Málaga Airport is situated just 10 km from the city centre and has excellent connections by train, bus and taxi.

For me, choosing a mode of transport is quite simple:

• To Málaga, Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola ➡️ by C1 train
• To Marbella, Estepona or the Gibraltar border ➡️ direct Avanza bus
• To Ronda ➡️ the C1 train to Málaga city centre + a long-distance coach; see the article ‘How to get to Ronda’ for full details
• At night or if you have a lot of luggage ➡️ taxi, Uber or Bolt
• Rent a car mainly for travelling around Andalusia and smaller holiday resorts

Where are you going?	What I’d choose	Journey time	Price
Malaga city centre	Train C1	12 minutes	1,80 eur
Torremolinos	Train C1	10 minutes	1,80 eur
Benalmádena	Train C1	18 minutes	2,05 eur
Fuengirola	Train C1	34 minutes	2,70 eur
Marbella	Direct bus	45 minutes	from 6,33 eur
Estepona	Direct bus	1 hour 15 minutes	from 10 eur
La Línea / Gibraltar	Direct bus	1 hour 55 minutes	from 15,65 eur
Málaga city centre at night	Taxi, Uber or Bolt	15–20 minutes	usually 25–30 eur

Book a cheap hotel in the centre of Málaga

Where can you find trains, buses and taxis?

All forms of transport depart from the arrivals area of Terminal T3.

• Train C1 – the stop is opposite the terminal; follow the signs for ‘ Train / Cercanías ’; the station is located underground
  • approx. 150 metres
• Bus A – stop in front of the T3 arrivals hall
  • right by the exit (20 metres)
• Long-distance buses – bus stop in front of the T3 arrivals hall
  • right by the exit, slightly to the right (30 metres)
• Taxis – official taxi rank directly in front of the terminal
  • right next to the exit on the right (70 metres)
• Uber / Bolt – car park behind the bus stop (150 metres)

Train C1

The C1 train is the fastest and cheapest way to travel from Málaga Airport.

The station is situated directly opposite the T3 arrivals hall. The route is well signposted and takes just a few minutes from the terminal exit.

Trains run in two directions:

• Málaga Centro-Alameda – Málaga city centre
• Fuengirola – Torremolinos, Benalmádena and other resorts to the west of the airport
• Hotel tip near Centro-Alameda station:Hotel Guadalmedina ****

So please check the train’s direction before boarding.

Trains run every 20 minutes for most of the day; for the first and last services, the interval increases to 30 minutes.

• Last train from the airport to Málaga city centre – 00:54
• Last train from the airport to Fuengirola – 23:42
• First train from Málaga Centro to the airport – 05:20
• First train from Fuengirola to the airport – 06:10

Tickets and contactless card payment

The easiest way is to pay directly using your own contactless payment card or mobile phone:

1. Hold your card against the turnstile when entering
2. Tap the same card again when exiting
3. The correct fare will be deducted automatically based on the zones travelled through

If you do not tap your card when exiting, the fare for all zones may be deducted.

From the fifth journey made within the same calendar month , a 40 per cent discount will automatically apply when using the same bank card . You won’t therefore benefit from this on a standard journey to and from the airport, but it may come in handy during a longer stay.

You can also buy a standard paper ticket from a ticket machine at the station, but you’ll have to pay a €1 fee for the ticket and you’ll also have to queue for quite a long time.

• C1 train timetables
• Prices and types of tickets
• Map of lines and fare zones

Where can you travel to by direct train?

• Málaga-Centro Alameda – the terminus closest to Málaga’s historic centre; the journey takes 12 minutes and costs 1,80 eur / 0,62 eur s kartou Consorcio Málaga
• Málaga-María Zambrano – long-distance train station and coach station; the journey takes 8 minutes and costs 1,80 eur / 0,62 eur s kartou Consorcio Málaga
• Torremolinos – the journey takes 10 minutes and costs 1,80 eur / 0,62 eur s kartou Consorcio Málaga
• Benalmádena – the journey takes 18 minutes and costs 2,05 eur / 0,95 eur s kartou Consorcio Málaga
• Fuengirola – the journey takes 34 minutes and costs 2,70 eur / 1,55 eur s kartou Consorcio Málaga

You can only access Consorcio discounted fares with a physical ‘ Consorcio Málaga ’ card. Simply downloading the mobile app is not enough, and its ‘ Virtual Wallet ’ function does not work on C1 trains.

Unfortunately, you cannot currently buy a Málaga Consorcio card anywhere at the airport.

For most travellers, therefore, the most sensible option is simply to tap their own bank card on the turnstiles.

A Express bus – from the airport to the centre of Málaga

I would choose the A bus over the train mainly if you live near one of its stops and wouldn’t have to walk from the train station or change transport.

The route stops, for example, at:

• María Zambrano bus and train station
• Alameda Principal
• Paseo del Parque

The terminus Paseo del Parque is situated right in the centre, near the harbour, the historic centre and Malagueta Beach.

The journey from the airport takes 20–30 minutes, depending on traffic, and a ticket costs 4 eur. Luggage is carried free of charge.

• Last bus from the airport to the city centre – 1.15 am
• First bus from the city centre to the airport – 6.45 am

You can pay by:

• By contactless Visa or Mastercard with the driver
• In cash
• With a QR ticket purchased via the EMT Málaga app

Buses run every 20–25 minutes during peak times. The reduced fare with the Consorcio Málaga card does not apply on Line A.

You can find current departures, stops and the timetable on the EMT Málaga website.

Taxis, Uber and Bolt

Taxis, Uber or Bolt are a good option when travelling in a group, with large pieces of luggage or at night.

Taxis

You’ll find the official taxi rank just outside the arrivals hall on the right. Taxis use a meter and do not have a fixed fare to the city centre.

The journey to the centre of Málaga takes about 15–20 minutes and usually costs 25 eur to 30 eur. Fares are higher at night, at weekends and on public holidays.

You can find the current rates on the airport’s official website.

Uber and Bolt

Both the Uber and Bolt apps are available at Málaga Airport. The price is displayed before you book and , depending on current demand , may be lower or higher than a standard taxi.

Cars do not pick up passengers at a traditional taxi rank:

Follow the ‘ VTC / Ride Hailing ’ signs and, most importantly, the instructions within the app itself.

The pick-up points are located in outdoor car parks about 70 metres from the bus stops.

Transport at night and in the early morning

Neither the C1 trains nor the A bus run continuously throughout the night.

If you arrive after midnight or depart very early in the morning, the safest option is:

• Official taxi
• Uber / Bolt
• A pre-booked transfer, for example via Booking.com

If you’re flying early in the morning, you might also want to consider staying overnight near the airport. There are no hotels right next to the terminal, but there are several in the wider area.

• Compare hotels near Málaga Airport

Car hire

I wouldn’t hire a car just to travel around the centre of Málaga or between the resorts along the C1 train route. In towns and cities, you’ll have to deal with parking, and the car could end up costing you a lot of money for no reason during most of your stay.

On the other hand, for travelling around the Andalusian countryside, the white villages, the mountains or smaller resorts , hiring a car is the best option.

There are dozens of international and local car hire companies based at the airport. Prices vary significantly depending on the date, season, insurance and the amount of the deposit, so I’d book a car in advance and, above all, compare the final price of the entire booking.

During the winter, weekly hire rates are often lower than 100 eur, whilst in the peak season you should expect to pay around 200 eur for a 7-day hire.

The taxi rank is in the basement of the arrivals hall.

Direct buses to Marbella, Estepona, Gibraltar and Granada

The C1 train terminates in Fuengirola and does not continue on to Marbella or Estepona.

To travel to the western part of the Costa del Sol, use the direct buses operated by Avanza. They all depart from the bus stop in front of the T3 arrivals hall.

• Marbella – 45 minutes, from 6,33 eur
• San Pedro de Alcántara – 55 minutes, from 7,49 eur
• Estepona – 1 hour 15 minutes, from 10 eur
• La Línea de la Concepción – 1 hour 55 minutes, from 15,65 eur
• Algeciras – 1 hour 55 minutes away 17,28 eur

La Línea is the best bus stop for travelling to Gibraltar. You can walk from the bus station to the border crossing.

Timetables vary depending on the season and the specific day. I would therefore recommend buying your ticket in advance via the official Avanza website, particularly when travelling during the summer.

Buses arrive at the main bus station, not directly at individual hotels. You may therefore need to take a local bus or a taxi to reach your specific accommodation.

• Compare hotels and apartments on the Costa del Sol

Alsa’s long-distance buses also stop in front of the terminal; detailed timetables and the option to buy tickets can be found on the company’s website.

You canuse Alsabuses from the airport to travel to Granada or Seville, for example, with several services running daily to these destinations.