Málaga lies on the edge of Europe in southern Spain, yet it is very easily accessible, particularly thanks to its major airport.

By air

Given Málaga’s distance from other European countries, flying is the most common way to reach the city. It is home to the only major international airport, Málaga-Costa del Sol AGP, which is served by hundreds of flights a day from literally all over Europe.

The following airlines fly to Málaga most frequently:

• Iberia – operates frequent services to Madrid and, via Madrid, to destinations worldwide
• Ryanair – a large number of direct flights across Europe
• Wizz Air – flies directly from Málaga mainly to destinations in Central and Eastern Europe, including Vienna and Katowice
• Vueling – operates routes mainly to destinations in Spain and Western Europe
• easyJet – operates a large number of flights, mainly to the British Isles, but also to Western Europe

By train

Málaga is connected to the high-speed rail network, which runs via Córdoba to Madrid. The train is the most comfortable and fastest way to reach these cities; however, ticket prices are relatively high, so it is best to book in advance on the Renfe website, renfe.com.

• Madrid – the journey takes around 2 and three-quarters of an hour, and the cheapest one-way tickets start from 45 eur; trains run approximately twice an hour
• Córdoba – the journey takes just under an hour; the cheapest tickets for the high-speed train start at 37 eur, whilst standard trains start at 23 eur, with services running about twice an hour
• Seville – the journey takes 2 hours; the cheapest tickets are available from 47 eur; services run about once an hour

On other routes from Málaga, the railway is not very competitive and travelling by bus will be quicker, more frequent and cheaper.

The main station is called Málaga–María Zambrano and is situated to the west of the historic centre (approx. 1 km).

By bus

You can reach Málaga via very frequent bus services, particularly from coastal areas, but also from places such as Granada orRonda. Always buy your tickets online to get the lowest price and, during the summer season, ideally a few days in advance to secure a seat on your chosen service.

When travelling to or from Málaga, you’ll mainly use two bus companies:

• Alsa.es(mobile app Google Play / App Store) – very frequent services to Granada, Ronda, along the coast to the east (Nerja, Motril, Almería) and on long-distance routes (Madrid, Alicante, Valencia, Barcelona, Seville), where they are the cheapest option, though the journey times to Madrid or Seville, for example, are significantly longer than by train
• Avanzabus – frequent services from Málaga along the coast to the west (Fuengirola, Marbella, Estepona, Algeciras, La Línea)

To search for local bus services in and around Málaga, use the website siu.ctmam.ctan.es.

The main bus station is located right next to the railway station (google.com/maps), whilst local Avanzabus and Alsa services also stop at the harbour – seethe location on the map.