London to Malaga. Two and a half hours to an airport that never closes, then on to Marbella.
Malaga runs around the clock, with two long runways and no argument about aircraft size, so a late dinner in Marbella can still end with a flight home the same night. For Marbella and Sotogrande it is the only sensible way in.
The route
At a glance
- Flight timeAbout 2 hours 30 to 2 hours 50Non-stop from any London airfield. Light jets fly it, though not all of them do it comfortably with a full cabin.
- DistanceRoughly 1,020 milesAround 890 nautical miles. Comfortable midsize territory, and within reach of the better light jets.
- FromLuton, Farnborough, Biggin Hill or StanstedFarnborough and Biggin Hill suit the west and south east; Luton and Stansted the north and the City.
- ToMalaga (AGP)Eight kilometres south west of Malaga, on the coast with the motorway at the perimeter. Open twenty four hours.
Why people fly it privately
An airport that does not close
Half the appeal of this route is something most people never think about until it costs them an evening. Malaga operates around the clock. On a list of southern European airfields where the night curfew shapes your day, that is rare and useful: a late dinner in Marbella can still end with a departure the same night rather than an extra hotel and an early start.
The rest of the appeal is capacity. Two generous runways mean no aircraft size argument at all, from a turboprop to a long range jet, and private arrivals are handled at a general aviation terminal in a separate building away from the main halls. Turnarounds there are quick by the standards of a large commercial airport, which matters because Malaga is a very large commercial airport indeed in July.
What Malaga does not save you is the road. Marbella is three quarters of an hour to an hour away along the toll motorway, Puerto Banus a little further, and Sotogrande an hour and a quarter or more. In August, at the wrong time of day, all of those stretch. The drive is pleasant and it is not short, and any plan that pretends otherwise falls apart on the first evening.
Odyssey's own cars and chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, with a trusted global network everywhere else. On the Costa del Sol the cars are arranged through operators we know, briefed by us and holding your tail number, so the car is waiting whether you land on time or an hour early.
On arrival
Onward from Malaga by road
| To | Typical | In August |
|---|---|---|
| Malaga city and the port | 15 to 25 minutes | 25 to 40 minutes |
| Marbella | 45 to 60 minutes by the toll motorway | 1 hour to 1 hour 30 |
| Puerto Banus and the Golden Mile | 50 to 65 minutes | 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 40 |
| Estepona | 1 hour to 1 hour 15 | 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 50 |
| Sotogrande | 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 30 | 1 hour 30 to 2 hours |
| Ronda, over the mountain | About 1 hour 30 | About 1 hour 45 |
| Granada and the Alhambra | 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 50 | 2 hours or more |
Realistic ranges. The coastal toll motorway is worth taking and the old coast road is not, on almost every day of the year. Cars in Spain are arranged through operators we know.
Planning it well
Things worth knowing
This is an easy route to fly and a surprisingly easy one to plan badly.
- Because Malaga is open all night, an evening departure after dinner is a genuine option rather than a hope. Ask for it at the planning stage and we will build the crew day around it
- Golf kit changes the aircraft. Four people and four bags fit in most light jets; four people, four bags and four sets of clubs usually do not. Tell us about the clubs
- A golf week is a car-for-the-week arrangement rather than two transfers. Sotogrande and the Marbella courses are an hour or more apart from each other
- Easter week and August are the two periods when everything on this coast, including the road, works differently. Ask early for both
- For a week on the coast the aircraft will not normally wait. It is a long enough route that repositioning is often the sensible answer, and we set that out in the proposal
- This is a strong empty leg route, because a lot of the traffic is one way at the start and end of the season
- If you are going on to Gibraltar or crossing to Morocco, say so at the outset. Frontier and permission questions are much easier answered a month ahead than on the day
Around the trip
Related pages
In Spain
Airports and terminals
Other southern routes
Request a quote
Tell us the dates
Dates, numbers, and an honest account of the luggage, clubs included. Tell us where on the coast you are going, because Marbella and Sotogrande are a long way apart and the car plan differs. We come back with a proposal for the flight and both cars. Nothing is booked or paid online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About this route
Can we fly home late at night?
Yes. Malaga is open twenty four hours, which is unusual among the southern airports and one of the best reasons to use it. The constraint becomes crew duty rather than the airport, and we plan for that.
Is there an airport nearer Marbella?
Not a practical one for business aircraft. Malaga is the arrival airport for the whole of this coast, and the forty five minutes to an hour on the motorway is part of the journey rather than a sign something has gone wrong.
Will a light jet take us and the golf clubs?
Sometimes, and it is the most frequent source of disappointment on this route. Tell us how many bags and how many sets of clubs and we will tell you honestly whether you need a midsize aircraft.
Can you arrange the cars on the coast?
Yes. Our own fleet and chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, with a trusted global network everywhere else; in Spain the car is arranged through an operator we know, briefed by us and working to your tail number.
One contact, wherever you are