How to travel from Madrid to Málaga

Wed, Sep 23
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Travel by train, bus, flight with
Grupo Interbus
AVE
BA Euroflyer
CitizenPlane
Renfe MD
1,000+ more
Grupo Interbus
AVE
BA Euroflyer
CitizenPlane
Renfe MD
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train, bus, and flight for Madrid to Málaga

Omio recommends booking the flight as it is the most popular option from Madrid to Málaga among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of €16 For those with little time, consider booking a train, which has an average total journey time of 3h 32m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.1 - 0.4kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €16, while a flight costs an average of €177.

Distance: 416 km

Compare flight with

Most popular
Flight
Train
Bus
Driving

€177

Average price

€41

Average price

€16

Average price

Cheapest

€94

Average price

(fuel + tolls)

3h 50m

Average total duration

1h 50m

Onboard

+

2h 0m

Additional time*

3h 32m

Average total duration

Fastest

3h 2m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

7h 37m

Average total duration

7h 7m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

5h 28m

Average total duration

(door-to-door)

1.2 - 2.5kg

CO2 emissions

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.4 - 1.0kg

CO2 emissions

-

CO2 emissions

Air Europa

Most popular airline

AVE

Most popular train company

Alsa

Most popular bus company

Your own car or car rental

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

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

The cheapest way to travel from Madrid to Málaga is a bus with an average price of €16.

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

A bus is €26 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Madrid to Málaga costing on average €41.

A bus is €162 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Madrid to Málaga costing on average €177.

The fastest way to travel from Madrid to Málaga is by train with an average journey time of 3h 32m.

Other travel options to Málaga take longer:

Flight takes on average 3h 50m.

Bus takes on average 7h 37m.

It's helpful to compare your options as there are 3 ways to travel between Madrid and Málaga including taking a train, bus, and flight.

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.

  • iryo06078
    7:36 AM2h49
    Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
    10:25 AMMálaga María Zambrano
    161One-way
    0 transfers

Cheapest

  • iryo06078
    7:36 AM2h49
    Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
    10:25 AMMálaga María Zambrano
    161One-way
    0 transfers

Fastest

  • Air EuropaUX5035
    6:30 AM1h15
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    7:45 AMMalaga Airport
    621One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • SNCF OUIGO06508
    9:55 AM2h52
    Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
    12:47 PMMálaga María Zambrano
    171One-way
    0 transfers
  • iryo06108
    9:50 AM2h49
    Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
    12:39 PMMálaga María Zambrano
    171One-way
    0 transfers
  • SNCF OUIGO06578
    5:35 PM2h51
    Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
    8:26 PMMálaga María Zambrano
    221One-way
    0 transfers
  • Grupo InterbusBASE
    9:00 AM6h10
    Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses
    3:10 PMMalaga, Estación de Autobuses
    191One-way
    0 transfers
  • Grupo InterbusBASE
    11:00 AM6h30
    Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses
    5:30 PMMalaga, Estación de Autobuses
    191One-way
    0 transfers
  • Grupo InterbusBASE
    11:30 PM7h15
    Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses
    6:45 AMMalaga, Estación de Autobuses
    191One-way
    0 transfers
  • IberiaIB563
    11:25 AM1h20
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    12:45 PMMalaga Airport
    821One-way
    0 transfers
  • Air EuropaUX5043
    10:35 AM1h15
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    11:50 AMMalaga Airport
    951One-way
    0 transfers
  • Air EuropaUX5047
    7:05 PM1h15
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    8:20 PMMalaga Airport
    1551One-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.

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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.

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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 €16.

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

A bus is €26 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Madrid to Málaga costing on average €41.

A bus is €162 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Madrid to Málaga costing on average €177.

The fastest way to travel from Madrid to Málaga is by train with an average journey time of 3h 32m.

Other travel options to Málaga take longer:

Flight takes on average 3h 50m.

Bus takes on average 7h 37m.

The Madrid to Málaga distance is approximately 416 km.
The average frequency per day from Madrid to Málaga is:
  • Around 17 trains per day.
  • Around 9 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 Grupo Interbus, FlixBus, Alsa to go to Málaga by bus.
  • Travel with AVE, Renfe MD, SNCF OUIGO, iryo, Renfe AVLO to go to Málaga by train.
  • Travel with BA Euroflyer, CitizenPlane, Air Europa, Iberia Express, BA Cityflyer, Vueling, Royal Air Maroc, British Airways, Iberia to go to Málaga by flight.
Yes, there are direct services available from Madrid to Málaga with the following travel companies:
  • 2 direct buses per day with Grupo Interbus.
  • 7 direct flights per day with CitizenPlane, Air Europa, Iberia Express, Iberia.
  • 17 direct trains per day with AVE, SNCF OUIGO, iryo, Renfe AVLO.
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.
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