Alicante taxis are reliable and plentiful. For most journeys, a taxi from the rank is a perfectly valid option. The case for a pre-booked transfer is strongest for longer routes, larger groups, and those wanting certainty.
Taxis at Alicante Airport
Taxis queue outside the arrivals exit. The official operators are Radio Taxi Elche and Servitaxi Elche — the airport sits in the Elche municipality — and airport staff manage the rank. The queue during busy periods moves within 10-20 minutes. Drivers are experienced with the main resort destinations.
Fares are metered on the Valencian Community's regulated intercity tariff for anywhere outside Elche, plus a fixed EUR 4.25 airport supplement (Aena). No official price list by destination exists, so this page does not print one; Radio Taxi Elche's desk in the arrivals hall (roughly 09:00 to 01:00) will quote your route before you commit.
The meter does not include motorway tolls. For the AP-7 route to Benidorm and beyond, the toll will be added at the end of the journey. This should be expected and is normal — it is not the driver adding extra charges.
For journeys of 45-90 minutes to the further resorts, metered taxis are adequate. The main uncertainties are traffic on the AP-7 and N-332 in peak season, which can extend journey times and meter costs, and the fact that you do not know the fare until you arrive.
Pre-booked private transfers
Driver meets you in arrivals. Fixed price agreed at booking, including tolls. Flight tracking included — the driver waits if your flight is delayed without extra charge.
The honest comparison here is awkward to make, because one side of it is not published. A transfer quotes you a fixed number before you book. A taxi does not — you get the regulated meter plus the EUR 4.25 supplement plus any toll, and you find out the total at the end.
So the practical method is: get the transfer quote, then ask the Radio Taxi Elche desk in arrivals what they would charge for the same route, and compare two real numbers rather than a real one against an invented one. What definitely differs is the experience: driver inside waiting for you, fixed price, no meter watching on a 90-minute journey.
Comparison
| Factor | Taxi | Private transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to Alicante | Metered + EUR 4.25 supplement | Fixed, quoted at booking |
| Cost to Benidorm | Metered + EUR 4.25 supplement + toll | Fixed, quoted at booking |
| Cost to Denia | Metered + EUR 4.25 supplement + toll | Fixed, quoted at booking |
| Price known before you travel | No | Yes |
| Toll included | No (added at end) | Yes |
| Queue wait | 5-20 min | None |
| Meeting point | Outside rank | Inside arrivals |
| Fixed price | No | Yes |
| Child seat | No | On request |
| Flight tracking | No | Yes |
Fixed-price private transfer
ALC SANTA POLA
From€125for 2 passengers
Other destinations
When each option wins
Taxi: Alicante city and short coastal journeys. Groups of two who travel light and are comfortable queuing briefly. Arriving during the day when the rank has cars and the queue is fast.
Private transfer: Long routes to Denia, Calpe, or Javea where journey times are 75-90 minutes and a fixed price is more comfortable. Families needing child seats. Groups of four or more where splitting a transfer makes the per-person cost comparable to or lower than a taxi. Arriving late at night or early morning.
Bus (C-6): For Alicante city only, if arriving during the day. At EUR 4.60 it beats both options on price for that specific destination.
The Benidorm calculation
Benidorm is the most visited resort from Alicante Airport, and it is the route where the pricing gap matters most — 55 km on the tolled AP-7, 45-55 minutes. A taxi is metered on the regulated intercity tariff, with the EUR 4.25 airport supplement and the toll added on top, and you will not know the total until you get there. A transfer is a fixed number you see before you book.
This guide is not going to invent a figure for either side. The useful thing to know is the shape of the decision: for a couple, the queue-and-meter route is simple enough; for a family or a group of four, a single quoted vehicle price split four ways with a driver waiting in arrivals is usually the easier call, and often the cheaper one. Get both numbers and decide.