Useful tips for Alicante bus groups with ‘what to see’ and ‘what to do’ items and ‘bus- friendly’ or must see tourist sites in Alicante. Check our list of attractions before planning your bus tour with a stop or departure in Alicante. Let us know if your favourite attraction or ‘bus-stop’ is not there and you think we should add it to our list of Alicante highlights.
Situated on the outskirts of a city called Elche, Alicante airport (ALC), also known as "El Altet," is located about 9 km southwest of the capital of this province, which is also called Alicante.
It"s a small but well-situated airport, very close to downtown. The old T1 and T2 terminals have been replaced by the NAT (New Area Terminal), which is now the only functioning terminal for travelers. The terminal is divided into two levels, P0, the Arrival Floor, and P2, the Departure Floor, and you can find shops and places to eat while you wait for your departure or as soon as you arrive at Alicante on both levels.
Alicante is tourist hotspot with discrete commercial development, so the network of international flights is a large one. In fact, there are so many tourists that some tour operators even have an office on the 2nd floor or the arrivals area to greet travelers and groups.
Even though this airport is heavily dependent on tourist season, there"s still some activity year round. At the end of summer the beach-going tourists give way to brief golf trips and longer visits from northern European retirees who come to spend the winter in their vacation homes on Alicante"s “Costa Blanca’ beaches.
If upon arriving at El Altet you need to get to anywhere in Alicante, you can use the "aerobús" public transportation or take one of the taxis that you"ll find at the exit from the P0 "Arrivals" floor. The airport is well-connected to downtown and the Elche area via taxi and bus. But regardless of whether you"re headed to Alicante or some other destination, your best bet is to reserve a private vehicle for your transportation. You"ll avoid unnecessary wait times, the inconvenience of carrying your luggage all over the place, and having to pay a taxi fee that could be more than you thought it would be due to "extra" costs.
Reserving your airport transportation is very easy. By using our webpage, you can fill out this request form in which you can indicate your needs and preferences with regards to distance, number of people traveling together, amount of luggage, etc. You"ll receive a quote from various transfer companies that provide service for the route that you"ve chosen, and you"ll get to choose and make the reservation online yourself. When you return from your trip, don"t forget to come back to our website to tell us about your experience: this will help give other travelers an idea of what kind of service each transfer company offers.
The Alicante airport"s passenger pickup zone is located in the "Arrivals" area on floor 0. After picking up your baggage, walk towards the exit past the customs checkpoint. Your driver will probably be waiting for you with a sign with your name on it. If you"re traveling with a group, your group coordinator will let the driver know when everyone is accounted for so you can head out.
You"ll then head outside where the vehicle that you"ve reserved will be awaiting you in one of the vehicle bays.
The waiting bays for buses and cars that have been reserved for passengers and groups are located across from the exit.
If you"re traveling alone, whether on vacation or for business, the best option is to get a private car. When you arrive at Alicante you want your chauffeur to be waiting for you at the exit to help you with your luggage and to take you to the car that you"ll be travelling in. A chauffeured car will guarantee you punctuality and a bit of peace and quiet if you"re heading to a business meeting. On the other hand, if you"re planning to relax for a few days, this is also the best way to start you vacation, without having to worry about how to get to your destination. It"s very important for the person who"s waiting for you to be able to identify you easily, so be sure to be on the lookout for the sign with your name on it and to have your mobile device turned on once you reach the exit.
If you have any special needs with respect to the type of car or service, you can indicate it when you request a quote through the form that you"ll see on our website. This will make it easier for you to select the transportation company that best fits your needs and preferences.
Traveling in a group is normally a lot of fun and gets everyone in a good mood. But if you fail to plan ahead, your trip may suffer inconveniences with respect to the number of seats available for passengers or the space available for luggage, or hidden fees, or a long wait for the right vehicle to show up at the airport. The best thing you can do, especially if your group has more than 4 people in it, is to take steps ahead of time to make sure that you don"t run into any of these problems.
Plan ahead by filling out the quote request form on our website where you can specify how many people are traveling, how many suitcases you"ll be bringing, whether or not you"ll have children with you, and whether or not you"ll need to transport any kind of special equipment. In short order we"ll select top contenders consisting of some of the companies that best fit your criteria. But the final choice (made via online reservation) will be yours. And when you come back, don"t forget to leave some feedback.
The sites in the province of Alicante and those immediately adjacent to it are heavily frequented by tourists. Perhaps you will be one such tourist. If getting to your destination means getting somewhere outside the city, taking a taxi may seem like the most convenient option, but you"ll always be faced with the uncertainty of how much the trip will cost due to the fact that the total fee is calculated based on the hourly rate, additional fees, mileage, etc...
If you want to know ahead of time exactly how much your trip is going to cost and if you want to avoid unpleasant "surprise fees," then you"ll need to reserve a vehicle that fits your specific needs, especially if you"re traveling with a group, because if you need to catch more than one taxi at a time, things can get really complicated.
Request a transportation quote through our website, and be sure to give us as much information as you can about your trip plans to help us find the best vehicle for you or your group.
The table below shows you the cost of private car or bus rides from El Altet to some of the most popular nearby tourist destinations.
ALICANTE Airport (ALC) to > | Distance in km | Car with driver 4 passengers | Minivan 7 passengers | Minibus 24 passengers |
Alicante | 10-15 km | €40 to 60 | € 60 to 80 | €125 to 140 |
Benidorm | 40-60 km | €80 to 100 | €110 to 130 | €215 to 230 |
Denia | 100-110 km | €155 to 175 | € 200 to 220 | €350 to 370 |
Elche | 15-20 Km | €50 to 70 | €70 to 90 | €135 to 150 |
Torrevieja | 40-45 km | €70 to 90 | €85 to 100 | €150 to 190 |
Calpe | 65-80 km | €115 to 125 | €145 to 160 | €240 to 265 |
Ciudad Quesada | 35-45 km | €65 to 75 | €85 to 95 | €150 to 170 |
Altea | 65-70 km | €95 to 110 | € 120 to 140 | €225 to 245 |
Playa Flamenca | 70-80 km | €87 to 100 | €125 to 145 | €185 to 215 |
Moraira | 90-100 km | €145 to 165 | €190 to 220 | €275 to 300 |
The Altet airport offers various options to get to Alicante or any other place in the surroundings.
There are three municipal bus lines that connect the airport to the city of Alicante (line C6) as well as Elche (lines 1A and 1B); the one that goes to Alicante also stops at the bus station (which has lockers where you can leave your bags so you don"t have to lug them around with you as you travel about the city) and at Puerta de la Mar (in case you want to head to the beach while waiting for your flight). The trip to Alicante takes about 20 minutes and the trip to Elche takes about 40 minutes.
The buses run very frequently for C6 (every 20 minutes) and every hour for line 1A/B. For more information go to the Alicante Aerobús link.
If you need to head to another city from the El Altet airport, the regional bus offers you three direct options: Murcia, Torrevieja, and Benidorm. If your final destination is somewhere other than one of these three locations, the alternative is to take the bus from the airport to Alicante"s central bus station where you can transfer to another bus. You can find schedules, bus frequencies, and prices in the Bus Station link. This is a rather cumbersome solution that stands in sharp contrast our recommendation: having a private bus or car waiting for you as you walk out of the airport"s arrivals gate.
Taxi service from Alicante Airport is provided by a company called Radio Taxi Elche; you will find two taxi stops in the passenger terminal.
If you need to take a taxi, after picking up your luggage, head over to the arrivals lane on the exterior of level P0.
If, on the other hand, you"re going to the airport via taxi, they"ll let you out at the stop located in the departures lane on level P2.
The airport taxis are easy to spot: white with a green stripe. But if you need more information, you can ask at the taxi information booth located in the terminal (open from June through September).
There are two taxi rates: the ordinary one applies from Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM and Saturdays from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The special or nighttime rate, which is a bit higher, applies from Monday through Friday from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, Saturdays after 3:00 PM, all day Sunday, and on holidays.
The minimum fare is €1.45 (ordinary rate) or €1.65 (nighttime rate), and you also have to add the airport supplement fee of €3.80.
If you want to get an idea of how much a taxi ride will cost you, you"ll have to factor in the base per-kilometer prices, the rate, and tolls, if you want to travel via highway.
El Altet doesn"t have direct metro/tram service to Alicante, so don"t plan on this as an option for going to or from the airport.
It"s useful only if you have a long layover and want to go from one point in the city to another, though the network of stops isn"t very extensive.
If you"re waiting for a connecting flight or your flight is delayed at El Altet, you can consider yourself kind of lucky because you have some wonderful options for places where you can while away the time. Alicante is just a stone"s throw away, so you can enjoy the sun and the beachfront terraces right up until the last minute.
If you have enough time and you want to see some other sites along the Alicante coast, there are numerous possibilities: the famous palm grove of Elche or the Terra Mitica amusement park in Benidorm, for example.
Were you about to get in line to board when they announced that your flight was going to be delayed for a couple hours? Well, that"s not such a bad thing; now you have time to do some last minute shopping or take a quick tour of Alicante, which is very close by.
One of the most prominent "Made in Spain" brands is El Corte Inglés. These huge department stores can be found in almost every city in Spain, and there"s one inside the airport, too. Once inside, be sure to visit the Gloria Ortiz boutique; you"ll be sure to find some great shoes, handbags, or other tasteful accessories. If you prefer a more casual style, take a stroll through Desigual, where you can find the perfect T-shirt for your sister, or head to Your Fashion Store, which boasts the best international brands.
What"s your fancy? Something sweet, fast food, or a little beer and some ham and cheese? Have a go at the shops on level 2 while you wait. You can refresh yourself with a nice ice cream at Farggi or eat something more substantial at Burger King or Tapas y Cañas.
On the 2nd floor, "Departures," you can find the duty free shops. "The Shop" and "The Express Shop" offer a tremendous variety of products at greatly reduced prices, so get yourself a little something to help you forget about the stress caused by your delayed flight... You can choose from perfumes, cosmetics, customized T-shirts, candy, and much more.
If you"re looking to purchase a special gift for a loved one, take a look at Sibarium, a delicatessen with a wide variety of high quality food products.
If you have to wait several hours for your connecting flight and are traveling light (or have already checked your luggage), then you"ll definitely want to get out of the airport and tour the city of Alicante. The airport doesn"t have luggage lockers, so if you haven"t checked your luggage yet, the best option is to rent a locker at the bus station, which you can get to in 20 minutes via bus line Aerobús C6 for €2.90.
Alicante, like other Spanish coastal cities, is fortunate enough to have a beach right on the edge of the city. Postiguet is one of the best-known beaches: it"s famous for its fine sand and Mediterranean waters. The only problem is that it"s normally chock full of people, but the convenience of being able to enjoy the sunshine for a while before heading home more than makes up for this. From the airport there"s a bus line, C6, that has a stop right on the walkway that runs along Postiguet; this bus runs every 20 minutes.
Facing inland, just behind Postiguet beach Santa Barbara Castle looms high overhead. You can get there via the public lift behind the beach that will take you all the way to the mountaintop where the castle is located. The lift operates from 10 AM to 8 PM and costs €2.50.
The castle is located on Mount Benacantil, known as "Moor"s Face" because from the beach it looks like a human profile. Inside the castle you can visit the various rooms that make up MUSA (MUSeo de Alicante, the Alicante Museum), which recounts the city"s historical evolution throughout the Roman, Iberian, and Muslim periods... The vistas of the bay from its upper terraces are spectacular and are not to be missed!
The castle is open every day from 10 AM to 10 PM from April to September and fro 10 AM to 8 PM from October through March.
If you"ve got a lot of time on your hands and you"d like to see more of Alicante, you could also get on the TURIBUS, a tour bus that lets you get on and off at multiple sites. The ticket costs €10.00 (a bit expensive), but you can get off and on at your pleasure. Starting at the plaza by the sea (adjacent to Postiguet) the bus takes you on a tour that includes the highlights of the city, such as Santa Barbara Castle, Luceros Square, and Saint Nicholas Cathedral. A bus passes by each stop once every hour.
During the months of July and August the Turibus operates every day from 10 AM to 7 PM. In September the hours are reduced by an hour, every day from 10 AM to 6 PM.
The schedule changes again once summer is over: from October to the beginning of December the Turibus only operates from Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
If you"ve got all morning or an entire afternoon to wait, don"t hesitate to venture out of Alicante. The province offers many possibilities, some close to the airport, others farther away. It all just depends on how much time you have available.
Elche is a town about 20 km from Alicante that is definitely worth a visit. One of its most famous points of interest is its famous Palm Grove, the largest of its kind in Europe with more than 300,000 trees, including palm trees and other species. This immense garden has many paths on which you can take a relaxing walk amongst the beautiful botanical surroundings.
The oldest plants are located in the so-called "Priest"s Garden" (so named by its owner), the highlight of which is Imperial Palm Tree - which is more than 200 years old - which has seven branches supported by a single trunk at the base. The "imperial" part of the name is in honor of Empress "Sisi" of Austria, who was enchanted by this marvelous tree. The entrance fee is €5.00 and the hours of operation are from 10 AM to 7:30/8:00 PM.
Since you"re already in the area, take advantage and get a local entree at "La Taula," a restaurant inside the Jardín Milenio Hotel, which is right next to the Priest"s Garden. They offer a variety of meals for about €20.00-€25.00. The "Elche Menu" includes very local dishes such as rice pie and Elche cake.
The observant visitor will notice that all throughout Elche there are more or less modern graphical and artistic references to one of the most symbolic monuments of the city: "The Lady of Elche," a bust from the Iberian period that was found in the Alcudia archeological site, which depicts a women adorned with traditional Iberian jewelry. The original is housed in the Archeological Museum of Madrid.
About 55 - 60 km from El Altet is a famous town called Benidorm: why not take advantage of your wait time and visit its beaches or eat at one of its many restaurants? If you"re a thrill seeker, you can even check out the Terra Mítica amusement park.
The park is divided into 4 themed areas: Egypt, Rome, Greece, and The Islands. If you don"t have a lot of time you"ll have to carefully choose what activities you want to do because each area has rides, parades, performances, shows, and much, much more. And if you"re looking for some excitement, don"t miss the roller coasters!...
If all the action makes you hungry, there are several venues that offer fast food, buffets, or restaurants (closely linked to the theme of the area in question) within the park itself so you can easily recharge your batteries.
The park is open from April through October. For detailed information about the hours of operation and prices, have a look at this link: Terra Mítica Amusement Park.
Want to know more about travel in Spain? Read more about things to do and see in Alicante, various travel services in Spain or ideas for trips and transport in Alicante Province. A relaxing holiday or successful business trip starts at the airport. Start your trip the best way you can by booking the airport transfer of your choice. Just fill out the form to start receiving airport transport quotes for free and discover the benefits of using RentAutobus first hand!
Would you like to organize a bus tour to see all these beautiful highlights? Request quotes and compare the different bus and coach hire companies:
