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Counterwise

FNC · Report · November 2026

Madeira Airport car hire report

Key numbers for the 21 car rental desks we rate at Madeira Airport (Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport) (FNC), computed from our published data.

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
21
5,426 reviews analysed
Average score
5.0/10
median 4.7
Median starting deposit
€100
10 of 21 deposits known
No credit card needed
0%
0 of 21 desks, 9 not confirmed

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 21 car rental desks at Madeira Airport (Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport) (FNC): 2 Great (8 or more out of 10), 2 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 17 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 5.0/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Madeira Airport is RentX (8.4/10); the lowest-rated is Goldcar (2.2/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (10 of 21 desks), the typical starting deposit at Madeira Airport is €100 (median), from €0 at RentX up to €2,100 at Centauro.
  • No desk at Madeira Airport is confirmed to accept a debit card instead of a credit card; the card rule is not confirmed yet for 9 desks.
  • 8 desks at Madeira Airport are in the terminal (average score 4.8) and 13 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 5.1).
  • The most common traveller complaints at Madeira Airport are damage charges after return (18 of 21 desks), car condition problems (16 of 21 desks) and pressure to buy insurance or extras (15 of 21 desks).

Score distribution

How the 21 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 21. GoldcarVery many recent reviews describe strong pressure at the desk to buy the desk's own full cover even when broker or third-party cover was already paid for, with the car or the booking withheld otherwise and totals often double or triple the prepaid price.2.2 · Poor
  2. 20. Magic Islands Rent a CarThe €1,500 security deposit is reported as actually debited from the card rather than held, and refunds frequently run far beyond the promised 14 business days, from several weeks to 3-6 months, even when the return inspection was signed off as damage-free.3.2 · Poor
  3. 19. SurpriceDozens of recent reviews say the credit-card rules applied at the counter (physical card, no debit, card in the main driver's name, no relief or virtual cards) ended with the traveller buying the desk's own cover, often costing 2-3x the rental price, with the car otherwise refused. Several say this was not clear when booking through a broker. The desk's own terms require a credit card.3.2 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€0 (RentX)
Highest amount
€2,100 (Centauro)
Median starting deposit
€100
Deposit known
10 of 21 desks

Not confirmed yet for 11 desks: left out of these figures.

All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
0 of 21 · 0%
Credit card required
12 of 21 · 57%
Not confirmed yet
9 of 21 · 43%

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
8
avg score 4.8
Short walk
0
none
Shuttle
13
avg score 5.1

Desks reached without a shuttle average 4.8/10; shuttle desks average 5.1/10.

In-terminal vs shuttle, compared →

Most common traveller complaints

Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.

  1. Damage charges after return18 of 21 · 86%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Driving Madeira, Hertz, Cassiano's Rent a Car, Europcar, International Car, Centauro, Guerin, OK Mobility, Avis, Sixt, Budget, Drive on Holidays, Drive4Move, Way2Madeira, Funchal Drive, Surprice, Magic Islands Rent a Car, Goldcar.

  2. Car condition problems16 of 21 · 76%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: RentX, Driving Madeira, Hertz, Cassiano's Rent a Car, Europcar, International Car, Centauro, Guerin, Avis, Budget, Drive on Holidays, Drive4Move, Way2Madeira, Funchal Drive, Surprice, Goldcar.

  3. Pressure to buy insurance or extras15 of 21 · 71%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Madeira Rent, Cassiano's Rent a Car, Europcar, International Car, Centauro, Guerin, Avis, Sixt, Budget, Drive on Holidays, Drive4Move, Way2Madeira, Funchal Drive, Surprice, Goldcar.

  4. Fuel charges or fuel policy14 of 21 · 67%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Hertz, Cassiano's Rent a Car, Europcar, International Car, Centauro, OK Mobility, Avis, Sixt, Budget, Drive on Holidays, Way2Madeira, Surprice, Magic Islands Rent a Car, Goldcar.

  5. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules13 of 21 · 62%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Madeira Rent, Hertz, Cassiano's Rent a Car, Europcar, International Car, OK Mobility, Sixt, Drive on Holidays, Drive4Move, Way2Madeira, Funchal Drive, Surprice, Goldcar.

  6. Booking not honoured or price changed12 of 21 · 57%

    Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: RentX, Madeira Rent, Europcar, International Car, Centauro, Guerin, OK Mobility, Drive on Holidays, Drive4Move, Funchal Drive, Surprice, Magic Islands Rent a Car.

  7. Long queues or waits11 of 21 · 52%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Driving Madeira, Hertz, Cassiano's Rent a Car, Centauro, Sixt, Budget, Drive on Holidays, Drive4Move, Way2Madeira, Funchal Drive, Surprice.

  8. Hard-to-reach customer service10 of 21 · 48%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: International Car, Centauro, Guerin, Avis, Sixt, Budget, Way2Madeira, Funchal Drive, Surprice, Magic Islands Rent a Car.

  9. Closed desk or late-arrival problems9 of 21 · 43%

    Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: Madeira Rent, Hertz, Europcar, OK Mobility, Drive on Holidays, Drive4Move, Funchal Drive, Surprice, Magic Islands Rent a Car.

  10. Other fees after the rental9 of 21 · 43%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Hertz, Cassiano's Rent a Car, Guerin, Avis, Sixt, Budget, Drive on Holidays, Magic Islands Rent a Car, Goldcar.

  11. Deposit or refund held back5 of 21 · 24%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Hertz, Centauro, Guerin, OK Mobility, Magic Islands Rent a Car.

The data behind this report

  • 5,426 traveller reviews analysed across 21 desks.
  • 5,893 recent reviews read; 467 (8%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 429; duplicates: 17; about another location: 11). How reviews are cleaned
  • Data collected on 13 November 2026; scores last updated 13 November 2026.
  • Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 14 November 2026.
  • Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
  • Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology

How to cite this report

You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.

Suggested citation

Counterwise (2026). Madeira Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/fnc/report (data updated 13 November 2026).

Permalink

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