Hertz renters with status can walk to cars in T1 in under 5 minutes.
The Hertz desk sits landside in Terminal T1 at Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, a short walk from the main arrivals hall and baggage belts 1–7. You pick up keys at the counter, then follow signs to the multi‑level car park directly opposite the terminal, usually a 2–4 minute walk under cover.
Hours typically run from early morning to late evening, roughly 07:00–23:00, matching the bulk of FNC arrivals. If you have a late inbound after 23:00 or an arrival delayed past midnight, call the local Hertz number on your confirmation to confirm service or arrange out‑of‑hours pickup, which can carry a fee of around €30–€50.
Rates for compact cars often land in the €30–€60 per day range outside peak August dates, with full‑size and SUV categories pushing into €80–€140 per day. Madeira’s roads are steep, so many renters pay the extra €10–€20 per day for automatic transmission rather than taking the cheaper manual options.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards members can often skip the full counter interaction and head straight to the car park once their name shows on the board, shaving 10–15 minutes off the process on busy days. Points earned on a week‑long FNC rental can easily clear 1,000+ Gold Plus Rewards points, depending on rate code and status tier.
The on‑airport location means you exit directly onto VR1 within about 10 minutes of landing, which puts you roughly 20–25 minutes from Funchal city center and 35–45 minutes from many rural guesthouses on the north coast. Filling up before return is straightforward: there is a fuel station on the road toward Santa Cruz about 2–3 km from T1, and another just off VR1 heading into Funchal.
Extra charges add up fast: GPS units usually run €8–€12 per day, child seats around €10 per day, and cross‑border trips to mainland Portugal are not allowed from FNC since you are on an island. Inspect the car carefully for wheel and bumper scrapes under the harsh garage lighting and note anything on the form before you drive to the exit booth.
Plan your return timing around traffic and refueling: aim to be back at the Hertz car park at least 2 hours before a Schengen departure or 2.5 hours before a non‑Schengen flight from T1, which leaves 20–30 minutes for the walk from the garage, the desk check‑in, and any security lines.