Compare Alicante Airport car hire

Alicante-Elche Airport (ALC) is around 20 minutes from the city centre in good traffic, and you’ll find around half a dozen car hire companies in the arrivals hall. Most of the big international car rental brands are represented here, including Avis, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt.

The drive to Alicante city centre is relatively easy. From the airport, head west on N-338 and join the A-70; alternatively, go east on N-338 until you reach the coast, then join N-332 northbound.

Car hire companies with desks at Alicante Airport include:

• Goldcar (Tel: +34 902 119 701)
• Avis/Budget (Tel: +34 902 109 808)
• Europcar (Tel: +34 902 105 030 / 902 503 010)
• Sixt (Tel: +34 902 491 616)
• Hertz (Tel: +34 902 402 405)
• Recordg Go (Tel: +34 902 123 002)
• Centauro (Tel: +34 966 360 360)

Alicante itself is easy to explore on foot or by public transport. It’s the attractions on the outskirts, from beautiful beaches to quaint Spanish villages, that you’ll need a car to access. If you only want a car for part of your trip, you might find it easier to hire one in the city centre. There are several big brands around Alicante-terminal station, including Hertz and Sixt.

Alicante's historic Centro district is a bit of a warren, with lots of narrow one-way streets to negotiate. The layout becomes increasingly confusing as you move east towards the slopes of Mount Benacantil – and it all gets worse in summer, when the holiday season brings extra traffic to the roads. Avoid driving here if you can. Luckily, most town centre car hire offices are in the more modern Alipark district. Compare in advance for cheap car hire.

Spain uses the right hand side of the road, and you might find the local driving style a little aggressive at times. Be alert, and try to map out your route through the city beforehand to avoid any problems.

It’s also worth knowing that the coastal AP-7 motorway, which links Alicante with most of the resorts in the region, is a toll road. It can be quite pricey but it’s by far the fastest way to get around. If you’d rather save money, the free E-15 road follows much the same route, but is much slower going.

If you’re venturing into the mountains around Alicante, expect steep slopes, hairpins and more warren-like town centres. Villages like Sella – pretty as they are – were designed with horses in mind, not cars.

Guadalest Reservoir

Driving time: One hour

For a dose of the great Spanish outdoors without having to break a sweat, Guadalest Reservoir is ideal. It’s a scenic drive north along the coast from Alicante, and the perfect place for a dip thanks to its serene turquoise waters. The nearby village of Guadalest has an idyllic position overlooking a valley, and a historic castle accessed through a tunnel carved into the mountainside.

El Portet

Driving time: One hour

If you've hired a car to get off the tourist track and find some of Costa Blanca's quieter beach towns, El Portet is a good place to start. There are still bars, restaurants and hotels here, but development has stayed resolutely low-rise – partly because the location, on a small natural cove surrounded by steep hills, prevents urban sprawl. The water is gorgeous and the beach shelves really gently, so it's perfect for swimming, particularly if you have little ones in tow.

Orba Valley

Driving time: 75 minutes

Beginning at Denia, the Orba Valley is a picturesque destination for a day of hopping between traditional Spanish towns. Orba itself is a charming village surrounded by orange groves, while Pedreguer, Tormos, Rafol, Benidoleig and Sagra – collectively known as the ‘Rectoria’ – represent southern Spain at its most atmospheric.

1. Temperatures between April and November can soar to 30C, so, when you rent a car from Alicante Airport, be sure to secure a model with air conditioning. With heat this scorching, opening the windows just won’t cut it.
   
   
2. Don’t be tempted to skip the tolls. It is possible to navigate the Costa Blanca from Alicante without using the toll roads – but you’d need to be a map-reading ninja with plenty of time on your hands. The A7 offers the fastest, easiest and most direct route between the main resorts. It may not be dirt cheap (the car toll in 2018 is 16.95 euros to travel between Valencia and Alicante), but the ease of travel is worth the extra outlay. 
   
   
3. Google might give you an accurate journey time for the faster coastal routes, but if you’re venturing into the mountains then expect progress to be more leisurely. The inland roads can be nauseatingly windy, and streets in towns like Sella were designed with horses in mind, not cars. Take it slowly, and just enjoy the more relaxed pace of life.