HOW TO GET TO GRANADA?

Unlike Madrid or Barcelona, there’s a catch with the airport here (spoiler: you’ll probably end up going through Málaga), so it’s worth reading this guide carefully before booking your ticket. Here are all your options for getting to Granada, with times, prices and tips to make your arrival as smooth as possible.

Flying to Granada: the detail you need to know before booking

Granada has its own airport, Granada Airport, about 20 km from the city, with good connections to Madrid, Barcelona, Seville or Valencia. The catch is that it has no direct international flights, so if you’re coming from outside Spain, your flight will most likely land somewhere else.

Málaga Airport: your most likely alternative

If you’re travelling from outside Spain, the airport with the most international connections in the area is Málaga, and from there you have direct buses to Granada every one to two hours, with a journey time of just 1h45.

• Bus price: around €22 (plus a €2-3 fee if booking online), though there are also pricier fares depending on time and demand.
• Last departure: the last bus to Granada leaves at 9:30 p.m. If your flight lands later than that, you’ll need to spend the night in Málaga or take a taxi to Granada, which can run around €170, so it’s well worth planning your flight times carefully to avoid that surprise.

📌 Tip: always check your flight’s landing time before booking, since arriving late in Málaga can complicate (and add cost to) your first day in Spain.

How to get from Granada Airport to the city centre (if you land here)

If your flight does land directly in Granada (for example, coming from Madrid or Barcelona), you have these options:

• Bus (line 245): marked «Aeropuerto Granada» on the front and side of the bus. It passes through the city centre and ends at the Palacio de Congresos. Price: just €3.
• Taxi: a trip from the airport to the centre costs between €25 and €35. It’s a good idea to ask for an approximate price before getting in, especially if you’re from abroad and don’t know the local rates.

Getting to Granada by bus

Granada is very well connected by bus to the rest of Andalusia’s capitals (Málaga, Seville, Almería), to Madrid, and to other major cities like Valencia or Barcelona, as well as several international destinations.

Prices and times from major cities

• Madrid (Estación Sur) – Granada: around 5 hours, with tickets between €22 and €42 (occasional deals can drop to €9, so it’s worth keeping an eye out).

The bus tends to be the cheaper option compared to the train, though the journey can be a bit longer. You can buy long-distance tickets at alsa.es.

📌 Fun fact: if you ever fancy a trip to one of the villages in the province (Pampaneira, Monachil, Moclín…), there are daily buses, though in some cases, like Montefrío, there’s only one bus a day, so plan your day trip accordingly.

Getting to Granada by train

The train tends to be faster than the bus from major cities, though for smaller towns the bus is sometimes the only option available.

Main connections

• Madrid – Granada: 3h30, three trains a day, around €60.
• Barcelona – Granada: between 6 and 8 hours, two morning departures a day, around €60-70.
• Seville – Granada: 2h30, three trains a day, between €30 and €40.
• Málaga – Granada: the fastest route takes just 1h18, with eight departures a day, between €18 and €50.

The train station is well connected to the centre via urban bus lines 4, 21 and 33.

Getting to Granada by car

If you’d rather drive, here are the main routes depending on where you’re coming from:

• From the airport: direct via the A-92 motorway, 10-15 minutes if heading to the north of the city, or 5 minutes more if heading south via the A-44/E-902.
• From Almería: along the coast to Motril, connecting with the N-323, or via the A-92 to Guadix, connecting with the N-324.
• From Córdoba: via the N-432, passing through Espejo, Baena, Alcaudete and Alcalá la Real.
• From Madrid: via the A-4/E-5 and then the A-44/E-902, a journey of 4-5 hours.
• From the Costa Tropical: via the A-44/E-902, around 50 minutes to Salobreña.

If you don’t have your own car, you can rent one both at the airport and in the city itself.

How to get to the centre from the different stations

From the bus station

It’s very well connected via urban line 33, whose stop is right in front of the station, so you can reach anywhere in Granada without any hassle.

From the train station

The station is about a 30-minute walk from the historic centre (following Avenida de la Constitución and Gran Vía to the Cathedral area), but if you’re carrying luggage, it’s better to take the urban bus. Lines 21, 33, N1, N3, N5 and N9 stop just 2 minutes from the station and take you to the centre and other neighbourhoods.

There’s also a stop for metropolitan buses in case you need to reach a nearby village directly without going through the centre.

By taxi from either station

There’s a taxi rank at both the bus station and the train station. A trip to the centre usually costs between €5 and €10, depending on traffic. As always, make sure the meter is running.