by Victor Sesma

Victor Sesma is an Alicantinian living in London. He is a Software Engineer who likes writing about the city he was born.
Your Guide to Alicante [By an Alicantinian]
Alicante and Benidorm are two very different cities that complement each other perfectly. Luckily, they are very well connected so commuting from Alicante to Benidorm is very easy.
Alicante and Benidorm are 45km (28mi) away from each other. The fastest way to go is by car which takes 37 minutes. The cheapest way to go is by TRAM train for 2,80€ and it takes 1:55h. Coach, private transfer and taxis are also available. The distance from Alicante Airport to Benidorm is 58.5km (36mi) which is a 41 min drive. The cheapest way to go is by a combination of bus and TRAM which will take below 3h in total and cost 6.65€. Coach (9.80€), transfers (from 63€) and taxis (from 77€) are available too.
Content:
There are 4 different ways to go from Alicant to Benidorm: TRAM train, Coach/Bus, Taxi/Cabify or by private car. Let’s explore the details for each of them and find out what is the most convenient for you.
Alicante’s TRAM is a mix between underground/metro, overground tram and light train.
The TRAM Line from Alicante to Benidorm is TRAM Line 1. Check the timetable from Alicante to Benidorm in this other article.
Alicante to Benidorm TRAM moves through 2 different TRAM zones: A and B therefore the price is 2,80€. The commute takes 1h and 55m as there are many stops on the way. So the TRAM is not the fastest option but it is the cheapest and also the most beautiful.
Most of the routes go across tracks, tunnels and bridges that were built more than a century ago. Everything has been upgraded, secured or rebuilt but the original tracing has remained.
You often will have views of the sea, cliffs and beaches.
Here is the Line 1 to Benidorm schedule:
To go from Alicante train station to Benidorm it is necessary to commute from the train station to the closes Tram station in Luceros. It is a 6 min walk.
Alicante to Benidorm TRAM pros:
Alicante to Benidorm TRAM crons:
Alicante city has a coach station that services coaches to Benidorm.
It doesn’t take a long time to get to Benidorm by coach, just slightly more time than by car: just below 50 minutes.
The coach company offering Alicante-Benidorm is Alsa.
The tickets can be bought online at alsa.es or in the machines at the coach station. The price is 4.80€ and they have 10 trips travel cards for 21€ (2.10€ per trip). There is also an Alsa app for Android and Apple.
Note that only a very few buses start at Alicante and end at Benidorm but the Alicante-Benidorm bus route is part of a longer trip. For example, many buses go from Alicante to Denia, or Malaga to Barcelona, etc.
So be aware of not missing your Benidorm stop!
Here is the complete timetable from the Estacion de Autobuses website (in Spanish):
Coach Line | From | To | Week Days | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
Almeria-Barcelona | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 23:30 | 00:15 | 45min |
Almeria-Barcelona | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 01:45 | 02:15 | 30min |
Algeciras-Barcelona | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 04:45 | 05:30 | 45min |
Alicante-Valencia AP7 | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRF | 06:15 | 07:15 | 1h |
Alicante-Valencia AP7 | Alicante | Benidorm | SU | 07:00 | 07:45 | 45min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | SU | 07:15 | 08:15 | 1h |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRF | 07:15 | 08:20 | 1h 5min |
Sevilla-Valencia | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 08:30 | 09:15 | 45min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRF | 09:00 | 10:05 | 1h 5min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | SU | 09:00 | 10:05 | 1h 5min |
Alicante-Valencia AP7 | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 10:00 | 10:45 | 45min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRF | 11:00 | 12:05 | 1h 5min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | SU | 11:00 | 12:05 | 1h 5min |
Alicante-Valencia AP7 | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 12:00 | 12:45 | 45min |
Alicante-Barcelona | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 12:45 | 13:30 | 45min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRF | 13:00 | 13:45 | 45min |
Alicante-Callosa Ensarria | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRF | 12:30 | 14:05 | 1h 35min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | U | 13:00 | 14:05 | 1h 5min |
Almeria-Barcelona | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 13:45 | 14:35 | 50min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | S | 14:00 | 15:05 | 1h 5min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRF | 14:15 | 15:20 | 1h 5min |
Alicante-Valencia AP7 | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFS | 15:00 | 15:45 | 45min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | U | 15:00 | 16:05 | 1h 5min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | LMXJV | 15:15 | 16:15 | 1h |
Malaga-Barcelona | Alicante | Benidorm | LMXJVSDF | 16:30 | 17:15 | 45min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | D | 17:01 | 18:05 | 1h 4min |
Alicante-Valencia AP7 | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 17:30 | 18:15 | 45min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | U | 17:00 | 18:20 | 1h 20min |
Alicante-Valencia pueblos | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRF | 18:30 | 19:35 | 1h 5min |
Alicante-Valencia AP7 | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 19:00 | 19:45 | 45min |
Almeria-Valencia | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 19:35 | 20:20 | 45min |
Alicante-Denia | Alicante | Benidorm | SU | 20:00 | 20:45 | 45min |
Alicante-Benidorm | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRF | 21:15 | 21:55 | 40min |
Malaga-Barcelona | Alicante | Benidorm | MTWRFSU-BH | 21:45 | 22:30 | 45min |
Alicante’s coach station is in between the cargo harbour and the marina, downhill Avenida Oscar Espla. A long street that starts next to Alicante’s train station. The address is: Muelle Poniente, s/n, 03003 Alicante, Spain.
Please, note that as the buses are usually on-route when they stop at Alicante they can’t guarantee extreme punctuality as the TRAM does. While the TRAM trains are virtually always on time the Alicante to Benidorm bus might be delayed every now and then.
Alicante to Benidorm Coach/Bus pros:
Alicante to Bendirom Coach/Bus cons:
Note that in Alicante, Uber does not operate but there is an alternative app called Cabify. Traditional taxis can be ordered using the Cabify app, called on the street, booked by phone or using their own app: PideTaxi for Android or PideTaxi for iOS.
The traditional taxis are white in Alicante. Have some linear stickers and wear the distinctive occupied/empty green light on the roof.
Regulated taxis are usually a bit cheaper than Cabify. Also, Cabify prices can fluctuate depending on the demand.
Furthermore, it is important to note that Cabify offers service in Alicante but does not have service in Benidorm. This means that you can order a Cabify in Alicante and travel to Benidorm but it is not possible to book a Cabify in Benidorm. You can not go from Benidorm to Alicante by Cabify.
Similarly, taxi companies are different in both Alicante and Benidorm. If you use the app PideTaxi, this will be transparent for you. PideTaxi will choose the taxi company for you. But if you want to call the taxi company:
Here is a list of prices of taxis from Alicante Luceros to Benidorm Poniente Beach. Note the drive takes about 40min:
Route | Traditional Taxi | Cabify |
Alicante Luceros-Benidorm Poniente Beach | 62.00€ | 82.69€ |
Bendiorm Poniente Beach – Alicante Luceros | 61.20€ | Not available |
Alicante to Benidorm Taxi/Cabify pros:
Benidorm to Alicante Taxi/Cabify cons:
The privet car is one of the fastest and more convenient ways to go from Alicante to Benidorm. Alicante has many rent-a-car companies that you can use on your holidays if you don’t own a car in Alicante.
There are two main routes for driving from Alicante to Benidorm:
Both roads’ routes, the free motorway and the national single-carriageway are next to other and the distance from Alicante to Benidorm is 45km (28mi) in both cases.
The single-carriageway can be more scenery in some of the sections but the motorway is definitely faster. A few years ago the motorway was a toll road but that changed in January 2020.
The cost of driving the distance of 45km from Benidorm to Alicante on a petrol car that uses 6L/100km is 5.46€ with the fuel at 1.77€/L.
Remember the general national speed limit in Spain is 120 km/h and the single-carriageway road limit is 90km/h. But always respect the limits in the actual road signs.
Alicante to Benidorm By Car pros:
Alicante to Benidorm By Car cons:
When travelling from Alicante airport to Benidorm the public transport TRAM option is more difficult to use as you will need to travel to Alicante city centre first.
Even with this inconvenience, there are some other ways to go from Alicante to Benidorm. The best one will depend on your budget and time.
Despite the lack of a train station in Alicante airport, there is a coach/bus station as well as taxis, private taxi transfer companies, car rental companies at the airport and a pick-up/drop-off zone for private cars at Alicante airport.
Let’s go to see all your options for going to Benidorm from Alicante Airport.
There is no train station at Alicante Airport. So to get the TRAM train from Alicante to Benidorm you need to commute first from Alicante Airport to Luceros TRAM Station.
The cheapest way to travel from the airport to Alicante TRAM train station in Luceros is by bus line C6. It costs 3.85€ that you can pay by card or cash. It takes about 25-30 min to reach the TRAM station and there is a bus every 20 min approx.
The first bus stop with a connection to the TRAM is Vazquez de Mella. But, two stops later, at Plaza de Los Luceros, 17, is the Luceros TRAM station. If you are not familiar with the TRAM de Alicante service it might be wise to wait and take off the bus at Luceros station.
Luceros TRAM station is the first and main stop in Alicante and the TRAM’s personnel is usually available to help people with their tickets and travel cards. At Mercado and Marq the staff is not always available to attend to the public.
Here is the TRAM Line 1 to Benidorm schedule:
The total cost of going from Alicante airport to Benidorm by bus plus TRAM is 6.65€.
As you probably know, the price is calculated by adding the price of the bus line C6 from Alicante Airport to Alicante city centre -3.85€- to the price of the TRAM from Alicante to Benidorm -to travel two zones costs 2,80€-.
The travelling time using the bus + TRAM to go from Alicante to Benidorm is 1h and 40m. But the total trip time will be longer as you need to add the time to wait for the C6 bus (up to 20 min) and allow time to enter the Tram station, pay for the ticket and get the next train to Benidorm (up to 30 min wait).
The recommendation would be, if you decide to use this commute Bus+TRAM allow, at least, 2h30m to complete the journey from Alicante to Benidorm.
A way to make the journey a bit quicker without going to the roof on the budget is to use a taxi to the TRAM train station and then take the TRAM service. This option is a bit more expensive but less than using a taxi all the way to Benidorm.
Alicante to Benidorm By Bus+TRAM pros:
Alicante to Benidorm By Bus+TRAM cons:
This is probably the most cost-effective way to travel from Alicante Airport and Benidorm.
It costs 9.80€ and takes 45min to 1h. Alicante Airport has a coach station so you don’t have to commute first to Alicante. There is service running from as early as 8 am to as late as 21h. But always check the time first on Alsa’s website or on their Android or iPhone apps as the following timetable might not be updated with the last schedule.
Alicante Airport | Benidorm Estacion | Benidorm Av Europa | Frequency |
08:00 | 08:45 | 08:55 | M-Sun |
09:00 | 09:45 | 09:55 | M-F |
09:00 | 09:45 | 09:55 | M-Sun |
10:00 | 10:45 | 10:55 | M-Sun |
11:00 | 11:45 | 11:55 | M-Sun |
12:00 | 12:45 | 12:55 | M-Sun |
13:00 | 13:45 | 13:55 | M-Sun |
15:00 | 15:45 | 15:55 | M-Sun |
16:00 | 16:45 | 16:55 | M-Sun |
17:00 | 17:45 | 17:55 | M-Sun |
18:00 | 18:45 | 18:55 | M-F |
19:00 | 19:45 | 19:55 | M-F |
19:00 | 19:45 | 19:45 | M-Sun |
20:00 | 20:45 | 20:55 | M-F |
21:00 | 21:45 | 21:55 | M-Sun |
Alicante Airport’s coach station is on level 2. To know where the bus to Benidorm stops check the paper info in the post underneath the number.
The service is a direct bus from Alicante Airport to Benidorm so there are no stops until arriving at Benidorm. The bus uses the motorway (not the single-carriageway curvy road) so it is faster and more comfortable.
Alicante to Benidorm By coach/bus pros:
Alicante to Benidorm By coach/bus cons:
Another convenient way to travel to Benidorm is by hiring a transfer service. It is similar to what is called minicabs in the UK.
The service is regulated and the drivers must have a licence to operate. There are many companies offering the service and a search such as “transfer to Benidorm” should give plenty of results.
For example, this company has good references for the transfer from Alicante Airport to Benidorm, and drivers can speak English. The fee is around 70€. The driver will wait for you in the pick-up/drop-off area at the airport. They have different types of vehicles including vans for up to 8 passengers. So you know, alicanteabout.com will make a small amount of money if you use this link.
Another recommendation is Radio Taxi Elche, a taxi and minicab equivalent service where the driver will wait for you holding a paper with your name on arrival. Their service to Benidorm starts at 63€. They have different types of vehicles, including cars for people with limited mobility and vans for up to 8 passengers. The disadvantage is that the drivers might not speak English.
Alicante to Benidorm By transfer service pros:
Alicante to Benidorm By transfer service cons:
If you didn’t have time to book your transfer there is no need to panic. Alicante Airpot has a taxi stop at ground level, the same ground where the arrival hall is.
A taxi from Alicante airport to Benidorm costs around 77€. There is no need to book the taxi in advance, just wait in the queue and get the first taxi available. Pre-booked transfer options might be cheaper, starting at 63€. The drive takes from 35min to 1h.
Drivers might not speak English but you will find it easy to show them the address on your phone or written on paper.
All taxis must allow payments by cash or card, by law. Here is more information about taxis in Alicante.
Alicante to Benidorm By taxi pros:
Alicante to Benidorm By taxi cons:
Another good option to go to Benidorm is by car.
Alicante Airport has a few companies offering car rentals to travellers. There are also long-stay parking lots if you own a car and want to keep it in the airport during your trip.
Alicante Airport has a drop-off/pick-up space for private cars for free:
The distance between Alicante Airport and Benidorm is 58km or 35mi and takes from 35min to 1h to travel, depending on traffic.
There are two different routes you can use:
The most recommended route is using the motorway as it is faster and only use the slower road if you want to enjoy the views.
The cost of driving the distance of 58km (36mi) from Alicante airport to Benidorm on a petrol car that uses 6L/100km is 6.83€ with the fuel at 1.77€/L.
Note that parking in Benidorm might be a bit complicated and expensive, especially during summer and the busy season.
Alicante to Benidorm By private car pros:
Alicante to Benidorm By private car cons:
The taxi cost from 60€ to 65€
A Cabify cost around 85€, depending on the service demand
There are 4 ways to go from Alicante to Benidorm:
– By TRAM Train: It is the cheapest costing 2.80€ but also the slowest taking 1:55h
– Coach/Bus: It is fast, around 55min and cheap; costing 4.80€
– Taxi or Cabify: It is fast but expensive. Cost from 60€ to 85€ and takes about 40 min
– Car: It is the fastest way to go, about 40min. And cheap if you own the car; it can cost anything between 3€ to 7€ depending on the car and petrol prices
The airport for Benidorm is called Alicante-Elche airport in Alicante’s province. The distance between Alicante Airport and Benidorm is 58.6km or 36 min.
The TRAM train from Alicante to Benidorm cost 2.80€ a single trip as you are moving from Zone A to Zone B. There are return tickets and travel cards available to reduce the fare, click here for more info.
The coach from Alicante to Benidorm is operated by Alsa.es and costs 4.80€.
Since there is no Uber in Alicante, you can use a transfer company, book a Cabify, a taxi or a coach for going from the airport to Benidorm.
If you want to save money use the coach.
If you want a comfortable trip book a transfer company with your flight number so they wait for you in arrivals at the airport.