Málaga airport is about fifty kilometres away, forty minutes by car with no traffic. There are four ways of getting here, and the right one depends on the time of your flight, how much luggage you have and who you are travelling with.
The bus, if you are travelling light
It leaves from level 0, Arrivals, is run by Avanza and costs around €6.50. The direct service takes forty-five minutes; the ones that stop along the coastal towns take up to an hour and a quarter, so it is worth choosing an express.
It arrives at the bus station on Avenida del Trapiche. From there, urban lines 2, 3 and 6 run down to the centre for little more than a euro, and there is a taxi rank as well. It is the most economical option and the one we would choose travelling light.
The taxi
The rank is also on level 0, Arrivals. It is worth knowing that there is no official fixed fare between the airport and Marbella: once you leave Málaga the intercity meter tariff applies and, in practice, firms advertise prices of €65 to €90 depending on the vehicle. It is comfortable and available at any hour.
Once in Marbella, the nearest taxi rank to the suites is on Avenida Miguel Cano, 1, next to La Canasta, two minutes on foot. Uber, Cabify and Bolt operate here too.
The private transfer, our recommendation
Between €50 and €80 for a car for four, and €72 to €95 for seven or eight, tolls included. Someone waits in arrivals with a sign, the driver adjusts the pick-up if your flight is delayed, there is no luggage surcharge and you can request a child seat.
It is what we recommend to anyone travelling as a family, with small children or on an early-hours flight: for very little difference against a taxi, the journey is settled door to door and the pick-up time is agreed in advance.
The hire car
By the AP-7 toll road it is thirty-five to forty minutes. The Calahonda toll costs €5.70 in normal season and €9.25 from June to September and over Easter. The free A-7 takes a little longer depending on coastal traffic.
That said, we will be candid even though it does not suit us: staying here, a car is optional. Everything worth visiting is within a twenty-minute walk. For anyone who does drive, the Indigo Avenida del Mar car park is a hundred metres away and open around the clock; as an alternative, Indigo Francisco Norte-playa, five hundred metres away. On the street, the central blue zone allows two hours and is free on Sundays.
Our recommendation: come without a car and, if you fancy a day out to Ronda, Málaga or the Caminito del Rey, hire one that day here in Marbella. It works out better than leaving it parked all week.
| Option | Time | Price | Drops you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avanza bus | 45 min - 1 h 30 | ~€6.50 | Bus station |
| Taxi | ~40 min | €65-90 | Your door |
| Private transfer | ~40 min | €50-80 | Your door |
| Hire car | ~40 min via AP-7 | Plus toll €5.70/9.25 | Indigo car park, 100 m away |
When you arrive
You get in with a six-digit code we send with your booking, so you can arrive at any hour without waiting for anybody: check-in is open until midnight. Our phone number is +34 654 882 737 and you get us, not a call centre. And in case it is useful to know, the nearest hospital is four hundred metres away.
Indicative prices, checked on the Avanza, Aena, Marbella town council and regional government websites.
Manuel · Arlequin Suites