01 March, 2017

By VIVA Team

The Malaga-Costa del Sol airport deals with millions of passengers each year, and is winning praise and accolades right across Europe.

The Málaga-Costa del Sol airport deals with millions of passengers each year, and is winning praise and accolades right across Europe.

It may not be the most scientific of studies, but few of the millions of tourists expected to descend on the Costa del Sol this year are likely to care too much about that: GoEuro, the travel info and comparison platform, has ranked Málaga’s airport the easiest to reach by public transport in Europe…

Earning a score of 99.9 out of 100, the Málaga-Costa del Sol terminal ranked ahead of 29 other of the continent’s 30 busiest airports in the accessibility category, particularly when it comes to public transport.

While the airport itself may lack the vast web of underground and overground rail connections that are a feature of many European airports, its appeal lies in its simplicity: quick, regular and affordable buses that connect the terminal to the centre of Málaga for as little as €2 a pop (€1.80 by train), and a fleet of coaches that ferry holidaymakers along the coast to Marbella, Torremolinos, Fuengirola and farther afield.

Since its fancy upgrade in 2010, Málaga-Costa del Sol airport has become something of an unsung hero in the Costa del Sol’s record-breaking tourism march, efficiently shipping thousands of holidaymakers in and out of Southern Spain with a minimal amount of fuss or hassle.

Already this year passenger numbers are up 18.4% on the same period in 2016, setting the scene for another record-breaker in 2017.

And while most of the arrivals will steer a path to the coast, Málaga-Costa del Sol airport also tops the charts for being located nearest to a city centre, with the heart of the beautiful city of Málaga just a short bus or train ride away. Lisbon and Nice-Cote d’Azure airports are ranked second and third respectively in terms of city-centre-proximity.

Elsewhere in Spain, Palma de Majorca airport ranked ninth for accessibility, with Barcelona’s El Prat and Madrid-Barajas coming in tenth and 11th place in terms of quick, convenient and affordable public transport.

The cheapest public transport airport journey in Europe was found at Poland’s Warsaw airport, the study found.