How to travel from Madrid to Málaga

Sun, May 10
+ Add return
Travel by train, bus, flight with
AVE
Grupo Interbus
Air Europa
iryo
SNCF OUIGO
1,000+ more
AVE
Grupo Interbus
Air Europa
iryo
SNCF OUIGO
1,000+ more
QR-Code
Scan to get our free app
Use our app to get live travel updates and book mobile tickets for trains, buses, flights, and ferries.
App Store
rate4.9
42K ratings
Google Play
rate4.6
136K reviews

Travel Information

Compare train, bus, and flight for Madrid to Málaga

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Madrid to Málaga among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €19. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 3h 1m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.4kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €19, and a flight costs an average of €36.

Distance: 416 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Flight

€34

Average price

€21

Average price

Cheapest

€151

Average price

3h 51m

Average total duration

3h 21m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

6h 4m

Average total duration

5h 34m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

6h 1m

Average total duration

Fastest

3h 1m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.4 - 1.0kg

CO2 emissions

1.2 - 2.5kg

CO2 emissions

AVE

Most popular train company

Grupo Interbus

Most popular bus company

Air Europa

Most popular airline

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Madrid to Málaga

How to get from Madrid to Málaga by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

train

The best way to travel from Madrid to Málaga is by taking a train because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

  • SNCF OUIGO06508
    9:55 AM3h02
    Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
    12:57 PMMálaga María Zambrano
    231One-way
    0 transfers

Cheapest

  • Grupo InterbusBASE
    9:00 AM6h10
    Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses
    3:10 PMMalaga, Estación de Autobuses
    201One-way
    0 transfers

Fastest

  • Air EuropaUX5035
    6:30 AM1h15
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    7:45 AMMalaga Airport
    761One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • Renfe AVLO02108
    9:10 AM3h23
    Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
    12:33 PMMálaga María Zambrano
    271One-way
    0 transfers
  • iryo06078
    7:40 AM2h59
    Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
    10:39 AMMálaga María Zambrano
    281One-way
    0 transfers
  • AVE02072
    7:20 AM3h14
    Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
    10:34 AMMálaga María Zambrano
    281One-way
    0 transfers
  • Grupo InterbusBASE
    11:30 PM7h15
    Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses
    6:45 AMMalaga, Estación de Autobuses
    201One-way
    0 transfers
  • IberiaIB1001
    7:10 AM1h20
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    8:30 AMMalaga Airport
    731One-way
    0 transfers
  • Air EuropaUX5043
    10:35 AM1h15
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    11:50 AMMalaga Airport
    1311One-way
    0 transfers
  • Air EuropaUX5047
    7:05 PM1h15
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    8:20 PMMalaga Airport
    1691One-way
    0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights

Compare train, bus, and flight prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.

Sat
May 09
Sun
May 10
Mon
May 11
Tue
May 12
Wed
May 13
Thu
May 14
Fri
May 15
Sat
May 16
Sun
May 17
Mon
May 18
Tue
May 19
Wed
May 20
Thu
May 21
Fri
May 22
Sat
May 23
Sun
May 24
Mon
May 25
Tue
May 26
Wed
May 27
Thu
May 28
Fri
May 29

How to Travel from Madrid to Malaga

It's possible for travelers in Spainto journey from Madrid to Malaga by train, plane or bus. The fastest route is traveling via train while traveling by bus is the slowest. Although flight time is only around 1 hour, city transfers, check-in and security times add up to require 3.5 hours of travel time for the total journey.

What is the best way to travel from Madrid to Malaga?

Cheapest way to travel from Madrid to Malaga

Taking the bus is the cheapest way to travel from Madrid to Malaga. Coaches traveling from Madrid to Malaga depart from Madrid's Estacion Sur De Autocoaches and take a little under 6 hours to arrive at Malaga's bus station. Approximately 9 coaches travel from Madrid to Malaga every day, with the first bus departing Madrid at 7:00 a.m. Daibus is the main bus company that travels from Madrid to Malaga.

Fastest way to travel from Madrid to Malaga

Technically, taking a flight is the fastest way to travel from Madrid to Malaga; however, when traveling to and from Malaga and Madrid's airports is taken into consideration taking a high-speed Renfe AVE train is actually the fastest way to travel. Both Iberia and Air Europa offer direct flights from Madrid to Malaga. Trains traveling from Madrid to Malaga depart from Madrid's Puerta De Atocha train station and arrive at Malaga's María Zambrano train station after as little as 2:20 h of traveling.

Most popular way to travel from Madrid to Malaga

Taking the train is the most popular way to travel from Madrid to Malaga. The train journey from Madrid to Malaga is only £2 more expensive than flying on average while also being faster when travel time to and from Malaga and Madrid's airports is taken into consideration. Alternatively, taking a high-speed AVE train is at least 3 and a half hours faster than traveling from Madrid to Malaga by bus. High-speed Renfe trains usually depart from Madrid's Puerta De Atocha train station and take as little as 2:20 h to arrive at Malaga's María Zambrano train station. Around 11 trains travel from Madrid to Malaga every day.

More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.

Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

FAQs: Travel from Madrid to Málaga

Travel to Málaga easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Madrid to Málaga.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Madrid and Málaga including taking a train, bus, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Madrid to Málaga is a bus with an average price of €21.

This is compared to other travel options from Madrid to Málaga:

A bus is €14 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Madrid to Málaga costing on average €34.

A bus is €130 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Madrid to Málaga costing on average €151.

The fastest way to travel from Madrid to Málaga is by flight with an average journey time of 3h 1m.

Other travel options to Málaga take longer:

Train takes on average 3h 21m.

Bus takes on average 5h 34m.

The Madrid to Málaga distance is approximately 416 km.
The average frequency per day from Madrid to Málaga is:
  • Around 18 trains per day.
  • Around 8 flights per day.
  • Around 6 buses per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Madrid and Málaga as scheduled services by train, bus, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Madrid to Málaga:
  • Flights mostly depart from Madrid Barajas Airport and arrive in Malaga Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes and arrive in Málaga María Zambrano.
  • Buses mostly depart from Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses and arrive in Malaga, Estación de Autobuses.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Madrid to Málaga, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with AVE, iryo, SNCF OUIGO, Renfe AVLO, Renfe INTERCITY, Renfe ALVIA, Renfe MD, Renfe Viajeros, Ouigo to go to Málaga by train.
  • Travel with Grupo Interbus, BlaBlaCar, Alsa, Alsa Supra, Secorbus, FlixBus to go to Málaga by bus.
  • Travel with Air Europa, Iberia Express, Iberia, Vueling, Air Nostrum to go to Málaga by flight.
Yes, there are direct services available from Madrid to Málaga with the following travel companies:
  • 18 direct trains per day with AVE, iryo, SNCF OUIGO, Renfe Viajeros, Ouigo.
  • 5 direct buses per day with Grupo Interbus, BlaBlaCar, Alsa, FlixBus.
  • 6 direct flights per day with Air Europa, Iberia Express, Iberia, Air Nostrum.
Omio customers who travel from Madrid to Málaga often also extend their vacation to go to Seville, Granada, Barcelona, Marbella, Ronda. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Málaga and these popular destinations at a great price.
HomeTravelTravel to MálagaHow to travel from Madrid to Málaga

The Omio App Makes Travel Planning Easy

We’ll get you where you want to go. From live train updates to mobile tickets, our innovative app is the ideal way to plan and keep track of your travel.

ios-badge
android-badge
Hand With Phone