5-day trips work fine in Car Park 5 at FNC
Car Park 5 at Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC) handles both short and long stays, so you can leave the car for a few hours or for a full week without moving it. It serves Terminal T1, the airport’s only terminal, so there’s no risk of ending up at the wrong side of the field.
This is an official airport car park, not an off-site lot, which keeps walking time to T1 under about 10–15 minutes for most drivers. Being on airport property means you skip shuttle timetables and just walk straight to check-in for TAP, easyJet, Ryanair and the rest operating from Madeira’s single terminal.
Car Park 5 is set up as a mixed-use lot: you grab a ticket on entry for short stays or pre-book online for multi-day trips. Pricing is lower than the closest premium short-stay areas by T1 doors, but higher than remote, off-airport fields, which makes sense if you care more about proximity than shaving every last euro.
Lighting and basic security patrols run through the night, matching the airport’s early-morning and late-night arrivals and departures. That helps if you’re landing on an 02:00 arrival into FNC and still need to drive back across the island in the dark.
There’s no shade and no covered parking in Car Park 5, so expect a hot cabin if your car sits there for a full seven-day summer stay. Madeira sun plus a rental with black interior is a rough combo; crack windows slightly if your car allows it and keep valuables out of sight before you lock up.
Practical tip: if you have big checked bags or kids, drop everyone and the luggage at the T1 departures curb first, then loop back and park in Car Park 5 so only the driver walks from the lot.