From Alicante airport to the centre

Alicante-Elche airport (code ALC) is 11 km south of the centre. There are three real ways to get there: the C-6 bus (cheap), the taxi (fast) and the rental car (only if you are going to use it). Which suits you depends on what time you land, how much luggage you bring and how much you mind carrying the bags.

A warning first, because a lot of old information is going around: at Alicante airport there is no TRAM. There is no tram line leaving from the terminal. Anyone who tells you otherwise is copying an out-of-date guide. Public transport is the bus.

1 · C-6 bus · 25-35 minutes · €3.85

The cheap option and the one most people use. The Vectalia C-6 line leaves from the terminal (ground-floor exit) and runs into the centre. It stops at Puerta del Mar (next to the harbour and the Explanada), at the bus station and at Luceros. For Alirena, get off at Luceros or Puerta del Mar: about 8-10 minutes walking to Doctor Sapena.

Cost: €3.85 for a single ticket, which you pay on board (cash or contactless card). Frequency: roughly every 20 minutes by day and every 40 overnight. It runs 24 hours, every day of the year, including the last flight of the night and the first one at dawn.

When to choose it. If you travel light, if you like to save, if you arrive at an hour with no taxis (overnight it is the only public transport) or if you come alone.

2 · Taxi · 15 minutes · €19-21

The fastest. There are taxis 24 hours at the terminal exit. The fare is fixed: roughly €19 on the ordinary tariff (Monday to Friday, daytime) and €21 on the special tariff (nights, Saturday afternoons, Sundays and holidays). Time: about 15 minutes along the A-7 to the centre. They drop you at the door of Alirena.

When to choose it. If you come as a couple or a group (split, it works out very cheap), if you bring two or three large suitcases, if it is raining or if you arrive exhausted and do not want to think.

3 · Rental car

If you are going to make excursions to other beaches or towns (Calpe, Altea, Guadalest, Elche; you reach Tabarca by boat and San Juan by TRAM), consider renting. The big companies have a desk in the terminal. Indicative prices: from €18-25/day in the shoulder season, €35-50 in July-August.

Important note: Alirena has no parking of its own. The nearest public car park is Parking Plaza del Mar (4 min on foot) or Parking Cervantes (5 min), between €16 and €20/day. To get around the centre alone, the car is a nuisance: there is a lot of pedestrian area and parking is expensive.

And if I am going to San Juan beach or the north?

Here the TRAM does come in, but not from the airport. Take the C-6 to Luceros and connect there with the TRAM. The L4 line goes to San Juan beach (Luceros → Plaza La Coruña, about 28 minutes, €1.45). The L1 and L3/L9 lines follow the coast towards El Campello, Benidorm and Dénia.

Recommendation by profile

• Travelling alone, daytime arrival, light luggage: C-6 bus (€3.85 and Alicante through the window).
• Travelling as a couple or group (2-4 people): Taxi. Split, it works out similar to the bus and is much faster with luggage.
• Overnight arrival: C-6 bus (the only 24h one) or taxi if you want to go straight to bed.
• Going to move around outside Alicante for several days: Rental car.

And the return to the airport

The same journey in reverse. The C-6 runs 24 hours; you catch it at Luceros or Puerta del Mar. There are always taxis at Plaza Luceros and you can order them by app (Free Now operates in Alicante). Allow about 35-40 minutes of margin if you go by bus and 20-25 if you go by taxi, plus the check-in time for your flight.