When planning a trip, most people simply look for the cheapest flight or the nearest airport. But if you live on the Costa Blanca, it’s worth checking both Alicante-Elche and Valencia airports before you book.
Although they share many domestic and international routes, each airport also offers destinations that the other doesn’t. In some cases, travelling an extra hour or so could save you a stopover or even make a completely different holiday possible.
Alicante offers more exclusive destinations
Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport has more than 35 destinations that can’t be reached on direct flights from Valencia.
Many of them are in northern Europe, reflecting the airport’s strong links with Scandinavian countries and the UK.
Among the standout routes is Reykjavik, giving travellers direct access to Iceland’s volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls and hot springs.
Nature lovers can also fly to Vágar in the Faroe Islands during the summer season, while Norway is particularly well served with direct flights to Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, Ålesund, Haugesund and Kristiansand.
Other exclusive destinations include Växjö in Sweden, Aalborg, Aarhus and Billund in Denmark, Kaunas in Lithuania, Chisinau in Moldova, Zagreb in Croatia and Yerevan in Armenia, the longest direct route from Alicante.
Valencia has its own hidden gems
Valencia Airport may have fewer exclusive routes, but it still offers several destinations that aren’t available from Alicante.
The biggest is Montreal, the Valencian Community’s only regular direct flight to Canada.
There are also direct services to Malta and Madeira, both popular choices for travellers looking for sunshine, walking routes and spectacular scenery.
Elsewhere, Valencia offers flights to Tirana in Albania, as well as Italian cities including Palermo, Cagliari, Pisa, Verona, Trieste, Lamezia Terme and Pescara.
Other exclusive destinations include Rabat in Morocco, Melilla and Málaga in Spain, and the Romanian cities of Bacău, Iași and Timișoara.
Alicante leads the way for UK connections
Alicante has by far the widest choice of flights to the UK, thanks to the large British community on the Costa Blanca and the province’s popularity with holidaymakers.
As well as routes shared with Valencia, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Edinburgh, Alicante also offers direct flights to Aberdeen, Belfast, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Newquay, Norwich, Southampton and Teesside.
The airport also has exclusive routes to destinations including Tetouan in Morocco, Oran in Algeria, Bratislava in Slovakia, Pardubice in the Czech Republic and the Austrian cities of Linz and Salzburg.
It pays to compare
With Alicante and Valencia only around 90 minutes apart by road, checking flights from both airports can be worthwhile.
Someone living in Valencia who wants to explore Iceland, the Norwegian fjords or the Faroe Islands may find Alicante offers the easiest option.
Likewise, travellers from Alicante hoping to visit Montreal, Malta, Madeira or Palermo could find a direct flight from Valencia saves both time and money.
Sometimes the best holiday doesn’t start at the closest airport. A quick comparison between the two could open up destinations you didn’t even know were available.
