Today at Smart Traveller, we are beginning a new series of posts in which we will be taking a look at some of the world’s airports, and providing you with information that should help you if you are planning on using them. In the first post in this series, we are looking at Malaga Airport.
Malaga International Airport is situated about 8km to the southwest of the Spanish city of Malaga, on the Costa del Sol. Malaga is one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, with attractions such as the Alcazaba (the city’s Moorish fortress) and The Picasso Museum, and Malaga International Airport is also the main airport for tourists heading for destinations such as Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola. As a result, the airport is extremely busy, with 12,813,472 travellers having passed through it during 2008.
Both domestic and international flights arrive and depart from Malaga International Airport, and a number of UK airlines operate flights to Malaga. At the moment, the airport has one runway and two terminals, although a second runway and third terminal are being constructed. Flights from the UK arrive at Terminal 2 (also known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso), and most flights depart from this terminal as well (although check-in is divided between the two terminals).
The terminals include shops and food outlets, and there are also several VIP lounges. Unusually for an airport, there is an Exhibition Hall between the terminals, where you can see works by local artists. There is also a museum, The National Museum of Aviation, which is housed in the original terminal building, about ten minutes away from the current terminals.
It’s worth noting that there are no hotels at the airport itself and there are also no left luggage facilities.
There is a railway station at the airport, so you could take the train to the city of Malaga or to Fuengirola, and there are also buses and taxis available outside of the terminal. Improved rail links to the airport are also planned as part of the ongoing expansion of the airport.
However, the easiest and most convenient way to travel to and from Malaga International Airport is probably by car. There are a number of car firms operating from the airport, but if you want to get the cheapest deals, it’s worth booking your Malaga Airport hire car in advance. You can then have peace of mind from knowing that when you land you will be able to just pick up your rental car and drive to your destination.
Using Malaga Airport’s car hire facilities also means that you can just drive straight to the airport when your holiday is over and drop your car off before checking-in, so you won’t have to worry about relying on public transport or taxis to get you to the airport on time.
In the next post in this series, we’ll be taking a look at Nice Airport and its facilities.
Tags: Airport guide, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Malaga International Airport, Spain
