How to Get to Marbella from Malaga

Marbella is barely an hour's drive from Malaga, so there are many ways you can get to this place. If you are here it is because you already have a plan to go to Marbella and you know that it is one of the best things to see and do in or near Malaga, so let me show you the best options you have.

I will show you the options you have to get there on your own and also by hiring a guided tour from Malaga to this neighbouring city. The prices, advantages, disadvantages and services included may vary from one option to another.

On this full day tour you will depart from Malaga together with your tour guide and the group of people who sign up for the tour. This is one of the best excursions from Malaga, because it also includes transfer by private bus and you will be accompanied by a person who will tell you everything you need to know about the route you are going to take.

The tour not only includes a visit to Marbella, but also to the white village of Mijas, one of the best villages in Malaga, and also to Puerto Banus, which is one of the most emblematic and luxurious ports in Spain. Near the end of the tour, you will stroll along the Golden Mile, a place where many artists choose to spend their summers.

This is one of the best things to do from Malaga, because not only does it offer you many services included in the price of the package, but it also gives you the opportunity to get to know each of the most interesting places in Marbella and its surroundings. You can even take a bike tour of Marbella once you arrive.

Interesting details

• Price: A tour like this can be priced at approximately 34 euros per person. Children can have a reduced price in some cases.
• Duration: It usually lasts between 5 and 12 hours, depending on the amount of time the group spends at each of the sights in the region.
• Advantages: You have at your disposal a tour guide who will teach you everything you want to know. A complimentary drink is offered. You don't need to print your ticket, you can take it with you electronically.
• Disadvantages: It is not a private tour that you can share only with your family and friends. There must be a minimum number of people on the tour. It does not include meals or refreshments during the tour.

This is my next favourite way to get to Marbella from Malaga, because it is a guided tour but only for your group. This private tour is a half day tour and will take you and your group in private transport to Marbella town as part of one of the top ten things to do in and around Malaga.

On the trip you will tour some of the most incredible places in Marbella, and best of all, this tour lasts around five hours and you and your group will be accompanied by a tour guide who will answer any questions you may have about each of the places you will visit.

But besides this, you'll have free time to discover the city on your own. The tour guide will give you some options and recommendations for shopping and even for dining in the city of Marbella, but you will also be able to do it on your own. Once the tour is over, you will be taken back to your accommodation, along with the rest of your group.

Interesting details

• Price: It costs approximately 260 euros per group, although this price may vary according to the size of the group.
• Duration: It usually takes approximately 5 hours to complete the whole tour.
• Advantages: You will have a tour guide for the whole tour, who will answer any questions you have. You will be provided with transport to and from your accommodation in Marbella. Includes transfer and private tour for your group only. The vehicle is adapted to the number of people and can go from one person to 8.
• Disadvantages: Drinks and meals are not included. The weather must be good for the trip to take place.

Going a little bit off the beaten track with the best Malaga tours and package tours, one of the best ways to get to Marbella on your own is to hire a private luxury transfer service. With this option you can hop into a luxury car in Malaga and within an hour you'll be in Marbella.

It is an ideal option for couples or for select groups who choose to share with each other rather than with other people. With this private transfer, the chauffeur, whose fee is included in the price, will pick you up from your accommodation and take you directly to Marbella.

One of these private transfers takes you from Malaga Airport to the city of Marbella.

Once in Marbella, the driver will drop you off at the place you have indicated. It usually includes one piece of luggage per person during the journey. It is important to know that this transfer is not a package tour, so it does not include entrance fees to any place, only the transfer from one place to another.

Details of interest

• Price: You can pay for this service approximately 68 euros per person.
• Duration: The transfer from Malaga to Marbella under this modality has an approximate duration of 1 hour.
• Advantages: You will be accompanied by a driver who will take you directly to the place you want to get to. It is a private service for you and your group. One piece of luggage per person is included. Child seats are available on request.
• Disadvantages: It does not include entrance fees to any tourist sites, food and beverages.

This is a great way to get from Malaga to Marbella, because you can do it at your leisure and in the time you want. Whether you have your own car or need to hire one to make the journey, making the trip this way is ideal for people who want privacy and ease of movement.

Travelling by private car can take between 40 minutes and an hour. How long it takes will depend on the route you choose, whether you prefer the longer, toll-free route or the shorter, tolled route.

One of the differences between the two is that the tolled route cuts 20 minutes off your journey time but you have to pay around 7 euros.

On how to park in Marbella, this will depend on the time of year. If you go in high season, you are likely to have difficulties finding a parking space. That is why I recommend that you make this trip early in the morning, to find a parking space in the car parks in Marbella.

Interesting details

• Price: The price range for renting a car in Malaga can go from 10 to 70 euros per day, depending on the number of people using it.
• Duration: It will take you approximately one hour to get from Malaga to Marbella.
• Advantages: You will go only with your group, without having to share the experience with anyone else. You won't have any problems getting from one place to another in Malaga or Marbella. You can leave at the time you want and arrive at the time you want at your accommodation.
• Disadvantages: Sometimes it is difficult to find a place to park your car.

I would say that this is one of the most expensive options to travel from Malaga to Marbella. To make this journey by taxi, you will have to pay a fare depending on several factors: the distance travelled, the time you want to make the journey and also the size of the car.

A taxi fare in Malaga can vary between 60 and 90 euros, according to the characteristics I explained previously.

But it is certainly an advantageous option because it allows you to take care only of being at the place where you are going to take the taxi, and then explain to the driver where you want to go. The driver takes care of these expenses because they are included in the price of the service.

Interesting details

• Price: Between 60 and 90 euros per transfer, price may change according to the amount of luggage and people, as well as the distance.
• Duration: It can take approximately 1 hour to get from Malaga to Marbella.
• Advantages: You won't have to worry about tolls or municipal taxes. The driver will take you wherever you want to go and will pick you up wherever you need to go. You save yourself the energy drain of driving on your own.
• Disadvantages: The taxi does one transfer from one point to another, and if you want another transfer, you have to pay more. The price varies according to the area, the amount of luggage and the number of people in the taxi.

This is a popular option for young people or those travelling with friends. It involves paying for a place in a private car, to get from one place to another. This is an advantage because you can pay considerably less money to complete the same journey.

During this ride you will meet new people, and the best thing about travelling this way is that you save a lot of money. One of the biggest disadvantages of travelling this way is that you will have less freedom during the trip and you will probably have to travel light in order to choose this option.

In Malaga there are two options for car sharing. One is to travel in a car that you will then hand over to another person who is renting the same car, just when you arrive at your destination. And the other option is to offer the free seats in the car you rented, or to be one of the people who rents these seats to travel for a lower price.

Interesting details

• Price: Renting a place inside the car can cost around 15 euros, although there are companies that ask for a symbolic payment of just 1 euro.
• Duration: From Malaga to Marbella it takes about 1 hour.
• Advantages: You save a lot of money compared to renting a private car or taking a taxi. You meet new friends on the way. If you are the one renting the car you can share the costs of petrol and taxes.
• Disadvantages: It is only a transfer from one place to another, and then you will have to transfer on your own. You lose certain freedoms during the journey, such as not being able to decide whether and when to make stops. You cannot take excess luggage with you.

This is the most common option for travelling from Malaga to Marbella. The bus route takes just over an hour to complete and the pick-up point is right next to Malaga train station. This bus route is one of the best options if you are travelling light.

You also have the option of taking a bus to Marbella from Malaga Airport.

Depending on where you are travelling to Marbella from, your bus ticket will cost a little more or a little less. If you are travelling from Malaga city, the cost of the ticket can be around 7 euros.

If you are travelling from the airport you can pay a little less, around 6.5 euros, and the duration is the same from both points. In case you want a premium service, where you have access to wifi and other amenities during the trip, the cost of the transfer can be around 8.5 euros per person.

Useful details

• Price: It can cost between €6.5 and €8.5, depending on the place of departure and the type of trip you choose, whether single or premium.
• Duration: By bus the journey can take approximately one hour.
• Advantages: It is an economical service with all the necessary comforts for travelling. It offers a complete journey from the city of Malaga to Marbella. You can count on wifi service on board for a slightly higher price.
• Disadvantages: You can't take too much luggage. You don't have a direct transfer to and from your accommodation.

The methods of transport from Malaga to Marbella are those I have described above. For example, although the train is a good form of transport from many places in Spain, this is not the case from Malaga to Marbella, because the closest train station to Marbella is the Maria Zambrano station located in Malaga.

So to travel by train from any other place in Spain to Marbella, you have to stay at this station located in Malaga and from there, take the bus to Marbella. On the other hand, in case you would like to go by ferry, there is no marina that connects Malaga with Marbella, the only option in this case is to travel on one of the boat trips in Malaga, or catamaran or sailing boat tours along the Costa del Sol.

One route that you can do if you have the physical conditions and you really want to have a different experience, is the bike route. This tour is ideal if you want to enjoy a good route to get to know all the nature that you will find along the way. The route to do it is the Paseo Marítimo Rey de España.

Travelling by bike from Malaga to Marbella can take approximately three and a half to four hours. This is definitely one of the best cycling routes you can do, however, you have to take into account the physical condition to venture on this route of just over 63 kilometres.

• Whichever way you choose to visit Marbella, the main thing is to make all transport reservations in advance before you go on your trip, especially in high season, because a trip to Marbella is one of the best things to do in Malaga in summer.
• Choose the type of transport according to the amount of people and luggage you are taking with you.
• If you want to include this destination as part of the best things to do in Malaga with kids, try to bring enough snacks for the road, especially if you are travelling by bus.