Alicante has a perfect location for exploring the surrounding area, with many interesting sights just a short distance away. Many major attractions in this region are easily accessible by car, you can find the offers of different car rental companies here on Liligo.com, just like the low cost flights and cheap hotel rooms. The sandy beaches of the nearby resort of Benidorm (28 miles), and the town of Calpe (39 miles) are really worth making a visit. Penon de Ifach (Rock of Ifach) in Calpe, the largest rock in the Mediterranean, is now a nature reserve, and also popular excursion destination, because of the many panoramic, coastal walking trails.

Further attractions close to Alicante are the holiday resort of Denia, which offers catamaran connections to Ibiza, (the famous party place but also home of many museums, galleries, painted caves and a beautiful cathedral), then the island of Tabarca, a beautiful Marine Reserve known for its wonderful views; and the fishing town of Santa Pola. The lively city of Valencia, famous for its modern attractions at the City of Arts and Science, is also in the vicinity. Many people choose car rental just to travel here from Alicante and visit this wonderful modern development, containing the Oceanographic Park, the Planetarium, the Prince Felipe Science Museum and the Palace of the Arts, which are all equally fascinating.

Another place of interest - for those who decide in favour of car rental - can be the Calblanque National Park, one of the last remaining untouched areas of the entire Mediterranean coastline, situated on the Costa Calida, south from Alicante. Calblanque was declared Natural Park in 1987 and Nature Reserve in 1992. This guarantees the protection from human interfering and defacement. You can easily get here by car, and enjoy the view of the Mediterranean on your way.

Some things to take care of when planning your trip

To have a holiday without setbacks, it helps a lot to take into consideration what simple measurements can be done that would save you many bad shots.
First of all, always check your documents that will be requested at the entrance of your destination country, consult the competent government agency, and even if you do not leave the country, keep in mind that it is obligatory to carry along your identification papers. Moreover, many accommodations request documents at registration. You may also want to rent a car, so you'll have to take your driver's license with you (get informed about the international driving license, too). Do not forget your travel insurance, your health insurance card (we strongly recommend you to take your health card). There are some countries where a visa is required to be allowed to enter the country at all. But do not worry, in most countries you can enter and stay without visas or special permits for some months (usually 90 days).
A good tactic is to photocopy important documents you might need, so in case they get lost or stolen, it will be really useful. Furthermore, it is also a good idea to carry along two extra passport photos.

Thanks to the Schengen agreement, one can freely cross the borders of ‘Schengen countries’, so EU travellers travelling within this area won’t be asked to identify themselves. Even so, you should always carry along identity documents, because police might ask for identity checks, any time. The following countries form part of the Schengen Agreement:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland (non-EU), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway (non-EU), Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland (non-EU).
EU countries that do not belong to this agreement are: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, UK and Romania. Citizens outside the EU will need to apply for visas and documents to enter the Schengen area. The maximum length of stay for travellers is 3 months.
Bear in mind that some documents and visas are not that easy to get, one has to wait for them. Therefore it is recommended that you plan the travel and learn about these documents well in advance.

In addition to paperwork, when travelling within or outside the borders of the EU or the Schengen area, don’t forget to be informed of the required or recommended vaccinations in certain countries. If you know exactly the health care situation of the country which you plan to travel to, you can avoid many unpleasant surprises.
Again, please note that some vaccines require more than one dose, sometimes with large temporary spaces between them, so it is advisable to act well in advance. Be cautious with consuming food, especially fruits, and for your security, drink bottled water only.
Also, the maximum weight of your luggage is usually around 20 kilos –depending on the airline-, so it might be a good idea to make a list of most necessary things before packing your suitcase. Your passport (and anything fragile) is best to be guarded in your hand luggage that you bring along into the cabin.
Note that you can’t have scissors (or any kind of cutting or stabbing tools) with you, nor liquids of any kind (water, tee, juices and all types of cosmetics), or at least only a small amount.

Unfortunately, sometimes it happens that your luggage gets lost. In this case it might be helpful to have some clothes with you in your hand bag, until your luggage is found.

Further information:

Foreign and Commonwealth office

European Health Insurance card

Healthcare abroad

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• Coches Alicante
• Voitures Alicante
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