With the UK half term and Summer breaks fast approaching many are looking forward to their annual holiday in the sun. Once schools have broken up there will be an influx of families heading to the Costa´s - with Benidorm  being one of the the most popular destinations in Spain.

Getting from the airport

Shuttle bus dropping off in Benidorm

For those not booked on a package they will be looking at ways of getting from the airport to their destination - there are a number of ways dependent on your budget. The cheapest option is to go by a shuttle transfer bus, which you can find advertised for as little as 5 GBP RETURN! However you need to bear in mind that this can be a rather time consuming process if the shuttle is making multiple drop offs - 2 hours plus is not unusual.

Airport bus

Alsa bus will take you straight to Benidorm

The next option is to take the ALSA bus - which is like the equivalent of National Express in the UK. You catch this on departures level - so from arrivals take the lift up to the top floor and turn right. The bus stop is right at the end. However, this is only an hourly service departing on the hour between 8am and 11pm - but with NO buses at 6pm, 8pm and10pm... not sure why that is.  The cost of this is 9.45 euro one way and 17.95 euro return and takes 45 minutes. If you are traveling alone or as a couple this is a good option - however, dependent on where you are staying in Benidorm you may need to take a taxi as the bus only stops at the bus station then onto the main Avd Europa - stay on the bus till the second stop as the bus station is some way out. Also remember the Llorente local buses do not allow luggage so you will need to get into a taxi if your accommodation is too far to walk to.

Private transfer

Always plenty of taxi´s at the airport

The third option is to take a taxi or book a private transfer - but please do this through a reputable legal company. You can catch an authorized white taxi from the airport, which will cost around 80-100 euro depending where in Benidorm you are going or pre-book a private transfer beforehand and your driver will be waiting at arrivals.  Do not opt for the friends next door neighbour or some chap down the pub who does it cash in hand on the side. He will NOT be insured if you are involved in an accident and you don´t know what sort of car you will be getting in. The police are cracking down heavily on illegal taxi touts and if pulled over you will be evicted from the vehicle - potentially leaving you stranded and costing you far more in the long run.

Hire a car

Car Hire desks at the airport

The final alternative and one that many families in particular opt for, is to hire a car - this becomes a minefield in itself! Be warned, the on-line bargains quoted are never the final price paid as they quote for the bare minimum only... this is common across the board similar to booking a low cost flight - it´s all about the extras! What initially looks like a good deal can work out more than double what you expected once things like car excess and fuel are taken into account, and those are the obvious ones. An excess of 1000 euros is not unusual and it is not until you are actually at the desk do you find this out. You have various options to either reduce this fee or take out a super daily cover which will cover the entire premium payable in the case of a claim or damage to the car - but this does not come cheap. Normal cover excludes windscreen and tyre damage and the way they drive here in Spain it is no wonder...

Children in hire cars

Hire car

For families traveling with children it is compulsory by law in Spain that they are in a child seat or booster seat dependent on age and this is an obvious extra for the car hire companies -  the ONLY exception is if they are in a legal authorized taxi. All children under the age of 12 must be in a child seat appropriate for their height/weight and under 12´s or those under 1 metre 35 are not allowed to sit in the front.  My advice is bring your own - you know the condition and your child will feel comfortable in it. For a 2 week holiday it can cost between 60 - 80 euros per seat - so if you have 2 children a substantial amount of money. Failure to comply with this will result in a 200 euro fine - and the parents will be liable.

Fuel

Repsol have attendants

Fuel charges - if there is an option always bring the car back FULL of fuel. Many say to bring the car back empty and will not refund for any left over fuel. Unless you are doing a lot of driving you will struggle to use an entire tank full and hire companies make a lot of money from this as they then only have to top up for the next customer. Make sure that you put the correct fuel in - many petrol stations here in Spain have attendants which put the fuel in for you.... very civilized.

Know the law

Be warned if hiring a car - ignorance of the law is no excuse here and the police will be out in force, looking out for hire cars in particular - which are always easy to spot as they have bright stickers in the back. Some years back the hire companies did promise to stop placing the stickers on their cars, identifying them to potential thieves, but I suppose that it is free advertising for them! Another thing to remember when driving is to ensure you are not wearing backless shoes or flip flops - big fine and make sure that you carry your driving license on you at all times... there is no option to produce it at a later date at the local police station like in the UK.

New regulations

Guardia wear green uniform

Police here do issue on the spot fines and yes they WILL "escort" you to an ATM if you have insufficient funds on you. Important changes to Spanish road traffic laws came into force this month that will affect all drivers. Fines for drink driving has increased considerably to 1000 euros and those found under the influence of drugs will be fined between 500 and 1000 euros.
Police and Guardia Civil officers will be able to impose fines without stopping a vehicle if they see an offense committed but are unable to stop or give chase.

Brussels dictates

Under a crackdown by Brussels, British motorists could find themselves being chased through the UK courts for offenses committed abroad, including transferring penalty points, which in some cases can lead to a driving ban. Plans could see police from across Europe being given the right to access British drivers details from the DVLA.
The UK tried to opt out but it was overturned by the European Court of Justice. Surely if a driver commits a dangerous driving offense they should be punished regardless of which country they commit the "crime" in!

Apart from that, have a great and happy holiday here in Benidorm and don´t forget to bring your EHIC and take out adequate travel insurance!

Comments