Malaga Airport
Luckily, there is only one airport in Malaga, it is about 15 minutes from the centre and is well connected. Apart from being the fourth airport in Spain with the highest passenger traffic, from our own experience, we can assure you that it is a very efficient airport where the queues are usually not very long and usually go very fast.
How to get from Malaga airport to the city centre?
Here we bring you the options that we think are the best to go from Malaga airport to the city centre.
How to get from Malaga airport to the city centre by bus:
If you want to go by bus to the centre of Malaga, the best option is to take line A airport express. Once you leave Malaga airport, you should go to the ground floor, at arrivals, in front of the transport interchange.
The price of the ticket is 3€ per person and journey and there is a place to leave your luggage. Our recommendation is to carry the money loose or in a small ticket to avoid not being allowed to ride.
The bus takes about 15 minutes to get to the centre and runs every 30 minutes, although in the central hours of the day, it runs every 20 or 25 minutes. The first service from the airport starts at 06:30h and the last one is at 00:45h, although there is also another bus at 02:00h and 05:05h in the morning. If you wish to consult the timetables in detail click here.
Once leaving the airport, the bus makes several stops around the centre, to central points such as the Huelin market, the train station, the bus station, Avenida Andalucia, Alameda principal and Paseo del Parque in that order.
How to get from Malaga airport to the city centre by train
Whenever possible, I use this means of transport, as it is the most comfortable, quickest and cheapest. The train station is located in the airport itself, under the terminal T3 and is accessed via the transport interchange.
You can buy a one way ticket or a return ticket, I personally recommend to buy only the one way ticket if you are not sure if you will use the train on the way back as the price is the same.
- The price of one way is 1.80€.
- The round trip price is 3.60€.
Check which part of the city you need to go to before you take the train, as it only has two stops in the city centre, although both are quite central. The first stop is the María Zambrano train station (the same one the AVE leaves from) and the journey time is only 8 minutes.
The other stop is Malaga centre – Alameda and takes 11 minutes.
The first train of the day from the airport leaves at 06:10 am and the last train leaves at 00:20 am. During the beginning and end of the day, the train runs every 30 minutes, but during peak hours, it runs every 20 minutes .
The schedule may also be subject to change on weekends or holidays, so to be sure, I recommend that you check the exact timetable.
How to get from Malaga airport to the city centre by taxi
As you can imagine, this is the most expensive but at the same time the most comfortable means of transport. Luckily, Malaga airport is only 10 kilometers away from the city, so taxis are not as expensive as in other European cities.
During the day it is cheaper, as the taxi costs about 20€ and you will get to the centre of Malaga in about 20 minutes, although at night it can go up to 30€.
How to get by Uber or Cabify from Malaga airport to the city centre
Another possibility is to use the increasingly popular uber or cabify, which have a lower price. During the day the price will range between €11 and €14 and at night it can be around €20.
If you want to use one of these options, you must have downloaded the app on your mobile and have entered a valid payment method and you will be charged directly to the card. It is important to know that unlike taxis, the price of uber or cabify increases when demand is high, so if you see an exorbitant price, better take a taxi.
How to get from Malaga airport to the Costa del Sol
If you are not going to Malaga capital from the airport, don’t worry, we also give you the best tips so you can get to the different points of the Costa del Sol.
Local train to the Costa del Sol
The instructions to take the train to the Costa del Sol, are the same as we put in point 1.2 of the article. The price is also the same, 1.80€ one way and 3.60€ round trip and the timetable is also the same. The difference is the duration, and although it is not very far, the travel times are:
- To Torremolinos… 10 minutes.
- To Benalmádena… 20 minutes.
- To Fuengirola… 33 minutes.
Taxi to Costa del Sol
If you prefer to take a taxi or when you arrive at the airport the local train is no longer operational, the price rises quite a lot, but we leave the rates to resolve any doubts.
During the day, the official price on the Malaga taxi website is:
- To Torremolinos… 22€.
- To Benalmádena… 25€.
- To Fuengirola… 33€.
As we mentioned before, if it is at night the price will be higher or if you prefer to travel with Uber or Cabify, the price will probably be lower.
We hope you have found our advice useful