On arrival in Alicante airport, one of the first challenges you face is… ”how do I get to my final destination from the airport.” You might be tired, in an unfamiliar place and because you don’t speak the language, you feel unable to communicate and frustrated. Don’t worry…this guide to get to the city from the airport in Alicante is going to guarantee you success in that endeavour!
Alicante -Elche Airport, soon to be known as Alicante Elche Miguel Hernandez airport (after a very famous Spanish poet) is the fifth busiest international airport in Spain. The building is large, modern and clean with all the usual shops, cafes etc. As you would expect, prices in the airport are about double what you might pay for the same thing outside of the airport. Although, luckily, the airport is very close to Alicante city and the price to get there won’t break the bank.
Getting the Airport Bus (C6)
If you want to get to the centre of Alicante, I would definitely recommend to get the C6 bus. The bus is cheap, clean and the service is very efficient. Normally the buses leave Alicante airport every 20 minutes, all day long. Although after 11pm you may need to wait for an hourly bus instead of every 20 minutes.
Note: During the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 the airport is obviously less busy, so the bus timetable has been switched from 20 mins to every 30 mins.
Buying a ticket
At €3.85 the cost of the journey is not going to eat into your spending budget. You don’t have to worry about pre-paying for a ticket, just get on the bus and hand your money over to the driver. Alternatively, you can pay wirelessly with a card or phone (this is actually the way they prefer you to pay during the pandemic). Sometimes, when it’s busier, there is a staff member, outside, by the bus stop, selling tickets to the waiting passengers before the bus arrives. This is to save time on the boarding of the bus.
Where to pick up the bus at Alicante Airport
The bus stop used to be upstairs on level 2 but more recently it’s moved downstairs in level -2. On the image below, I have put a circle on the two locations.
Access & Facilities
For people of reduced mobility, the buses have been adapted to allow access and there is plenty of luggage space on the bus too. There are screens on the buses that show the next stop. And, like most buses in Spain these days, there is free WiFi on board.
The Journey from Alicante Airport
The journey time to the centre is quick, at a little under 30 mins and it goes in no time. One tip to remember is that the bus does a kind of loop around the centre of Alicante. It stops at the major locations in a circular route. What this means for the traveller is that you only have to memorise where you get off the bus because at the end of your Alicante trip, you’ll be getting back on at exactly the same bus stop.
Here is a link so that you can see the circular route taken by the C6 bus from Alicante Airport to Alicante centre. https://aerobusalicante.es/index.php/horarios-autobuses-aeropuerto-alicante/horarios-linea-c6-aeropuerto-alicante/
Onward journeys
The C6 bus stops at the train station in Alicante, so that people wishing to catch a train to Madrid or Valencia can carry on their journey. It also stops at the bus station in Alicante ( this is one of the first stops as you arrive in Alicante). You can also get off at one of the many Tram stops for further travel options. If you get off at Mercado, go and have a great Spanish breakfast.
There are also buses from the airport that go to Elche, Benidorm, Torrevieja and Murcia
Alternative methods of transfer
There is not yet a train service directly from Alicante Airport and the C6 bus offers the cheapest and easiest way to get downtown, however, if you are in a real hurry, you might decide to jump into a cab. There is a taxi rank outside and the cost will be somewhere between €25 – €30. Also it is possible to hire a car at the airport if you want to head somewhere independently for a few days.