HOW TO GET from Madrid to Malaga

The plane from Madrid to Malaga takes between 1h and 1h 30m. The airlines Iberia and AirEurope run a total of about 6 direct flights everyday. Depending on how far in advance you plan your trip, you can pay as little as 30€ for a ticket.

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MADRID'S AIRPORT

Madrid’s airport is called Barajas Adolfo Suárez (MAD) and is located 15 km north-east of the city center. There are several public transport options to get to/from the city center:

• The public bus line 203, also known as “Express Airport,” connects the Atocha train station with the airport. It runs 24 hours per day, 365 day per year. There is one bus every 15-20 minutes during the day and the trip takes 30 to 40 minutes. One ticket costs 5€. At the airport, it stops at terminals T1, T2 and T4.
• The public bus line 200 connects the Avenida de América bus station with the airport. It runs every 10-20 minutes, from 5am til 11:30pm. At the airport, it stops at terminals T1, T2 and T4.
• The metro line 8 links the city center with the airport, stopping at all terminals.
• The suburban train line C1 runs between Príncipe Pío station and the airport’s terminal T4. There is one train every half hour. AVE ticket holders can travel from the train station to the airport for free.

For up-to-date information on Madrid’s public transport: www.crtm.es

Another option to get to the city center is to take a taxi which has a fixed cost of 30€ (surcharges might apply – night, holidays, etc.).

The trip between the airport and the city center using public transport can take between 40 to 60 minutes. By car or taxi, it would be 25 to 30 minutes.

MALAGA'S AIRPORT

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.

Train is a great option to travel between Madrid and Malaga since the high speed train (AVE) connects both cities in 2h 30m. From approximately 7:30 am until 8:30 pm, there is approximately one high speed train per hour.

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The ticket prices vary largely (from 40€ to over 80€) depending on whether you buy the ticket in advance and are flexible with the departure times.

MADRID'S TRAIN STATION

Although there are several train stations in Madrid, the main one (and the one where the trains from/to Malaga start/end is Puerta de Atocha). Puerta de Atocha is located south east of the city center.

The metro line 1, the suburban train as well as several city bus lines stop at this station. Also, the public bus line 203, known as “Express Airport,” connects the Atocha train station with the airport.

For up-to-date information on Madrid’s public transport: www.crtm.es

• Address: Glorieta Emperador Carlos V, 28045 Madrid
• Telephone: (+34) 912 43 23 43

MALAGA'S TRAIN STATION

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

• Address: Calle Héroes de Sostoa 2, 29002 Málaga
• Telephone: (+34) 902 432 343

The car trip from Madrid to Malaga takes 5 h 30 min (530 km = 330 miles). There is mainly one straight route following the A-4 highway south of Madrid.

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This route takes you through the region of Castilla la Mancha before entering Andalusia via the province of Jaen. About one hour after leaving Madrid, you can stop to visit the beautiful city of Toledo, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Once in Andalusia, about 90 min before reaching Malaga, another great stop is Granada and its impressive Alhambra Palace, which is also a UNESCO world heritage site.

  PARKING IN MALAGA

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The company Interbus runs buses between Madrid and Malaga. There are about 9 daily buses with the trip taking between 6 h and 7 h 15 min.

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Although all of the buses start/end in Madrid’s Estación Sur, one of them also stops at Madrid’s airport. You can expect to pay between 15 and 17 € for a ticket.

While there are better options to get to Malaga from Madrid, if you are traveling on a really tight budget, this might be a good alternative for you.

MADRID'S BUS STATION

In Madrid, the buses to Malaga leave from the Estación de Méndez Álvaro, commonly known as Estación Sur, which is located south east of the city center, close to the Atocha train station. The metro line 6, the suburban train as well as several city bus lines stop at this station.

If you are traveling from Madrid’s airport to this bus station, the easiest is to take the metro line 8 and change to line 6 at the Nuevos Ministerios stop. It will take about 50 minutes.

For up-to-date information on Madrid’s public transport: www.crtm.es

• Address: Calle de Méndez Álvaro 83, 28045 Madrid
• Telephone: (+34) 914 68 42 00

MALAGA'S BUS STATION

Malaga’s bus station is located right next to the train station.

• Address: Paseo de los Tilos s/n, 29006 Málaga
• Telephone: (+34) 952 35 00 61
• Website: estabus.malaga.eu