Aerobus Funchal — Madeira Airport Bus (Route 500 / 500R)
Route 500 runs from Madeira Airport to Praia Formosa, with departures from 08:30 to 22:00. Return services leave Praia Formosa from 07:00 to 21:00. Departure gaps vary by day and time; check the official timetable. Fare: €6,70 adult, €3,30 child on board (cash only), or €5,55 / €2,75 with a pre-purchased GIRO ticket.
TimetableAt a glance
- First bus
- 08:30 · Madeira Airport07:00 · Praia Formosa
- Last bus
- 22:00 · Madeira Airport21:00 · Praia Formosa
- Fare (full route)
- €6,70 on board€5,55 pre-purchased
- Journey time
- 50 min
- Stops
- 25
- Operator
- CAM — Companhia de Autocarros da Madeira
Official 2026 tariff (Portaria n.º 128/2026).
Heading back later? The last bus leaves at 22:00 (Madeira Airport) · 21:00 (Praia Formosa). Double-check the timetable in the Madeira Bus app before you head out: App Store · Google Play
Bus Schedule
Before you rely on a timetable
Madeira’s bus times and stop information can be difficult to interpret and may change. Keeping this guide current is ongoing work, and errors are possible. Always check the latest SIGA timetable and confirm the departure and boarding place with local staff or the driver before relying on a journey — especially for the last bus or a tight connection.
Aerobus: the practical answers
Where the Aerobus leaves from at the airport
The Airport → Funchal service starts at stop 01, "Aeroporto", outside the terminal building. SIGA's sheet names the stop but does not publish a terminal plan, so follow the airport's bus signs from the arrivals hall. SIGA's route poster lists free on-board Wi-Fi.
Read the arrival guide, including a hotel-by-hotel stop finder →
Tickets and fares
- On board: €6,70 per adult and €3,30 per child, paid to the driver in cash only — SIGA does not accept bank cards on the bus.
- Pre-purchased: €5,55 per adult and €2,75 per child as an Aerobus ticket loaded on a GIRO card. GIRO cards are not sold at the airport, so this price only helps on the way back or if you already hold a card.
- Where to buy GIRO cards and tickets in Funchal: verified SIGA sales points.
- The 2026 tariff also lists a pre-purchased return ticket at €9,00, marked as available on a date still to be announced. Do not plan around it until SIGA confirms it is on sale.
Official tariff: Portaria n.º 128/2026, in force since 1 April 2026. All 2026 fares and passes →
How long to your hotel zone
Estimated minutes after leaving the airport, as printed on the SIGA route poster. On the return leg the same poster prints a range after the Praia Formosa departure — add it to the timetable time to know when the bus passes your stop.
| Stop | From the airport | Return: after Praia Formosa |
|---|---|---|
| 04 Mercado — Old Town (Zona Velha) | 22 min | 20–30 min |
| 06 Avenida do Mar — city centre and marina | 24 min | 15–30 min |
| 11 Avenida do Infante — Savoy Palace, Royal Savoy and Pestana Carlton | 33 min | 10–20 min |
| 15 Lido — main hotel zone | 38 min | 10–15 min |
| 19 Fórum Madeira — western Estrada Monumental and Ajuda | 42 min | 5–10 min |
| 21 Centromar — shopping centre | 44 min | 3–10 min |
| 26 Praia Formosa — terminus | 50 min | — |
Find your hotel’s stop (A–Z list of 113 hotels) →
Return journey to the airport (route 500R)
The return service starts at stop 26, Praia Formosa, and calls at the same numbered stops in reverse order, through the hotel zone and city centre to the airport. Timetable times are the Praia Formosa departures, so allow the extra minutes in the table above for your stop, and leave a generous margin before your flight.
Last departure from Praia Formosa: 21:00 every day. Last departure from the airport: 22:00.
Weekends and public holidays
Saturdays and Sundays run the same first and last buses but drop a few mid-day departures; the timetable above lists each day type separately. There is no Aerobus service on 25 December.
Save this timetable offline in the app
Save the Aerobus timetable offline
No airport Wi-Fi? No problem. The Madeira Bus app stores the published 500 + 500R timetable, operating stops, and scheduled return departures — all offline.
Tourist Highlights
Official SIGA stop numbers are shown. Stop 05 is disabled, so the operational sequence continues from 04 to 06. Arrival estimates between published timing points are not shown.
Route Stops (25)
Quick answers
Where does bus 500 go?
Route 500 runs between Madeira Airport and Praia Formosa.
How much does bus 500 cost?
The Aerobus costs €6,70 paid on board, or €5,55 with a pre-purchased GIRO ticket (official 2026 tariff). SIGA says tickets bought from the driver are cash only; these tickets cannot be bought with a bank card. GIRO card & fares guide
When is the first and last bus 500?
First departures: 08:30 from Madeira Airport, 07:00 from Praia Formosa. Last departures: 22:00 from Madeira Airport, 21:00 from Praia Formosa. Departure gaps vary by day and time — check the official timetable before you travel.
Where can I check the official bus 500 timetable?
SIGA, the regional transport authority, publishes the official timetable — use the timetable links on this page. The Madeira Bus app also stores full timetables offline.
Plan the rest of your trip
Get the offline Aerobus timetable
The Madeira Bus app has the published 500 + 500R timetable offline — works at the airport even when Wi-Fi is patchy. Operating stops, scheduled departures, and the 500R return for your trip back.