As Malaga strives towards being the European City of Culture for 2016 and the seat of communication and economic growth for the south of Spain, substantial investment has been ploughed into developing the region's infrastructure. A serious overhaul of the transportation network has included construction of a brand new terminal and runway at Malaga Airport, due to be finished in 2010, and the massive expansion of Malaga Maria Zambrano Train Station which now boasts the Vialia Shopping and Leisure Centre, a 4 star hotel and an increase in train lines from 5 to 8. Completed in 2006, this has enabled the station to go from purely providing local routes to high speed AVE links to major cities such as Barcelona, Madrid and Seville, a huge coo for Malaga.
The new station is a bright, airy composition and is filled with almost every modern convenience. The lay out is simple and effective. Those travelling into the station by train are first greeted by a newsagents and a cafeteria as they disembark. Once through the exit doors there is a luggage scanner on the left for people boarding the trains and on the right there is a Unicaja cashpoint, lockers to store luggage and phones. Beyond this is a passage lined with the four Malaga train station car hire firms, which are Avis, Europcar, Hertz and National Atessa. At the end of this walkway lies the entrance to the Barcelo Malaga Hotel and Convention Centre. The four star hotel has a fresh, contemporary design with 222 rooms, free Internet, fabulous breakfast buffet, clean, comfortable rooms and even a slide which runs from the 1st floor to the ground floor. Staying here is ideal for exploring Malaga as taxis and buses are located in front of the main exit and the trains are always on hand to take you off on daytrips to locations further afield.
For those that love retail therapy there is of course the Vialia Shopping Centre right on the door step. This steel, concrete and glass structure forms a semi-circular loop to the right of the station as it appears coming through the doors from the main entrance. The ground floor hosts all the most popular shops from Zara and Zara Home to Massimo Dutti, Accessorize, Bodyshop and Berksha with a cafeteria El Yate offering a place to indulge in cakes, sandwiches and a restorative cup of tea. While these stores mainly sell clothes, cosmetics and home decoration, there are also an opticians, travel agents, mobile phone and computer game shop. Upstairs on the 1st floor is where the entertainment is centred with a 13 screen Yelmo cinema, a 3,000 m2 professional bowling alley and a plethora of restaurants and fast food establishments including McDonald's, Foster Hollywood and Haagen Dazs, as well as more traditional Spanish fare in the form of La Taberna del Sur.
Arriving via the main entrance there are 12 tickets desks and 2 information desks to the left, plus automatic check-in kiosks where passengers can print off tickets by putting in their booking reference number. It also allows people to make changes to bookings they have made online. The local trains are the CercanÃas Renfe split into the C2 trains which go towards Fuengirola and the C1 trains which head to downtown Malaga, taking in Malaga Pablo Picasso Airport just four stops from Maria Zambrano. These trains depart from the left hand platforms past the ticket barriers and the journey to the airport takes approximately 15 minutes at a cost of 1.25 euros single. However this means of airport transfer is ill-advised if travelling with a lot of luggage or with mobility issues, as it is located an arduous 10 minute walk from the terminal.
To get to the station from the airport turn right out of the Malaga Airport departures hall, walk along the pavement following the signs, cross the road, pass through the car park and out the other side. Here there is a footbridge which takes you over the main road into the airport and down some steep stairs to the station. Be sure to check which train you are getting on because there is only one platform. Either check the destination written on the front or remember that trains coming from the left are going to Fuengirola, while those coming into the station from the right are heading to Malaga. If you are fit and agile and without much baggage it won't be a problem, otherwise it is better to get the bus as even the steps on to the train itself are steep and small.
The Malaga Airport buses which take you to Maria Zambrano Station are located outside the Malaga Airport arrivals hall, 50 metres down on the right after exiting. The number 19 bus runs roughly every half an hour to the main bus station in Malaga, located just round the corner from the train station, at a fare of 1.10 euros for a single ticket. Originally the journey would have taken 20 minutes but now because of the prolific road works with the new metro installation, it takes around half an hour. Once off the bus, walk down the road past the main entrance for the buses and cross over the road. Turn left and just a little way up on the right will be the side entrance to the Vialia Shopping Centre. Bus services go several times a day to Granada, Nerja, Marbella and Torremolinos, to name a few and to places further afield such as Algcerias, Alhaurin and Madrid. When returning from the bus station to the airport the stop is situated behind Bay 30, which is at the end of the central walkway and is specially designated only for airport buses. Be careful with high heels on this walkway as it is heavily polished marble and can be slippery.
Maria Zambrano Train Station is open between 06.15 and 00.45 and if you have organised a car hire at Malaga Airport, there is parking in front for 1,500 vehicles. Of those spaces, 1,250 are underground and 250 are on ground level. Charges are €0.026 per minute for the first half hour and €0.025 there after with a maximum fee of €18 for the whole day. Visitors travelling by long distant or high speed train on Preferential, First and Club Class get 24 hours free parking per ticket, so for a return ticket to Madrid for example it is 48 hours free parking. To reach the train station by car drive onto Avenida de Andalucia, take a right at the El Corte Ingles roundabout, carry on straight until you reach a roundabout with the Eroski shopping centre and then turn left onto the Calle de la Explanada de la Estación. The station will come into a view a few minutes later on the right. It is just a two minute walk from the older Larios Shopping Centre.
Useful Telephone Numbers:
Station information 902 43 23 43
Information and sales 902 24 02 02
Disabled travellers 902 11 00 55
Michelle Elkins is a regular contributor to the Malaga Airport Guide which provides detail information on everything to do with Malaga Airport including the best rates on Malaga Airport car hire and how to arrange an airport transfer.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Elkins
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