Málaga's old town can easily be covered on foot. Much of the western side is pedestrianised and in other places, its warren-like nature means that walking is the only choice.

The only times you might need a bus or taxi is to the railway station (around 20 minutes walk from the centre), or if you visit the beaches of Pedragalejo and El Palo.

The bus network is operated by Autobuses Urbanos EMT (tel: 902 527 200; website: www.emtsam.es). It runs an extensive service with over 30 routes covering the whole of the city (though do remember many central streets are pedestrianised) including three night service lines. Maps, routes and even a route planning service (in English) can be found on their website.

The Málaga Tour Bus (see Tours) is a useful way of riding around the city's main sights regardless of its tour guide content.

Reliable taxi companies include Agrupación Local y Provincial (tel: 952 345 693), Unitaxi (tel: 952 333 333) and Unión Sociedad Cooperativa Andaluza (tel: 952 345 948).

You won't need a car to get around the centre of Málaga, but if you want to explore further afield several international and local car hire companies have offices at the airport, the railway station and in the city centre. They include Avis (tel: 952 048 505 (airport) or 221 194 (city); website: www.avis.es), Europcar (tel: 952 048 518 (airport) or 356 512 (railway station); website: www.europcar.com) and Hertz (tel: 952 233 086 (airport) or 356202 (city); website: www.hertz.com). 

Always park in a secure place if possible, and beware of theft of belongings from vehicles.