Car hire Alicante: tour the city in style and at ease with a rental

Car hires in Alicante: practical information

Where to rent a car in Alicante

As the gateway to Spain's beautiful and popular Costa Blanca, renting a car in Alicante for your trip is the best way to reach your holiday resort and cruise up and down the coast. Once you arrive in Alicante, head to the airport car hire desk. You will find the following companies represented: Auriga Crown Car Hire, Avis, Centrauro, Europcar, Goldcar, Hertz, National Atesa, Record Rent A Car, Sixt and Sol-Mar.

Apart from the airport, there are a dozen rental agencies in the city centre, particularly near the harbour and along Avenida Salamanca near the train station. You will also find some coming in from the A-70, along Calle de Teulada and Gran Via.

Driving in Alicante: parking and other tips

It can be very difficult to find street parking in central Alicante, especially on weekends during the summertime. The best option to use to a parking garage. There are two near the harbour that usually have vacancies. One is located next to the Melia Hotel, the other near the Panoramis Shopping Centre. Both are centrally located and a great place to leave your rent car in Alicante if you want to explore the old city.

There are 10 parking garages in the city centre, just look for the giant "P". You can also park at beaches. El Postiguet has parking facilities, as does El Saladar-Urbanova and La Albufereta. You can waste a lot of time circling around looking for a free spot. They're few and far between so it's better to bite the bullet and pay at a garage or lot.

Road trips from Alicante: what to do, what to see

Costa Blanca

The Costa Blanca stretches 200 kilometres north to Denia, through Benirdorm. The most popular sights are of course the beaches that sprinkle Spain's eastern coastline all the way up and all the way down. Noteworthy towns include: Benidorm with all the resorts, Altea with its white-washed village houses, Calpe with its excellent seafood, Denia with its 11th century castle overlooking the Mediterranean and finally Javea, home to the beautiful Montgó Natural Park. If you want to find culture, great food, amazing beaches and summer sun, you know where to find it.

Candelabra Caves

The Canelobre Caves are located just 24km north of Alicante. This huge cave system has some pretty impressive stalactites and stalagmites, so bring your camera! The inner cave has one of the highest cave vaults in all of Spain, 70m which is like standing in a big (natural) cathedral. As you can imagine, the acoustics are incredible in there. If you want to try your hand at caving, this is the place to do it. You need to join a tour to enter, which costs €5 per person.

Ibiza

Ibiza is just a ferry ride away, a great day-trip or weekend getaway during your holiday in Alicante. Ferries depart from Denia and take 2 hours, costing less than €30. Ibiza is the third largest Balearic Island and is a hot spot in summer for its club parties with celebrities and world-renown DJs and festivals. The island also has a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sights as well, including the port of Ibiza.