Direct flight about 3 h 28
Madeira from Birmingham
From Birmingham, a nonstop flight gets you in Madeira in about 3 h 28. You land at Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC), 14 miles from the destination, after 1,557 miles of flight. You can also fly nonstop to PXO (about 3 h 25).
In Madeira, the best time for a trip is June to October, with daytime highs up to 23 °C and the sea up to 24 °C.
7 days in Madeira in August, Beach and hiking, from Birmingham on your own
Plan a trip- Flight time from Birmingham
- about 3 h 28
- Flight distance BHX to FNC
- 1,557 miles
- Nonstop from BHX to 2 airports
- Direct flight
- Best time to go
- June to October
Flight times estimated from the distance, nonstop routes according to OpenTravelData.
Choosing a flight from Birmingham for Madeira
Start by comparing the flight choices displayed for your chosen dates. The page shows live partner prices, so your decision is based on the actual options available at that moment. Look at the departure and arrival arrangements, your return schedule and the practical details that shape the journey from Birmingham Airport to Madeira.
MadeiraiPhoto: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
BirminghamiPhoto: BlueandWhiteStripes · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsA useful choice balances the flight schedule with the rest of the island holiday. An earlier departure can create useful sightseeing time on arrival, while a later flight may suit a slower morning at home. Add your dates to the HolidayWow plan to bring the flight, airport journey, first stay and onward transfers into the same day-by-day view.
Keep a clear link between each booking and the trip it belongs to. HolidayWow stores tickets, confirmations and documents in a document vault, which gives you one place to check before departure. The same approach works for connections from Birmingham Airport, where a final confirmation may cover more than one flight.
MadeiraiPhoto: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsBirminghamiPhoto: BlueandWhiteStripes · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMadeira seasons for a Birmingham holiday
Madeira has a mild mountain climate, and the best season depends on the combination of warmth, sea conditions and rainfall you prefer. Summer brings the highest daytime and sea temperatures, while spring offers comfortable sightseeing weather. Autumn can feel mild by UK standards, though Atlantic showers remain part of island life throughout the year.
Warm coastal walks and swimming become especially inviting from June through September. Visitors who enjoy quieter seasonal scenery may prefer spring, when sunshine hours increase as the island moves towards summer. Winter remains useful for garden visits, cafés, short walks and whale watching, with waterproof layers ready for upland paths.
Enter your preferred month before making a firm choice. HolidayWow adds monthly climate information to the plan, including temperature patterns, sunshine, sea temperature and rain data. This gives Birmingham travellers a long-term view of the island without treating climate figures as a forecast for the exact day you will visit.
Choosing where to stay across the island
Funchal makes a practical first base, with its waterfront, central streets, shops and easy access to the airport. It works well for travellers who want to explore Madeira from one hotel. Câmara de Lobos offers a more residential coastal setting and is convenient for gardens, sea views and eastern island routes.
PortoiPhoto: Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
FunchaliPhoto: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsA longer visit can benefit from two bases. Stay near Funchal for part of the holiday, then move towards Porto Santo for a quieter island experience. This creates space for a proper beach holiday while keeping Madeira’s mountain roads, levada walks and western sights within reach during the main part of the trip.
Use the holiday planner to place each stay beside the days it supports. Live accommodation prices appear in the plan, and you can compare choices before booking. Keeping the base change in one itinerary helps with packing, transfers and shared decisions, particularly when several people are travelling from Birmingham.
PortoiPhoto: Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsFunchaliPhoto: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMadeira from Birmingham
Madeira lies {{dist.home:BHX}} from Birmingham in a straight line. London Heathrow lies {{dist.home:LHR}} away. London Gatwick lies {{dist.home:LGW}} away. From Birmingham, the months that pay off most are June, July, August and September.
LondoniPhoto: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ManchesteriPhoto: mattbuck (category) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsManchester lies {{dist.home:MAN}} away. From London Stansted it is {{dist.home:STN}}. The plan adds the ride to the airport, the flight with live fares from our partners, and the transfer to your first stay.
LondoniPhoto: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsManchesteriPhoto: mattbuck (category) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsAirports at the destination
From Birmingham you fly nonstop to 2 airports nearby. Closest to the destination is Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, at 14 miles.
- FNCCristiano Ronaldo International Airport14 miles to the destination, about 3 h 28 from BHX, 1,557 miles of flightDirect
- PXOPorto Santo Airport44 miles to the destination, about 3 h 25 from BHX, 1,524 miles of flightDirect
Best time to travel in Madeira
In Madeira, the best time for a trip is June to October, with daytime highs up to 23 °C and the sea up to 24 °C. The sea reaches 24 °C in September.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day °C | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 19 |
| Night °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 18 |
| Sea °C | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 20 |
| Sun h/day | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| Rain days | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
The best months for Madeira
Daytime highs range from 17 °C in February to 23 °C in August. July is the driest with 0 rain days and December the wettest with 9. May brings the most sun, around 10 hours daily.
Swimming season runs through August, September and October; the water tops out at 24 °C in September. Comfortable sightseeing weather, with highs between the low twenties and about thirty degrees, comes in June, July, August, September, October and November.
- January: 18 °C, sea 19 °C, 6 rain days, 5 h of sun
- February: 17 °C, sea 18 °C, 7 rain days, 6 h of sun
- March: 17 °C, sea 18 °C, 7 rain days, 8 h of sun
- April: 18 °C, sea 18 °C, 5 rain days, 9 h of sun
- May: 19 °C, sea 19 °C, 3 rain days, 10 h of sun
- June: 21 °C, sea 21 °C, 2 rain days, 10 h of sun
- July: 22 °C, sea 22 °C, 0 rain days, 10 h of sun
- August: 23 °C, sea 23 °C, 1 rain day, 10 h of sun
- September: 23 °C, sea 24 °C, 4 rain days, 9 h of sun
- October: 23 °C, sea 23 °C, 8 rain days, 7 h of sun
- November: 21 °C, sea 21 °C, 8 rain days, 6 h of sun
- December: 19 °C, sea 20 °C, 9 rain days, 5 h of sun
Demand for Madeira through the year
Monthly search volumes put the peak for Madeira in January and the low point in December.
A day in Madeira in June
Begin with a long walk while the light is soft. Around midday it reaches 21 °C, ideal for the outdoor highlight of the day. By night it is 19 °C: a terrace dinner works.
What to pack for Madeira
For August, plan for changeable mild weather: 23 °C in the day, 22 °C after dark, 1 days of rain. The packing list in your plan adjusts itself to the month and the days you pick.
- Comfortable walking shoes
- A warm layer for the evenings
- Swimwear and a beach towel
- A travel adapter for your chargers
Weather in Madeira month by month
- January18 °C
19 °C - February17 °C18 °C
- March17 °C18 °C
- April18 °C18 °C
- May19 °C19 °C
- June21 °C21 °C
- July22 °C22 °C
- August23 °C23 °C
- September23 °C24 °C
- October23 °C23 °C
- November21 °C21 °C
- December19 °C20 °C
Nonstop flights in Madeira from other airports
Besides Birmingham, nonstop flights in Madeira leave from 6 other airports; the closest to Birmingham is Manchester, with a flight time of about 3 h 29.
- BHXMadeira from Birminghamabout 3 h 28 to FNC, nonstop
- MANMadeira from Manchesterabout 3 h 29 to PXO, nonstop
- LTNMadeira from London Lutonabout 3 h 29 to FNC, nonstop
- BRSMadeira from Bristolabout 3 h 19 to FNC, nonstop
- LGWMadeira from London Gatwickabout 3 h 21 to PXO, nonstop
- EDIMadeira from Edinburghabout 3 h 47 to FNC, nonstop
- GLAMadeira from Glasgowabout 3 h 45 to FNC, nonstop
Flight times estimated from the distance, nonstop routes according to OpenTravelData.
Live prices for Madeira
The cards below pull today's partner prices for Madeira in your currency, so the number you see is the one you pay.
A seven day Madeira itinerary from Birmingham
Begin in Funchal and take a gentle first day after arrival. Explore the old town, waterfront and local market area, then adjust the pace according to your journey from Birmingham. HolidayWow can place the arrival transfer and accommodation on the map, giving each day a clear beginning and end.
Use the next days for the island’s varied landscapes. A mountain viewpoint can be paired with a scenic drive, while a levada walk provides a different perspective on Madeira’s slopes. Leave room around walks for changing weather, especially when the route enters higher terrain. Pico do Arieiro and the west coast are strong choices for a full day of exploration.
Include Câmara de Lobos, a garden visit and time in Ponta do Sol or the coastal villages along the west. Keep one day lighter for the pool, cafés and a spontaneous walk. A three day version works well for Funchal, Câmara de Lobos and one major mountain or coastal excursion, while the full week allows a slower island rhythm.
Planning the road, walks and island days
Madeira rewards a flexible approach to transport. A car makes mountain viewpoints, coastal villages and longer-distance gardens easier to reach, while staying in Funchal also supports convenient bus travel and local excursions. Decide which days need the car and which days are better spent close to your hotel.
Plan walks according to the pace of your group. The relaxed setting keeps each day to one or two main stops, balanced pace allows two or three, and the packed setting suits travellers who want a full programme. You can change the pace by day and move a stop when the forecast, energy levels or hotel location suggest a better order.
HolidayWow draws the route on a map and places each stop as a pin. Its plan checker reorders the day after an edit, so moving a viewpoint, garden or beach changes the sequence. This is especially useful for a Birmingham family holiday, where a shared map makes the next transfer and the current objective clear to everyone.
Madeira from Birmingham: frequently asked questions
How far is Madeira from Birmingham Airport?
The distance gives you a sense of the journey involved, while live flight details confirm the available schedules and connections. Add the departure to your HolidayWow plan alongside the airport transfer, flight and first stay.
What is the best time to fly from Birmingham to Madeira?
The best month depends on whether you prioritise warm swimming, long walks or a quieter seasonal atmosphere. Summer suits beach days and higher sea temperatures, while spring brings a fresh approach to outdoor sightseeing. Compare Madeira’s monthly climate pattern before choosing your dates.
Should a first visit to Madeira use one hotel?
One hotel in or near Funchal is a straightforward choice for a shorter visit. It keeps transfers simple and places the airport, waterfront and major excursions within easy reach. For a longer island holiday, adding a second base near Porto Santo creates a contrast between mountain scenery and a relaxed coastal stay.
Can I plan flights and accommodation in one holiday?
Yes. Describe your trip in one sentence or use voice input, then add dates and preferences. HolidayWow builds a map first plan and shows live prices from relevant partners for flights, stays, transport, tours and activities, with booking links available within the trip.
Can I change Madeira plans after I start?
Yes. Drag a stop to another day, swap a place or lighten the programme. The plan checker reorders the day after each change, while the pace can vary across the holiday. This makes the itinerary responsive to weather, group energy and the amount of time available after your flight from Birmingham.
More nonstop destinations from Birmingham
Plan your trip in Madeira from Birmingham
Describe your trip in one sentence. When, who with and what matters to you.
