Tips for Getting from Malaga Airport to Marbella

If you’re wondering how to get from Malaga Airport to Marbella then don’t fret – all the answers are here!

Malaga Airport for Marbella

Malaga is the nearest airport of any size to Marbella. It’s only about 52 kilometres (say roughly 32 miles) away from the resort and that means the airport is busy in peak season with arrivals from all over the world.

Of course, before you can travel onwards, you’ve got to get to Malaga first.

The good news here is that the airport is served by a vast number of airlines from the UK, including both budget and scheduled services. Don’t forget also that some holiday companies have spare seats on their charter flights that they sometimes sell as ‘flight only’ and the prices can be very attractive.

Jerez, Grenada and Gibraltar are all also potential airport destinations where transfers to Marbella are possible, though the distances and therefore transfer times are longer. Once again, all three are widely served by a variety of airlines from the UK.

When you’re travelling from Malaga Airport to Marbella, you’ll be heading to Spain’s largest city that doesn’t actually have a railway connection! If fact, the nearest large mainline railway station to Marbella is Malaga itself.

You could, if you wish, take a train from Malaga centre to Fuengirola and then get a bus or taxi from there to Marbella. However, it’s a slightly ‘fiddly’ transfer and for many people arriving in Malaga by air or other means, a rail transfer to Marbella isn’t really an attractive option and they’ll look for door-to-door airport transfers instead.

Trains to Malaga

If flying isn’t your scene, the good news is that you can get a train to Malaga from the UK.

Typically that’s Eurostar or Elipsos then AVE but it will involve changing, usually, in Paris then Madrid or Barcelona. It’s not a fast journey but it is relaxing.

Once you’re in Malaga, you can get a direct transfer shuttle connection to Marbella in just the same fashion as transfers from Malaga Airport to Marbella.

Coaches to Malaga

You can take a coach from parts of the UK to Malaga through National Coaches and Euro Coach plus others.

The service details tend to vary regularly, so you’ll need to look them up as they’ll apply to your chosen travel dates. Transit times can be anywhere between 24-36 hours, so it can be tiring.

Arrival will be in the central coach station of Malaga, from where you can pick up a shuttle transfer for Marbella.

Shuttle Services

You can pre-book a transfer service by road door-to-door. As stated above, this can be from Malaga centre or the airport.

Prices will vary depending upon how many of you are travelling and whether the transfer is within normal working hours or in the middle of the night.

Generally the prices will be reasonable and typically more cost-effective than a taxi, particularly given that if you have a dedicated vehicle then you won’t need to wait.

Please keep in mind though that Malaga Airport and the Train/Bus Stations can be very busy in July through to September and it’s always a sensible idea to book in advance when looking for a shuttle transfer from central Malaga or Malaga Airport to Marbella.