Whether you’re simply flying into Malaga for convenience or you are visiting Gibraltar as part of a wider trip to Andalusia, this is the guide for you! In this guide, I will cover all the ways of getting to Gibraltar from Malaga, including by bus, train, and by car.

How to get from Malaga to Gibraltar

Malaga to Gibraltar Distance

For a little context, in case you are interested, the distance between Malaga and the Gibraltar border is 135km. The route from Malaga to Gibraltar takes you past Malaga Airport, Marbella, Estepona and finally to La Línea for Gibraltar.

Malaga to Gibraltar by Car

If you have a car or plan to hire one, driving to Gibraltar is pretty simple! There are two route options – a faster route which has tolls, or the slower ’round-the-houses’ route which avoids the tolls. The route with tolls takes around 1h30 – 1h45, while the route avoiding tolls takes 2h10 to 2h30.

The tolls are on the A-7 and between Malaga and Gibraltar there are three tolls. There are two prices, one which is valid for October until May (excluding Easter), and one higher rate which is valid during summer months and the Easter period.

From Malaga to Gibraltar it will cost €18.15 each way during the peak summer period, and during the non peak period the entire journey will cost €11.50.

Paying for the toll is extremely easy, and you can pay contactless with a debit or credit card.

If you are hiring a car and want to visit Gibraltar, make sure that you are allowed to take your rental car across the border! Some agencies may only allow the car to be used within Spain, and not permitted to cross an international border. If it is allowed, ensure you have all the necessary documentation to confirm this.

Malaga to Gibraltar by Bus

The easiest way to get from Malaga to Gibraltar by public transport is to take a bus from Malaga to La Línea and walk from the bus station in La Línea to the border.

The main bus company that serves this route is Avanza, a bus company that primarily serves the Costa del Sol but also has routes further around Andalusia. For easy route searching, I recommend using Omio – sometimes I find the Avanza website very glitchy unless you’re using it on a Spanish mobile network (don’t ask, I really don’t know…).

When searching for the Malaga to Gibraltar bus, you need to put the destination as La Línea de la Concepción. The walk from the bus station in La Línea to the Gibraltar border is only around five minutes!

There are nine buses each day, with the earliest departing Malaga at 06:30 and the latest leaving Malaga at 21:00.

The duration depends on the bus, as some include stops that others don’t. The fastest bus takes only 1h55, while the longest takes 3 hours. The faster buses take the route of Malaga – Marbella – Estepona – La Línea (the fastest bus skips Estepona), while the slower buses will stop at one or more of Malaga Airport, Torremolinos, Fuengirola, San Pedro de Alcantara, Sabinillas and San Roque.

You can buy tickets for the bus online on Omio or on the Avanza website itself, as well as at the bus station. There is a fee online, which costs an extra €2.50 per person (on Avanza) or €3.20 (on Omio). You won’t pay any extra booking fee if you buy your ticket at the bus station.

The fare for the Malaga to Gibraltar bus varies from €15.78 to €18.30, usually depending on whether the bus is an express service or not.

In terms of public transport, the best way to get from Malaga to Gibraltar is by bus! It’s convenient, inexpensive, and comfortable.

Malaga to Gibraltar by Taxi

Due to the distance, most taxis in Malaga wouldn’t be willing to take you all the way to Gibraltar. However, you may get lucky and have a driver willing to take the trip! I’d recommend booking a transfer (more on that below) in advance instead.

I checked on Cabify (which is a very useful taxi app for various locations around Andalusia, especially the Costa del Sol) and it estimates a price of €152.89 for a taxi ride from the centre of Malaga to the Gibraltar border.

Get €3 off each of your first 3 journeys with Cabify with my code PENELOPEB69!

Malaga to Gibraltar Transfer

A variety of companies offer transfer from Malaga to Gibraltar! These transfers will not take you across the border, but rather drop you off at the border itself. This is completely standard, and is to be expected.

I often use Happy Transfers if I need to travel from Gibraltar to Malaga (or vice versa) at times when the buses aren’t running, and I highly recommend their service!

From Malaga to the Gibraltar border, Happy Transfers charge €145 (up to 4 passengers) or €185 (5-8 passengers). There is also a small surcharge of €5 (€10 if travelling with 5-8 passengers) when travelling between 1am and 6am. This can be a great option if you’re travelling as a large group and want the privacy of a private transfer, or if you need to travel before the first bus or after the last bus of the day!

Another service that I’ve absolutely loved using is Daytrip – you can combine visits to other locations (yup, a transfer WITH sightseeing!) along the way as well. Set the destination as La Línea, otherwise you’ll get a message saying they don’t offer the route often. The route starts at €199, with additional costs for adding stops along the way.

You can add stops in places such as Mijas, Marbella, Ronda, and Colomares Castle (Castillo de Colomares). It’s a bit more expensive than a standard transfer, but it’s definitely worth it if you want the option of making stops at places along the way!

If you want to maximise your exploring and sightseeing time, this is absolutely the option that I’d choose!

Malaga Airport to Gibraltar Transfer

I always use Happy Transfers when I am travelling to or from Malaga Airport and it’s not a convenient time for buses! On a recent trip to Italy, we needed to be at the airport for 4am, so booking a transfer was the perfect way of getting to the airport in a stress free way (and without having to spend the night at the airport or a nearby hotel).

We used Happy Transfers when flying back from Poland recently as well, as we were due to arrive at 1am, but our flight was delayed until THE NEXT DAY and we didn’t arrive in Malaga until 2pm! Our driver was waiting for us when we finally landed the following day, with no extra charge for the delay.

A transfer from Malaga Airport to Gibraltar with Happy Transfers costs €135 (up to 4 passengers) or €175 (5-8 passengers). Again, there is a small surcharge of €5 (€10 if travelling with 5-8 passengers) when travelling between 1am and 6am. There is also a surcharge of €13 for taking the toll road (which I would recommend).

Malaga to Gibraltar by Train

Unfortunately, there is no direct train that runs from Malaga to Gibraltar. In fact, there isn’t a train station in Gibraltar! The closest railway station to Gibraltar is Estación de San Roque-La Línea. However, the line that runs from Estación San Roque doesn’t run to Malaga! The train line from Malaga runs north to Córdoba and Madrid, northwest to Sevilla, and southwest as far as Fuengirola.

Essentially, you cannot get from Malaga to Gibraltar by train.

However… if you really wanted to get to Gibraltar by train, you would have to choose one of the following routes:

• Train from Malaga to Fuengirola and bus from Fuengirola to La Línea
• Train from Malaga to Antequera-Santa Ana, change to a train to Estación de San Roque-La Línea, bus from Estación de San Roque to La Línea (30 minutes) or take a taxi from the station to the border (15 minutes)

The train route from Malaga to Estación de San Roque-La Línea takes 3.5 – 4 hours.

Essentially, you wouldn’t be choosing this option for its efficiency. I wouldn’t recommend this route, but as you can see, it is theoretically possible. I think the only reason you’d take this route would be if you had all your train travel covered (e.g. Interrail or Eurail) and didn’t want to spend on a bus!

If your eventual destination was Algeciras or somewhere near Estación de San Roque (which, confusingly, is not the same place as San Roque), then this route could potentially work.

On to the next even-more-inconvenient-than-this option…

Malaga to Gibraltar Flights

Regarding getting from Malaga to Gibraltar by plane, I have four words for you:

Don’t even try it.

The route is even more unhinged than the ferry options mentioned above.

It is possible, but it requires a connection… in London. One option I found included two stops – Malaga to Oslo, Oslo to London, London to Gibraltar.

However, you can book a helicopter to get from Malaga to Ceuta… and then take a helicopter from Ceuta to Algeciras, and the bus (or a taxi) to Gibraltar from there.

So if you really want to take the scenic route over the Costa del Sol and see the Rock of Gibraltar from above, this could be an amazing (yet rather expensive) option. Helity offers helicopter charters from Malaga to Ceuta from €205, and from Ceuta to Algeciras from €60.

They also do offer scenic helicopter flights and charter flights, so if that’s something you’re keen to do, just email them for a quotation!

Malaga to Gibraltar Day Trip

If you don’t want to travel independently from Malaga to Gibraltar and would rather travel from Malaga to Gibraltar on a guided tour, there are lots of options available for this!

Here are some options for a Malaga to Gibraltar day trip:

• Malaga to Gibraltar Private Tour departing at 09:00, 10:00, 11:00 or 12:00 including Rock Tour & St Michaels Cave Tour (from €210 per person) with TT Experiences
• Malaga to Gibraltar Day Trip by bus departing at 07:15 (from €33) with Visitanddo
• Malaga to Gibraltar Day Trip by bus departing at 08:00 including Rock Tour & St. Michaels Cave Tour (from €95) with ALLinMalaga (note: Mondays only)
• Malaga to Gibraltar Day Trip by bus departing at 07:15 including Dolphin Boat Tour (from €61.90) with Visitanddo
• Malaga to Gibraltar Day Trip by bus departing at 07:15 including 1.5h walking tour (from €48.50) with Visitanddo

A guided tour is a great way of visiting Gibraltar without having to deal with getting the bus or another form of transport, but obviously does limit your options for timing!

I have personally done a tour in Andalusia with Visitanddo (in this case a tour to Ronda and Setenil de las Bodegas) and they were great! You’ll have a larger tour group and the tour is usually done in both English and Spanish (at minimum), and sometimes also in German and/or French, depending on who is on the tour with you.

What’s The Best Way to Get From Malaga to Gibraltar?

In my personal opinion, the most convenient way to get from Malaga to Gibraltar is by car. You can choose exactly when you leave, you have full flexibility, and it’s the fastest option! Overall, a one-way trip from Malaga to Gibraltar should cost around €28-€40, depending on how much fuel you use/need. Of course, if you are hiring a car then you’ll add that cost on top as well.

The best way to travel from Malaga to Gibraltar by public transport is by bus – hands down! The buses are comfy, air-conditioned, and they aren’t expensive. Nine departures every day means you have quite a few options, and the bus station in La Línea isn’t far from the border at all.

When I visit Malaga from Gibraltar, I pretty much always get the bus!

If you’d prefer a more private option, then a transfer is ideal. It’s more expensive, but will be faster and more private than the bus. With four people, the cost works out at around double the cost of the bus fare per person (€37 per person compared to €18 per person).

If you are just visiting Gibraltar for the day and don’t want to have to work out the buses yourself or hire a car, then a guided tour would be perfect.

Practical Tips for Getting from Malaga to Gibraltar

There are a few things you should be aware of when travelling from Malaga to Gibraltar, so make sure to take note!

Don’t forget your passport!

Remember you’ll be crossing an international border – you’ll need to show your passport. Since the UK (and therefore Gibraltar) is no longer part of the EU, you cannot cross the border with only a national ID card as an EU citizen. Everyone needs to take their passport.

If you’re from a country that requires a visa to visit the UK, you will need that visa to visit Gibraltar as well.

Getting from La Línea to the Gibraltar border

As I’ve mentioned previously, getting from the bus station in La Línea de la Concepción to the border is really easy. The walk takes only around 5 minutes – just walk towards the big Rock in the distance!

Getting around Gibraltar

I share more information in my article all about how to get around Gibraltar, but the main ways to get around Gibraltar are on foot, by bus, or by taxi.

When you cross the border to Gibraltar, you can get the bus 5 or 10 from the bus stop by the airport. Below you can see the route of the 5/10 from the border to Casemates, which costs £1.60 for a single or £2.40 for a return. You can pay on the bus with exact change only. You can also pay in Euro (exact change only), which costs €2.40 for a single or €3.60 for a return.

You can also get a taxi as well – there is a taxi rank straight after the border where taxis will stop. You can also call for a taxi by phoning +350 200 70027. A taxi to the town centre will cost around £6 to £10, depending on time of day and the traffic.

You can, of course, also walk. Walking from the border to Casemates will take around 20 minutes and means you get to walk across the runway!

What currency to use

In Gibraltar, our official currency is the Gibraltar Pound (GIP), which is one to one with British Pound Sterling (GBP). You can use normal British pounds in Gibraltar, but you can’t use Gibraltar pounds in the UK, so make sure you spend them (or ask to swap them for British pounds) before you leave!

You can also pay in Euro in most places, but the rate is massively increased and you will absolutely be spending more money than necessary.

Almost everywhere takes card payments, so choose to pay in pounds and pay on card rather than in cash with Euros. It’s also worth noting that if you do pay in Euro cash, you will then get your change in pounds (not in Euro).

If you go up the Rock, don’t take food!

One of the main things you need to know if you’re going to do a Rock tour or walk up the Rock of Gibraltar is DO NOT take any food with you. The monkeys (Barbary macaques to be precise) will know if you have food, and they WILL steal it.

If you do forget and take food with you and it gets stolen by a naughty monkey, don’t try to get it back! They can get aggressive in this case.

I’ve seen monkeys make off with so many food items, including a box of Cadbury Fingers and a tube of Pringles!

Where to Stay in Gibraltar

If you’re looking for the best place to stay in Gibraltar, here are some perfect options!

For a spot of luxury, stay at the incredible Sunborn Yacht Hotel, the only 5* yacht hotel in the world. It is incredible and so worth a stay!

For a more affordable option, stay at the centrally located Eliott Hotel just off of Main Street. This 4* property has a great onsite bar and a rooftop pool as well.

The most affordable hotels in Gibraltar are the 3* Bristol Hotel just off of Main Street, and the 3* Holiday Inn Express Gibraltar on Devils Tower Road, not far from the border.

I hope this guide has made it easier to understand all the different options for travelling from Malaga to Gibraltar! Whether you opt to drive, to take the bus, to book a transfer, visit on a day trip, or even take a unique route for the sake of it, I hope you have the best time visiting my home territory.

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