Friday 15 April 2011

The train to Alicante

What a wonderful service Today we are taking a day off and going to Alicante on the train. We board the train in Denia at around 10.10am and are surprised on how cheap the train is. At 11.15€ return, it's excellent value. Pensioners over 65 pay just 6€ return. The trains are almost new, spotlessly clean and very safe. They're also very easy to use. You can buy a ticket at the ticket office or use the machine on the train. If you don't have a ticket, the fine is 50€ and the guard checks all tickets. It might be a rather long journet but the scenery is beautiful. You pass Gata de Gorgos, Altea and Calpe and arrive in Benidorm where you have around 15 minutes to change trains. The next train goes into Alicante city and we found the Mercado the best stop for the historical centre. The stations are all very clean and safe and disabled friendly. On arrival in Alicante, the escalator brings you right outside the market. You can see more details about the train service here

When returning from Alicante, study the timetable carefully as the last train at night only goes as far as Altea and you have no connecting train to take you to Denia. The last train arrives into Denia at around 22.15pm. It makes me wonder why trains aren't like this in the UK. From what I remember, trains and stations are old, scruffy and often unsafe places to be. They're also considerably more expensive. The train on the Costa Blanca is a wonderful way to get around and without doubt, the best way to see Alicante.


Train journey times Denia to Benidorm on L9 - 1 hour 17 minutes Benidorm to Alicante Mercado on L1 - 1 hour 14 minutes Total journey time = 2 hours 31 minutes

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