Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport to Elche (Elx) City Centre
Elche is about 13 km west of Alicante airport, in the same municipality. Avanza bus R11 costs €1.35 and takes about 30 minutes. A taxi on Elche's tariff takes about 20 minutes and costs roughly €20–31.
The airport is officially in Elche, and the city is about 13 km inland. Avanza's R11 bus links the two for €1.35, every 15–20 minutes on weekdays but only about every 75 minutes at weekends. This guide covers the timetables, the 2026 taxi tariff that applies, and what to see once you reach the palm groves.
How far is Elche (Elx) City Centre from Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport?
Elche (Elx) City Centre is 13 km (8 miles) from Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport by road, about 20 min by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 12 km. By public transport, Bus / shuttle takes about 30 min and costs €1.35.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: Bus / shuttle is the one to take: €1.35 with no change, and only about 10 minutes slower than going by car. Timetable: From airport, winter weekdays: 05:20, 06:05, 07:14, then frequent until 22:10, last 23:34 · Sat, Sun & holidays: 05:08–23:20, roughly every 75 min.
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 | €1.4 | €20 | Bus / shuttle |
| Couple · 2 travellers | €2.7 | €20 | Bus / shuttle |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | €5.4 | €20 | Bus / shuttle |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Bus / shuttle | From €1.35, about 30 min, no change needed. |
| Speed | Taxi | 20 min and door-to-door, from €20. |
| A group of 4 | Bus / shuttle | Four tickets still come to about €5.4 — less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | Bus / shuttle stops overnight — timetable: From airport, winter weekdays: 05:20, 06:05, 07:14, then frequent until 22:10, last 23:34 · Sat, Sun & holidays: 05:08–23:20, roughly every 75 min. |
By transport mode
Bus / shuttle
Ends at the Universidad / Estación de Autobuses stop in Elche. Urban fare: €1.35 ordinary, €1.45 special-service ticket (2026, subsidised). R10 also links the airport with Elche and Arenales del Sol.
Where to catch it: Bus stop on Level 2 (Departures) with the other bus lines
Times: From airport, winter weekdays: 05:20, 06:05, 07:14, then frequent until 22:10, last 23:34 · Sat, Sun & holidays: 05:08–23:20, roughly every 75 min
Best for solo & budget travellersTaxi
Elche urban tariff 2026: €1.77 + €1.01/km (T1) or €2.03 + €1.22/km (T2), plus €4.55 airport supplement. Survey fare ~€26.50 day / €31 night.
Where to catch it: Taxi rank outside Arrivals, Level 0
Times: 24 hours
Best for small groups in a hurryPrivate transfer
Only worth it for child seats or a guaranteed receipt; costs more than the meter on such a short trip.
Where to catch it: Arrivals hall meeting point from the booking app
Times: 24 hours
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsElche (Elx) City Centre & 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 Elche (Elx) City Centre
The airport's other city
The second half of the airport's name matters. Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández is inside the municipality of Elche (Elx), and the official taxis are Elche taxis, which is why they carry the city's coat of arms. The city itself is about 13 km west, inland. Elche is old: the Iberian bust known as the Lady of Elche was dug up at La Alcudia on its southern edge in 1897. It also has two UNESCO listings, the Palmeral, a grove of date palms laid out by the Moors that still surrounds the centre, and the Misteri d'Elx, a medieval sung drama performed in the Basilica of Santa María every August. For a visitor landing at the airport, the city is a short and cheap trip.
Line R11, the everyday link
Elche's urban bus company, Avanza, runs line R11: Elche – Parque Empresarial – Torrellano – Aeropuerto. It works as a loop. From the airport the bus goes back through the business park and finishes at the stop for the university and the bus station (Universidad / Estación de Autobuses) about half an hour later. Avanza's winter weekday timetable (September to June) shows the first departure from the airport at 05:20, then 06:05 and 07:14. Through the day buses leave the Elche end every 15 minutes in the morning, every 20 minutes from midday to 17:00 and every 15 minutes again until 20:00, and the airport stop follows about 40 minutes later in each cycle. The last evening departures from the airport are listed at 22:10 and 23:34.
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays are much thinner all year: roughly one bus every 75 minutes, from the airport at 05:08, 06:53, 08:10, 09:27 and so on through 21:57, 22:28 and 23:20. If you land on a Sunday afternoon, look at the timetable before you walk out.
The fare is Elche's urban one. Avanza's 2026 price list gives €1.35 for an ordinary single and €1.45 for a "special service" ticket, subsidised until 31 December 2026. Have small change or check whether card payment is accepted on board. There is also line R10, Elche – Aeropuerto – Arenales del Sol, which links the airport with Torrellano, L'Altet and the beach at Arenales as well as the city.
Finding the stop
Alsa's guide to the airport says all the bus stops, including the Elche lines, are on Level 2, the departures level, not outside arrivals. Take the lift or escalator up from the baggage hall and go out to the bays across the road from check-in.
By taxi: a short meter
Because the airport and the city share one municipality, a taxi to central Elche normally runs on Elche's urban tariff. The 2026 rates approved by the city are €1.77 to start and €1.01 per km on tariff 1, or €2.03 and €1.22 per km on tariff 2, plus an airport supplement of €4.55. Aena still quotes that supplement as €4.25. Welcome Pickups' August 2026 survey gives about €26.50 by day and €31 at night for the trip to Elche. Depending on where in the city you are going, the meter may show a little less. Radio Taxi Elche, which runs 85% of the airport fleet, has an information point in arrivals open from 09:00 to 01:00.
Is a private transfer needed?
For a 20-minute trip with a bus that costs less than €1.50, mostly not. A booked car is useful for a family with car seats, or for a business traveller who wants a receipt and a fixed price agreed in advance. Welcome Pickups' Alicante transfers start at about €42. That is clearly more than the meter here, so it only makes sense if those specific needs apply.
Late at night
The last R11 leaves the airport at 23:34 on winter weekdays and 23:20 at weekends and holidays. After that, it is a taxi, and the rank runs all night. For a late arrival bound for the eastern edge of the city or Torrellano, a taxi is quick and still fairly cheap.
What to see once you are there
- The Huerto del Cura garden, part of the Palmeral, is a short walk from the centre.
- The Lady of Elche found at La Alcudia is kept in Madrid's National Archaeological Museum. A replica and the site museum are in Elche.
- Elche has a high-speed rail station (Elx AV) away from the centre, which is separate from the city's Cercanías stations.
ALC to Elche (Elx) City Centre — FAQ
How far is Elche from Alicante airport?
What is the cheapest way from the airport to Elche?
What is the fastest way to Elche?
How much does a taxi to Elche cost?
What time is the last R11 bus from the airport?
How often does the R11 run at weekends?
I arrive after midnight. How do I get to Elche?
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.
- Avanza Elche – line R11 Elche–Parque Empresarial–Torrellano–Aeropuerto · checked 2026-10-21
- Avanza Elche – R11 winter timetable Sept–June (PDF) · checked 2026-10-21
- Avanza Elche – fares and tickets 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
- Alicante Plaza – Elche taxi tariffs 2026 (airport supplement €4.55) · checked 2026-10-21
- Aena – Alicante-Elche airport, taxi · checked 2026-10-21
- Welcome Pickups – Alicante airport taxi fares (Aug 2026) and transfer prices · checked 2026-10-21
