Public Transport Costa Del Sol

Learning how to use the public transport in Spain can be confusing. If you don’t speak Spanish, you may not find what you are looking for. Here is all the public transport Costa Del Sol information to help you.

Local Malaga Train: “Renfe Cercanias Malaga”

The local train here is fantastic, called “Cercanias”. Malaga Cercanias stops at Malaga Airport, which is convenient for holidaymakers and local residents travelling home. One branch of the local Cercanias train runs along the Costa del Sol between Malaga and Fuengirola. There is also another branch that runs inland, from Malaga to Alora. All stations are wheelchair friendly, except for Torremolinos which doesn’t have any access other than escalators or steps at the moment. Find out more about trains, fares and times here.

Long-distance Trains Malaga: AVE

Renfe also operates the fantastic AVE for long-distance journeys. We have personally travelled via AVE from Malaga to Madrid and it was a fast, comfortable journey. Book well in advance for the best prices, otherwise it can be quite expensive. Trains are generally clean and efficient. It’s a fabulous way of travelling. Maria Zambrano is the name of the station in Malaga, which is the main hub for all long-distnace train other destinations like Cordoba, Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao. Find out more on the Renfe website.

Malaga Metro

There are 2 Lines on the Malaga Metro, both lines connect to the station El Perchal which is the station you should go to for the main RENFE Malaga Station Maria Zambrano or Malaga Bus station.  This is also home to the VIALIA Shopping Centre. There are a lot of roadworks going on in and around Malaga City as they are extending the Malaga Metro now. Find out more about the Malaga Metro here.

Malaga Buses

There are numerous bus companies that run all along the Costa Del Sol as well as nationally and internationally. Read our complete guide to Malaga buses here.

  • Avanza and Avanza Portillo: These are the buses direct from Malaga Airport to Marbella, Estepona and Algeciras. They also run direct from bus station to bus station along the Coast and Inland. The website can be a little tricky to navigate sometimes.
  • ALSA is a subsidiary of National Express and offers medium-distance and long-distance routes to and from Malaga Airport, as well as regional, national and international routes.
  • CTMAM covers the whole of the Malaga province and runs all along the Costa Del Sol and inland with numerous stops along the way.
  • Autobuses Urbanos are local and neighbouring area buses. See more about these below.

Local Area Buses / Autobuses Urbanos

These are local buses that stay within towns and suburban areas. If you are travelling outside of your area, have a look at CTMAM website or Avanza on the links above as well.

Public Transport Tips Malaga

  • Sign up to bus company newsletters to get discounts.
  • Download any apps available, this will make ticketing easier.
  • ‘Bonotren’ buy 10 train tickets and use between you and your family.
  • Book long-distance train tickets as soon as possible, the closer you get to the time, the more expensive they get.
  • There are lots of discounts available for groups, children and large families.
  • If you are going to use public transport frequently, look at travel cards and “bonos” (multiple journey tickets).

If you have any questions about Travel, you can come and chat with us in our Facebook group The Costa Del Sol Travel Forum or follow us on our Malaga Airport Facebook Page.

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