Getting to Alicante

By plane

Alicante Airport (ALC), also known as L'Altet Airport, is located 11 km (6.8 miles) south of the city centre.

Alicante is served by a number of airlines including easyJet, Ryanair, Air Berlin, Norwegian, Iberia, Vueling, Monarch, Germanwings, Aer Lingus, Finnair, Thomsonfly, Cimber Sterling, Transavia.com and Jet2.com.

Bus n° C-6 connects the airport with the city [3]. It departs every 20 minutes from a bus stop at the departure level (level +2) of new terminal. Don't get confused between the departure level (level +2) and the bus level (level -2); the latter is used by charter buses. The city bus takes about 20 minutes to the city centre, where it follows a circular route. It stops near the Alicante bus station, at Plaza Puerta del Mar, near the Archaeological Museum, next to the central market, at Plaza Luceros, and on its way back to the airport near the train station. One-way ride costs €3.85 (2015). The buses run from 6:00 until 23:00 ( and until 22:20 in the city to airport direction). [4]. You could buy a 10-journey card for 14 euros (12 + 2 euros for the card, as of Nov. 2013) but note this card is only valid for the airport route - the city bus/tram routes are covered by a separate card. But it might still be a good idea: even a group of 2, you can almost break even in one return trip (same card can be used for many persons together).

A taxi to the city will cost €20-25. Cabs can be caught at the arrival level (level 0) of the new terminal. A dozen car rental agencies including Avis [5], Budget [6], Hertz [7] and Europcar [8] are located at the arrival floor of the new terminal.

By train

RENFE [9] runs a number of trains per day from Madrid and Barcelona. A ride from Madrid takes about three hours, and from Barcelona it takes up to five hours. Commuter rail connects Alicante with neighborhoods and Murcia. Suburban trains (cercanías) can get you from Elche to Alicante in half an hour. The RENFE Train Station is in the city centre at Avenida de Salamanca 1 (38°20'40"N 0°29'42"W).

By tram

Alicante has a modern and still-expanding tram system [10]. It runs along the coast of Costa Blanca up to Benidorm, from where you can connect to Altea, Calpe, and Denia by a diesel train. Railway electrification from Benidorm to Denia is under consideration.

The tram service along the coast is enjoyable and reasonably priced. When going from Alicante to Benidorm, sit on the right side of the tram to get a sea view. The ticket price between Alicante and Benidorm is €3.50 (2012). In case you don't want to practise Spanish (why? You're in Spain!), get a ticket from automatic vending machines, which are equipped with an English-language interface. If you plan to return the same working day, get a round-trip ticket right away with small discount. As always, keep the ticket until the end of journey. On some stations (including all underground stations in Alicante) you will need the ticket to exit from the system.

By bus

Since September of 2011 the bus station has been located in a newly constructed building in Puerto de Alicante (barrio de Heliodoro Madrona) Muelle de Poniente, s/n (38°20'13.5"N 0°29'30.2"W). ALSA [11] has many lines, including to Valencia,Barcelona and Granada.

Alicante Cultural Resources Guide (spanishstudies.org)