Alicante, Spain is a beautiful city located in the Province of Alicante and is the second-largest Valencian city. It’s easy to hire a car at Alicante Airport (El Altet), as well as in the city center (close to the main railway station in Avenida Salamanca).
There are many businesses you can hire a car from for various rates and timeframes. With a car, you can enjoy the scenic routes to nearby towns and villages. The airport is located between Alicante and the nearby city of Elche. There you can find Spanish businesses like Centauro
or National Atesa.
There is also international car hire in Alicante companies such as Hertz, Alamo, Avis, and Budget. All of them are located in the airport, close to the tourist information desk. Alamo currently gives 15 percent of all car rentals in Europe. Many car rental companies will charge by the day and have different requirements such as credit history and age. Carrentalscout.com has several car hire company reviews from previous customers as does Reviewcentre.com. On their website, Economy Car Hire and FASTCarhire have the best reviews.
Once in Alicante, you can take Highway N-332, which will lead you to Torrevieja and Cartagena. Torrevieja is known for its many scenic beaches and salt production. It is a favorite summer destination for many UK tourists. Cartegena (Carthag Nova) is a beautiful city with plenty of historical architecture, including the Roman Theatre. Cartegena also has the Augusteum, a building thought to be where priests worshipped the emperor Augustus. If you’re looking for something more modern, check out the Gran Hotel built-in 1917.
Highway A-31 heads north up to Madrid. It also passes Almansa, a historic town that has its own castle. The Church of the Assumption Arciprestal and the Plaza of St. Augustine are also in Almansa. Also on this highway, there are many other towns with impressive medieval castles: Novelda, Elda, Sax, and Villena. Driving to the northeast, Avinguda de la Villajoyosa leads to the coastal town of Villajoyosa that is famous for its chocolate production (“Valor” factory) and the Gothic Catholic church from the Baroque era. Close to Villajoyosa the Royal Palm Casino as well. The next stop is Benidorm, the city of skyscrapers, one of the top summer destinations on the coast of the Mediterranean.
If you take N-332 to N-340, you’ll reach Elche. Here is where the largest palm grove is in Europe. It’s also one of the largest in the world stretching over a mile. In this town, there is the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero, a large sports soccer stadium. This stadium held games from the 1982 FIFA World Cup and is expected to house either the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup if Spain is chosen.
To get to Alicante from the airport, you drive north on N-332, which will take no more than 20 minutes in light traffic. You could also take A-7, which is an 18-minute drive, or A-70, which takes a bit longer. If you take N-332, you can enjoy the view of the coast and the beautiful park El Palmeral. N-332 rides along the eastern coast of Spain giving you a breathtaking view of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Further south on N-330 is Guardamar del Segura. This city is located in the southern Valencia region, at the mouth of the Segura River. In this city, they celebrate many festivals including Moros y Cristianos and L’Encantà. Enjoy the festivals and try Aigua de València – fresh orange champagne. The Moros y Cristianos festival, with colorful costumes and traditional music, celebrates the fighting between the Moors and the Christians during the Reconquista. Guardamar del Segura also has a large pine forest and a beautiful white sand beach that is about 11 kilometers long.
Be sure to take safety precautions when driving and car hire in Alicante. Avoid road crime. There are criminals who disguise themselves as policemen in unmarked cars. Real police have a flashing sign that says either “Policia” or “Guardia Civil”. No policeman will ever ask you to hand over your bag or wallet for a traffic stop. Traffic drives on the right side of the road. Speed limits are 74 mph (120 kph) on motorways, 62 mph (100 kph) on dual carriageways, 56 mph (90 kph) on roads, and 31 mph (50 kph) in towns unless otherwise marked. Any tourist in Spain that does not have any assets will be automatically fined for any traffic violation, so prepare yourself by learning the traffic rules, laws, and safety before you go.
When you visit Alicante, Spain, make sure that you hire a car for there are plenty of places nearby to visit that are filled with history, culture, architecture, and natural beauty.
