How do I get from Málaga airport to Alameda Principal and the old town?

Q: How do I get from Málaga airport to Alameda Principal and the old town?

Cercanías C1: €1.80 for one traveler, 12–17 min. It leaves you at Málaga Centro-Alameda, the end of the line at the western end of the avenue. Stay on the C1 one stop past María Zambrano: Centro-Alameda, the end of the line, is at the western end of the Alameda Principal by the Guadalmedina, 12 minutes from the airport for EUR 1.80. Line A runs the length of the same avenue on to the Paseo del Parque, about a kilometer further east, at EUR 4.00 and about half an hour — worth it only for the stop, not the price.

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Málaga airporttoAlameda Principal and the old town

Airport to destination · One way · All prices are totals for 1 adult · All service hours

2 ways to Alameda Principal and the old town

Recommended

The cheapest way in. Nothing listed is quicker.

Cercanías C1

C1 · Renfe Cercanías Málaga

12–17 min rideEvery 20 min06:44–00:54

The Cercanías station in the transport interchange at arrivals levelMálaga Centro-Alameda

€1.80total for 1 adult€1.80 eachBuy ticketOn Renfe Cercanías Málaga

Pickup, hours & luggage

Boards at. The Cercanías station in the transport interchange at arrivals level, floor 0; Aena marks the access on its arrivals map

EUR 1.80, a two-zone single. A return is EUR 3.60 — two singles, valid the same day only. Children under six travel free, up to two per adult ticket. Buy at the machines or ticket office, to use within two hours; a contactless card or phone also opens the gates, but you must tap out as well as in, or the card is charged the five-zone maximum.

Luggage. A commuter train with space by the doors; no limit is published.

Hours. From the airport toward the city: 06:44, 07:19, 07:54, then every 20 minutes at :14, :34 and :54 until 22:54 (weekends: 07:54, 08:34, 09:14, 09:54, then every 20), then 23:24, 23:54, 00:24 and a last train at 00:54, every night. 52 trains a day Monday to Friday, 49 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Price for every party size · Fare source

Bus

Line A Exprés Aeropuerto

A · EMT Málaga

25–40 min rideEvery 20 min07:00–01:15

ArrivalsThe Alameda Principal

€4total for 1 adult€4 eachBuy ticketOn EMT Málaga

Pickup, hours & luggage

Boards at. Arrivals, floor 0, at the stop opposite the transport interchange

The Billete Aeropuerto, EUR 4.00, one ride, no transfer, valid only on Line A. No other EMT ticket or pass works on it. Pay on board in cash (drivers need not change a note above EUR 5), by card tapped once on boarding, or with a QR ticket from the EMT app; there is also a ticket window by the arrivals exit. The metropolitan Consorcio card is accepted at the same EUR 4.00. Under-threes travel free.

Luggage. A city bus with a luggage area; Aena and EMT both say luggage is carried free.

Hours. From the airport: 07:00 every day; Monday to Friday every 20 to 25 minutes to 00:00, then a last bus at 01:15; Saturday and Sunday every 20 to 25 minutes to 23:50, then a last bus at 01:10. There is a gap of over an hour before that last departure.

Price for every party size · Fare source

Stay on the C1 one stop past María Zambrano: Centro-Alameda, the end of the line, is at the western end of the Alameda Principal by the Guadalmedina, 12 minutes from the airport for EUR 1.80. Line A runs the length of the same avenue on to the Paseo del Parque, about a kilometer further east, at EUR 4.00 and about half an hour — worth it only for the stop, not the price.

Ride times exclude walking and waiting. Every way from Costa del Sol into Málaga

Your destination

Straight there.

The avenue between the port and the historic center, which lies just north of it.

Málaga–Costa del Sol

Follow the signs

The Cercanías station in the transport interchange at arrivals level

Cercanías C1 · 12–17 min

Alameda Principal and the old town

Cercanías C1 serves Alameda Principal and the old town.

Arriving late?

Not everything runs around the clock: the Cercanías C1 runs 06:44–00:54, and the Line A Exprés Aeropuerto runs 07:00–01:15. Outside those hours nothing on this board runs to the center, and taxis are not priced on it. and the board keeps only what is running.

From arrivals to Alameda Principal and the old town

Find the stop

The Cercanías station in the transport interchange at arrivals level. Follow the signs from arrivals.

Choose Cercanías C1

Check the destination and departure board before boarding.

Arrive at Alameda Principal and the old town

12–17 min. Continue to your accommodation or follow signs for onward transport.

Rather go door to door?

A private car into Málaga: €37 for four

Four pay €7.20 on the cheapest way to Alameda Principal and the old town on this page. The car meets you in arrivals and drives to your door. €37 is what Welcome Pickups charges to the centre of Málaga; it quotes the fare for your own address when you book ahead.

A partner link: Welcome Pickups pays us a commission on a booking. It has no say in how the options are ranked.

Book transfer The car in detail

A few things for the rest of your trip

Partner offers

Not transport options · Affiliate links

Car hire at Málaga airportDiscover Cars

Hire a car for Marbella, about 45 minutes down the coast, where no train goes and the coach runs at uneven intervals. You already reach María Zambrano, Centro-Alameda, Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola on the Cercanías C1 every 20 minutes. Discover Cars shows the full price before you book.

Compare car hire

Data in SpainAiralo

An eSIM for Spain, installed before you fly, works in the arrivals hall: tickets, maps, the driver's messages.

Choose an eSIM

Bags in MálagaRadical Storage

Radical Storage keeps bags in shops and hotels around Málaga: 62 places by its own count, booked by the day for the hours before check-in.

Find a bag drop

A late flight?AirHelp

A flight three or more hours late, or cancelled at short notice, can be owed up to €600 a passenger under EU and UK rules, depending on the flight. AirHelp charges only if the claim succeeds.

Check your flight

These links pay us a commission. They never change which transfer we rank first.

Continuing by public transport?

Follow the station signs for your onward connection.

Walking to your stay?

Check the address and choose the nearest exit.

Before you travel

What if my flight arrives late?

How far is Alameda Principal and the old town from the centre?