit, no-excess offer. Both protect you; doing neither is the risk. The car hire guide explains deposit, excess and cover in plain words.
The small print, counted
How common each condition is across the 46,531 offers we checked.
| Condition | Share of offers | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Car held for 1 hour or less after the booked time | 67% | A late flight can cost you the car. Give your flight number when you book. |
| Full to full fuel | 82% | The fair option: collect it full, return it full. Avoid “same to same” if you can. |
| Desk in the terminal | 39% | The rest use a short shuttle ride (54%) or meet you in the car park (7%). Cheaper, a little slower. |
| Free cancellation | 100% | Keep it: if a small company lets you down, you can rebook. |
Extras for a week, median price: additional driver €63, child seat €56, baby seat €70, booster seat €56.
Is Madeira expensive for car hire?
In summer, yes. For the same August week, only Mallorca, Crete and the Azores came out dearer among the 11 airports we checked.
In November Madeira was number 3 of 11, and at Easter number 2. The Algarve, Crete, Malta and the Azores were much cheaper outside summer.
All airports, five weeks of the year
| Airport | Nov | Feb | Easter | May | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madeira (FNC) | €107 | €147 | €248 | €255 | €304 |
| Tenerife South (TFS) | €130 | €162 | €177 | €134 | €198 |
| Gran Canaria (LPA) | €95 | €146 | €140 | €114 | €177 |
| Lanzarote (ACE) | €86 | €155 | €173 | €117 | €178 |
| Fuerteventura (FUE) | €112 | €151 | €186 | €122 | €197 |
| Mallorca (PMI) | €102 | €127 | €255 | €276 | €318 |
| Faro, Algarve (FAO) | €59 | €72 | €133 | €153 | €215 |
| Ponta Delgada, Azores (PDL) | €57 | €69 | €105 | €311 | €367 |
| Malta (MLA) | €65 | €83 | €131 | €139 | €158 |
| Heraklion, Crete (HER) | €75 | €96 | €99 | €162 | €333 |
| Paphos, Cyprus (PFO) | €94 | €109 | €122 | €171 | €192 |
Pick-up on Saturday 14 November 2026, 13 February, 27 March (Easter), 22 May and 7 August 2027. Data in destinations.csv.
Does it matter who is driving?
Age does. Where you live and how long you rent for hardly do.
Under 25
A 21-year-old paid 58% more than a 35-year-old for a November week, and 23% more in August. At 25 the gap almost disappears.
Older drivers
A little more (19% at 80 in November) and less choice: 37 companies took an 80-year-old, against 45 for a 35-year-old.
Your home country
No difference. Drivers from the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Portugal saw the same prices; US residents saw fewer companies.
Longer rentals
Only a small discount per day. Hiring the car just for the days you need it saves more.
The numbers by age and by rental length
| Driver age | November week | vs age 35 | August week | vs age 35 | Companies (Nov) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | €169 | +58% | €373 | +23% | 41 |
| 23 | €168 | +57% | €373 | +23% | 42 |
| 25 | €120 | +12% | €309 | +2% | 45 |
| 35 | €107 | base | €304 | base | 45 |
| 70 | €118 | +10% | €314 | +3% | 44 |
| 75 | €119 | +12% | €314 | +3% | 43 |
| 80 | €127 | +19% | €318 | +4% | 37 |
| Days | November | August |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | €17.60 | €48.30 |
| 5 | €16.23 | €49.46 |
| 7 | €15.29 | €43.44 |
| 10 | €15.77 | €43.61 |
| 14 | €15.10 | €43.56 |
| 21 | €17.65 | €43.95 |
The companies at Madeira Airport
46 local and international companies. Their deposits and excesses vary a lot, which is why we compare before booking.
See every company’s rating, deposit and excess
| Company | Customer rating | Reviews | Pick-up | Median deposit | Median excess | Debit card | Car held after booked time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7M Rent A Car | 8.7 | 1,239 | Meet and greet | €750 | €500 | no | 1 h |
| ABBYCAR | 8.2 | 260 | Meet and greet | €250 | €1,200 | no | 1 h |
| AD Car Rental | 8.0 | 125 | Shuttle | €1,500 | €2,500 | no | 1 h |
| AddCar | 7.5 | 370 | Shuttle | €1,600 | €1,600 | no | 1 h |
| Alamo | 8.7 | 1,294 | Terminal | €1,000 | €1,970 | no | not stated |
| Autounion | 7.1 | 207 | Shuttle | €1,500 | €1,500 | no | 2 h |
| Avis | 8.5 | 521 | Terminal | €568 | €2,420 | 86% of offers | not stated |
| Bravacar | 8.1 | 1,206 | Shuttle | €1,400 | €350 | no | 1 h |
| Budget | 8.1 | 1,039 | Terminal | €200 | €2,420 | no | 29 min |
| Cargini | 8.8 | 58 | Meet and greet | €1,800 | €1,800 | no | 1 h |
| Cassiano's Rent A Car | 8.3 | 2,526 | Shuttle | €3,000 | €1,400 | no | 4 h |
| Centauro | 8.2 | 4,152 | Shuttle | €1,400 | €1,400 | no | 12 h |
| Dollar | 8.5 | 1,525 | Terminal | €550 | €1,150 | no | 29 min |
| Drivalia | 8.2 | 3,302 | Shuttle | €100 | €0 | no | 1 h |
| Drive on Holidays | 8.3 | 13,021 | Shuttle | €2,070 | €2,000 | no | 24 h |
| Drive4Move | 7.5 | 1,672 | Shuttle | €1,845 | €1,845 | no | 1 h |
| Driving Madeira Rent A Car | 9.0 | 1,678 | Shuttle | none | €0 | 100% of offers | 1 h |
| Enterprise | 8.9 | 466 | Terminal | €1,000 | €1,970 | no | not stated |
| Europcar | 8.3 | 1,177 | Terminal | €300 | €3,000 | no | 30 min |
| Funchal Drive rent a Car | 7.0 | 2,654 | Shuttle | none | €700 | 50% of offers | 1 h |
| Goldcar | 6.2 | 6,939 | Terminal | €1,400 | €3,000 | no | 6 h |
| Goldcar Zero Excess | 7.8 | – | Terminal | €300 | €0 | no | 6 h |
| Guerin | 8.5 | 3,368 | Terminal | €1,000 | €1,970 | no | 29 min |
| Hertz | 8.1 | 225 | Terminal | €1,100 | €3,000 | no | 29 min |
| InsularCar | 9.3 | 506 | Meet and greet | €1,000 | €1,000 | no | 2 h |
| International Car | 7.1 | 887 | Shuttle | €1,845 | €1,845 | no | 1 h |
| Keddy | 8.2 | 1,992 | Terminal | €800 | €3,000 | no | 30 min |
| Key'n Go | 8.8 | 79 | Rental centre | €300 | €0 | no | 1 h |
| Klass Wagen | 7.5 | 3,445 | Shuttle | €2,400 | €2,400 | no | 1 h |
| Madeira Rent | 8.3 | 2,436 | Terminal | €1,600 | €0 | no | 2 h |
| Magic Islands Rent a Car | 7.7 | 4,150 | Shuttle | none | €1,500 | 100% of offers | 1 h |
| National | 8.3 | – | Terminal | €1,000 | €1,970 | no | not stated |
| OK Mobility | 7.7 | 4,078 | Shuttle | €250 | €0 | no | 1 h |
| Renting Madeira | 9.6 | 358 | Meet and greet | €470 | €700 | 100% of offers | 3 h |
| Rentx Car Rental | 9.0 | 4,044 | Shuttle | €150 | €650 | 100% of offers | 1 h |
| RightCars | 7.2 | 151 | Meet and greet | €1,400 | €1,400 | no | 2 h |
| Rodavante | 9.1 | 1,153 | Terminal | €1,300 | €1,300 | no | 2 h |
| SIXT | 7.9 | 4,196 | Terminal | €500 | €1,000 | no | 1 h |
| Surprice | 6.8 | 3,791 | Shuttle | €1,845 | €1,845 | no | 4 h |
| Tangerine Rent A Car | 8.1 | 1,780 | Shuttle | €150 | €0 | no | 3 h |
| Thrifty | 8.1 | 312 | Terminal | €1,100 | €3,000 | no | 29 min |
| United Rent A Car | 8.2 | 258 | Shuttle | €1,500 | €1,500 | no | 1 h |
| Vanscape | 9.5 | 131 | Meet and greet | none | €1,000 | 50% of offers | 3 h |
| Way2Azores Rent | 7.2 | 2,440 | Shuttle | €3,370 | €2,750 | 43% of offers | 2 h |
| WheeGo | 8.3 | 728 | Terminal | €2,800 | €2,800 | no | 2 h |
| Why Not Car Rental | 8.0 | – | Meet and greet | €2,000 | €2,000 | no | 2 h |
Medians across each company’s offers in our searches, listed alphabetically, not ranked. Ratings as shown by DiscoverCars on 23 October 2026. Data in suppliers.csv.
How we did it
For journalists, researchers and anyone who wants to check our numbers.
On 23 October 2026 we ran 140 searches on DiscoverCars, which lists local and international companies side by side, and recorded every offer returned: 121,061 in total. The core grid is a 7-day rental picked up at Madeira Airport (FNC) at 11am on every Saturday from 31 October 2026 to 30 October 2027, plus 28 December, for a UK resident aged 35. Other searches changed one thing at a time: rental length, driver age, country of residence or airport.
“Typical” is the median of each company’s cheapest offer for that car type, so a company with fifty listings counts the same as one with two. “Small” means the mini and economy classes for manuals and up to compact for automatics. “Full cover” is DiscoverCars’ Full Coverage on the cheapest small manual of the week. Prices are totals in euros, before fuel. We are a DiscoverCars affiliate; the study used its public search, and DiscoverCars did not see or pay for it.
Questions about car hire prices in Madeira
How much does it cost to hire a car in Madeira?
For a week from Madeira Airport, a typical small manual car costs about €108 in November and €304 in August, before cover and fuel. The cheapest offers are about half that. These are medians of 46 companies’ cheapest prices in DiscoverCars searches made on 23 October 2026.
When is the cheapest time to hire a car in Madeira?
November and early December. A typical week cost €114 for pick-up on 12 December 2026, then €238 a week later for Christmas. Prices climb from Easter and stay high from May to the end of September.
How much is full cover on a hire car in Madeira?
DiscoverCars’ Full Coverage cost a median of €12.04 a day on small manual cars. On the cheapest offer of each week it added a median of 71% to the price, and in November it cost more than the car itself.
How much is the deposit for a hire car in Madeira?
The median deposit on small manual cars was €1,000, with a median excess of €1,365. Across all cars, deposits went up to €5,070 and excesses up to €6,500. 72% of offers needed a credit card for the deposit.
Is car hire in Madeira more expensive than in the Canaries?
Yes, in our searches. For a week from 7 August 2027, a typical small manual cost €304 at Madeira Airport against €177 at Gran Canaria and €198 at Tenerife South.
Do young drivers pay more to hire a car in Madeira?
Yes. For a November week, the typical price for a 21-year-old was 58% higher than for a 35-year-old, and 57% higher at 23. From 25 the difference almost disappears.
Ready to book?
Our car hire guide covers the four things that go wrong, which car to pick and the driving rules locals follow.