Visiting family and friends in the UK is something that we do frequently. Living in Valencia means that we are fortunate enough to be only 20 minutes drive to the airport. During the month of April to October, flights run from Valencia to East Midlands which is the most convenient airport for us to get to Birmingham.
However, during the winter season, flights to East Midlands stop and getting to Birmingham mean that we have to either catch a flight to Stansted (and travel to Birmingham) or get the direct flight from Alicante.
Normally we drive to Alicante to catch a flight to Birmingham during the winter. But this time I thought I would try catching the train to see what it’s like and whether it’s something we might do from now on. Of course, depending on the ease of travel and getting to the airport on time.
Valencia To Alicante By Train
Booking a train ticket from Valencia to Alicante is pretty straight forward. I would advise booking your tickets in advance. You can make reservations up to 3 months before your trip. There are 3 ways to book your tickets these can be done by:
- Through the renfe.com website
- At a ticket desk at the station
- By phone +34 902 320 320 (24/7) – An English speaking agent can be requested. You will have to pick up your reservation at the train station. Please take note that they do not deliver tickets to your address.
The tickets cost €20.10 for an adult and €12.05 for a child one way. We caught the 07:08 am train and the 2-hour journey gave us plenty of time to be there for our flight at 11:30 am. For my first trip to Alicante by train I wanted to make sure that I allowed plenty of time just in case we encounter unexpected delays.
Even if you don’t speak Spanish the train service is pretty straight forward. Valencia train station only has 8 platforms and we caught our train on Platform 5. I don’t know if this is the usual stop but there are also screens to let you know once the train is ready for boarding. On your ticket will state the carriage ‘COCHE‘ and seat ‘ASIENTO‘ number. If in doubt there are staff to show you the correct train to board.
Alicante Train Station To The Airport
Once you get to Alicante station you will need to catch the bus to the airport. The bus stop is located just outside the station, on your right from the main exit. The C-6 airport bus service runs every 20 minutes and cost €3.85 one way. I would recommend paying the exact amount as they do not give out any change for more than €10 or take card payments.
The bus takes around 20 minutes to get to the airport without traffic. The bus then would stop on the 2nd floor at Departures ‘Salidas’, and this will be the same stop to catch it from if you plan to use the same route for your return.
Final Thoughts
Apart from having to get up super early in the morning our journey from Valencia to Alicante by train went very smoothly. There was enough seating area on the train, and during that time of the morning, it was very quiet. The train itself is comfortable enough with reclining seats, vertical and overhead luggage racks, armrest, bin, table and power points.
My first experience of train travel in Spain is a positive one. Their services seem to run efficiently the fares are also not too expensive. This opens up whole new possibilities of using the train to explore the rest of Spain. If the medium distance service and punctuality is anything to go by I can’t wait to try what the long-distance trains have to offer.
Have you caught the medium or long-distance trains in Spain? How did you find the journey? I would love to know! Let me know on the comments below!
