How To Get From Malaga To Gibraltar (Quickest & Cheapest)

There are three ways you can travel the 137km from Malaga to Gibraltar:

1. Taxi
2. Bus
3. Hire Car

The journey from Malaga to Gibraltar takes between 2 and 3 hours. As such, the decision on how you travel between Malaga and Gibraltar comes down to budget and convenience.

If you’re travelling from Malaga Airport to Gibraltar, the easiest way to do so is by taxi. However, it is also the most expensive. Taxis from Malaga Airport to Gibraltar cost between €160 and €230 each way.

The exact price you pay will depend on:

• Who you get the taxi with (from the taxi rank at the airport, Uber, reserved in advance)
• The size of vehicle you require
• The time of day (travelling at night is usually slightly more expensive)

Taxi drivers are not able to cross the border from Spain to Gibraltar. Instead, you’ll be dropped off in La Línea de la Concepción. From here, you’ll need to walk through immigration control to cross the border.

Once in Gibraltar, you have a couple of ways of getting your accommodation:

• Walking
• Taking the bus from the Frontier Terminus at Gibraltar International Airport
• Taxi

Taxis within Gibraltar are limited, and buses are infrequent. Therefore, based on my experience, I recommend walking.

Walking from the Gibraltar border to your hotel may sound daunting. However, remember, Gibraltar is only 6.4km square, with the majority taken up by the airport. As a result, it’s just a 15-minute stroll from the border to Gibraltar city centre.

Doing this with kids and luggage isn’t ideal. The pavements could be better, to say the least. However, in my experience, it’s still the easiest option.

Sadly, there are no trains between Malaga and Gibraltar. Instead, a bus is the only form of public transport connecting these two locations.

Two bus companies operate a service from Malaga Bus Station to La Línea de la Concepción (the Gibraltar border). They are:

• Avanza Grupo
• ALSA

These services depart Malaga at least five times per day. However, the exact number varies depending on the day of the week.

The bus from Malaga to Gibraltar costs €10 or €16 one-way, depending on the company you use.

However, much like taking a taxi, you’ll need to get off the bus in La Línea de la Concepción. From La Línea de la Concepción, you must go through immigration control and cross the border into Gibraltar on foot.

Again, once in Gibraltar, you can walk, take the bus or take a taxi to your accommodation. Since there is a limited number of taxis within Gibraltar and buses are infrequent, I recommend walking.

Walking from the border to your hotel in Gibraltar can seem daunting, especially with luggage in tow. However, Gibraltar is only 6.4km square, with the majority taken up by the airport. It’s therefore just a 15-minute stroll from the border to Gibraltar city centre.

You can hire a car to drive from Malaga to Gibraltar. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for two reasons:

1. Longer immigration times (both inbound and outbound)
2. Minimal parking (Gibraltar is only 6.4km sq)

Instead, I recommend driving to La Línea de la Concepción, the Spanish town on the border of Gibraltar. Park there and cross the border into Gibraltar on foot.

Parking a rental car in La Línea de la Concepción is significantly easier, and immigration is much quicker. Once in Gibraltar, you can take a taxi, use the public bus system or walk around the territory.

Gibraltar has some fantastic things to do and see; as a result, I recommend spending a day or two there if you can. If you do decide to drive into Gibraltar, then you’ll need to consider several things:

1. Does the car rental company allow you to cross borders? Most restrict it to the Iberian Peninsula (Mainland Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar). However, it’s always worth double-checking.
2. Where are you going to park? Parking is severely limited in Gibraltar. You will want to research several parking options in advance.
3. Does the car insurance and breakdown cover include Gibraltar? Towing a car out of Gibraltar is a time-consuming and costly undertaking. As such, it’s not always included in insurance premiums. If it happens and it’s not covered by the insurance, you’ll need to pay out of pocket.