Alacant Terminal: Location map
Alicante has just one main station, shown as either plain Alicante or Alacant Terminal. All high-speed and classic trains to Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona leave from here. The trams to Benidorm & Denia leave from Luceros station, a few minutes walk away.
Main entrance.
A wider shot of the station, showing the busy road in front and the car park and taxi area around the right.
Main hall inside the main entrance, in the old trainshed that once housed the platforms. The old trainshed is now a spacious concourse.
Which platform?
Platforms 1-6 are standard gauge, used by high-speed trains including AVE to Madrid, Euromed to Valencia & Barcelona, Iryo & Ouigo to Madrid. You go through luggage control to reach these platforms, you can see the luggage X-ray scanners in the photo below.
Platforms 9-14 are Iberian gauge, used by the slower Intercity trains to Valencia & Barcelona and by regional and suburban (cercanias) trains. You go through the ticket gates visible on the left in the photo below to reach these platforms, or there's a staffed side gate to the right of those gates.
Platforms 1-6
Used by high-speed trains including AVE to Madrid, Euromed to Valencia & Barcelona, Iryo & Ouigo to Madrid.
Luggage control: To reach platforms 1-6 you must go through luggage control, you can see the X-ray scanners in the photo above. Luggage control only takes a few minutes, there are no metal detectors so it's nothing like an airport. Security staff next to each scanner may have a metal-detecting 'wand' but on a recent trip the 'wand' was used on me once in 8 trips and even then they failed to find the corkscrew in my left pocket or iPhone in my right one, it's basically security theatre. Tip: Put any Swiss Army knives or corkscrews in your pocket to avoid arguments if they see them in the scanner.
Beyond luggage control, you turn right and walk to the large queuing area in front of platforms 1-6, see the photos below. There are toilets in this area and you'll find the Renfe's Sala Club lounge here too, it's just out of shot to the right. The platforms are numbered 1 to 6 from right to left. There's a ticket check before boarding.
Above, the large queuing area in front of platforms 1-6. Below, a line-up of three S112 AVEs.
Platforms 9-14
Used by suburban & regional trains and by the slower Intercity trains to Valencia & Barcelona, Murcia & Cartagena. Beyond the ticket gates, platform 9-14 are in front of you and to the left, as you can see below.
Ticket gates: To reach platforms 9-14 you go through the automatic ticket gates (the QR code on a Renfe Intercity or cercanias ticket should work the gates) or there's a staffed side gate where staff will scan the QR code on your ticket. There's no luggage control for these platforms.
Tickets & reservations
The Renfe ticket office is in a corner of the main hall just inside the station entrance. There's a numbered queuing system, take a number from the pink machine inside the office, it has a touch screen which can be switched to English. You then wait on the seats outside until your number is shown on the video screen (visible to the right of the Lockers Alicante poster). There are also Renfe ticket machines, although these won't do passholder reservations.
Luggage lockers
There are currently no left luggage lockers in the station itself. However, there are privately-run lockers directly across the road from the station which you can pre-book, see lockersalicante.com.
Sala Club lounge
If you've paid the Premium fare for one of Renfe's AVE or Euromed trains, you can use the Sala Club lounge for up to 2h before your train leaves, with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & beer. Open 05:25 to 21:55 Monday-Friday and 06:30 to 21:55 Saturday & Sunday. You can check opening times at www.renfe.com.
Food and drink
There are various food outlets around the station, including a cafe-bar in the main hall. If you find a good bar or restaurant nearby, let me know!
Taxis
The taxi rank is alongside the main hall (former trainshed) on its north side. When arriving by train, walk into the main hall and look for an exit to your left. Taxis are usually plentiful, as you can see in the photo below.
Hotels near the station
Your choice of hotels will depend on what you're in the area for, city, beach, or passing through. However, if you need a simple clean hotel with good reviews near the station, La City Estación fits the bill and is just across the road, with 24h front desk and free WiFi.
The tram from Alicante to Benidorm
Benidorm hasn't got a mainline station, but it's linked to Alicante by air-conditioned tram run by local transit authority FGV.
Walk out of Alicante Terminal, cross the road and walk 6 minutes along the Avenida de La Estacion to Luceros tram terminus, see walking map.
Trams leave Luceros every 30 minutes or so throughout the day to Benidorm, journey time 1h12, fare €2.80 one-way.
Check tram times & fares at www.tramalacant.es. Trams also connect Alicante with Denia.
Money-saving tip: The tram to Benidorm is included in the Renfe & Iryo Combinado Cercanias arrangement explained on the Train Travel in Spain page. The QR code on your mainline ticket may operate the tram station ticket gates (please let me know if it does, I didn't test this) or there'll be a Combinado Cercanias code printed on your mainline ticket which you can tap into the tram ticket machine at Luceros to get a free ticket. You're entitled to a free tram journey in the 4 hours after arriving at Alicante by mainline train or in the 3 hours before your mainline train leaves Alicante.
You approach the Plaza de los Luceros (a large roundabout) from the west. There is a tram station entrance on the north & south sides of the roundabout.
Above, the tram terminus is underground, this is the entrance to Luceros tram station on the south side of the roundabout.
At the bottom of the escalators, you'll see ticket machines & staffed office to one side (above)...
...and ticket gates & escalators down to the platforms to the other (above).
Buy a ticket, go through the ticket gates and take the escalators down to the two tram platforms.
Looking back towards the escalators, the tram on the right is going to Benidorm. The destination above the driver's window is Benidorm.