Malaga Airport is 8 km southwest of the city centre and is the gateway to the whole Costa del Sol. Many visitors are heading straight to Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola or Marbella, rather than Malaga itself. There are direct flights here from Copenhagen, Billund, Aalborg and Aarhus.
Airport trains run every 20 minutes in both directions and cost less than €3. You can pay by tapping your bank card at the ticket barrier. Here I compare the options, with fares, journey times and my recommendations.
Contents
1. The train (Cercanías C1) to Malaga and the Costa del Sol
The train is the option I would recommend for most people. Line C1 runs between Málaga Centro-Alameda and Fuengirola, with the airport roughly halfway along the route, serving both the city and the main holiday towns. Aeropuerto station is opposite the arrivals hall in Terminal 3, a walk of 2 to 5 minutes.
Check the platform display before boarding. Trains towards Málaga Centro-Alameda go into the city, while trains towards Fuengirola head along the coast.
Journey times
- Málaga María Zambrano: 8 minutes. Change here for high-speed trains, long-distance buses and the metro at El Perchel.
- Málaga Centro-Alameda: 12 minutes. This is the terminus and the station to use for a hotel in or near the Old Town.
- Torremolinos: around 10 minutes.
- Benalmádena (Arroyo de la Miel): 18 minutes.
- Fuengirola: 34 minutes.
These are the journey times given on the airport’s train information page.
Fares and tickets
A single ticket costs around €1.80 to central Malaga or Torremolinos, around €2.05 to Benalmádena and around €2.70 to Fuengirola. The fare depends on how many zones you cross.
Contactless payment is the easiest option. Tap your Visa, Mastercard or phone at the barrier when entering and again when leaving. You are charged the price of a single ticket. Renfe explains the system on its page about contactless payment in Malaga.
Use the same card at both ends, and each person needs their own card. For a paper ticket, use the machines or ticket office at the station. The ticket must be used within two hours. The conditions are on the Renfe website.
Departures and operating hours
Trains run every 20 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes late in the evening. Towards Fuengirola, the first train is at around 05:30 and the last at around 23:40. Towards Malaga city centre, the first is at around 06:45 and the last shortly before 01:00.
There are no overnight trains. You can find the full timetable on the Malaga transport authority website.
2. The A Express airport bus to central Malaga
The A Express city bus runs from the airport to Paseo del Parque in the city centre. Stops along the way include the bus station beside María Zambrano and Alameda Principal.
A ticket costs €4, payable on the bus by Visa, Mastercard or cash. Luggage is free. The stop is outside the arrivals hall on level 0. Details are on the airport’s bus information page.
The journey takes 20 to 35 minutes depending on traffic. Buses run roughly every 20 to 30 minutes, from around 07:00 until midnight.
The bus is both slower and more expensive than the train. I would choose it only for a hotel near one of its stops, or for the eastern end of the city centre around Paseo del Parque.
3. Buses to Marbella and Estepona
There is no train to Marbella, so the bus is the obvious choice. Avanza runs direct from the airport to Marbella in around 45 minutes. Several services continue to Estepona, around 1 hour and 15 minutes from the airport.
Tickets to Marbella start at €6.48, rising to €9.30 for express services. Tickets to Estepona start at €10.24. There are around 40 departures a day, from approximately 08:45 to 22:00.
The bus stops just outside the Terminal 3 arrivals hall. Buy tickets online or at the Avanza ticket office at the airport, open daily from 07:45 to 23:00. Timetables and fares are on the Avanza website.
ALSA also runs from the airport to destinations including Nerja, Granada and Seville. Services are listed on ALSA’s airport page. For a trip to Andalusia’s capital, I have written a guide to where to stay in Seville.
4. Taxis
Taxis wait outside arrivals on level 0 and use the meter. Journeys from the airport have a minimum fare, depending on the time:
- Weekdays from 06:00 to 22:00: at least €18.24.
- Weekday nights and daytime at weekends and on public holidays: at least €22.48.
- Nights at weekends and on public holidays: at least €25.80.
There is also a €0.58 charge per suitcase. A journey to central Malaga usually costs €20 to €27 and takes 20 to 25 minutes. Official fares are published by Malaga City Council.
Journeys outside the city cost more. Allow around €17 to €25 to Torremolinos, €22 to €25 to Benalmádena, €36 to €42 to Fuengirola and €70 to €100 to Marbella, with the higher prices applying at night and at weekends.
5. Uber, Bolt and Cabify
Uber, Bolt and Cabify all operate from the airport. They cannot collect passengers at the taxi rank, so you need to walk to a designated meeting point. According to the airport, Uber collects from Parking preferente at Terminal 3 and Bolt from Parking llegadas, both on level 0.
Follow the VTC signs from arrivals and allow a walk of 3 to 5 minutes with luggage. Meeting points are listed on the airport’s VTC information page.
The app shows the price before you book. Fares rise in peak season and late at night, so compare them with the taxi minimum fare before deciding.
6. Private transfers
To have a driver waiting in arrivals, you can book a private transfer from Malaga Airport here. Prices start at around €23 per person.
This makes most sense for families with lots of luggage or for a late-night arrival when the trains are not running.
Which option should you choose?
Here is what I recommend for the most common situations:
Heading to central Malaga: Take the train to Málaga Centro-Alameda. It takes 12 minutes and costs around €1.80.
Heading to Torremolinos, Benalmádena or Fuengirola: Take a train towards Fuengirola. The journey takes 10 to 34 minutes and costs less than €3.
Heading to Marbella or Estepona: Take the direct Avanza bus from the airport.
Landing at night: Take a taxi or Uber. There are no trains between approximately 01:00 and 05:30.
Travelling as a group of three or four: A taxi to central Malaga works out at €5 to €9 per person and takes you to the door.
Practical tips for Malaga airport transport
Everything is at Terminal 3. Trains, buses, taxis and the Uber and Bolt meeting points are all near the Terminal 3 arrivals hall on level 0.
Remember to tap out. When paying contactless for the train, tap your card at the barrier at both the start and end of your journey.
The metro does not serve the airport. For the metro, change at María Zambrano, beside El Perchel metro station.
Choose your hotel with the connection in mind. Staying in central Malaga can put you at your hotel around a quarter of an hour after boarding the train. You can see hotels in Malaga city centre here. For a beach stay with a nearby train connection, you can see hotels in Torremolinos here.
For help deciding on a location, I have written a guide to where to stay in Malaga.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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