Málaga is the largest city on the Spanish south coast and for many people is the main gateway to the Costa del Sol. With Andalucia’s largest airport, good rail and bus networks, and very accessible roads, arriving to or departing from Málaga is very easy.
Airport
The Pablo Picasso Ruiz Airport lies on the outskirts of Málaga and is well connected to the city and other parts of the Costa del Sol.
From just outside Arrivals, the No.19 bus runs into the city centre (and from the city centre to the airport) every 30 min around the clock (24h) and a single ticket costs 1€. More information.
There is also a fairly regular scheduled bus service Marbella-Airport-Marbella which leaves from just outside the Arrivals building. It costs around 4€ for a sinlge ticket. Click more information for details on this route.
ResortHoppa is a private transfer service which also operates coaches from the Airport to various destinations along the Costa del Sol.
A taxi to the city centre should normally cost around 12€ - 15€
The Airport is also served by a
train on the Málaga-Centro to Fuengirola line along the Costa del Sol. The station is reached by following the "Renfe" signs which will lead to a foot bridge to the train station. You must purchase your ticket from the machine before boarding the train, therefore it would be wise to have some loose change available as ticket machines only accept coins and 5€ notes. Trains arrive and depart every 30 minutes between 05:00 and 00:00. For services toward
Málaga city centre, you need to cross under the track via the subway to the other side and for services onto the Costa del Sol (
Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola) stay on the same side at the ticket machine.
More information.
Alternatively,
bus 19 departs every 30 minutes from just outside the arrivals terminal and goes directly to the
city centre’s
El Paseo del Parque (1,30€ single) and this services runs thoughout the day and night. Try the
Malaga Transport Company website for more bus information.
The Costa del Sol out to the west of Málaga including Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola is also served by the train in the opposite direction (platform nearest to the footbridge exit). Trains depart every 30 minutes and tickets cost up to a maximum of 3,35€ single. Timetable information .
As with all local trains and buses in Málaga, ticket machines and drivers only accept 5€ notes as a maximum so it would be recommended to have some loose and wherever possible, exact change.
There is also a shuttle service between Málaga airport and Marbella on the Costa del Sol which departs from just outside the arrivals terminal and costs 3,85 single. Timetable information.
Obviously all of the above travel can be made in the opposite direction for departures from Málaga airport.Bus & Train Stations
Málaga’s main Renfe train station and its main bus station are situated behind each other just outside the centre of the city. It would take 5 - 10 minutes to walk in to the centre but there are plenty of taxis at both stations and the short trip is not likely to cost more than 3-4€. There is a lot of contruction work going on in this area due the building of a new train station for Málaga’s high-speed link to the AVE.
Port
The port of Málaga is only served by one daily ferry service to Melilla and a summer once weekly service to Tenerife and is easily access from the city centre on foot.
