Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport to Alicante City Centre (Luceros / Explanada)
Central Alicante is about 12 km from the airport. The cheapest way is the 24-hour Vectalia C-6 bus at €4.70, taking 25–35 minutes. The fastest is a metered taxi, about 20 minutes and roughly €24.50–27.
Few Spanish airports sit this close to their city. Alicante's centre is about 12 km up the coast, and the C-6 bus runs around the clock, every 11–12 minutes in the daytime and every half hour through the night. This guide covers which stop suits which part of town, what the official taxis really charge in 2026, and when a pre-booked car is worth the extra.
How far is Alicante City Centre (Luceros / Explanada) from Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport?
Alicante City Centre (Luceros / Explanada) is 12 km (7 miles) from Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport by road, about 20 min by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 9 km. By public transport, Vectalia line C-6 (Alicante–Aeropuerto) takes about 30 min and costs €4.7.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: Vectalia line C-6 (Alicante–Aeropuerto) is the one to take: €4.7 with no change, and only about 10 minutes slower than going by car. Timetable: 24 hours, every day. From airport: ~every 30 min 00:10–04:40, then 05:40, 06:04, every 11–12 min until ~21:00, then 21:26, 21:38, 22:00, 22:10, 22:35, 23:10, 23:40.
What it costs for your group
The bus / shuttle is charged per person, while a taxi is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Bus / shuttle (per person) | Taxi (per car) | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | €4.7 | €25 | Bus / shuttle |
| Couple · 2 travellers | €9.4 | €25 | Bus / shuttle |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | €19 | €25 | Bus / shuttle |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Vectalia line C-6 (Alicante–Aeropuerto) | From €4.7, about 30 min, no change needed. |
| Speed | Taxi | 20 min and door-to-door, from €24.5. |
| A group of 4 | Vectalia line C-6 (Alicante–Aeropuerto) | Four tickets still come to about €18.8 — less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | Vectalia line C-6 (Alicante–Aeropuerto) | It runs through the night (Every 11–12 min by day; every 30 min overnight). |
By transport mode
Bus / shuttle
Single €4.70 since 24 Jul 2026. Stops at the bus station and Puerta del Mar; riders from the airport can continue to Luceros and the RENFE station. Connects with the TRAM at Luceros and Mercado–El Sabio.
Where to catch it: Bus bays on Level 2 (Departures), across the road from the check-in hall doors
Times: 24 hours, every day. From airport: ~every 30 min 00:10–04:40, then 05:40, 06:04, every 11–12 min until ~21:00, then 21:26, 21:38, 22:00, 22:10, 22:35, 23:10, 23:40
Best for solo & budget travellersTaxi
Metered. Survey fare about €24.50 by day, €27 at night, including the airport supplement (Aena: €4.25; Elche 2026 tariff: €4.55). White cars with a green stripe and Elche crest.
Where to catch it: Taxi rank outside Arrivals, Level 0
Times: 24 hours
Best for small groups in a hurryPrivate transfer
Price agreed before you fly, no meter; most useful at night or with children and heavy bags. Costs more than a metered cab on this short run.
Where to catch it: Meeting point in the Arrivals hall, given in your booking
Times: 24 hours
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsAlicante City Centre (Luceros / Explanada) & Alicante in photos
Buying tickets in Alicante
C-6 to Alicante: a single costs €4.70 (from 24 July 2026). Buy it for the trip on board, or as a QR ticket in the Vectalia app. Vectalia also sells a 10-trip bono at €8.10, which is of interest mainly to residents.
Alsa coaches (Benidorm, Altea, Calpe, Dénia, Jávea, Murcia): buy in the Alsa app, at the Alsa sales point in the airport, or on board where the service allows it. Cash is accepted only at Alsa sales points, ticket machines and on the bus. Cards, PayPal and Apple Pay work in the app. The basic fare includes one suitcase in the hold (20 kg on Básica). If a flight delay makes you miss your coach, Alsa will move you to its next service free of charge within 12 hours; arrange this at the airport sales point or by phone.
Costa Azul to Torrevieja: €7.00 one way, sold online through the operator's sales page (regular.autobusing.com), which also handles changes and cancellations.
Elche R11/R10: Elche urban fare, €1.35 ordinary single in 2026.
All scheduled buses board on Level 2 (Departures). Arrivals passengers need to go upstairs first.
Taxi scams & safety in Alicante
The only taxis licensed to pick up at the airport rank are Elche taxis from Radio Taxi Elche (about 85% of the fleet) and Servitaxi Elche. They are white with a green stripe along the side and the Elche coat of arms on the front doors. The rank is outside arrivals on Level 0. Radio Taxi Elche has an information point in the arrivals hall, open 09:00–01:00.
Fares are metered. Trips within Elche use the city tariff (2026: €1.77 flag fall and €1.01/km on tariff 1). Longer trips use the regional interurban tariff (2026: €2.25 plus €1.46/km, or €2.80 plus €1.68/km on the special rate). An airport supplement is added: Aena states €4.25, and Elche's 2026 ordinance sets €4.55. Tolls are charged on top. Rough guides: central Alicante €24.50–27, Benidorm €83–99, Torrevieja €66–76.
- Ignore anyone in the arrivals hall offering a ride who is not at the rank or holding your booking.
- For long trips (Calpe, Dénia, Murcia, Valencia), ask for an estimate before you set off, or pre-book on the operators' websites, where the price is shown in advance.
- If you have pre-booked a taxi through an operator, Servitaxi Elche explains that the driver must still run the meter by law, but you pay the agreed booking price.
- Ask for a receipt (recibo). It shows the licence number if you need to complain or trace lost property.
Step-free access in Alicante
Aena runs the "Sin Barreras" (Barrier Free) assistance service for passengers with reduced mobility at Alicante-Elche. Request it at least 48 hours before your flight through your airline or travel agent, the Aena website or app, or by phone on +34 91 321 10 00 (07:00–00:00) or email at [email protected].
- Signposted meeting points are located inside and outside the terminal, including the car park, the arrivals forecourt and the check-in area.
- On departure, be at a meeting point at least 2 hours before the flight. An assistant takes you through check-in, security and boarding to your seat.
- On arrival, staff help you leave the aircraft, collect your luggage if needed, and take you to the meeting point you choose.
Getting from ALC to Alicante City Centre (Luceros / Explanada)
The C-6 in numbers
Alicante's airport bus is Vectalia line C-6, and it is the only scheduled service that links the terminal with the city itself. Since 24 July 2026 a single ticket costs €4.70. Over-65s pay €1.05, and there is a ten-trip bono at €8.10, which is only useful if you live here or plan several airport runs. The line runs every day of the year. In the daytime, departures from the airport come roughly every 11 to 12 minutes, from just after 06:00 until about 21:00. After that the gap opens to 20–45 minutes, and from midnight to dawn there is still a bus about every half hour. Alicante is one of the few Spanish cities where the airport bus genuinely never stops.
Plan on 25–35 minutes to the centre, depending on traffic and on which stop you need. The road is short: around 12 km, mostly along the N-338 and then the coastal avenue past the port.
Where the bus waits
Arrivals are on Level 0, but the bus bays at Alicante-Elche are on Level 2, the departures floor. Take the lift or escalator up, walk out through the check-in hall doors and cross to the bays opposite. This catches people out every day. If you see a queue of suitcases on the arrivals kerb, they are waiting for hotel coaches, not the C-6.
Choosing your stop
Heading into town, the C-6 calls at Agua Amarga, EUIPO (only for trips that start or end at the airport), San Gabriel–Cercanías, the Elche/F. Mayo stop, the bus station and Puerta del Mar. A note on Vectalia's timetable confirms that passengers from the airport can stay on past Puerta del Mar and ride through to the RENFE train station. Use these as a rough guide:
- Estación de Autobuses – for onward Alsa coaches and the old-town hotels on the west side.
- Puerta del Mar – the seafront end of the Explanada, the marina and the Santa Cruz quarter below the castle.
- Luceros and Mercado–El Sabio – the commercial centre, and the stops where the C-6 meets the TRAM network.
- Estación–Avenida – Alicante's mainline station, for AVE, Avlo, Ouigo, iryo and regional trains.
Coming back, the airport-bound route starts at Puerta del Mar and runs via Marq–Castillo (TRAM), Mercado–El Sabio, Luceros, the station and Óscar Esplá before leaving the city.
Paying for it
The single is sold for the trip itself; Vectalia also sells QR tickets through its app. The €4.70 fare is a flat price, so there is nothing to work out by zone. Children and luggage do not change the price in any published rule, but a large suitcase goes in the rack, not the aisle.
Night arrivals
Because the C-6 keeps running after midnight, a late Ryanair or Jet2 landing does not force you into a taxi. The overnight timetable shows departures from the airport at 00:10, 00:40, 01:10 and so on through to 04:10 and 04:40, then 05:40 and 06:04. If your hotel is close to a C-6 stop, this is the cheapest way in at any hour. If it is up in the old town or out along San Juan beach, a taxi will save a walk on dark streets with luggage.
When a taxi is the better call
The official airport taxis belong to Radio Taxi Elche and Servitaxi Elche: white cars with a green stripe and the Elche coat of arms on the front doors. The rank is outside arrivals. They run on the meter. Welcome Pickups' August 2026 fare survey puts the trip to central Alicante at about €24.50 by day and €27 at night, and that already includes the airport supplement. Aena gives that supplement as €4.25; Elche's 2026 taxi tariff sets it at €4.55, so expect the figure on your receipt to be one of the two. For two or more people with bags, the gap between €9.40 in bus tickets and roughly €25 in a cab narrows quickly, and the taxi goes to the door.
Pre-booked cars
A fixed-price private transfer makes most sense for a first visit with children or a lot of luggage. The price is agreed before you fly, so a traffic jam on the N-338 or a 2am arrival does not change it. Welcome Pickups quotes from about €42 for the city; hoppa lists private cars from about £41 (roughly €46). That is close to double the metered taxi, so it is a convenience purchase, not a saving.
Small print
- The EUIPO stop only takes passengers going to or from the airport, not people riding within the city.
- Roadworks in central Alicante have moved C-6 stops before. Vectalia posts changes under "Alertas" on its line page.
- Ride-hailing apps work in Alicante, but at the airport they compete with the regulated rank, and a surge price can cost more than the meter.
ALC to Alicante City Centre (Luceros / Explanada) — FAQ
How far is Alicante airport from the city centre?
What is the cheapest way from Alicante airport to the city?
What is the fastest way into Alicante?
How much is a taxi from Alicante airport to the centre?
What time is the last C-6 bus from the airport?
My flight lands at 2am. How do I get into Alicante?
Does the C-6 stop at Alicante train station?
Can I get to Alicante City Centre (Luceros / Explanada) by public transport late at night?
Sources
Fares and times on this page were last held against their official sources on 21 October 2026. Operators change prices without notice — if you spot a difference, the operator’s own page is the authority. How we check fares.
- Vectalia – Line C-6 Alicante–Aeropuerto timetable and stops · checked 2026-10-21
- Vectalia – C-6 fare change from 24 July 2026 · checked 2026-10-21
- Aena – Alicante-Elche airport, getting there by bus · checked 2026-10-21
- Alsa – buses at Alicante-Elche airport · checked 2026-10-21
- Aena – Alicante-Elche airport, taxi · checked 2026-10-21
- Alicante Plaza – Elche taxi tariffs 2026 (airport supplement €4.55) · checked 2026-10-21
- Welcome Pickups – Alicante airport taxi fares (Aug 2026) and transfer prices · checked 2026-10-21
- hoppa – Alicante airport transfers, indicative prices · checked 2026-10-21
