From Malaga to best city to fly home

[cruisemuse13]

I will be on a cruise this fall which ends in Malaga , Spain. I checked on Choice Air, and the cost of a flight back to Canada from Malaga was 3 times higher than the usual airfare from Europe.

 

Ideally , I would like to spend a few days after the cruise in Spain or Portugal and then fly home from a city other than Malaga to get a better airfare. Any suggestions? Should we rent a car or take a train to Madrid? I would like to rent a car and drive to Lisbon, but the cost of taking a rental car across the border seems prohibitive too. Maybe a train to Portugal and then rent a car?

 

Obviously, I have alot of research to do about trains, planes, and automobiles but any advice about where to start would be appreciated.

[campolady]

I will be on a cruise this fall which ends in Malaga , Spain. I checked on Choice Air, and the cost of a flight back to Canada from Malaga was 3 times higher than the usual airfare from Europe.

 

Ideally , I would like to spend a few days after the cruise in Spain or Portugal and then fly home from a city other than Malaga to get a better airfare. Any suggestions? Should we rent a car or take a train to Madrid? I would like to rent a car and drive to Lisbon, but the cost of taking a rental car across the border seems prohibitive too. Maybe a train to Portugal and then rent a car?

 

Obviously, I have alot of research to do about trains, planes, and automobiles but any advice about where to start would be appreciated.

 

No trains direct to Portugal - you would have to take a bus or train to Seville then a bus across into Portugal.

 

Cheapest option for staying within Spain would be a Vueling or Ryanair flight from Malaga to Madrid or Barcelona from where there are far more options of a flight home. Internal flights in Spain are often cheaper than trains or buses - and are a lot quicker!

 

Please do spend some time in Malaga - it has so much to offer.

Edited May 6, 2014 by campolady

[cruisemuse13]

Thank you for the information about trains.

I was concerned about local flights having a restriction on baggage allowance since we will have 2 large suitcases with us, so I will need to investigate the 2 airlines you mentioned since I am not familiar with them.

 

And the cruise I am on will spend 2 nights in Malaga, so I will spend time there for sure. I have seen your postings on other threads and the information about Malaga is really valuable.

 

I appreciate you taking the time to reply.:)

[campolady]

Thank you for the information about trains.

I was concerned about local flights having a restriction on baggage allowance since we will have 2 large suitcases with us, so I will need to investigate the 2 airlines you mentioned since I am not familiar with them.

 

And the cruise I am on will spend 2 nights in Malaga, so I will spend time there for sure. I have seen your postings on other threads and the information about Malaga is really valuable.

 

I appreciate you taking the time to reply.:)

 

With that amount of luggage I would look at trains to Madrid as airline baggage charges are going to be too high.

[John Bull]

Thank you for the information about trains.

I was concerned about local flights having a restriction on baggage allowance since we will have 2 large suitcases with us, so I will need to investigate the 2 airlines you mentioned since I am not familiar with them.

 

And the cruise I am on will spend 2 nights in Malaga, so I will spend time there for sure. I have seen your postings on other threads and the information about Malaga is really valuable.

 

I appreciate you taking the time to reply.:)

 

With Ryanair (don't know about Vueling, but most budget airlines are the same), you need to run a dummy booking, up to when you're asked for card details, to see the total with add-ons. Cumbersome & time-consuming if there's a number of choices, but don't automatically presume it'll be too expensive. Pricing is fluid, tend to start going up around 2-3 months out.

 

JB :)

[VMax1700]

There are a couple of airlines you could look at for flights out of Malaga.

 

Aer Lingus to Dublin and then on to Toronto. (one way tickets are half price of return tickets!).

Transavia to Amsterdam and then Delta or Air Canada or ?

B.A. to London Gatwick and onwards to Canada.

Brussels Airlines to Brussels and onwards.

 

There are quite a few options. Where do you want to fly to? What about the outward leg? Where does your cruise start?

[MADflyer]

Malaga is a very well serviced airport due to so many Europeans having residences in Spain along with somewhat strong tourism still.

 

You only state 'Canada' and if you are going to Calgary, St. Johns or Victoria you would want to also consider the German charter division of Lufthansa, Condor where one-way fares can be purchased from Spain for $600 to $800 US.

 

More and more one way routes are opening. While Dublin is a good traditional choice Milan, Copenhagen and others have opened up with Icelandair, Turikish Airlines, Norwegian Emirates and many others driving competition.

[cruisemuse13]

I will be flying from Toronto to Rome, for the start of the cruise, and the cruise ends in Malaga.

 

I have been trying some of the online "flight search"engines and they do not include many of the airlines you have suggested, like Condor or Ryannair. So thank you for the suggestions. I will need to widen my search.

 

Before, I have started and ended my cruise in a major city, like Rome, Venice, or Barcelona. So we just added days at those ports and the planning was straightforward. This time, I have so many variables I am floundering abit. I need to get a bit more focused.:o

[MADflyer]

Most airlines will book a open jaw if you want to purchase both on same PNR, Passenger Name Record. If using a site like kayak dot com they will suggest best open jaw. Agencies like ex will even combine fares from various carriers or any carrier will do a code share flight for you. We can not mention specific agencies here.

 

Just choose Rome and then any European mainline airport. Some will even come up with a connecting flight from Malaga as well.

[cruisemuse13]

With that amount of luggage I would look at trains to Madrid as airline baggage charges are going to be too high.

 

After looking at a multitude of options, we have decided to forgo visiting Portugal on this trip. And we have reduced the number of days we will have post-cruise, so the plan now is to take the high speed train from Malaga to Madrid, and fly home from there.

 

I have checked the website, http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html, suggested by VMax1700. When I check for a train from Malaga to Madrid on November 16, 2014, it says there are no trains available. Is this because it is a Sunday, or is November too distant to have the schedules availabe? Any advice about figuring out a train schedule would be much appreciated.

[scottbee]

Air Transat fly AGP-YUL. All you would need is a short hop from Montreal.

[MADflyer]

 

I have checked the website, http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html, suggested by VMax1700. When I check for a train from Malaga to Madrid on November 16, 2014, it says there are no trains available. Is this because it is a Sunday, or is November too distant to have the schedules availabe? Any advice about figuring out a train schedule would be much appreciated.

 

https://venta.renfe.com/vol/inicioCompra.do choose English by selecting 'welcome' at top of page.

 

I am only showing the 11:05 train not open for sale yet. The 8AM is open not reduced, 9AM has real good deal on the P+ first class with seat selection and 20% change fee if needed for just 46.55 per passenger, 11:05 not open, 14:05 normal price, 15:00 with good discount .... an so on with about 8 more trains.

[MADflyer]

Air Transat fly AGP-YUL. All you would need is a short hop from Montreal.

 

I did not realize they were flying that route. It appears they are operating seasonal service from February to October though. Looks like the route is weekly on Tuesdays, as well.

[cruisemuse13]

https://venta.renfe.com/vol/inicioCompra.do choose English by selecting 'welcome' at top of page.

 

I am only showing the 11:05 train not open for sale yet. The 8AM is open not reduced, 9AM has real good deal on the P+ first class with seat selection and 20% change fee if needed for just 46.55 per passenger, 11:05 not open, 14:05 normal price, 15:00 with good discount .... an so on with about 8 more trains.

 

Thank you so much, I have been able to get the page with the timetables for Malaga to Madrid.:) Is Preferente first class? is that better than Tourista Plus? Would you recommend purchasing tickets online, or for the Challenged Planner (that would be Me) would you recommend ordering the tickets over the phone to be sure I got the right tickets? I do want something with an assigned seat and place for our luggage.

[MADflyer]

Thank you so much, I have been able to get the page with the timetables for Malaga to Madrid.:) Is Preferente first class? is that better than Tourista Plus? Would you recommend purchasing tickets online, or for the Challenged Planner (that would be Me) would you recommend ordering the tickets over the phone to be sure I got the right tickets? I do want something with an assigned seat and place for our luggage.

 

I used to book these all the time years ago, when there website did not work so well. I think they have a fairly functional website now. When you know your plans, there is no reason to not buy the tickets as far in advance as possible. Fares are variable, just like airline tickets and you will most likely only find full price seats closer in.

 

Preferente is first class basically. Turista plus is new and described on their website. If you are booking in advance and getting such a good deal on Preferente, that would be my choice. It is not necessary as all cars are good.

 

The P+, Promo plus is the lowest price where you get to choose seats yourself. Otherwise all seats are assigned automatically.

 

Spanish trains have baggage control, so show up early for your train. It is not possible to just rush to the track at the last minute and catch the train as in most countries.

 

As the AVE section of Spanish trains are secure areas, there is very little issues with baggage theft and these trains have almost no stops.

 

You do have a international rail agency in Canada if you so choose, but I would think it would just add expense.

http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/viajes_internacionales/puntosventa_internacional.html

[cruisemuse13]

I used to book these all the time years ago, when there website did not work so well. I think they have a fairly functional website now. When you know your plans, there is no reason to not buy the tickets as far in advance as possible. Fares are variable, just like airline tickets and you will most likely only find full price seats closer in.

 

Preferente is first class basically. Turista plus is new and described on their website. If you are booking in advance and getting such a good deal on Preferente, that would be my choice. It is not necessary as all cars are good.

 

The P+, Promo plus is the lowest price where you get to choose seats yourself. Otherwise all seats are assigned automatically.

 

Spanish trains have baggage control, so show up early for your train. It is not possible to just rush to the track at the last minute and catch the train as in most countries.

 

As the AVE section of Spanish trains are secure areas, there is very little issues with baggage theft and these trains have almost no stops.

 

You do have a international rail agency in Canada if you so choose, but I would think it would just add expense.

http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/viajes_internacionales/puntosventa_internacional.html

Well, I am at the point when I am going to try and purchase tickets for November. When I tried previously, my payment would not go thru. I am hoping that since it is now closer to the actual date, that I will be able to complete my transaction.

 

I did post the following on the Malaga information thread:

Our November cruise ends in Malaga on a Sunday. The ship actually arrives at 9pm on Friday, and we will have all day Saturday to spend in Malaga, and disembark on Sunday morning. I need to purchase Renfe train tickets from Malaga to Madrid, and the best price is for the 9am train.

 

How much time should I allow to travel from the ship to the train station, and how early do I need to get to the train station before my train departure at 9am? Also, has anyone had any experience with luggage being oversized or overweight for the train and what costs are involved?

 

This is the first time I am travelling by train in Europe so any advice is welcome.

 

:o so I was wondering MADflyer, how early should we arrive for the train? Thanks for any advice.

[MADflyer]

 

This is the first time I am travelling by train in Europe so any advice is welcome.

 

:o so I was wondering MADflyer, how early should we arrive for the train? Thanks for any advice.

 

If you have all tickets in order, arriving 30 minutes prior should be fine. They do scan all baggage. You have to be able to get it down the platform on your own though. It has been awhile since I have taken the train as I drive up to Madrid most often now, so someone else may post more updated information here.

 

Another thing special about Malaga station is that if they fill one train, they will sometimes add another train at the same time, meaning quite a long walk on occasion, as you are actually passing one whole train to get to your car in the train ahead of the first one.

 

Traffic is not too bad and would think leaving the port at least by 8:00 AM would be more than sufficient, if taking a taxi. You are able to get a bus to the train station as well and will need to allow more time.

Edited August 11, 2014 by MADflyer

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I would pre-arrange transportation to the train station. When I was in Malaga- there weren't that many taxi's and if everyone else has the same idea... could be a long wait for a taxi.

[MADflyer]

I am guessing that if you are on Azamara, that they will still be out at the Cruise Terminal A, as they are doing a 'Turn-around' cruise with embarkation.

 

The Palm Grove Terminal is a new terminal for smaller ships right in the middle of Malaga, but I think they only use it for ships that are in transit.

 

While the cruise terminal does have a 'Taxi Rank', all taxis in Malaga are controlled by one operator and will be easy to book and get information.

 

If you are on Azamara, I am not sure how they operate their normal 'shuttle service' when they have a disembarkation. They might take you to a stop where there is an additional 'taxi rank'

 

I think it is a fixed price of 10 euro from the cruise terminal to the center of Malaga. I took a taxi last on this route from the AC Hotel to my ship in January and it was a fixed price.

 

http://www.puertomalaga.com/web/guest/terminal-cruceros

[cruisemuse13]

The information about taxis is very helpful. we are on Azamara and will be in port on Saturday, so I now know to check out the taxi situation and decide whether to book a transport for Sunday morning.

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

[Lancer1568]

After looking at a multitude of options, we have decided to forgo visiting Portugal on this trip. And we have reduced the number of days we will have post-cruise, so the plan now is to take the high speed train from Malaga to Madrid, and fly home from there.

 

I have checked the website, http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html, suggested by VMax1700. When I check for a train from Malaga to Madrid on November 16, 2014, it says there are no trains available. Is this because it is a Sunday, or is November too distant to have the schedules availabe? Any advice about figuring out a train schedule would be much appreciated.

I was able to book the high speed train from Malaga to Madrid on 16 November so know there is a train

[cruisemuse13]

I was able to book the high speed train from Malaga to Madrid on 16 November so know there is a train

 

After several tries, I was able to buy my tickets. I am on the 9 a.m. train since it had the best price.