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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Benidorm
Go for 3 nights if you want beach plus old town; 5+ if you are on a package. Skip in Jul–Aug unless crowds and heat are fine for you.
Benidorm is a purpose-built beach resort on the Costa Blanca, 4 km of sand split by a rocky headland into Levante and Poniente. It is compact, walkable and busy all year, with a small old town, tall hotel blocks and more than a thousand places to eat and drink. Most visitors come on a package and stay put; independent travellers use it as a cheap, sunny base for Alicante, Altea and the Sierra Helada walks.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (peak heat and crowds), and school holidays if you want quiet
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–2.50 |
| Menu del día (lunch, old town) | €12–18 |
| Beer: caña in a bar / supermarket can | €2–3.50 / €0.60–1 |
| Local bus ride | €1.50 day, €1.65 night |
| Tram Benidorm → Alicante (L1) | about €4–7 |
| Theme park entry (Terra Mítica, Mundomar, Aqualandia) | €30–40 adult |
| Benidorm Palace show | €32 show only, €52–62 with menu |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ALC · Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández
- 30–45 min by road; shuttle buses and private transfers run to Benidorm, from about €10 each way
Typical fares
- Alicante airport → Benidorm, shuttle
- from about €10 each way, 30–45 min
- Local bus, single
- €1.50 day / €1.65 night, pay the driver
- Tram Benidorm → Dénia (L9)
- about €6–8, about 1 h 20 min
Get around
Central Benidorm is compact and flat: Levante to Poniente is a bit over an hour on foot, but most trips are 10–20 min. Llorente Bus runs local routes 06:00–24:00 plus night buses, €1.50 day / €1.65 night paid to the driver; a 24 h Tourist Card is €11, 3 days €20, 7 days €38. Tram Alicante (L1 to Alicante, L9 to Dénia) stops at Benidorm and Benidorm Intermodal, both in Zone B, about 2 km west of the centre.Central Benidorm is compact and flat: Levante to Poniente is a bit over an hour on foot, but most trips are 10–20 min. Llorente Bus runs local routes 6:00 AM–12:00 AM plus night buses, €1.50 day / €1.65 night paid to the driver; a 24 h Tourist Card is €11, 3 days €20, 7 days €38. Tram Alicante (L1 to Alicante, L9 to Dénia) stops at Benidorm and Benidorm Intermodal, both in Zone B, about 2 km west of the centre.Central Benidorm is compact and flat: Levante to Poniente is a bit over an hour on foot, but most trips are 10–20 min. Llorente Bus runs local routes 06:00–24:00 plus night buses, €1.50 day / €1.65 night paid to the driver; a 24 h Tourist Card is €11, 3 days €20, 7 days €38. Tram Alicante (L1 to Alicante, L9 to Dénia) stops at Benidorm and Benidorm Intermodal, both in Zone B, about 1.2 mi west of the centre.Central Benidorm is compact and flat: Levante to Poniente is a bit over an hour on foot, but most trips are 10–20 min. Llorente Bus runs local routes 6:00 AM–12:00 AM plus night buses, €1.50 day / €1.65 night paid to the driver; a 24 h Tourist Card is €11, 3 days €20, 7 days €38. Tram Alicante (L1 to Alicante, L9 to Dénia) stops at Benidorm and Benidorm Intermodal, both in Zone B, about 1.2 mi west of the centre.
See and do
Known for
- Levante and Poniente beaches
- Balcón del Mediterráneo
- Old town and San Jaime church
- Terra Mítica and Aqualandia
- Year-round package holidays
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Altea | Llorente Bus from the bus station, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Calpe and the Peñón de Ifach | Tram L9 or bus along the coast, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Alicante | Tram L1 from Benidorm station, about 1 h 10 min | About 1 h 30 min |
| Xàbia (Jávea) | Bus or car; the tram does not reach Xàbia | About 1 h 30 min |
| Dénia | Tram L9, about 1 h 20 min | About 1 h 30 min |
| Elche | Tram to Alicante, then train or bus | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Levante / Rincón de Loix
- The main package strip: beach across the road, bars and English breakfasts, loudest at night.
- Poniente / West beach
- Wider promenade, calmer, preferred by families and Spanish visitors; 15–20 min walk to the old town.
- Old town (Centre)
- Tapas bars, the market and San Jaime church; small hotels, less beach frontage.
- Around Av de Europa / bus station
- Cheaper apartments and better bus and tram links; 20–25 min walk to Levante.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the beach? | ¿Dónde está la playa?DON-deh es-TAH lah PLAH-yah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- July and August bring large groups of young visitors; some apartments ask for a refundable deposit in those months.
- Parking is hard: most streets are full day and night, and some bays are paid.
- Blanket trips (free tours to markets and nearby towns) eat your day: you often arrive after 12:30 when shops are closing.
- The tram station is 2 km west of the centre; keep your ticket barcode to exit.
- Summer heat and alcohol on the Levante strip are the main risks, not crime.
Benidorm is a busy resort and street crime is low; the real risks are summer heat, drink, and pickpockets in the Levante bar strip at night. Keep to lit streets, watch your bag, and use 112 for anything urgent.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Benidorm yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Levante and Poniente beaches
- Balcón del Mediterráneo
- Old town and San Jaime church
- Terra Mítica and Aqualandia
- Year-round package holidays
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Benidorm (official tourism): en.visitbenidorm.es/
- Benidorm town council: benidorm.org/
- Tram Alicante (TRAM d'Alacant): www.tramalacant.es/en/
- Llorente Bus (local buses): www.llorentebus.es/en
- Alicante airport (Aena): www.aena.es/en/alicante-elche.html
- Wikivoyage: Benidorm, revision 5241250 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241250
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Benidorm
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Benidorm: the US, UK, Canada and Australia have consulates in Madrid, and the UK also has a consulate in Alicante (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/benidorm). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.