Malaga, among the top 25 European cities where travelers seek the most day trips

Pilar Martínez

Málaga

In urban getaways, tourists are increasingly opting to enhance their experience with day trips to discover natural environments, charming villages, or cultural sites a short distance from big cities. Travelers choosing the capital of Málaga fit this profile of curious visitors who take advantage of their vacations in the capital of the Costa del Sol to explore, in addition to museums, other attractions in the province. This is why Málaga is on the list of the top 30 European cities where tourists book the most day trips. This ranking was conducted by TUI Musement, which is a benchmark in tourist tours and activities in destinations belonging to the global tour operator giant TUI. In it, Málaga ranks 22nd, with trips to Caminito del Rey, one of the country's most spectacular trails, being one of the most demanded along with visits to the town of Ronda.

Walking the Caminito, which is three kilometers long and just one meter wide with a hanging walkway at a height of 105 meters from the ground, has become a star attraction in the province's tourism offer. A trip that, considering the trails leading to the access and the shuttle bus, takes an estimated time of between three and four hours. Just a month ago, tickets went on sale to enjoy this experience from June 30 to December 6. Tickets are now available for the general public, organized tours, and travel agencies on the website www.caminitodelrey.info, explained by the Málaga Provincial Council. In total, for that period, around 220,000 tickets have been put on sale to walk a path that continues to attract maximum interest from visitors, including travelers from as far away as Australia. The general admission maintains a price of 10 euros (with a limit of ten per buyer) and 18 euros for the one that includes an official guided tour, which is conducted in Spanish and English for a group of up to 30 people. Additionally, they remind that children under eight years old cannot access the Caminito and that those older must prove their age with the original ID or Family Book, and up to the age of minors must be accompanied by an adult.

The latest study by TUI Musement, conducted after analyzing the volume of Google searches to identify the European cities from which there is a higher demand for day trips, places London, Paris, and Rome at the top of this list of destinations that, in addition to their cultural appeal, stand out as ideal starting points for experiencing new adventures in just a few hours.

The report also includes, in addition to Málaga, the cities of Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, and Valencia as the Spanish urban destinations that are part of this ranking. The Catalan capital is in fourth position with the Montserrat mountains attracting numerous visitors for its monastery and hiking trails; while the towns of the Costa Brava, like Tossa de Mar or Begur, are classics. For those wishing to cross the border for a few hours, day trips to Andorra, with a stop in the French fortified village of Mont-Louis, are among the preferred alternatives.

Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, and Valencia have also entered this 'Top 30' of European cities from which travelers seek to add experiences in nearby destinations

Madrid is in twelfth place, becoming an ideal starting point to visit nearby destinations such as Toledo, known as the City of Three Cultures, or Segovia, famous for its iconic Roman aqueduct. With more than 54,000 searches, Seville is in the eighteenth position, with many travelers taking advantage of their stay to visit other cities in the autonomous community, such as Córdoba and Granada. The last Spanish representative is Valencia, which is in 28th place, from where you can visit the Albufera natural park or towns on the Costa Blanca, such as Altea and Guadalest.

TUI Musement details that for the creation of this list, all European cities with more than 150,000 inhabitants were considered. For each of them, the volume of Google searches for the term "day trips from [city]", both in the city's original name and its English translation, was analyzed from March 2025 to last February.

Cities such as Florence, Edinburgh, Milan, Dublin, Lisbon, Athens, Amsterdam, Prague, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, Copenhagen, Nice, Porto, Venice, Stockholm, Geneva, Naples, Glasgow, Bologna, and Manchester have also made it onto this list.

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