Alicante-Elche Airport, officially called Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández, is at El Altet, around 8 kilometres from the centre of Alicante. It has a single terminal, and the easiest way to get from Alicante Airport to the city centre is the C-6 airport bus, which runs around the clock to Puerta del Mar by the seafront promenade. Many travellers aren’t going to Alicante at all, though, but straight on to Benidorm or Elche, and buses run there directly from the terminal too.
The right choice depends on where you’re staying, how many of you there are and when you land. Here are all the options with fares and journey times, where to get off and how to travel straight on along the Costa Blanca. For the rough conversions I’ve used about £0.84 and $1.12 per euro.
Contents
At a glance
- C-6 bus: Around €4.70 (about £4/$5.30), roughly 20 to 30 minutes to Puerta del Mar, and it runs around the clock all year.
- Alsa coach to Benidorm: Around €8 to €12 (about £6.80 to £10, or $9 to $13.50) depending on the ticket type, roughly 45 minutes to Benidorm bus station, with departures from 07:00 to 23:00.
- R11 and R10 buses to Elche: Elche’s own city buses, running from around 05:00 to 23:30.
- Taxi: Around €30 (about £25.50/$33.50) to the centre of Alicante or Elche, and €75 to €85 (about £63 to £72, or $84 to $95) to Benidorm.
- Uber, Cabify and Bolt: Pick-up at the terminal, and the app shows you the fare before you book.
Finding your transport at the airport
The airport has just one terminal. You come out into the arrivals hall on the ground floor, which the airport calls level 0, and this is where you’ll find the car hire desks. Radio Taxi Elche also has an information desk in the arrivals hall, which is open from 09:00 to 01:00.
The buses don’t leave from the arrivals hall. The C-6 to Alicante, the Alsa coaches and the other long-distance coaches all use the same stop on the road in front of the departures hall on level 2, so you’ll need to go up to the departures level before you head outside. Alsa says the bus bays are directly opposite the check-in entrances. You’ll find every bus route on the airport’s bus page.
Taxis wait on the road in front of the arrivals hall, and Uber, Cabify and Bolt also pick you up on the ground floor by the terminal. The app shows you the exact meeting point once you’ve booked.
1. C-6 bus to Alicante city centre
The C-6 is the airport bus, and for most people it’s both the cheapest and the easiest way into Alicante. It’s run by Vectalia and links the terminal with the city centre every day of the year. There’s no train or tram at the airport, and the airport’s own page about trains and trams points you to the C-6 and its tram connection at Luceros.
From the airport, the bus runs through Agua Amarga, past EUIPO, the EU’s trade mark office, and on along Avenida de Elche. It stops at the bus station and reaches Puerta del Mar, at the end of the Explanada de España promenade, after around 20 to 30 minutes, or a little longer in the rush hour. If you stay on board, the bus carries on through the centre via MARQ, Mercado, Luceros and the railway station before heading back towards the airport. At Alfonso X El Sabio and Plaza de los Luceros, you can change to the tram, known locally as TRAM.
The C-6 runs around the clock. During the day there are around 10 to 15 minutes between departures, and at night it runs roughly every half hour. It’s an ordinary city bus with room for suitcases, but it can fill up when several flights land at the same time. It suits anyone staying in El Barrio, around Postiguet and the Marina or in central Alicante. The catch is that you have to go up to the departures level to find it, and you’ll need a card or small notes ready.
Fares and tickets
A single ticket costs around €4.70 (about £4/$5.30), and the fare is the same wherever you get off. The fare is adjusted from time to time, and you’ll still see older, lower prices online, so budget for around €4.70. The ticket is valid for one journey, and you pay again for the trip back when you board in town.
The city’s standard multi-journey cards and the tourist card aren’t valid on the C-6, so you can’t use them to get to the airport. You’ll find more about the route and its stops at Alicante’s tourist office.
Paying on the bus
You buy your ticket from the driver when you board, so there’s no need to buy anything in advance. You can pay with a contactless card or in cash. If you’re paying cash, have small notes or coins ready, because the driver won’t give more than €10 (about £8.40/$11) in change. That means a €50 note from the cash machine at the airport can cause problems.
Where to get off
Puerta del Mar: The square is at the end of the Explanada de España, right by Playa del Postiguet beach and the marina. It’s the best stop if you’re staying around Postiguet and the Marina, and from here you can also walk into El Barrio in a few minutes.
Mercado - El Sabio: The stop is by the Mercado Central on Avenida de Alfonso X El Sabio, and this is where to get off if you’re staying in the northern part of El Barrio or close to the market hall. You can change to the tram right by the stop.
Luceros: Plaza de los Luceros is the hub of the tram network, and this is where to get off if you’re continuing by tram. Line L4 runs from Luceros to Playa de San Juan, so it’s the stop for you if you’re staying by the beach north of the city. All the tram lines are listed on the tourist office’s public transport page.
Railway station: The bus also stops at Alicante’s railway station. It’s the right stop if you’re continuing by train without spending the night in the city.
2. Alsa coach to Benidorm
If you’re staying in Benidorm, Alsa’s direct coach is the easiest option. Benidorm is around 58 kilometres from the airport, and the coach runs non-stop to Benidorm bus station in around 45 minutes before continuing to Avenida Europa near Levante beach. Alsa says more than 32 coaches a day run on the route.
The first coach leaves the airport at 07:00, and the last one leaves at 23:00. It uses the same stop as the C-6, on level 2 by the departures hall. If you land after the last departure, you’ll need a taxi or a pre-booked transfer. The coach suits anyone staying in Benidorm who doesn’t need to be driven to the door. The catch is the last departure at 23:00, so if you land late, you should have a plan B ready. You can buy your ticket in advance, and that’s a good idea in high season.
Alsa coaches have a luggage hold, and one suitcase or backpack of up to 20 kilos is included in the fare. Extra luggage of up to 25 kilos costs from €5 (about £4.20/$5.60) per journey. You can take a small bag on board with you. You’ll find departures and routes at Alsa.
Fares and tickets
Alsa has several ticket types with different rules on changes and luggage, and the fare depends on the type and the departure. Budget for around €8 to €12 (about £6.80 to £10, or $9 to $13.50) for a single ticket between the airport and Benidorm. Benidorm’s tourist office also recommends the coach and describes it on its page about getting there from the airport.
You can buy your ticket on Alsa’s website or in the app up to six months ahead, and you don’t need to print it. Alsa also sells tickets at the airport. Online you can pay with Visa, Mastercard or American Express, and in the app with Apple Pay too. After 21:00, you have to buy your ticket on the coach.
If your flight is delayed and you miss the coach you’ve booked, you can change for free to the next available departure up to 12 hours later. You do this at Alsa’s sales point at the airport or by phone. The rule doesn’t apply to tickets bought with Alsa’s discount cards. Read more on Alsa’s page about the airport.
Where to get off in Benidorm
Benidorm bus station: The first stop is the bus station on Calle Francisco Llorca Antón. Get off here if your hotel is close to the station. If it isn’t, take a taxi for the last stretch.
Avenida Europa: The second stop is on Avenida Europa, close to Playa de Levante and the many hotels in the eastern part of town. Get off here if you’re staying near Levante.
3. R11 and R10 buses to Elche
If you’re heading to Elche, Avanza, which runs the city buses in Elche, operates two routes from the airport. The R11 runs between the airport and Elche via the business park and Torrellano, and it has the most departures. The R10 runs from Elche via Torrellano and the airport to L’Altet and Arenales del Sol beach. Both run from around 05:00 to 23:30 and use the same stop in front of the departures hall as the other buses.
Both routes are part of Elche’s city bus network, and the R11 is the one to take if you’re going into Elche itself. The R10 is mainly useful if you’re staying by the beach at Arenales del Sol. You pay a standard single city bus fare, and you’ll find the current fare and the timetable via the airport’s bus page in Spanish, which links straight to Avanza. If you land late in the evening, a taxi is the safe option to Elche, and it costs around €30 (about £25.50/$33.50).
4. Taxis, Uber, Cabify and Bolt
The airport’s official taxis are run by Radio Taxi Elche and Servitaxi Elche. You’ll recognise them by the green stripe along the side and Elche’s coat of arms on the front doors. The taxi rank is on the road in front of the arrivals hall. Every journey from the airport carries a supplement of €4.25 (about £3.60/$4.80), which is added on top of the fare. The tariff is higher at night than during the day.
A taxi to the centre of Alicante or to Elche costs around €30 (about £25.50/$33.50) including the supplement, according to Spain’s official tourism website, and the journey takes around 15 minutes, or up to half an hour in the rush hour. To Benidorm, budget for €75 to €85 (about £63 to £72, or $84 to $95), and Radio Taxi Elche itself quotes fares from €83 (about £70/$93). You can pay by card or in cash, but if you want to pay by card, ask the driver before you set off. The fares are listed on the airport’s taxi page.
Uber, Cabify and Bolt pick up on the ground floor by the terminal. Uber operates around the clock, and Bolt has its own pick-up point. In all three apps you’ll see the fare before you book, and prices go up when demand is high. Find out more on the airport’s page about Uber, Cabify and Bolt.
Private transfer
If you land late, or there are several of you with children and lots of luggage, a car that’s waiting for you can be the most relaxed option, especially to Benidorm. You can book a private transfer from Alicante Airport to Benidorm here. The price is for the whole car and agreed in advance, so it can easily compete with a taxi if there’s a group of you.
Onward travel around the Costa Blanca straight from the airport
If you’re heading further up the coast, Alsa runs direct from the airport. The coach to Calpe goes via Alicante, the railway station, Alfaz del Pi and Altea, and there are also coaches to Dénia and Jávea. Heading south, Alsa runs non-stop to Murcia in around 55 minutes. They all leave from the stop by the departures hall, and the routes are listed on Alsa’s airport page.
Costa Azul runs non-stop to Torrevieja in around 40 minutes, and Vectalia runs to Santa Pola in around 30 minutes via El Altet, Arenales del Sol and Gran Alacant. Bus Sigüenza links the airport with Guardamar and Almoradí. If you’d rather be driven, you can book a private transfer from the airport to Calpe here.
If you’re hiring a car for a trip around the Costa Blanca, the desks are in the arrivals hall on the ground floor. Here you’ll find Avis, Centauro, Europcar, Goldcar, Hertz, OK Mobility, Record Go and Sixt, among others. See the full list on the airport’s car hire page.
Getting back to the airport
The C-6 runs around the clock from Puerta del Mar, so it’s also the safe option for an early morning flight. At night it runs roughly every half hour. From the centre, the bus stops at MARQ, Mercado, Luceros and the railway station on its way to the airport, so you can board close to your hotel. Once again, you buy your ticket from the driver.
From Benidorm, Alsa runs to the airport from the bus station and Avenida Europa. Alsa asks you to be at the stop at least 15 minutes before departure, and if you’re late, you lose your ticket without a refund. So buy your ticket back to the airport in good time, and check the departure in the app the day before.
All the buses drop you on the road in front of the departures hall on level 2, so you can walk straight in to check-in. If you’d rather take a taxi from Alicante, there are taxi ranks on the Explanada de España, at the bus station and at the railway station. Follow your airline’s advice on how early to be at the airport.
Which option should you choose?
Here’s what I’d recommend, depending on where you’re staying:
El Barrio (Old Town): Take the C-6 to Puerta del Mar and walk the last stretch into the narrow streets, or stay on until Mercado - El Sabio if you’re staying in the northern part.
Postiguet and the Marina: Take the C-6 to Puerta del Mar. You’ll get off right by the beach and the harbour.
Playa de San Juan: Take the C-6 to Luceros and change to tram line L4. If you’ve got lots of luggage, a taxi straight to your hotel is easier.
Benidorm: Take Alsa’s direct coach, which runs from 07:00 to 23:00 and takes around 45 minutes.
Elche: Take the R11, which has the most departures, or a taxi for around €30 (about £25.50/$33.50) if you land late.
If you land at night: The C-6 runs all night, roughly every half hour, so the bus is still a good option to Alicante. To Benidorm and Elche, it’s a taxi or a transfer you’ve booked in advance.
If there are three or four of you: Four C-6 tickets cost around €18.80 (about £16/$21), while a taxi to the centre costs around €30 (about £25.50/$33.50), which works out at around €7.50 (about £6.30/$8.40) per person. The taxi takes you to the door, and the difference isn’t big.
Practical tips for getting from Alicante Airport to the city centre
Go up to the departures level to find the buses. The C-6 and all the long-distance coaches stop in front of the departures hall on level 2, not by the arrivals hall on level 0, where you come out.
Have a card or small notes ready for the C-6. You pay the driver, who won’t give more than €10 (about £8.40/$11) in change, so large notes can cause problems.
Buy your Alsa ticket as soon as you know your flight. That way your seat is guaranteed, and if your flight is delayed, you can change for free to the next available coach within 12 hours.
Only take an official taxi. The official taxis have a green stripe and Elche’s coat of arms on the doors, and they wait on the road in front of the arrivals hall.
Choose your hotel with the connection in mind. If you’re staying in central Alicante, the C-6 runs all the way to Puerta del Mar and Mercado, and you can see hotels in central Alicante here. If you’re staying at Postiguet, you’ll get off right by the beach, and you can see hotels near Playa del Postiguet here. If you’re heading to Benidorm for a beach holiday, Alsa runs direct to the town, and you can see hotels in Benidorm here.
If you’re not sure which neighbourhood suits you, read my guide to where to stay in Alicante. If you’re also heading up the coast, you can read my guide to where to stay in Valencia.
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