Car Hire Costa del Sol: Airports, Pick-Up and Driving Tips

It depends on where you stay and how much you want to see. If you are based in Torremolinos, Benalmádena or Fuengirola and plan to spend most days by the pool or on the beach, airport transfers on the Costa del Sol are short: Torremolinos is 6 minutes from Málaga airport and Benalmádena 10. Many British travellers book a package with transfers included and never need a car.

The picture changes once you want to explore. Measured from the middle of the coast around Fuengirola, Marbella is about 13 miles away, Estepona about 29, Nerja about 45 and Manilva about 35. Málaga city, home to the cathedral, the Alcazaba, the Castle of Gibralfaro, the Roman Theatre and the Museo Picasso, is about 17 miles from Fuengirola, and the Cueva de Nerja is further still. Stringing those together by bus or taxi takes time, so a few days of car hire often pays its way in freedom.

It is worth weighing Costa del Sol taxi prices and transfers against a car for your own plans; you can compare transfers, car hire and tours side by side on this page.

Málaga (AGP) is the natural choice for most of the coast. It is minutes from Torremolinos, Málaga city, Benalmádena and Mijas, and the motorway runs both ways from there towards Marbella and Nerja.

If you are heading for the western end, Gibraltar (GIB) is closer: Manilva is 23 minutes away, Estepona 32 and Marbella 51, though Fuengirola is 69 minutes. For the eastern resorts, Granada (GRX) is the airport the drive times favour, with Nerja 43 minutes, Torrox 44, Torre del Mar 50 and Rincón de la Victoria 61. Jerez (XRY) is a longer option, with Manilva 73 minutes away.

All four airports have direct flights from the United Kingdom, so match your arrival airport to your resort first, then compare car rental on the Costa del Sol from that desk.

Most driving along this coast follows the shoreline, linking coastal towns that run almost continuously from Málaga to Fuengirola and on towards Marbella. Málaga itself is a large city of nearly 600,000 people, and its main sights are concentrated in the centre, so many visitors find it easier to park once and explore on foot.

Weather shapes the driving year. July and August average highs of 33°C, so a car with reliable air conditioning matters and an early start helps for day trips. October is the wettest month, with around 117 mm of rain over ten days, and March also sees nine rainy days, so allow extra time on wet roads. April, May, June, September and November are the most comfortable months for touring.

If you are combining the coast with a crossing, Málaga's ferry port is right by the city, with Algeciras and Motril the other nearby ports.

Choose a full-to-full fuel policy where you can, so you collect the car with a full tank and simply return it the same way. Read the excess terms closely and decide before you travel whether you want cover that reduces it, rather than deciding at the desk after a long flight.

Families should reserve child seats at the time of booking, since you cannot count on spares on the day, especially in school holidays when demand on the coast rises. For longer stays, such as a winter escape in the quieter months from December to March, long term car rental on the Costa del Sol can work out simpler than repeated short hires; the comparison on this page lets you set your own dates and see the options.