You’ve landed in Alicante, collected your bags, and the first question is how to get to Calpe, Benidorm, or wherever on the Costa Blanca you’re headed. There are three ways to do it: book a private transfer in advance, grab a taxi at the rank, or catch a bus. The real difference between them isn’t just price — it’s what happens if your flight is delayed, if you’re travelling with two kids and three suitcases, or if the plane lands at midnight. Let’s go through all three options honestly, without tilting the scale for anyone.
Price: Fixed or on the Meter
A private transfer from Alicante to Calpe starts at 70 € — a fixed amount you know before you even leave home. The price doesn’t change because of traffic on the AP-7, the route the driver takes, or the extra ten minutes you spent at passport control.
A taxi from the airport runs on the meter (or on a rate quoted on the spot, if you manage to agree on one in advance). On a quiet weekday, the total can end up close to what a transfer would cost. But on a Friday evening, during peak season, or if you happen to get a driver who isn’t entirely straight with tourists, the fare can climb noticeably — and there’s no way to know in advance. Night rates and baggage surcharges, which some companies apply automatically, are a separate issue altogether.
The bus is the cheapest option in absolute terms — a few euros a head. But it comes with hidden costs of its own: some routes require a change in Benidorm or Altea, and once you reach the final stop, you still need to get from there to your hotel in Calpe or Moraira — by taxi or on foot, suitcases and all.
Travel Time and Comfort With Luggage
On a direct route, a transfer to Calpe takes around 55 minutes — the driver takes you straight there, no stops, from the terminal to the hotel entrance. A taxi covers the same distance in roughly the same time, usually within a few minutes either way.
The bus is a different story entirely when it comes to time: services don’t run every hour, the gaps between them can be substantial, and with a connection, the trip to Calpe or Moraira can stretch to two or three hours instead of one. If you’re travelling light and in no rush, that’s a perfectly workable option. But if you have:
- two suitcases per passenger plus hand luggage,
- a stroller or a car seat,
- kids who are exhausted after the flight,
- a group of more than three or four people,
— then both the taxi and, even more so, the bus quickly lose whatever they saved you: either you pay extra for oversized luggage, or you simply can’t fit everything into one car or a cramped bus. A transfer includes two suitcases and hand luggage per passenger by default, and the car is matched to your group size in advance — you can read more about what shapes the price of an Alicante–Calpe transfer.
If Your Flight Is Delayed
Here’s something that rarely comes up in advance, though it should. Your flight from Alicante is delayed by two hours — what happens with each option?
With a pre-booked transfer, nothing to worry about. We track the flight number and shift the pickup time for free, no calls or extra charges required. The driver simply meets you later, sign in hand, right outside baggage claim.
With a taxi at the airport rank, a delay isn’t really a problem — cars are queuing there around the clock. But if you booked a taxi in advance through a dispatcher for a fixed time, you need to track the delay and let them know yourself, or the car may leave without you.
With a bus, a delayed flight means exactly one thing: you wait for the next scheduled bus, and the schedule doesn’t adjust for you. At night this gets particularly unpleasant — buses on the Costa Blanca run on fixed hours, and after a late flight you may find that the last one has already gone.
A night flight is exactly the situation where the difference between these options stops being theoretical: at one in the morning, the real choice is often between a transfer and a taxi — the bus simply isn’t in the timetable.
When a Transfer Clearly Wins
Let’s put it all together. A taxi is a sensible choice if you’re travelling light, landing during the day, and fine with some unpredictability in the price. The bus works for a minimal budget and plenty of spare time, as long as your final stop is near a bus stop and a connection doesn’t bother you.
A transfer wins whenever predictability is what matters: families with kids and strollers, groups of friends with a lot of luggage, night and early-morning flights, and any situation involving a delay where you’d rather not spend your nerves recalculating plans in a foreign country. A fixed price from 70 €, known in advance, a driver waiting with a sign at baggage claim, and a free pickup-time adjustment if you’re delayed — that’s exactly what removes the uncertainty from the first hour of your trip.
If that sounds like the right fit, message us on WhatsApp or Telegram with your flight number and date, and we’ll confirm the exact price and car within 5–10 minutes. You can browse the fleet and other destinations in the popular routes and fleet sections on the homepage.
