Málaga airport to city centre: train, bus, taxi

Málaga-Costa del Sol airport lies on the coast south-west of the city, on the way to Torremolinos – close enough that you can be in the old town within half an hour. You have three good options: the local train C1, the Airport Express bus or a taxi. The short answer: take the C1 train to Málaga Centro-Alameda if your hotel is in the old town or in Soho; take the Airport Express if you are staying near the Paseo del Parque, the port or the Plaza de la Marina; take a taxi if you are a group or land late.

Málaga airport to the city centre: the options

Times: C1 to Málaga Centro-Alameda according to Aena, the airport operator; taxi as pure driving time to the Alameda Principal based on OpenStreetMap, without traffic. EMT Málaga does not publish a journey time for the Airport Express. Price according to EMT Málaga, as of October 2026.

Cercanías C1: the train into the city

The local train line C1 runs between Málaga Centro-Alameda and Fuengirola and stops at the airport station, which is signposted in the terminal as access to the Renfe local trains. According to Aena, the journey takes:

• about 8 minutes to Málaga María Zambrano, the main station, where the AVE high-speed trains to Madrid, Córdoba and Seville leave;
• about 12 minutes to Málaga Centro-Alameda, the terminus at the edge of the old town and Soho.

Make sure you board the train towards Málaga Centro, not towards Fuengirola. From Centro-Alameda it is a short walk to the Calle Larios and the cathedral. Buy the ticket at the machines in the station before you get on; Renfe publishes the timetable and fares for the Cercanías Málaga.

Airport Express: the bus to the Paseo del Parque

The Airport Express (Línea Express Aeropuerto) of EMT Málaga, the city bus company, runs from the arrivals level to the Paseo del Parque in the centre, with a stop at the bus station next to María Zambrano. According to EMT Málaga it runs every 20 to 25 minutes at peak times.

• Ticket: €4 (October 2026), paid on board in cash or by Visa or Mastercard, or as a QR ticket in the EMT Málaga app. Luggage travels free.
• Good for: hotels near the Paseo del Parque, the Plaza de la Marina, the port and the Malagueta.

The bus is slower than the train in traffic, but it stops closer to the port side of the old town.

Taxi and transfer

Taxis wait at the rank outside arrivals. Without traffic, the drive to the Alameda Principal takes about 13 minutes for 11 km. The taxi runs on the meter; Aena publishes the official fares, which are higher at night, at weekends and on holidays.

A pre-booked transfer is worth it for families with children who need car seats, for groups, and if you are going on to Marbella or another town on the Costa del Sol. Transfers from Málaga airport^* can be booked with Welcome Pickups. Our article on when an airport transfer pays off compares the options for ten airports.

Which option suits whom?

• Hotel in the old town, Soho or near the Alameda: the C1 train to Málaga Centro-Alameda.
• Going on by AVE high-speed train: the C1 to María Zambrano, 8 minutes.
• Hotel near the Paseo del Parque, the port or the Malagueta: the Airport Express.
• Staying in Torremolinos, Benalmádena or Fuengirola: the C1 in the other direction – according to Aena about 18 minutes to Benalmádena and 34 minutes to Fuengirola.
• Family with small children, group, late arrival: a taxi or a pre-booked transfer.

If you come from outside the EU, for example from the UK, set up mobile data before you land so you can check the route straight away – a travel eSIM for Spain^* (Airalo) is usually cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

On the day you leave

The C1 runs from Málaga Centro-Alameda and María Zambrano to the airport; plan with the 12 minutes plus a buffer and check the Renfe timetable for your departure time. The Airport Express leaves from the Paseo del Parque. If you have already checked out and fly in the evening, you can use luggage storage in central Málaga^* (Radical Storage) while you see the Alcazaba or the beach one last time.

How long to stay and what to see is in our article how many days in Málaga.

Málaga trip planDay by day, with map and tips

How YesTrip helps you plan

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