Background
We used Malaga, Spain as a good home base to explore some of Andalusia. I’ve always wanted to see the Alhambra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is in Granada. The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex and one of the most famous and best-preserved monuments of Islamic architecture. So, we decided to embark on a day trip from Malaga to Granada and took the Renfe Avant Train.
Renfe Avant Train Booking
There were only 3 direct trains a day in each direction from Malaga to Granada, but thankfully, there was a 9:25 am one to start our day, which got us to Granada at 10:43 am. We took the last train of the day back to Malaga, which departed Granada at 6:29 pm and arrived in Malaga at 7:45 pm. This was a solid amount of time for us to explore Granada and go to the Alhambra.
We booked a First Class seat around 2 months in advance. First Class is in a more comfortable 2-1 configuration vs 2-2 in Second Class. Our roundtrip ticket came out to about USD 40 per person, and it came with reserved seats, and my group of 5 was able to sit next to each other.
Renfe Avant Train Experience
Malaga Train Station has a whole mall inside with lots of food & shops, while the Granada Train Station has 1 restaurant only.
The Renfe Avant train is definitely not as fancy as the Iryo train we took from Malaga to Madrid, despite being a similar price. But it gets the job done for this short 1 hour and 20 minute journey.
The first class was in Car 1, and it was set up in a comfortable 1-2 configuration. The seats were adorned in blue cloth, and power ports were not available. There were the footrests, at least, though. The cabin was quite warm the whole time, but at least we left and arrived on time.
A negative was that the cafe car was closed and the vending machine was empty on the way there, and broken on the way back.
Getting to Alhambra
We booked Alhambra tickets from the official site two months in advance, which is recommended, especially if you want to see the Nasrid Palaces. You must enter the Nasrid Palaces within the specific access time slot on your ticket, but you can tour the rest of the Alhambra at your leisure. We bought the complete ticket, which was 19 EUR.
Our visit to the Nasrid Palaces was at 1 pm, so we roamed around the Alcaiceria, which is an area with gift shops and bazaars, and walked around the central area of Granada. From the train station to the Alcaiceria, it was about a 20-minute walk, and then another 20 minute (uphill) walk to Puerta de la Justicia, which was a convenient entrance to enter the Alhambra from. We did the Nasrid Palaces first and then toured the rest of the Alhambra (Alcazaba, the Generalife Palace and Gardens).
Exploring More of Granada
Once we finished our tour of the Alhambra, we walked back to the city. We had about 2 hours before our train home, so we stopped by Mirador de San Nicolas to see the view of the Alhambra, but I thought the view was alright. We then walked through the historic neighborhood of the Albaicin, with cobblestone streets and whitewashed houses. It was nice, though there were a couple of “tourists not welcome” & “Granada against mass-tourism” signs that were a bit offputting, so definitely be mindful and be respectful when walking through the neighborhood. Thankfully, we didn’t run into any trouble.
And just like that, it was time to head back to the station for our 6:29 pm train. A productive and successful day trip!
The Verdict
Overall, our day trip from Malaga to Granada on the Renfe Avant Train to see the Alhambra was quite productive. It was a great day trip, and I was happy that we embarked on it! The Alhambra is beautiful and definitely worth a visit.
Have you taken a day trip from Malaga to Granada before? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
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