Marbella to Gibraltar
Gibraltar joined the Schengen area on 15 July 2026, and the land border changed with it: no routine passport checks, but you still need to be carrying one. Here is what that means for a day trip, how to get there, and what to see once you cross.
Checked 13 August 2026, against Gibraltar's own tourist board and government sources.
The border, since 15 July 2026
The frontier is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no crossing fee. Since Gibraltar joined Schengen on 15 July 2026, there are no routine passport or customs checks for anyone crossing on foot or by car. That does not mean travel without one: a valid passport is still required to enter Gibraltar, and you are expected to carry it and comply with any check an officer does ask for.
- Border hours
- 24/7, no crossing fee
Driving
Take the A-7 or AP-7 west through Estepona, then exit at Junction 119 onto the N-351 into La Linea de la Concepcion. The frontier is about a five-minute walk from La Linea bus station, and cars cross the same barrier-free line as pedestrians. The fast AP-7 route between Estepona and Guadiaro is a toll road: the light-vehicle toll rises in high season.
- AP-7 toll, Estepona–Guadiaro (low season)
- €2.45 one way, light vehicle
- AP-7 toll (Jun–Sep and Semana Santa)
- €4.05 one way, light vehicle
Bus: ALSA
ALSA runs coaches from Marbella bus station to La Linea de la Concepcion, a short walk from the frontier. Fares and departure times change with the season and were not reliably readable from ALSA's own booking system at the time of writing, so check both directly before you go rather than trust a number printed here.
Check times and fares at alsa.com
The Upper Rock Nature Reserve
The cable car up the Rock is closed for a full structural rebuild and is not expected back until 2027. Everyone reaches the Nature Reserve on foot or by licensed taxi tour in the meantime: St Michael's Cave, the Great Siege Tunnels, the Skywalk and the Barbary macaques are all still open, just without the ride up.
- Cable car
- Closed for rebuild, expected 2027
- Walk-in/taxi-tour entry, adult
- £30
- Walk-in/taxi-tour entry, child (5–11)
- £22, under 5 free
Money
Gibraltar's own currency is the Gibraltar pound, always at par with sterling. Euros and credit cards are both widely accepted around town, but change usually comes back in pounds, and Gibraltar pounds are hard to spend once you're back over the border.
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