Málaga to Marbella by bus, taxi or car, from the city or airport

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The short answer: fastest, cheapest, easiest

Málaga to Marbella takes about 45 minutes by direct Avanza bus from Málaga airport, or 45 minutes to an hour from Málaga bus station in the city. There is no train to Marbella, so we think the bus is the simplest public transport.

• From Málaga airport: the Avanza direct bus from outside Terminal 3 to Marbella bus station, about 45 minutes, from €6.48, roughly 25–30 a day
• From Málaga city: Avanza buses from Málaga bus station (next to María Zambrano), 45 minutes to 1 hour, about €8–10. Many are the same buses, calling at the airport on the way
• Easiest with luggage or a family: we’d choose a taxi (roughly €75–100, metered) or a private transfer to your door, about 45 minutes
• By car: about 50–60 km. The AP-7 toll road takes about 45 minutes and costs €5.70 for a car (€9.25 from June to September); the free A-7 is slower and often jammed in summer

Comparison table

By bus from Málaga airport

This is how most people get from the airport to Marbella, and it is the cheapest direct option.

1. The Avanza stop is outside the arrivals hall of Terminal 3. Follow the bus signs.
2. Take a bus marked Marbella (several routes continue to Estepona, La Línea or Algeciras). The ordinary fare is €6.48; the Exprés and Multimedia buses cost €8.70–9.30.
3. Buy your ticket online from Avanza, on Omio or at the stop. In summer, buses fill up: we’d book ahead and leave at least an hour between landing and departure.
4. The bus takes about 40–50 minutes and ends at Marbella bus station (Estación de Autobuses, Avenida del Trapiche), on the hill north of the town, about 2 km from the old town.

There are roughly 25–30 buses a day, most often from mid-morning to late evening. Luggage goes in the hold. If you land late, check the last departure before you fly: after it, you need a taxi.

From the bus station to your hotel: Marbella’s town buses (about €1.35) run from the bus station to the centre, or take a taxi from the rank outside, usually a short, cheap ride.

By bus from Málaga city

1. Go to Málaga bus station (Paseo de los Tilos), next to María Zambrano train station. From the old town it is a 15–20 minute walk, or take the C1 train to María Zambrano.
2. Take an Avanza bus to Marbella. Direct buses go straight down the motorway in about 45 minutes; the airport buses call at the airport and take about an hour; the stopping services along the coast take longer. Fares run from €7.81 to €9.80.
3. Buses arrive at Marbella bus station, as above.

Compare times on Málaga to Marbella by bus. For the city itself, see the Málaga guide.

Is there a train to Marbella?

No. Marbella has no railway station. The Cercanías C1 from Málaga ends at Fuengirola, about 30 km short of Marbella.

We think the train-and-bus combination is worth it only if you are already on the C1, or staying in the Marbella town centre:

1. Take the C1 to Fuengirola, the last stop: about 34 minutes from the airport (€2.70) or about 45 minutes from Málaga Centro-Alameda.
2. From Fuengirola bus station, take Avanza’s M-060 to Marbella, about 35–45 minutes and about €2.43. Unlike the long-distance buses, it stops in the town centre (Ricardo Soriano, near the old town) before the bus station. The slower M-220 stops more often.

Taxi from Málaga airport

The taxi rank is outside arrivals at Terminal 3. Airport taxis are metered: a trip to Marbella usually comes to roughly €75–100 by day on weekdays, and more at night, at weekends and on holidays, plus small supplements for luggage. Puerto Banús costs a little more. Ask before you set off if you want to pay by card.

In the other direction, take a Marbella taxi from your hotel or a rank. Ask the price before you leave; the fare is also metered.

Private transfers and ride-hailing

A private transfer has a fixed price (from about €70 per car to Marbella, more for a minivan), a driver waiting in arrivals with your name, and child seats on request. We think it is the easiest choice for families, late flights and hotels on the Golden Mile or in the hills, where buses don’t go. Book a private transfer from Málaga airport. (We earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.)

Uber, Bolt and Cabify work at Málaga airport, with pick-ups in the car park area, and in Marbella. Prices change with demand: they can undercut a taxi at quiet times and cost more on busy summer evenings. See Málaga airport transfers.

By car: A-7 or AP-7

From the airport, follow the signs west towards Algeciras / Cádiz. After Fuengirola you choose between two roads:

• AP-7 (toll): the faster motorway, inland from Fuengirola. Allow about 45 minutes from the airport to Marbella. In 2026, a car pays €5.70 from Málaga to Marbella (the Calahonda toll), or €9.25 in high season (June to September and the Easter fortnight). Card and cash are accepted at the toll booths.
• A-7 (free): the old coastal motorway through Fuengirola, Mijas Costa and Elviria. It takes about 1 hour in light traffic, and much longer at peak times in summer.

Hire the car at the airport: see car hire at Málaga airport or compare prices on DiscoverCars. In Marbella, use the underground car parks near the seafront; the old town is pedestrian.

To Puerto Banús and San Pedro de Alcántara

Puerto Banús and San Pedro de Alcántara are part of Marbella, but 6–10 km west of the centre, so check where your hotel really is.

• By bus: most airport buses end at Marbella bus station. From there, take a town bus or a taxi to Puerto Banús (about 6 km). A few Avanza services stop in Puerto Banús and San Pedro themselves, including some from the airport to San Pedro (€7.68), so check the stop list when you book.
• By taxi or transfer: about 45–50 minutes from the airport, a little more than to Marbella.
• By car: stay on the AP-7 past Marbella, or follow the A-7 west from Marbella. The toll from Málaga to San Pedro is €7.90 (€12.85 in high season).

Going further west? See our guide to Estepona, about 20 minutes beyond San Pedro.

Summer traffic

In July and August, the coast road is slow. Expect queues on the A-7 around Fuengirola, Marbella, Puerto Banús and San Pedro, especially on Friday and Sunday evenings and at the start and end of the month, when holiday lets change over. The Málaga ring road near the airport also backs up. If you have a flight to catch, allow at least 1 h 30 from Marbella by bus or car, and we’d take the AP-7: the toll is often worth it in summer.

Both directions

Marbella to Málaga works the same way in reverse:

• Marbella to Málaga airport: Avanza buses from Marbella bus station, about 45 minutes, from early morning to late evening. Book ahead in summer and leave a generous margin before your flight.
• Marbella to Málaga city: the same buses continue to Málaga bus station, next to María Zambrano, or take a direct bus.
• By car: AP-7 or A-7 east, then the MA-20 to the airport or the city.
• By taxi: metered, roughly the same as the outward fare.

Planning a longer route? From Marbella it is about an hour to Ronda, and Granada is, in our view, best reached via Málaga: see Málaga to Granada. For the whole coast, see our Costa del Sol guide.

Which option to choose

• Arriving at the airport, travelling light: the direct Avanza bus.
• Staying in Málaga and visiting for the day: the Avanza bus from Málaga bus station. See what to do in Marbella.
• Families, late flights, hotels outside the centre: a pre-booked transfer or a taxi.
• Touring the coast and the white villages: we’d choose a hire car, with the AP-7 when traffic is bad.

FAQ