Alicante Airport

Alicante El Altet Airport is located to the south of Alicante close to the town of Elche, in the small town of El Altet. Alicante Airport handled nearly 10 million visitors in 2010. The airport is only about a 20 minute drive from Alicante, and 10 minutes from Elche. There are small hotels in El Altet around 5 minutes from the airport if you arrive late at night or have an early flight. Alicante Airport is much larger than Murcia Airport to the south, and is the main gateway to the Costa Brava resorts such as Torrevieja, Calpe, Denia and Benidorm.

Alicante is the sixth largest airport in Spain, and is continuing to grow with a new terminal building installed in March of 2011. The airport has excellent links to all the major towns and resorts, and is located just of the major arterial route of the region the Autovia del Mediterraneo (A7 Motorway).

Arrival/Departure Information

UK arrivals will arrive at the new terminal. After leaving the plane you will be led directly to baggage reclaim and then pass through the security area and customs into the arrivals area. Arrivals is the ideal meeting point if you are being collected.

When leaving the Costa Blanca, there is a drop-off area located outside of the terminal near the entrance of the building, or if you have a hire car it should dropped in the designated parking lot for rental vehicles. Once inside you will need to check-in with an agent or at the automated kiosks after which you will be directed towards the baggage counter. From here you will need to pass through the security check and then towards your boarding gate.

During the quiter winter season you should plan to be at the airport at least an hour and a half before your flight, but during the peak summer holiday season it may be a good idea to show up at least two to three hours before your flight as it gets very busy.

Transport Options At Alicante Airport

Taxi

The taxis are outside of arrivals on level O, and after passing through the exit you will see the taxi rank. There are usually plenty of taxis, so waiting should not be an issue.

Taxi fares are not metered, so make sure to ask for a quote first. You should expect to pay somewhere around 20 Euro to Alicante Train Station, somewhere between 70 and 85 Euro to Benidorm, and anywhere from 55 to 70 to Torrevieja.

Bus

The bus area can be a bit confusing for those who have never been to Alicante Airport before as there is only one large bus parking area on lower floor 2 for all tour operator and charter buses and you will have to sort out which one is for you. If you are simply looking for the local area bus service you will need to head towards the departure level of the building where you can find service to Alicante, Denia, Benidorm, Elche, and Murcia. This is also located on level 2 but in a very different area so make sure that you are waiting in the appropriate area.

In addition, there is also a designated bus service called the Airport-to-Alicante City bus line that runs on regular intervals throughout the day and will take you into the downtown area of Alicante in about 40 minutes. It is supposed to come through the airport every twenty minutes but does not always adhere to this schedule. Although the bus will likely be labelled in both Spanish and English when it pulls up, look for the words 'Centro Ciudad-Aeropuerto on the scrolling screen. There are also direct bus services to Benidorm, Calpe, Murcia, and Elche.

Train

The train service does not run directly into the Alicante Airport but you can take a bus or taxi to the Alicante Train station. Once reaching the Alicante train station, make sure to take the 'Plaza de los Luceros' exit on the airport bus, you can then board a train into a more localized area of Alicante or out into the surrounding resort areas.

Car Rental

Hiring a car at Alicante Airport is fairly straight forward, with most of the rental companies having desks within the arrivals area of the airport terminal. On arriving at the airport, the rental contract is signed at the desk, and then there is a few minutes walk to the collection area which is located in a large multi-storey car park across a walkway.

Some of the smaller companies are outside arrivals in the car parking area.

Driving from the airport is very easy and well signed, and it takes a few minutes to reach the major A7 motorway which connects to alicante, Benidorm and the south.

Airlines that operate from Alicante Airport

There are a wide range of airlines that offer direct or operating flights into Alicante Airport although the availability and range will vary depending on the time of year that you are travelling. In general, you can expect to find flights available from Jet2, Flythomascook, EasyJet, Ryanair, Monarch, Thomsonfly, Bmibaby, Aer Lingus, flybe, and Air Berlin from the UK although the fares will vary in price also depending on the time of year you are travelling. London Gatwick, Manchester, and the East Midlands are all great airports to book direct flights out of.

General Amenities at the airport

Alicante Airport has a pharmacy, VAT office (useful to know its written IVA in Spanish), Firearms Registration Office, Car hire service, restrooms, aid for those with disabilities, VIP lounge, restaurants, shops, cafes, restrooms, and general information kiosks. There is also a Costa Blanca Tourist information kiosk located near the arrivals door where you can find a great free local map and plenty of information if you are confused about how to get to your final destination. The post office can be found on level P-1 and the ATM machines and currency exchange can be found on both levels PO and P1.

Guide to Airport shops and food options

Most of the Alicante Airport shops are located within the departure area. There are a range of shops and boutiques including a few designer clothes outlets. There are some good but pricey food bars including Burger King, a Tapas Bar and an Irish Bar.

Located throughout the airport are a variety of cafes and restaurants as well as a few bars although the prices on these goods can be expensive making it worthwhile to eat before you arrive at the airport. Most of the eating establishments can be found within the departure and arrival areas.

Airport Prices at the shops

The duty free shops are ideal for stocking up on items with UK duty allowance such as tobacco, alcohol, and other goods. However, the regular airport shops can be overpriced when compared to outside the airport, so it is better to shop outside of the airport before leaving if you can manage it. For last minute items however you can find a wide array of choices even if you must pay a few extra pounds for them.