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Car Rental in Alicante

Alicante's airport is one of the cheapest places in Europe to pick up a rental car - dozens of companies compete and off-peak rates drop below $10/day. That cheap car buys the whole Costa Blanca: Altea and Calpe up the coast, Benidorm's beaches, and the inland mountain villages around Guadalest that day-trippers on buses never reach. Here's how to book it and where to point it.

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By Sophie5 min readPublished
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The turquoise Guadalest reservoir surrounded by steep mountains inland from the Costa Blanca, Alicante
Photo: Carlos SGP · CC0

In Brief

Is it worth renting a car in Alicante?

Yes, and it's one of the best rental deals in Europe: competition at Alicante airport is fierce, so economy cars often go for $8-15/day off-peak. Alicante city itself is walkable and the tram runs up the coast to Benidorm, but a car unlocks the rest - Altea's old town, Calpe's rock, the Jalon wine valley and the mountain village of Guadalest. Much of the AP-7 motorway along this coast is now toll-free, which makes the day trips even cheaper. You drive on the right; manuals are standard.

Key takeaways

  • Often $8-15/day for economy cars - among the cheapest airport rates in Europe.
  • Formerly tolled stretches of the AP-7 along this coast are now free.
  • Skip the car for Alicante city days; use it for Altea, Calpe and the mountains.
  • Airport pickup is busy in summer - allow time for the desk queues.

$8/day

economy class, before extras

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How much does car rental cost in Alicante?

Rough daily prices by car type. Rates rise in peak season - book early for the best deal.

Car typePrice / dayGood to know
Small manual$8-20/dayThe headline bargain - fine for the coast road and the mountain loops alike.
Compact automatic$15-40/dayWidely available at the airport, at a premium; book ahead for August.
Compact SUV$20-45/dayComfort for the inland climbs to Guadalest and the Jalon valley.
Mid-size / estate$25-55/dayFamily and beach-gear space for a week working up and down the coast.
Convertible$40-90/dayThis is convertible weather most of the year; a treat, not a need.

Transmission: Manuals are standard and cheapest; the big airport fleets carry plenty of automatics, but they still price higher and thin out in August.

Driving in Alicante: what to know

  • Allow time for the airport pickup

    Alicante airport hosts dozens of rental companies: the big names sit in the terminal's rental car centre, while cheaper operators run shuttle buses to off-airport lots a few minutes away. Both work fine, but summer queues at the desks can run long - factor 30-60 minutes at peak times, have your licence and credit card ready, and photograph the car's existing marks before driving off.

  • The AP-7 tolls are gone on this coast

    The AP-7 motorway between Alicante and Valencia dropped its tolls when the concession ended, so the fast road up the Costa Blanca is now free. That leaves a pleasant choice: the AP-7 when you want speed, and the old coastal N-332 through the towns when you want the sea views and the stops.

  • Use the car for the coast, not the city

    Alicante city is compact and walkable, with garages that fill and street parking that tests patience - and the TRAM line already runs along the coast to Benidorm. The rental earns its keep on everything the tram misses: Altea's whitewashed old town, Calpe under the Penon d'Ifach, Javea, and every inland detour.

  • Go inland - it's the best-kept part

    Twenty minutes off the coast the roads climb into serious mountains. Guadalest, a castle village above a turquoise reservoir, is the famous stop; the Jalon valley's vineyards and the Algar waterfalls are quieter. The roads are well surfaced with steady curves, easy in any small car, and the coach crowds thin out fast beyond Guadalest itself.

  • Watch the resort-town parking rules

    Benidorm, Altea and Calpe run paid street zones in summer and enforcement is brisk. Signposted car parks near the old towns are cheap by northern European standards and save the circling. In Altea especially, park low and walk up - the old town's lanes are pedestrian and steep.

  • Summer is busy, not expensive

    Unlike the islands, Alicante rarely runs out of cars - the airport fleet is huge. Prices do rise for July-August and the coast roads carry real traffic on summer weekends, so book a couple of weeks ahead, drive the coastal N-332 outside rush hours, and use the AP-7 to skip the congested stretches.

Best drives in Alicante

The routes worth renting a car for - see our road trips guide for more.

  • The coastal N-332 (Alicante → Calpe)

    The classic Costa Blanca run through El Campello, Benidorm and Altea to Calpe's great limestone rock - beaches, miradors and old towns strung along one road; a full day with stops.

  • The Guadalest loop

    Inland from Benidorm up the CV-70 to the castle village of Guadalest and its reservoir, back via the Algar waterfalls - the Costa Blanca's best half-day away from the sand.

  • The Jalon valley wine run

    From Calpe or Javea into the vine-covered Jalon valley, looping the villages of Jalon, Alcalali and Parcent - quiet roads, bodegas and almond blossom in late winter.

  • Cabo de la Nao and Javea

    The cape roads beyond Javea to the lighthouse viewpoints and the coves at Granadella - short distances, big cliff scenery, and the coast at its least built-up.

Best time to visit Alicante

Car rental in Alicante: FAQ

The questions travelers ask most before renting a car here.

Alicante airport is one of the cheapest rental pickups in Europe: economy manuals commonly go for $8-20/day, automatics $15-40, and SUVs $20-45. Fierce competition among dozens of on- and off-airport operators keeps prices down year-round, with only modest August increases. Compare the fuel policy and excess terms, not just the headline rate - that's where cheap deals differ.

Not for the city - Alicante is walkable and the TRAM line runs up the coast as far as Benidorm. But the Costa Blanca's best day trips need one: Altea and Calpe reward wandering, Guadalest and the Jalon valley have no useful transit at all. A common plan is city days car-free, then a cheap rental for two or three touring days.

Mostly not any more. The AP-7 motorway along this coast became toll-free when its concession expired, so the fast road between Alicante, Benidorm and beyond costs nothing. Some tolled stretches remain elsewhere in Spain (around Alicante's ring the roads are free), and the coastal N-332 alternative was always free - and prettier.

Yes - it's the Costa Blanca's best inland trip. The castle village sits on a crag above a turquoise reservoir, about 40 minutes from Benidorm on a good mountain road that's easy in any car. Go in the morning before the coach tours arrive, park in the lots below the village, and pair it with the Algar waterfalls on the way back for a full half-day.

Spring and autumn are ideal: warm enough for the beaches, quiet roads, and rental prices at their lowest - November bookings can dip under $10/day. July-August brings hotter weather, weekend traffic on the coast road and modestly higher rates, but never island-style sellouts. See our best-time-to-visit Spain guide for the month-by-month detail.

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