Marbella is 45 minutes from Malaga airport, and easy and direct drive along the coast on the A7 highway. If you are staying in our Sunny Corner apartment, the bus is an excellent way to get there from the airport or train station in Malaga. If you are staying in Paradise Beach or Honeymoon Penthouse, you might want to hire a car instead of using bus transfer. But if you prefer not to take a car, you can get from the A7 highway to the Marbella bus station on buses every 30 minutes all day long. As Airbnb superhosts, we hope these explanations make for a smooth arrival and easy transfer on your first day!
NO TRAINS, NO PROBLEM! There is no train route all the way to Marbella; the furthest train stop along the Costa del Sol is in Fuengirola. There is no point taking the train there, as most buses and transport options leave from the airport. Much better to head to AGP and find a transportation option from there. The Malaga airport is a main hub for buses that go to Marbella from Granada, Sevilla, and other destinations. If you are coming from one of those towns by bus, you will have the choice to go to the Malaga Mario Zambrano Station in the center city, or to the airport. The airport gives quicker access to Marbella as it is directly on the A7 highway. There are also more car hire possibilities, taxis and other solutions for getting further down the coast, from the airport than from the center of Malaga city. How to buy your bus ticket?
You can get your ticket from the kiosks that are outside of the arrival hall, or online!
Depending on the time and day, the kiosks might have long queues. You can also buy on-line at the Avanza bus website. You have to choose the departure time of the bus, so you might want to wait until your flight lands to buy your ticket. Otherwise if your flight is delayed you might have to buy another ticket.
What to expect when you arrive at AGP Malaga Airport?
When you land at Malaga airport, you will go past the luggage collection area and then follow the "exit" signs for taxis and buses. You go through some large sliding glass doors, where chauffeurs and car rental companies wait for their clients, and then once outside you will see a café and a newstand, as well as two bus-ticket kiosks.
This is what you will see when you come out of the doors of the arrival area:
Right in front of you, there are two bus ticket kiosks. Make sure you wait at the right one - the AVANZA (red) bus to Marbella.
Do not confuse a Marbella ticket, with the city center transfer to MALAGA. At the airport when they refer to "center city" they are referring to Malaga, not Marbella.
WHERE IS THE BUS STOP
After getting your ticket just keep walking straight forward, with your back to the arrival hall sliding doors, about 300 meters in front of you, and you will reach the curb where the buses wait. The destination is written on the front of the bus and you can always ask the driver!
WHAT HAPPENS in MARBELLA The bus takes about 40-50 minutes, direct ride on the highway to get to the Estación de Autobuses de Marbella, just outside of Marbella city center. That is the local hub for all Marbella destinations, from Cabopino to Elviria to Puerto Banus. The bus station is up above the highway and a 20 minute walk from the center of town. You can catch another local bus there or take an Uber or Taxi for a reasonable price to get to your hotel or apartment.
If you want to walk, head across the bridge over the highway and down the hill that leads into the center of town and the beach. If you just keep heading down hill, you can't get lost eventually you will end up on the beach!
CONNECTING in MARBELLA TO OTHER DESTINATIONS If you are staying in Sunny Corner, the easiest is to take an Uber down to our apartment. It will probably cost less than 10 euros and be so much easier to find us, especially if you have luggage. If you are are staying in Elviria, either in Honeymoon Penthouse or Paradise Beach, you will need to take a bus or taxi back out along the A7 from where you came, to Elviria. We highly recommend taking an Uber or taxi on your first day with your luggage, it will cost around 20 euros from the bus station to Elviria and it will be much more comfortable than lugging your cases up the hill from the A7. If your budget is tight (or you don't have luggage) and you want to take the bus, find the line that goes out towards Mijas - bus line 220. Click here to see the schedule. You will have to push the stop "Parada" button to make the bus stop at your destination: Elviria, for the Honeymoon Penthouse, or Pinogolf Don Carlos (just after Elviria) for Paradise Beach. Don't worry if you get mixed up neither stop is far from either apartment. The main landmark is the Don Carlos Leisure Resort 5 star hotel and tower which is visible from the highway.
For Honeymoon Penthouse: Push the "Parada" button when you see the "Yanmar" company by the side of the road, or ask the bus driver to stop for the Don Carlos hotel or the Supersol supermarket center
For Paradise Beach, push the "Parada" button immedately after passing the Elviria "cambio de sentido" (meaning u-turn or change of direction) exit.
You must walk up the hill from either of these bus stops, to get to the beach neighborhood and find our apartments - and the sidewalk is not really , should we say, existent.
Taking the bus from Elviria in to town for the day- LINE 220
There are two solutions if you want to spend the day in town from the Honeymoon or the Paradise apartment.
There is a bus stop for the tourist/hotel circuit bus that stops on the roundabout just in front of Divino Cafeteria, in the Contur shopping center. This bus only comes by every 1-2 hours - if that - but it does not require you to wait by the highway.
Otherwise, line 220 buses run from Marbella bus station to Fuengirola. They come by every 30 minutes from the stops on the highway - but you must walk down to the A7 (no sidewalk or steps) and wait along the busy road.
The schedule (which is approximative and never precise - except for first and last buses) can be found here.
The bus stop to get to Marbella from Paradise beach is here.
The one closest to Honeymoon Penthouse is right in front of the taxi stand and Elviria shopping center - go across the highway bridge and make your way down to the edge of the highway you will find it.
Day trip from Marbella to Malaga by bus Once you are in Sunny Corner apartment, it's fun to spend a day in Malaga by taking the bus. Head up to the bus station by taking a bus from Ave. Soriano 200 meters from the apartment. From the station, hourly buses go to the center of Malaga for just 6 euros per person per direction, where you can visit the Picasso museum, the Pompidou museum, the old town, the citadel... and the Atarazanas covered food market (have lunch here at an outdoor stall).. Or spend a few hours at the El Andalus Arab baths.. A fabulous day in malaga will be the subject of another post! You can also take the 220 bus line out along the A7 to Elviria for a day at Nikki Beach, or further along to Olivia's la Cala, a popular beach front restaurant and pool club with live music and sunbeds.
Be careful: the 220 line does *not* leave from Alamadena park (where the taxi stand and horse carriages are). Those buses all go to the bus station or the Canada. The 220 line leaves from further down the main road towards the Amare hotel. There are buses in the other direction towards Puerto Banus, pretty much every 15 minutes. Just cross over Avenida Soriano, 200 meters from Sunny Corner, to hop on a short bus heading to the port of Bling.
Your Airbnb superhost will help make every experience a memorable one! As Airbnb superhosts, we are on hand to help with any information or recommendations you might need during your stay. No matter which apartment you choose, we're here to make sure you have the best experience ever.