The city of Alicante has a dense bus network -called MIA- that connects the city centre with all the neighbourhoods and surrounding cities.
Alicante has more than 35 bus lines connecting the city centre with the neighbourhoods and sounding towns; plus a circular line connecting several peripheric neighbourhoods. The single trip fare is 1.45€ and travel cards are available for budget fares. The payment methods are cash, credit cards or the travelcards. Transfer to other bus lines or Tram services is free on transfers shorter than 1h.
How to Pay for the Bus
There are 3 main ways to pay for the bus in Alicante: by card, by cash or by travel card. A single trip fare is 1.45€ if paid with a credit card or cash but gets more than 45% cheaper paying by travel card.
When paying by cash, the bus driver will accept only notes of 10€ or less and coins. You can still pay with a 20€ note but the driver will give you a voucher to exchange for money at the bus offices here.
The single ticket fare is 1.45€ when paying by cash or card. If using travel card passes to pay there is up to 50% discount compared to a single ticket price. This fare is the same for the local Red buses, the blue buses going to neighbouring cities and the TRAM Zone 1.
There are several travel cards available such as unlimited trips in 30 days for residents, free trips for senior people older than 65, and for students… there is a complete list at the end of this article.
The most common travel card available to anyone is the Bono Móbilis Multiviaje which can be used on the buses and the TRAM trains (all the info about the TRAM is in this article).
Temporary Discount on Bus Travel Card Bonos Fares
Due to the current inflationary situation, the Spanish government has been giving money to Spanish public transport systems. This includes travel cards for year medium-distance trains and local public transport.
With this measure, the government tries to reduce people’s expenses on transportation and reduce CO2 and nocive emissions in cities. Therefore, keeping inflation at a lower rate.
In Alicante, there is a 50% discount to the 31 of January 2025 on the MIA buses. This press note from the local government explains the measure (in Spanish)
Note the 50% discount doesn’t apply to the single ticket which is still 1.45€.
The travel card Bono Móbilis Multiviaje is prepaid and the fares are the following:
| Travel Card Name | Number of Trips | Price | Per trip price |
| Bono Mobilis Multiviaje | 10 | 4.35€ (8.70€ normal price) | 0.44€ |
| Bono Mobilis Multiviaje | 30 | 13.05€ (26.10€ normal price) | 0.44€ |
| Tourist Card 24H | ∞ | 6.50€ (13€ normal price) | – |
| Tourist Card 48H | ∞ | 8€(16€ normal price) | – |
| Tourist Card 72H | ∞ | 9€(18€ normal price) | – |
| Mobilis Oro bonificado | ∞ | 2.50€ (5€ normal price) | – |
| Bono Ruta 4/30 Joven | ∞ | 7.50€ (15€ normal price) | – |
| Bono 30 dias | ∞ | 13.05€ (26.10€ normal price) | – |
| Mobilis Joven | 30 | 10.60€ (21.20€ normal price) | 0.35€ |
| Mobilis Escolar | 30 | 8.25€ (16.50€ normal price) | 0.28€ |
As you can notice, the price of a single trip by travel card doesn’t change either buying 10 or 30 trips in a single transaction.
Note that you can use the same travel card for more than one person on the same trip. This is true for the Bono Móbilis Multiviaje.
Free Bus (and TRAM) for those Under 31
Another discount the government has kicked off is for those under 31 not to pay at all for the bus or TRAM service in Alicante. The 100% discount is active from the 9th of October 2022 until the 31 of January 2025.
To apply for the free travel card you need to get an appointment at one of Alicante’s TRAM stations as indicated in this link. You will need your ID such as an EU ID card or a passport.
Expiring of the Discounted Trips
As for now, no extension on the discounts has been announced so the temporary discounts will end on the 31st of January 2025.
Trips bought under the discounted fare can be used until 29-02-2025.
After February, any remaining trips on the travel card can be redeemed by paying the extra amounts until 30-06-2025. After that date, any trip will be lost.
After the 31st of January 2025, the fares will go back to “normal” with no discounts.
There is still a chance of the government expanding the discounts for a few more months but we do not know yet. Here is the source on Vectalia’s website (in Spanish).
Where to Buy and Recharge the Travel Card
The travel card Bono Móbilis Multiviaje costs 2€ and can be bought and recharged at the Alicante TRAM stations, many selling points – such as kiosks (the map is in this link), at the TRAM stations Luceros and Mercado, and the TAM office at 03002 Alicante:
The TAM Office schedule is:
Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00.
Note Saturday and Sunday the TAM office is closed.
This is what a kiosk looks like in Alicante. This one is in La Explanada. They hung a little sign advertising they sell and recharge Mobilis cards.
Airport Bus C6
Alicante’s Airport bus line C6 has a fare of 3.85€ per trip. There is a travel card available (the selling point is the C6 bus itself) for 12€ that gives you 10 trips. This travel card has a 50% discount until the 31st of January 2025, so the fare is 6€.
There is more about the airport bus on this page.
Tourist Travel Card In Alicante
Another Travel Card you might want to take into consideration for short stays in Alicante is the Tourist Travel Card.
It gives you unlimited access to the bus service plus the TRAM Zone 1 for a set time.
The Tourist Travel Card in Alicante also gives you access to one trip in the Turibus, a bus service designed for visiting the city which includes audioguides in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian. Note the Turibus service operates all year round.
The tourist card is also part of the 50% discount the Spanish government has activated as a measure against inflation. The discounts are valid until the 31 of January 2025.
Here are the prices or fees for the Tourist Travel Card in Alicante:
| Time Duration | Price | Number of Trips |
| 24 hours | 6.50€ (normal price 13€) | Unlimited at Bus and TRAM |
| 48 hours | 8€ (normal price 16€) | Unlimited at Bus and TRAM |
| 72 hours | 9€ (normal price 18€) | Unlimited at Bus and TRAM |
The turibus travel card can be bought on the bus -ask the driver- and at the TAM-MIA Office at 03002 Alicante.
If you plan to use the turibus to visit Alicante but don’t need to use other buses or TRAM services you can buy the turibus pass from the bus driver. It cost 10€ as it doesn’t have discounts for a single adult. 5€ for children 4-12 years old and 7€ for people aged +65 years old.
Fares for Special Bus Routes in Alicante
In Alicante, there are two colours for buses: red and blue.
Red buses drive around Alicante city and the fare is 1.45€.
Blue buses travel to neighbouring cities such as San Vicente or San Juan and the fare is still 1.45€.
Other buses might have special routes at different fares. For example, the bus from Alicante to Alicante Airport is line C6 and costs 3.85€ and also has its own travel card. All the info is in the Alicante to Alicante Airport article.
Some bus lines go farther away and the price is slightly higher. Lines C2, C-51, C-52, C53, M and 136 have a price of 1.50€. The price of a travel card is 2€ and 10 trips cost 12€. Ask the bus driver to buy the travel card and recharge it with trips.
Transfers
It is possible to transfer from one bus to another in the following 60 minutes from the first card validation touch. This is only valid when using travel such as the Bono Móbilis Multiviaje. Transfers are not available when using a single trip ticket bought by cash or card.
After 60 minutes, another trip will be charged.
Tips and Recommendations on How to Use the Bus Network In Alicante
The bus network in Alicante reaches most corners of the city. Virtually all bus lines have the start/end or drive-through Avenida Maisonave or Avenida Oscar Espla, nearby Alicante Train Station, Luceros, and/or the Rambla. This makes the network very centralised. It is very easy to go to the city centre but difficult to travel between neighbourhoods.
Also, the frequency of some of the lines is not the best, having to wait for the bus anytime from less than 10 minutes for the quickest lines to +1h for the slowest.
Sometimes, it is difficult to understand what line or lines you should be taking for moving from point A to point B so my recommendation is to use different apps to identify the best route.
Use Google Maps to Understand What Lines to Use
Ironically, Google Maps have the best interface to understand what bus line or lines you should be taking.
When clicking the layers button you can choose Maps to show all the public transport stops. This option will show you all the bus stops, the bus lines stopping at that particular bus stop and the bus line route. Note that all this info might be outdated at times.
Despite this nice interface, your best option is just to write your destination and let it create the route by public transport for you.
But -and this is very important- the time the bus is stopping at each stop is not synchronized live between Google Maps and Vectalia (the bus company in Alicante). This means that the time that Google Maps says it will take you to reach your destination is just a best guess and probably very wrong. Remember some bus lines’ frequency is higher than 1h.
Use The Offical Bus App to Know When the Next Bus Is Coming
And here is another App to save you time. Vectalia (Alicante’s bus company) has an app only for Android and iOS called Alicante Bus where you can see all the line frequencies at each bus stop.
The interface is not as simple as Google Maps but after a couple of usages it should be okay, here is what you can do:
- Remember the bus stop name from Google Maps
- Open Alicante Bus’ official App (Android, iPhone) and search for the bus line Maps tells you to get
- Guess the bus direction the bus is going to
- And from the map in the Alicante Bus app search for the stop, Google Maps tells you to use
I understand this is not an easy task and there is already a project to improve the digitalization of the bus service in Alicante and also add more lines to make it more usable. More about that in this press note in Spanish.
Another option is to go to the bus stop itself and point your phone camera at the QR code in the stop’s info post. It will redirect you to a page that tells you all the next buses coming to that stop.
Routes
The Alicante Bus network is thick. Anywhere you are in the city there is a nearby bus stop.
There are more than 30 lines to cover the city and its neighbouring cities.
There are tricks to know what bus you should get like using Google Maps and the Alicante Bus official app for Android or iOS.
Night Buses
There are a few night bus services in Alicante. The lines with night services are:
- 03N: Ciudad de Asis-Villafranqueza
- 22N: Puerta del Mar – Cabo de Las Huertas – San Juan Beach
- 21N: Puerta del Mar – San Juan – Campello
- 23N: Plaza del Mar – San Juan – Muchamiel
- 24N: Plaza del Mar – Universidad – San Vicente
- C-6: Alicante – Alicante Airport
The Buses
All buses are reasonably new and have AC or hitting on all year around.
The indoors are comfortable and have USB power plugs to charge electronic devices.
Alicante TRAM Schedules and Timetables
Alicante also has TRAM services that are underground in the city centre. Some places the TRAM can get you are San Vicente, Campello and Benidorm. There is an entire article about the TRAM in Alicante by clicking this sentence.
Complete List of Travel Cards for Alicante’s Bus
- BONO 30 DÍAS: For anyone empadronado (registered as a resident in the city hall) in Alicante for, at least 1 year. Unlimited trips for 30 days for 13.05€ (normal price 40€).
- BONO RUTA 4/30 JOVEN – JOVE: For anyone empadronado (registered as a resident in the city hall) in Alicante aged between 5 and 30 years old. Unlimited trips for 30 days for 7.50€ (normal price 15€).
- Bono Móbilis Multiviaje: For anyone. 4.35€ (10 trips, 8.70€ normal price) – 13.05€ (30 trips, 26.10€ normal price) plus a one-time fee of 2€ for the card.
- Bono Móbilis Jove: For people aged 16-30. 30 trips 7.50€ (normal price 21.20€) plus a one-time fee of 4€ for the card. Maximum of 3 recharge per month.
- Bono Móbilis Oro Alicante: For people who are +65 years old or have a disability that has been +1 year empadronados in Alicante. 300 free trips per year.
- Bono Móbilis Escolar: For people aged 5-15. 30 trips for 8.25€ (normal price 16.50€) and up to 3 recharges per month. One-time fee of 4€ when buying the card.
- Bono Concessional: for the specially priced lines C2, C-51, C-52, C-53, M, 136. 10 trips for 12€. One-time fee of 2€ for the card.
- Bono Alicante – Aeropuerto: 12 trips for 2€. One-time fee of 2€ for the card. Buy and recharge inside the C6 bus from the driver.
- Tourist Card: Unlimited trips for 24h for 6.50€ (normal price 13€), 48h for 8€ (normal price 16€) and 72h for 9€ (normal price 18€).
2023 Christmas Bus
In 2023, Alicante’s City Council put a free “Christmas Bus” into service. The aim is for users to move around the most special Christmas viewpoints in the city seamlessly and freely.
This free bus service operates from Friday 22nd of December 2023 to 6th of January 2024.
The stops are:
25 comments
Hi, thanks for this. I only need to do two trips on the bus while in Alicante so the cards would be too much.
For just a single trip, with no card, what do I ask for? Do I give a destination, or just ask for ‘a single’? What would that be in Spanish?
Hello! Thanks for your question.
Single tickets are bought always on the bus. The bus driver will sell it to you and you can pay by cash (10€ note or less. 20€ you can pay but they give you a piece of paper to get your money back from the bus office) or a card.
You can just say “un ticket, por favor”.
Have fun in Alicante!
We are coming to Alicante for three weeks , my age 84 my husband 85 can we get senior bus passes
Hello!
Sadly, you need to be empadronado (registered as a resident in the cityhall) in Alicante for, at least, 1 year before you can apply for the free Bono Oro.
If you both are going to commute together, the best option is to buy ONE travelcard “Bono Móbilis Multiviaje” with 10 or 30 trips. You can pay for more than one person for the same trip using the same travelcard.
Hope you enjoy Alicante!
Hello, We are travelling with my wife within a few days, can we buy the Bono Mobilis Multiviaje (30rides) somewhere on the Airport as well ? I did not see a selling point on the map, maybe it is my mistake. Thank you
Hello Ľuboš!
Sadly, there is no way to buy the Bono Mobilis at Alicante Aiport.
Also, remember the travel card Bono Mobilis does not work for the <a href="https://alicanteabout.com/transport/from-alicante-airport-to-alicante-city-centre-by-bus/”>C-6 Bus from Alicante Airport to Alicante.
But there are many selling points in Alicante. For example, the TRAM Stations Luceros and Mercado, at the Bus offices, or in many Kiosks and stores around the city. You can check all the selling points in here.
Hope this helps and you have a very nice trip with your wife in Alicante!
Sounds good, the C6 will take us pretty close to our accommodation so we can get our Bono Mobilis later in the city 🙂 Thank you !
Awesome! Enjoy your trip 🙂
Hi, me and a group of friends (group of 9) are going to alicante for a couple of days. We will be able to share the Bono Mobilis Multiviaje (30rides) or the Bono Móbilis Jove as we are all 20 years old?
Same question for the 10 trip card for the C6 line.
Thank you
Hello Sabrina!
You will be able to share the same Mobilis Multiviaje and the 10 trip card for the C6 bus line (double check that with the driver).
But the Mobilis Jove is different as each card is assigned to an owner. You also need “Carne Jove” first which anyone 18-30 can get following a bureaucratic procedure that you probably don’t have time to do. Also the Mobilis Jove needs an application itself after you get your “Carne Jove” so it would be worth if living in Alicante for a few months but not worthy for just two days.
I hope you and your friends enjoy Alicante a lot and feel free to ask any other questions!
Cheers,
Victor
Hey Victor! Thanks for sharing this detailed information. Do you know if the discount on tourist cards is still on? And where to buy it if arriving to the city by train?
Thanks.
Hello PR!
Thanks for your question. I have just updated the article. Yes, the discount on the tourist travel card is running until 31/01/2024 so it is 6.50€ per adult.
Please, note an important nuance: This article is talking about a tourist travel card. This gives you access to one trip on the touristic bus in Alicante and unlimited use of other buses and TRAM trains zone A.
To buy this travel card for 1, 2 or 3 days you need to go to the TAM office at “Calle Diaz Moreu, 6”.
But if you just want to use the Turibus you can just buy the bus ticket in the actual bus from the driver. It is 10€ per adult with no discount.
As there are some construction works ongoing on some Alicante’s road there is a temporary touristic bus stop just outside of the Train Station. You should be able to easily find the bus stop when going out the main door at the Train Station and find a little sign which indicates the Tourist bus is stopping there.
I hope you enjoy Alicante!
Thank you very much Victor 😀.
An update from my experience today. The TAM office is closed on the weekend – as per the Tourist Information center. So I had to get the 10 journey card from the Tobacco shop. But sadly, I could use it only 2 times. Other times when I needed, the bus didn’t come where google maps sent me (some info flashing about stop being affected by detour) plus it seems the bus frequency is very low after 10:30 PM, although everyone seems to be out and about 🙂. And for some reason, when I scanned the QR code at the bus stop, my browser blocked it, saying the site was unsafe. So all in all – a ton of walking despite having the card! Your post is great but may be you can also add the info about the opening hours of TAM office for other visitors 🙂.
Hello PR!
Thanks for sharing the experience. Apologies for the delayed response, I somehow managed to miss your comment. Many bus routes were (and still are) diverted due to construction works to improve some streets of Alicante’s centre and Google Maps doesn’t seem to update temporary diversions.
About the QR codes they are a bit disastrous. The URLs the QR redirects to doesn’t even use HTTPS. Maybe that or any other technical issue is what prevented your browser for loading the page. I am sure they are working on it so in the near future it will be fixed.
I followed up on your proposal and updated the TAM office opening hours in the article 🙂 Thanks a lot!
Sorry your experience was bittersweet but hope you enjoyed overall.
Cheers,
Victor
The best description of the local transport system for foreigners. Thank you!
Awww, somehow I missed this message. Thanks a lot! I am super glad it helped 😊
Hope you enjoyed Alicante!
Cheers,
Victor
This article helps a lot to understand more about the transport by giving some basic ideas!
I note that the Bono Mobilis Multiviaje with 10 trips costs only 4.35€ until 31 Jan 2024.
Can I buy 10 trips in advance (say in Dec 2023) and save it for later? As I am visiting my sister in Feb and unfortunately the measure ends in Jan…
Thanks for your question Anna!
I am trying to get a definitive answer from Vectalia, the bus company, but I would assume any trips in a Mobilis card bought with discounted price should work after 31/01/24. I will update you when getting an answer from Vectalia 🙂
Hope you enjoy with your sister in Feb! Carnival is a big thing in Alicante, happening 10-13 of February 🙂
Cheers,
Victor
Hello Anna!
I got confirmation from Vectalia you will be able to use your trips bought in Dec 2023 until 29/02/2024.
If you end up wanting to use the trips after February you would need to pay the extra amount before 30/06/2024.
Hope this helps,
Victor
Great information! We just moved to Alicante from California and we’re loving the public transportation. Can the Vectalia airport bus card be used for multiple people?
Hello Mike!
Sorry for the delayed answer. Yes, several people can use the same travel-card for the C6 airport bus. You can buy and recharge the card at the bus itself. Here is more information about the C6 Alicante Airport Bus
You mention bring on empadronamiento in Alicante for Bono Móbilis Oro Alicante.
Are you referring to the province or City? I’m registered on padrón in a nearby town.
Hello!
For Bono Oro Alicante you need to be empadronado at least for 1 year in Alicante City and be +65. But your city might have a similar travel card so worth checking. Here are all the requirements and documents needed in English (automatic translation from here):
• People over 65 years of age who are pensioners or who are not active, either on behalf of third parties or as autonomous and who are registered, at least and uninterruptedly prior to the application, 1 year in the municipality of Alicante.
DOCUMENTATION
• Recent photograph (passport size) and Photocopy of DNI, NIF, NIE or Passport.
• GOLD Bonus Application properly completed and signed.
• Data protection document completed and signed appropriately.
• Proof of payment of the price of the support (chip card), €4.0
Hello Anna!
Let’s answer all the questions 🙂
Can I ask if this card for c6 bus for 10 trips can be used for multiple people on one ride? Yes, it can be used by multiple people on one ride!
Where should we buy this? Buy it on the bus itself. Ask the driver. There is no other place to buy the C6 travel card.
Also the tickets for the PT in Alicante, can those tourist cards be bought on the airport? Assume PT stands for public transport? If so, no. You can not buy the travel cards at the airport. C6 Airport Bus travel card are bought at the Airport; general travel cards (mobilis travel card) can be bought at the kiosk, Alicane Tram Stations and tobacco shops (estancos in Spanish) around the city, here you have all the selling points; Turibus tickets can be bought in the Bus itself and in the TAM-MIA offices.
There is a kiosk in Rambla, near to the last C6 stop -Puerta del Mar- where you can buy the public transport cards.
Is there a discount for disabled people? No, as it is only available for residents. Bono Oro is only available if you have been empadronado (in the census) for at least a year and meet other requirements.
My nice will be with us and she is 15, will the under 31 ride for free apply to her? No, as you need to get an appointment for the application to the card as per in this Tram De Alicante website. So technically, if you follow the process, she would qualify to get the card but it might take some time.
What she needs to do if checked by inspector just show ID card? Assuming she is getting the under 31 travel card as per the above link she will need to be able to show her ID/Passport and the travelcard itself if asked by an inspector.
Hope this helps and you have a favulous time in Alicante!