Málaga Airport to Costa del Sol: Transfers, Trains & Prices

Quick answers

• Which airport serves the Costa del Sol? Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport (AGP). There is no Marbella airport, no Torremolinos airport, no Benalmádena airport. Everything on this coast flies into AGP.
• Cheapest way to the coast: the C-1 Cercanías train — €1.80 to Torremolinos or Benalmádena, €2.70 to Fuengirola.
• The train goes one way only. Málaga → Fuengirola, and that’s it. Marbella, Puerto Banús, Estepona and Nerja have no rail connection at all.
• To Marbella: Avanza coach from about €8, 45–60 minutes. Or a transfer at roughly €50–75.
• To Málaga city: 12 minutes on the train, or 15–25 minutes on the Express Line A bus for about €4.
• The airport is 8 km from Málaga and 5 km from Torremolinos — genuinely close, which is most of why this coast works for a short family trip.

Prices correct at the time of writing, September 2026. Fares and timetables change — check Renfe or your operator before travelling.

Which airport do you fly into for the Costa del Sol?

Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport, code AGP. One airport for the whole coastline.

This catches people out constantly, because every resort is marketed under its own name. Search for a Marbella airport and you’ll end up looking at Gibraltar, 80-odd km away with a fraction of the flights, or at a private airfield. If you’re going to Marbella, Puerto Banús, Estepona, Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Torremolinos, Mijas or Nerja, you’re flying into Málaga.

AGP is Spain’s fourth-busiest airport, the main international gateway to the Costa del Sol, and it sits 8 km from Málaga city centre and 5 km from Torremolinos. Marbella is about 45 minutes away.

In practice that means two things: excellent flight choice from all over Europe, and a very full arrivals hall between June and September.

Arriving: how the terminals work

There are three terminals — T1, T2 and T3 — and the signage still refers to all three, which confuses people. They’re physically connected and operate as one building. You can walk between T2 and T3 without a shuttle. T2 and T3 are the ones in regular use.

What you actually need on arrival:

• All commercial flights arrive into T3, Level 0 (ground floor), whichever pier your plane parked at.
• Departures leave from Level 1.
• Non-Schengen flights — UK included — board from Pier B in T2. Schengen flights go from Pier D in T3. Pier C handles EU non-Schengen.
• Everything for onward travel is in one place: the transport hub immediately outside the arrivals hall, with the train station, bus stops, taxi rank and car hire desks.

The terminal itself is modern and easy to move through, with clear signage. There are restaurants and cafés, duty-free, a VIP lounge, and several car rental companies on site.

GOption 1: The C-1 train — cheapest, and the right answer for four towns

The Cercanías C-1 runs from a station immediately beside Terminal 3, signposted from arrivals.

Destination	Fare	Journey time
María Zambrano (Málaga main station)	€1.80	~8 min
Málaga Centro-Alameda	€1.80	~12 min
Torremolinos	€1.80	~5 min
Benalmádena (Arroyo de la Miel)	€1.80	~15 min
Fuengirola (end of the line)	€2.70	~34 min

Add €0.50 once for the rechargeable card. First trains run from around 05:30, last ones near midnight, with frequent departures through the day.

The one thing to understand about the C-1: it only goes one direction. North-east to Málaga, south-west to Fuengirola, and then it stops. Marbella, Puerto Banús, Estepona, Mijas Pueblo and Nerja have no train. If your hotel is in one of those, skip to the coach or transfer sections.

With kids, this is the easiest arrival on the coast. Level access from the airport station, luggage space, and a journey short enough that nobody has time to unravel. Five minutes to Torremolinos, fifteen to Benalmádena — you can be checking in before a toddler has properly registered that they’re in a new country. It’s also why we keep recommending those two towns for families over anywhere west of Fuengirola.

Option 2: Express Line A bus into Málaga city

If you’re heading into the city rather than a resort:

• Fare: around €4
• Journey time: 15–25 minutes
• Frequency: every 20–30 minutes on weekdays, 25–45 at weekends
• Hours: roughly 07:00 to midnight
• Stops: Paseo del Parque, Alameda Principal, the bus station and María Zambrano

Honestly, for Málaga city the train is faster and less than half the price. The bus earns its place only if your accommodation sits closer to Paseo del Parque than to Centro-Alameda, or if you’ve landed after the last train.

Option 3: Avanza coaches — the only affordable route to Marbella

Avanza runs intercity coaches from the airport to Torremolinos, Benalmádena Costa, Fuengirola, Marbella, San Pedro, Estepona, La Línea and Algeciras.

For Marbella:

• Fare: from around €8
• Journey time: 45–60 minutes
• Frequency: every 20–60 minutes
• Hours: roughly 08:00 to 23:00
• Most services run direct via the toll road

This is the only affordable public transport west of Fuengirola. Which leads to the mistake I see most often: booking a cheap flight that lands at 23:40 into a hotel in Estepona, and discovering at the carousel that the coaches have finished for the night. If you’re landing late and staying west of Fuengirola, book a transfer before you fly.

Option 4: Taxi and private transfer — what it costs

Indicative private transfer prices for a standard car carrying up to four people:

Destination	Transfer (approx.)	Journey time
Málaga city centre	€40	~15 min
Torremolinos	€40	~15 min
Benalmádena	€42	~20 min
Fuengirola	€50	~30 min
Marbella	€50–75	45–55 min
Puerto Banús	€82	~55 min
Nerja	€85	45–55 min
Estepona	€95	70–80 min

Two things worth being clear about:

1. The metered taxi rank outside arrivals and a pre-booked private transfer are different services at different prices. The figures above are typical fixed private-transfer quotes; the rank runs on a meter. Compare before you book.
2. If you’re travelling with small children, pre-book. Spanish law requires proper child restraints, and a taxi taken from the rank won’t reliably have them. A private transfer will if you ask at the time of booking. This is the single most common thing families get caught out by at AGP.

Taxis and buses both pick up directly outside the arrivals terminal, and private transfers are the option I’d recommend for Marbella, Estepona or Puerto Banús specifically — there’s no train, and the coach timetable won’t always match your flight.

Option 5: Do you need a hire car?

Yes, if you’re staying in Mijas Pueblo, Frigiliana, a villa outside a town, or you want to do the white villages, Ronda or the Caminito del Rey. It’s also the answer if you’re planning to combine Nerja and Frigiliana in one day — we did that trip by bus and taxi and spent a good part of it waiting around.

No, if you’re staying in Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola or Málaga city for a beach week. The train links all four, the towns are walkable, and parking in August is both expensive and scarce. You’d be paying to leave a car standing still.

Several car rental companies have desks on site at the airport.

Getting to each resort: the summary

Resort	Distance	Train?	Best option	Rough cost	Time
Málaga city	8 km	Yes	C-1 train	€1.80	12 min
Torremolinos	5 km	Yes	C-1 train	€1.80	5 min
Benalmádena	~12 km	Yes (Arroyo de la Miel)	C-1 train	€1.80	15 min
Fuengirola	~25 km	Yes (terminus)	C-1 train	€2.70	34 min
Mijas Pueblo	~30 km	No	Car or taxi	—	~35 min
Marbella	~45 km	No	Avanza coach	~€8	45–60 min
Puerto Banús	~55 km	No	Private transfer	~€82	~55 min
Estepona	~85 km	No	Coach or transfer	~€95 by car	70–80 min
Nerja	~50 km	No	Car or transfer	~€85	45–55 min

Nerja is also reachable by public bus — services run every 30 minutes from Málaga, and it’s 50 km. Worth knowing if you’re doing it as a day trip rather than a base.

Still choosing where to stay? Where to Stay on the Costa del Sol: Best Areas Compared

Going through Málaga airport with kids

The good news first: AGP is one of the easier big airports to move through with children. It’s stroller-friendly throughout, and there are baby changing stations across the terminal rather than one hidden facility you have to hunt for. The layout is modern and well signposted, so you’re not pushing a buggy in circles looking for a gate.

The thing to plan around is security. The queues get genuinely busy at peak times, and with children you want a buffer rather than a tight connection — arrive earlier than you would travelling alone, particularly in July and August, and particularly on a non-Schengen departure where passport control adds a second queue.

Practical order of operations that works for us:

1. Get through security first, eat afterwards. The airside food choice is better and you’re not watching the queue grow while you wait for a sandwich.
2. Keep the pushchair until the gate if your airline allows it — the walk to the far Schengen gates is long.
3. On arrival, go straight to the train if you’re staying between Málaga and Fuengirola. The station is next to T3 and it is far less stressful than a taxi queue with tired children.

Five mistakes people make flying into Málaga

1. Booking Marbella and assuming the train goes there. It doesn’t. The line ends at Fuengirola, and it catches people out every summer.
2. Landing after 23:00 west of Fuengirola with nothing booked. The coaches have stopped. You’re paying full taxi fare at midnight with the kids asleep on a suitcase.
3. Hiring a car for a beach week in Torremolinos. You’ll spend the week paying for parking.
4. Not requesting child seats when booking a transfer. They aren’t automatic, and the rank won’t rescue you.
5. Buying a one-way ticket to a day-trip destination. We did exactly this going to the Nerja Caves and then waited two hours for a bus back. Book the return, or drive.

Read next:

• Where to Stay on the Costa del Sol: Best Areas Compared
• Costa del Sol with Kids: Where to Stay and What to Do
• Occidental Torremolinos Playa Review
• Occidental Puerto Banús Review
• Our Day Trip to Nerja with Kids

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting from Málaga Airport to the Costa del Sol

Which airport do you fly into for the Costa del Sol?

Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport (AGP) serves the entire coastline. There is no separate Marbella, Torremolinos or Benalmádena airport. AGP is Spain’s fourth-busiest airport, sits 8 km from Málaga city centre and 5 km from Torremolinos, and is around 45 minutes from Marbella.

How do I get from Málaga airport to Marbella?

There is no train to Marbella — the C-1 Cercanías line terminates at Fuengirola. The cheapest option is the Avanza coach, from around €8, taking 45 to 60 minutes and running roughly every 20 to 60 minutes between 08:00 and 23:00. A taxi or private transfer costs approximately €50–75 and takes 45 to 55 minutes.

How much is the train from Málaga airport?

The C-1 Cercanías train costs €1.80 to Málaga Centro-Alameda, Torremolinos or Benalmádena (Arroyo de la Miel), and €2.70 to Fuengirola, plus a one-off €0.50 for the rechargeable card. Journey times are around 12 minutes to Málaga city, 5 to Torremolinos, 15 to Benalmádena and 34 to Fuengirola.

Which Costa del Sol resorts can you reach by train from the airport?

Four: Málaga city, Torremolinos, Benalmádena (Arroyo de la Miel) and Fuengirola. The C-1 line runs in one direction only and terminates at Fuengirola, so Marbella, Puerto Banús, Estepona, Mijas Pueblo and Nerja all need a coach, taxi, transfer or hire car.

How many terminals does Málaga airport have?

Three — T1, T2 and T3 — though they are physically connected and work as a single building, so you can walk between them without a shuttle. T2 and T3 are the terminals in regular use; all commercial flights arrive into T3 on Level 0, and departures leave from Level 1.

Do I need a hire car on the Costa del Sol?

Not if you are staying in Málaga, Torremolinos, Benalmádena or Fuengirola, which are all on the C-1 train line and walkable once you arrive — parking in these towns in summer is expensive and scarce. You do want a car for Mijas Pueblo, Frigiliana, villa stays, and day trips to Ronda or the Caminito del Rey.

Is Málaga airport good for travelling with children?

Yes. The terminal is stroller-friendly with baby changing stations throughout, and the modern layout and clear signage make it straightforward to navigate with a pushchair. The one thing to plan for is security, which gets busy at peak times — arrive earlier than you would travelling alone, especially in July and August and on non-Schengen departures.

Do taxis at Málaga airport have child seats?

Metered taxis taken from the rank will not reliably carry them, even though Spanish law requires appropriate child restraints. Pre-booked private transfers will supply child seats if you request them at the time of booking, which is why we recommend booking ahead when travelling with small children.