Getting to Malaga city centre from the airport
The airport transfer is always the worst part of any trip, isn’t it? Luckily there is no shortage of options to get you from the Costa del Sol’s international airport to Malaga city centre.
Train
The Renfe Cercanías is the cheapest and quickest way to get between the airport and the city (from 1.80€ one way, 12 minutes). This service is often overlooked upon arrival at the airport as it isn’t very well signposted.
At the airport, the station is not far from the exit out of arrivals. Keep walking straight ahead as you come out and once you reach the bus stop, cross the road and it is located in the building behind.
This stop is served by the Cercanías train (C1 line) which runs between Málaga Centro Alameda and Fuengirola.
In Malaga, the two most central stations are the aforementioned Centro Alameda and Málaga María Zambrano.
Málaga María Zambrano is the stop for connections to long-distance trains (to Seville, Madrid, Cordoba etc.) and the bus station, but this is a 20 to 30-minute walk from the historical centre. The stop called Málaga Centro Alameda will drop you closer to the centre, on the Alameda Principal, close to Calle Larios.
Trains on this line run roughly every 20 minutes. You can find the timetable here.
Taxi
Of course the easiest option is to take a taxi.
In Malaga these are very strictly regulated and details of tariffs are displayed in the back window of every taxi.
The fares are metred and generally cost between 20 and 25 euros to the city centre.
On a good day without traffic, this should take no more than 20 minutes.
Bus
The Línea Exprés Aeropuerto bus, operated by EMT, leaves from the bus stop directly outside arrivals.
The bus takes considerably longer (up to 45 minutes) to reach the centre, stopping frequently in several of the ‘barrios’ but does also stop at the main train (María Zambrano) and bus station before going into the centre.
The main stops for this bus are on the Paseo del Parque and at the bottom of Calle Larios on Alameda Principal.
Tickets cost four euros one way and you can purchase them on board in cash or using cash or card from the machine inside the terminal.
This bus runs once every 20-45 minutes. You can find the timetable here.
Daryl moved to Malaga permanently in 2014 having first fallen in love with the city on his Erasmus year. After working for many years at local expat newspaper SUR in English, Daryl gained expert knowledge in life from the perspective of foreign residents and decided to co-found Malaga Guru in 2016.