Quick answer:
Alicante’s main railway station is Alicante Terminal, where the AVE from Madrid arrives. No mainline train runs from there to Benidorm, Altea or Calpe. Your options are the TRAM from Luceros (a separate station about ten minutes away on foot), a taxi, or a pre-booked private transfer. A Costanova transfer from the train station costs exactly the same as from the airport: €75 to Benidorm, €105 to Altea, €125 to Calpe.
Arriving on the Costa Blanca by train is a lot more common than it used to be. The AVE from Madrid reaches Alicante in around two and a half hours, and plenty of visitors now fly into Madrid, take the high-speed train down, and skip Alicante Airport entirely. It works well, right up until the moment you step off the train and realise the coast is still an hour away.
This guide covers what actually happens when you arrive at Alicante’s train station, and how to get from there to Benidorm, Altea, Calpe and the rest of the Costa Blanca.
First, which station are you arriving at?
This is where most of the confusion starts, because Alicante has two rail systems that do not connect to each other inside the city.
Alicante Terminal is the mainline Renfe station on Avenida de Salamanca. This is where the AVE from Madrid arrives, along with long-distance and regional Renfe services. If you came by high-speed train, this is where you are standing.
Luceros is the hub for the Alicante TRAM, the light rail network run by FGV. It is a different operator, a different ticket, and a different station, roughly a ten minute walk from Alicante Terminal. The TRAM is the only rail service that reaches the coastal towns north of the city.
So if you are looking for a train from Alicante station to Benidorm, the honest answer is that there is not one. There is a tram, from a different station, after a walk with your luggage.
Option 1: the TRAM
TRAM Line 1 runs from Luceros up the coast to Benidorm, and it is a genuinely scenic ride, hugging the shoreline for long stretches. Expect somewhere around an hour and a quarter to Benidorm, and a fare in single figures.
From Benidorm, a second narrow-gauge line continues north towards Dénia, with stops serving Altea, Calpe and Teulada. If your destination is further up the coast, that means changing trains in Benidorm and adding a good chunk of time to the journey.
The TRAM is cheap and it works. The catch is the chain: walk from Alicante Terminal to Luceros, buy a ticket, ride to Benidorm, change, ride again, then get from the station to your accommodation. With a suitcase each and a tired family, that chain gets long.
Option 2: a taxi from the rank
There is a taxi rank outside Alicante Terminal, and for a short hop into central Alicante it is a perfectly sensible choice.
For the coastal towns it gets less predictable. A metered run to Benidorm or Calpe is a long way, the fare depends on traffic and time of day, and you only find out the total at the end. There is also no guarantee a car with room for four people and four suitcases is sitting at the rank when you walk out.
Option 3: a pre-booked private transfer
This is what we do, so take it as read that we are not neutral. What we can tell you plainly is how it is priced.
Costanova treats Alicante Terminal exactly like Alicante Airport. Same fixed prices, same private vehicle, same driver waiting for you when you arrive. There is no train station surcharge:
- Alicante train station to Benidorm, €75
- Alicante train station to Altea, €105
- Alicante train station to Calpe, €125
- Alicante train station to Albir, €85
- Alicante train station to Alfaz del Pi, €85
- Alicante train station to La Nucia, €85
- Alicante train station to Finestrat, €85
Those are one-way prices for the whole vehicle, not per person, agreed before you travel. The full list is on our Alicante train station transfers page.
How long does it actually take?
By road, from Alicante Terminal, allow roughly:
- Benidorm, around 45 minutes
- Altea, around 55 minutes
- Calpe, around an hour
- Javea and Denia, around an hour and a quarter
Summer Friday afternoons on the N-332 will add to all of those. The motorway is usually the faster bet in August even with the toll section.
What if my train is late?
Tell us the train number when you book and we will track it the same way we track flights. Spanish high-speed services are usually punctual, but if yours runs late, your driver waits and there is no extra charge.
If you would rather not share the number, just message us with your new arrival time as soon as you know it.
Which option should you pick?
Travelling light, on your own, with time to spare and a sense of adventure: take the TRAM. The coastal stretch north of El Campello is lovely and it costs almost nothing.
Travelling with family, with luggage, late at night, or with a specific address to reach rather than a town centre: book the transfer. You will pay more than a tram ticket, and you will know the price and the arrival time before you leave Madrid.
Either way, work it out before you board. Arriving at Alicante Terminal at eleven at night and then deciding how to cover the last 50 kilometres is the one approach we would not recommend.
Common questions
Is there a direct train from Alicante to Benidorm?
Not a mainline train. The connection is the TRAM light rail from Luceros, which is a separate station and a separate operator from Alicante Terminal.
Does the AVE go to Benidorm?
No. The AVE runs between Madrid and Alicante Terminal. Benidorm is not on the high-speed network.
Is a transfer from the train station more expensive than from the airport?
Not with us. Alicante Terminal and Alicante Airport are priced identically on every route we publish.
Where will my driver meet me at the station?
In the arrivals concourse at Alicante Terminal, with a sign showing your name. We confirm the exact spot when you book.
Arriving by train and want the price for your town? Check your route and book online, or see every published fare on our routes and pricing page.
