Rent a Car Benidorm: Car Hire Guide for Alicante Arrivals

For a beach fortnight, probably not every day. Platgeta del Mal Pas, the Museo Boca del Calvari and the Mirador de Sant Jaume are right in the centre, and Platja de Llevant and the bullring are about a mile away. If you have booked a package, your transfer from Alicante is normally included, so you can arrive without a car and decide later.

A car becomes useful once you look beyond the seafront. Terra Mítica, Mundomar and Aqualandia are roughly 2 miles out, Terra Natura Benidorm about 2.5 miles, and Finestrat around 5 miles, with El Realet a little beyond. Families heading to several parks in one week, or anyone wanting the coves at Cala Tío Ximo and Almadrava, will find hiring a car for a few days simpler than relying on taxis.

If you only need to get from the airport to your hotel, compare airport transfers, holiday transfers and holiday taxis alongside car hire on this page. Readers searching for a cheap transfer or a cheap taxi in Benidorm can weigh the options side by side before booking.

Alicante (ALC) is the natural pick-up point. It is the only airport in our facts with direct flights from the UK, and the drive is about 39 minutes to Finestrat and 41 minutes to Benidorm. Collecting at the airport means no transfer to arrange and luggage straight into the boot.

The alternative is to take your package transfer or a taxi to the hotel, enjoy the first days on foot, then collect a car locally for just the days you need it. That suits travellers who want car hire in Benidorm only for a day at the theme parks or a run up to Finestrat. The comparison on this page covers both airport and town pick-ups, from everyday hatchbacks to luxury car hire.

Most drives from Benidorm are short. The theme parks and Terra Natura sit within about 2.5 miles of the centre, Finestrat about 5 miles, and El Realet castle roughly 5.5 miles. For longer days out, the ferry port at Dénia is about 25 miles away and Valencia about 61 miles.

The climate shapes driving more than distance does. July and August reach highs of 30 to 31°C, so a car with good air conditioning matters, and leaving a parked car in the sun makes it very hot. May and September are the wettest months, with around 50 to 56 mm of rain over seven days, so allow for slower roads after a downpour. Winter is mild, with highs around 16 to 17°C, which makes January to April and December comfortable for touring.

Choose a full-to-full fuel policy where you can: you collect the car with a full tank and return it full, paying only for what you use. Check the excess on the rental and decide before you travel whether to cover it, rather than at the desk after a flight. If you are travelling with children, reserve child seats in advance, especially for summer and the school holidays, when demand at Alicante rises across May to November, the busiest months for Benidorm.

Anyone hunting for cheap car hire or cheap car rental in Benidorm should compare the full price including fuel terms and excess, not just the headline rate. You can compare live car hire in Benidorm, Spain, on this page, and if you prefer to travel on a package, the deal buttons from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach show options with transfers included.