Public transport

Where it exists, public transport is excellent.

Buses

The bus service is clean, efficient and relatively cheap, the buses are very modern and air-conditioned. The route network is quite extensive. The negative is that they call at every little town and village along the route so journey times can be quite long for what appears to be a relatively short distance. In this respect the service is a bit like the Greyhound service in the US. Unless you live in the centre of a large town it is probably better to have your own transport.

Trains

Train services are limited. There is a metro system in Malaga and there are trains along the coast as far as Fuengirola and north of Malaga along the Guadalhorce river valley. There are plans to extend the train services during the next ten years and when this happens it will then be possible to travel from Estepona to Nerja in 90 minutes. The difference on the Costa del Sol is that this new railway line will be built and it will open on time. The plans have already been approved. There is also a train service from Algeciras to Malaga or to Granada through the mountains, a very scenic route used a lot by tourists but also a vital lifeline to the mountain communities. Currently the high-speed train line from Madrid is being extended to Malaga and there are longer-term plans to extend it to Estepona.

Taxis

Taxis are very efficient and the wonderful thing here is that there is a price for any journey by taxi, which is set by the Spanish authorities. The drivers have charts that list the prices between the major destinations, so you can ask the price before you make the journey and you know what it will cost in advance. The only additional cost will be motorway tolls should you ask the driver to use the motorway.