Costa Blanca Reise Verkehrsmittel - Travel - Viaje - Bus - Auto - Airplane - Flugzeug - Bahn - Train - Tren

Costa Blanca travel on holiday – how to get there?

Region - Costa Blanca Region - Province of Alicante Region - Valencian Community Travel & Excursions

Costa Blanca travel on holiday
how to get there?

There are basically 4 possibilities to travel to the Costa Blanca. Walking and biking I have not worked on here. It is the plane, the car and the bus or the train. From Munich it is about 1.850 car kilometres to get to the Costa Blanca. The further north you live, the more kilometers you have to drive. The distance Manchester Alicante is 1.500 miles – about 2.400 km. From Stockholm or Oslo it is over 3,000 km.

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Instructions and tips for the Costa Blanca trip

2,000 to 3,000 kilometers: These are distances that can be covered most quickly by plane. Are there better alternatives? Because flying means a lot of CO2. So in times of an approaching climate catastrophe the question of the best means of transport arises. What is the best balance between ecological necessity and economic feasibility?

And what are the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of travel to the Costa Blanca? Which burdens, risks and costs arise. In this article I give you hints and tips to make this decision well.

More articles about holidays on the Costa Blanca

The trip to the Costa Blanca is one of the main topics of my article Costa Blanca Holidays affordable. When the text became too extensive for this section, I outsourced the topic. Thoughts on how to get to the Costa Blanca and the means of transport can now be found in this separate article. And here you get to an overview of all articles of the category Costa Blanca at altea.me.

Means of transport to travel to the Costa Blanca

Is there a journey where you can save money and CO2? Plane, car, bus, train?
You can offset CO2 by Atmosfair.

The journey with your own car

A trip to the Costa Blanca with your own car you should consider very well. I do not recommend it, except for the exceptions described below! In the past I often drove from Munich to Altea by car. Almost every year, several times. My excuse was, I have to transport a lot. But seen from a distance it was always somehow a big stress. At that time I would never have admitted that. I usually drove the route via Geneva to Valence to the A7 (l'Autoroute du Soleil).

You meet it south of Lyon and then continue on the expensive, toll motorway towards Marseille. That was many exhausting kilometres behind trucks on a single-lane Swiss highway through the mountains. I also didn't like the alternative route via Karlsruhe (without a main road) – at least from Munich.

Driving risks

In addition, there was overtiredness at the end of the journey, which greatly increased the risk of accidents. The risk of breakdowns and the many annoying traffic jams around the big cities Lyon, Barcelona, Valencia. Especially when I arrived there at rush hour.

Sometimes I wish the journey would have ended in Barcelona. The Costa Brava is about 1350 km away from Munich. With two drivers it is just about possible in one day by car. At least if the traffic allows it. It took me at least a day to recover after my arrival in Altea.

Is the Costa Blanca holiday by car cheap or expensive?

The costs for my economical diesel with motorway tolls amounted to about 500€ there and back a few years ago. Without the car wear and tear. There are then altogether nevertheless approx. 5,000 km with a few excursions at the vacation place. If you calculate the average full costs of a car (wear and tear and loss of value) with about 40 to 60 cents per km, it is really expensive.  Just driving the car costs 2.500€. On top of that come motorway tolls and overpriced rest stops. Is that still in your budget and the holiday and recreational value you want?

Airplane beats car

Even in the peak travel season with 5 people in the car is not cheaper than flying. Travelling to the Costa Blanca by car is not cheaper even during the very expensive school holidays. Even with airfares around 300€ / person you save nothing. And it is a very long journey for a car. It is about 2.000 km from DE. From the Scandinavian countries even more. This does not really work well in one day. Especially with children.

I did drive 16 – 20 hours as a young man. But what nonsense and how dangerous was that? To arrive safely, you need expensive accommodation for a stopover. And the family is hungry. In the end you arrive with your family on the Costa Blanca quite tired. And you have to drive back again.

Independence at your holiday destination – Car rental

The argument of independence at the holiday destination does not count to travel with your own car. Because there are very cheap rental cars. If instead of eating in the expensive old town or at the beach you only drive a few kilometres inland from time to time, you will save money.

Now at the beginning of the year and in the low season in general a smaller car costs around 35 to 50€ per week. In August it is 80 to 120€. This is usually included: All kilometers free, partial coverage and theft protection, best fuel regulation (full/full).

Use car rental comparison portal

It is recommended to use a comparison portal like HappyCar. You can then book via HappyCar or directly with the provider. Both have advantages and disadvantages. It is noticeable that Happy Car marks many of the cheapest offers with a warning. This is when the customer is not completely satisfied with the car rental company.

Which car rental company is the best?

Negative evaluations are usually not given with the more renowned, but somewhat more expensive car rental companies. After feedback from my tenants and also because of my own experience, I recommend the German internationally operating company Sixt Budget* (has early booking discounts) and Avis* New Years Special – a renowned international provider.

Both are marginally more expensive than the discount car rentals. But in return you will have a car that is usually very new and well maintained. The booked car is really available. And the pickup or return is problem-free. Even at night with a very early return flight. If the office is not yet open, you can put your keys and papers in the mailbox. Because the offices and car parks are directly at the airport.

Tip: Be sure to clarify the return procedure in advance. Watch out for previous damage when taking over the car. Take a close look at the car! Check whether the tank is completely full. Make a note of any damage in the handover protocol!

Conclusion – no cost advantage when travelling to the Costa Blanca by car!

My conclusion: The car is no longer an alternative for me to save costs. The CO2 balance up to 2-3 persons is worse than with a plane. So it only makes ecological sense if the car is completely full. 5 people crammed together for 2 days in a car? Usually you lose 4 to 6 days of your holiday. Travel time and recovery phase. Think about it again.

The car journey as part of the holiday

Traveling by car can also be an alternative. But then make the car journey itself a part of your holiday. Without time pressure, with stops and overnight stays.

You can visit places that you / you have always wanted to see. With appropriate planning and a suitable dog you can also take a dog with you without any problems. Even to the Costa Blanca, which is actually too far away. A holiday with family and dog can be an unforgettable experience.

The stopovers, stays and overnight stays you can organize in the Internet age well and cheaply in advance. Such an adventure journey is worth considering. But unfortunately it will be more expensive than by plane 😉

Trip to the Costa Blanca – Holiday by train

Anreise mit dem Zug - der Bahn Costa Blanca Urlaub günstig - Vacaciones baratos - cheap holidays

Short and concise conclusion right at the beginning. Ecologically, the railway is by far the most sensible. With the same CO2 emissions, a train gets about 50 times further than a car or even a plane. There would be nothing to think about.

From an ecological point of view, the railway is the best means of transport that exists at present. Economically, however, a train journey to Spain is really expensive. About 5 times as expensive as a current cheap flight. Why, one wonders. The much-vaunted political steering effect towards ecologically sensible and economically affordable mobility simply does not take place.

Train ticket – costs

Currently a single ticket from Munich to Alicante costs about 250€ per person. The journey takes not quite 2 days. You have to change trains several times. Hurrying to another platform with lots of luggage – with small children, oh my God. From Alicante you need a transfer to your hotel or holiday home.

The tram – narrow gauge railway leads from Alicante to Denia. It goes with 1 change along the whole Costa Blanca coast to the north. It is a slow train, which stops in every town. This is wonderful if you are going on a trip and have time. Exhausting if you are already on the road for 2 days. The Alsa bus from Alicante to Benidorm currently costs about 10€ / person. 1 hour driving time. And it runs every hour. This is my recommendation. A taxi costs about 80 to 100€. The journey time is just under 45 minutes.

My experiences on a train journey to Spain

My own experience of travelling to the Costa Blanca by train was very negative. But it was my own fault! Because I wanted to get to Altea as fast as possible. If I had planned this with stopovers, it might have turned out to be an exciting family trip. But I did not. So many years ago I took the train with my wife and two then still small children (4 and 9), uninformed and unknowing.

That was pure stress, especially the stops and changing trains. Sleep was not to be thought of. On some trains in Spain, after changing trains in the morning, we had no seat at the start of work during the rush hour. And after a night without sleep we sat dog-tired on our suitcases. A nightmare with little kids.

For a family, the travel costs were and are far too expensive compared to flying. Once and never again. To get from Germany to the Costa Blanca cheap, fast and stress-free, the train is currently not an option. Because the direct train connection to the Costa Blanca is particularly bad. Mostly it goes via Paris, Madrid to Alicante or Valencia and then somehow further.

The positive exception – options

As with driving, there are worthwhile exceptions. If you like to travel by train and have enough time and money, the train journey to the Costa Blanca can even be fantastic. The journey is then already a part of your holiday. Maybe one day in Paris, one in Madrid and one in Valencia. Or you can go via Milan to Marseille and then on to Barcelona and Valencia. These are all worth seeing and exciting cities. Optimal for a relaxed, longer journey with stopovers. For this purpose the arrival by train is ideal!

Bus & Train booking / information portal

If you are planning a train or bus trip, I recommend the Trainline* train & bus ticket portal. You can also set the most important languages. Trainline* is an English, international provider offering train and bus travel worldwide. At the desired date the portal searches for all possible connections quite fast and lists them. If there are no train connections to your desired destination, the possible bus connections are also shown.

I find Trainline* interesting because the portal works with the most important train operators for a trip to the Costa Blanca. Depending on the chosen route, these are the German DB, the Swiss SBB/CFF, the Austrian OBB, the French SNFC and the Spanish renfe. This allows you to choose unusual routes and see cities that are not on the standard route. Alternatively you can check and book the wide range of Flixbus. If you're on the go, there's an app for Iphone at the Apple Retail Store. Of course, there's also an app for Android mobiles in the Google Play Store.

Travel by bus to the Costa Blanca

Anreise mit dem Bus - der Bahn Costa Blanca Urlaub günstig - Vacaciones baratos - cheap holidaysCurrently (January) there are offers of around 60€ per person. I don't know if the prices during the school holidays will increase similarly to the airlines. In any case, the bus can keep up with the low-cost airlines. However, it needs almost 2 days.

That's a very long time to sit in a cramped room – without a bed. But some children are born bus long distance drivers and sleep. But especially for kids a long journey – even in a comfort bus – is hardly bearable. In terms of effort for all family members, the same applies as for driving a car. A short 2.5 hours flight time is something else. In terms of CO2 emissions, the bus is far superior to cars and planes. But the eco-balance of a bus trip is by far not as good as a train trip.

As with train travel, I recommend the Trainline* train & bus ticket portal. Comments on this in the section above.

Conclusion – There are currently hardly any alternatives to flying

Car

If you calculate correctly, you can save nothing on your journey by car, even if the car is fully occupied. In addition it is very exhausting. There may be other reasons to use the car and to include the journey into your holiday. But you could solve the independence at your holiday destination much cheaper with a small and cheap rental car as an early bird. With it you can also make excursions and go out for far cheaper meals.

Train

Driving a train is ecological. Actually the only right choice! But far too expensive, exhausting and uncomfortable. Especially with the simple, cheap tickets. A seat reservation or even a sleeping compartment really costs money. As part of a holiday with enough time and stays, train travel is a very nice alternative.

Bus

Bus travel is most comparable in price to flying. And more ecologically acceptable than car and plane. But because of the long journey it is very exhausting. And it is, like driving a car, much more dangerous than flying. I always have to tell myself that, because I'm afraid of flying 😉

Flight

I often look at the possibilities at flüge.de* before I book a flight. flüge.de* is not the Unister company fluege.de that has come into the limelight. It is a serious Swiss company according to my experience. But often I book directly with the airline. Sometimes flüge.de* is cheaper. Compare the prices. Sometimes the one, sometimes the other offer for the same flight is cheaper. I recommend to choose a flight and compare the prices at any rate flüge.de*.

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Travel Information – Mobility

Link collection on travel and mobility (Link article altea.me). Links to the airports and airlines that fly to them. In addition, transport connections – links to taxi, rental car, bus, train, tram, metro. Shuttle, parking lots etc.. All links to transport connections around the three airports Alicante, Murcia and Valencia.

If you want to compensate your travel CO2 emissions, you can do so here at Atmosfair.

Affiliate recommendations – Advertising


Booking portals that I appreciate

  • Sixt Budget* Rental car bookings. German, international company – early booking discounts.
  • Avis* New Years Special Car Hire bookings. Serious International Provider
  • FeWo-Direkt Spanien* for holiday homes my favourite. There I have rented and rented out myself.
  • For hotels Booking.com* is interesting with its best price guarantee and the huge offer.
  • flüge.de* is a comparison and booking portal with which I have good experience.

Checklists free of charge
Holiday with dog & Flying

Free checklists download – Flying & Holiday with dog

The Excel files are in the older xls format. Therefore they can be opened with older Excel versions and with Open Office or Libre Office. So you can easily add your own additional points to the checklists. I have edited the files myself and checked them with Avira before uploading them. My upload directory at altea.me is locked for external uploads. Language is German – But these lists are really helpfull. Use Google Translator or deepl.com (I love deepl)

More articles about holidays at the Costa Blanca

Costa Blanca Holidays – Cheap & Affordable

Costa Blanca – The White Coast

Costa Blanca Holidays – With Dog

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