Cheap Flights from London to Alicante

Alicante is the gateway to the Costa Blanca, and the Costa Blanca is one of the most popular places in Europe for British holidaymakers and second-home owners. The result is a huge number of flights from London, with several airlines on the same route, and that competition keeps fares lower than you might expect.

It also means the cheapest day for your trip can differ by thirty pounds or more from the day before. If you can move your dates a little, you will almost always find a better price. If you cannot, you can still save by picking the right airport and watching what you pay for bags.

Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2 are the main low-cost options, with Vueling and British Airways adding to the choice. Prices differ by day and time, and the cheapest airline on a Tuesday may not be the cheapest on a Friday.

Low-cost airlines charge for cabin bags beyond a small under-seat item, for hold luggage and often for seats. A cheap fare with a bag can match a British Airways fare that includes one, so compare the total. Our guide to budget airlines versus legacy carriers explains where the gap closes.

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez airport has a single main terminal, and it is easy to use. Immigration queues can be long in summer, particularly with the EU's new entry and exit checks being phased in, so allow extra time on arrival and for your return.

Car hire desks are in the terminal or a short shuttle ride away, and taxis and buses are outside. If you have hired a car, check the fuel policy and the rules for tolls, which apply on some motorways. Our car rental service can help compare options.

January to March, and November, are the cheapest months, apart from school half-terms. April to June and September to October balance good weather and fair prices, and the sea is warm enough for swimming from about June.

July and August are the most expensive, with peak fares during English school holidays, and the Costa Blanca is hot and crowded. Easter and the Christmas weeks also push up prices. Booking mid-week outside these periods often halves the cost.

Plenty of people manage a week on the Costa Blanca with only the free under-seat bag, and the savings can be £40 to £80 on a return trip. Pack lightweight clothes that layer, one pair of trainers worn on the flight, sandals, swimwear and a light jacket for evenings.

Wear your bulkiest items on the plane, decant toiletries into small bottles within the liquid rules and buy sun cream at the other end. Our guide to carry-on size rules explains the limits, and a soft, squashable bag is much easier to fit into the airline's sizer.

Your passport must be valid for at least three months after the day you leave Spain and be less than ten years old on the day you arrive. You can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, and the EU's new Entry/Exit System has been introducing fingerprint and photo checks since late 2025.

A travel authorisation called ETIAS is due to start for visitors like you, and the timing has changed more than once, so check the official EU information before you travel. Our guide to transit visa rules covers other situations.

Benidorm is the biggest resort, with a long beach, high-rise hotels and lively nightlife, and it appeals to a wide range of ages. Torrevieja and the nearby towns are more local and cheaper, with a large British and northern European community.

Javea and Denia are quieter and more upmarket, with old towns, coves and a Spanish feel, and Altea is a pretty hillside town. Which you choose affects the airport transfer and the cost of eating out, so decide before you pick flights.

Alicante is more than a gateway. The city has a long palm-lined promenade, a castle above the old town, a good market and an excellent range of tapas bars, and the beaches of Postiguet and San Juan are short bus or tram rides away.

A three-night break outside July and August is a very good value, with cheap flights and uncrowded streets. The Tabarca island ferry and the old town's Santa Cruz quarter are easy additions.

Alicante is easy with children, with sandy beaches, calm water and plenty of family hotels. A flight of under three hours is manageable, and early afternoon flights suit many families.

Book seats together, since some airlines charge extra to sit with your children. Pack snacks, a tablet and a change of clothes. Our guide to travelling with a lap infant explains the rules for babies.

Spain uses the euro, and cards are accepted in most places. Use a card with no foreign transaction fee, and choose to pay in euros rather than pounds if a terminal asks. Tipping is modest, with rounding up in restaurants.

For phones, check your roaming charges, since many UK networks charge for use in Spain. A local eSIM can be cheaper. Download offline maps and keep your phone charged for boarding passes.

The mistakes we see most are picking the cheapest fare without adding bags, choosing an airport with an expensive transfer, forgetting that passport validity rules differ from the UK and underestimating queues at Spanish immigration in summer.

Other slips: booking a very early flight without a way to reach the airport, assuming the free bag is big enough and not checking transfer times. A few minutes of checking prevents most of them.