The companies Vueling (Iberia) and Ryanair offer around 6 daily direct flights between Malaga and Barcelona. The flight takes around 1 h 35 min. If you book well in advance, Ryanair tickets start at an incredible 14€.
Barcelona’s airport is called El Prat de Llobregat (BCN) and it is located 18 km south-west of the city center. To get from the airport to the city, you have several options:
Malaga’s airport (AGP) is located 10 km south-west of the city center. To get from the airport to the city, check out our page How to get from Malaga’s airport to the city center.
You can get from Barcelona to Malaga by train in 6 h. There are two direct high speed trains per day as well as another 6 - 8 daily train options (transferring in either Madrid or Cordoba).
Expect to pay between 45 and 150 €, depending on whether you buy the ticket in advance and are flexible with the departure times.
Barcelona Sants station is the main train station in the city. It is located about 5 km (3.1 miles) west of the center. The metro lines L3 and L5 link the station with the rest of the city, while several metropolitan bus lines also stop at the station. To get to the airport from the Sants station, there is a direct RENFE train which takes about 20 minutes.
For up-to-date information on Barcelona’s public transport system: www.tmb.cat
Malaga’s main train station is called Estación de María Zambrano and is located south-west of the city center. To give you an idea, it is a 20-min walk to the cathedral. Several city bus lines connect the station with the center.
For up-to-date information on the local city buses: www.emtmalaga.es
Barcelona and Malaga are separated by 1,000 km (620 miles). By car, the trip takes between 9 h 30 min and 10 h. Unless you want to make some stops on the way, there is no reason to drive. If you decide to do so, there is one main route using a combination of the AP-7 and A-4 highways.
This journey will take you out of Barcelona in the south direction, along the Mediterranean coast, all the way down to Valencia. There are many coastal towns and cities that would make a great stop: Sitges, Tarragona, Peñíscola or Valencia, just to mention a few.
From Valencia, the road continues across Spain’s interior (Castilla la Mancha). Once in Andalusia, about 90 min before reaching Malaga, another great stop is Granada and its impressive Alhambra Palace, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.
To find the best deals on rental cars, we recommend Discover Cars, which searches through the web for the best prices.
The company ALSA runs 4 daily buses from Barcelona to Malaga. The trip takes between 15 and 17 hours (making 7 to 19 stops on the way). Ticket prices vary largely. Usually, you can get a ticket for 38 €. However, it can cost up to 102 €.
There is no reason for traveling between Barcelona and Malaga by bus since it is the slowest option. Also, you can get a plane ticket with Ryanair for pretty much as cheap or even cheaper than the bus.
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