🇪🇸 Same-country drive · Spain
Driving from Alicante to Valencia
Essential tips for your road trip from Alicante to Valencia, covering the best route options and driving advice for the Spanish coast.
- Drive time
- 2h 4m
- Distance
- 178 km
- Same day?
- Yes, half day
- under 4 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €21
- petrol · diesel ≈ €18
- Tolls
- ≈ €16
- per-km
- EV charging
- Unknown
- not yet surveyed
On this page
Route map
Route options
Other paths OSRM found between the two cities — handy when traffic, tolls, or scenery matter more than raw speed.
Avoids motorways
+1h 12m- Distance:
- 188 km (+10 km)
- Duration:
- 3h 16m
Via: N-332 · CV-500 · Carretera de Cartagena a Valencia
How else can you make this trip?
Driving is the focus of this guide; here's how cycling, coach, and (soon) train and plane stack up for the same pair.
What the drive is like
Drafted from the route's computed data on April 25, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.
You head out of Alicante on the A-7, quickly leaving the dense urban sprawl of the Costa Blanca for the open, sun-drenched plains of the interior. The transition from the coastal A-7 to the A-33 and A-35 corridor is where the pace picks up; you will find these stretches significantly quieter than the bustling tourist routes near the coast, allowing for a steady, relaxed drive as you cut through the dry, rolling hills of the Valencian Community. Expect smooth asphalt and consistent lane markings, though pay close attention to your speedometer as you approach the provincial boundaries. Spanish motorway speed limits are strictly enforced at 120 km/h, and while the roads are generally toll-free on this specific trajectory, it is always wise to keep an eye on signage for temporary speed reductions during high winds or heavy agricultural traffic. The route avoids the most congested tourist bottlenecks, but keep a cautious eye out for local traffic merging near the smaller industrial towns along the A-35. As you reach the final leg and join the V-31, the environment changes from rural to metropolitan. The descent toward Valencia brings heavy traffic and multiple lanes that require quick lane changes to navigate the city's complex orbital. While fuel prices remain relatively stable across this region, topping up before entering the Valencia city limits is often a better strategy to avoid the higher prices found near the city centre's service stations. You will find that parking in Valencia is best handled by finding a secure garage on the outskirts, as the historic core is notoriously narrow and restricted to residents.
Route highlights
- The quiet inland transit via the A-33, bypassing coastal congestion.
- The approach to Valencia through the V-31, offering a dramatic shift from rural landscape to urban scale.
- The expansive Mediterranean landscape that defines the journey from the Costa Blanca to the Valencian capital.
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Easy one-day drive
Comfortable as a single day for one driver. Leave after breakfast, arrive with time to settle in.
- Distance:
- 178 km
- Duration:
- 2h 4m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Villena 🇪🇸 es
≈59 km≈ 0.5 km detour from the main route
-
Canals 🇪🇸 es
≈119 km≈ 5 km detour from the main route
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Tolls on motorways in ES
Budget for motorway tolls — France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal charge per-km, Croatia and Greece by section. Contactless cards work almost everywhere; have one loaded.
Long rural stretch on V-31
Plan for about 12 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
Must-know before you go
The things a driver from another country wouldn't think to ask about — fines, stickers, payment cards, opening hours.
City access & emission zones
Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla now run ZBE low-emission zones
Must knowSpain's Zonas de Bajas Emisiones (ZBE) cover central Madrid (24/7), Barcelona inside the Rondes (weekdays 7:00–20:00), Sevilla, Valencia and a growing list. Foreign plates need to register at the city portal in advance — your Euro emission class determines whether you get in. Without registration, cameras log entry and the fine reaches your home address.
Tolls, vignettes & road payment
Most Spanish tolls were abolished in 2024
TipThe AP-1, AP-7 (Bilbao stretch) and most of the Mediterranean coast highways are now toll-free. A handful remain: AP-9 (Galicia), AP-66 (León–Asturias), Catalonia's C-32/C-16 tunnel approach. Spain is no longer a high-toll country for cars — your fuel + a few specific bridge fees is the realistic budget.
Fuel stations
Off-motorway stations close late evening
TipSpanish provincial fuel stations often close 22:00–07:00, especially in the south. Motorway services (Cepsa, Repsol on the autovía) run 24/7. If you're routing through an Andalusian backroad, fuel before sunset and don't bank on a small-town pump.
Contactless cards work at virtually every motorway pump
TipMajor brand stations (Shell, Total, BP, Repsol, Cepsa, OMV, Eni, Esso) take Visa and Mastercard contactless without an issue. American Express and Diners are spotty south of the Alps. A €100 pre-authorisation hold is normal — it releases within 5 days. Carry €50 cash for the rare independent station.
Money & connectivity
EU roaming covers calls, texts and data at no extra cost
TipYour home EU SIM works at home rates across every EU member, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The "fair use" cap on data only applies if you're abroad more than four months. For a 2-week road trip, just use your phone normally — but switch off "data roaming" if you're leaving the EU into UK / CH for any segment.
Emergency & breakdown
112 works everywhere in the EU and continental neighbours
TipSingle number for police, ambulance, fire — works from any phone, any network, any country. On motorways, the orange SOS pillars every 2km connect direct to the regional traffic control centre and pinpoint your location. Use them over your phone if you can — it speeds the response.
Rules, fees, and thresholds change. Always verify against the official source the day before you drive — this page is a checklist, not a legal reference.
Main roads
The highways this route spends the most kilometres on.
-
A-31 Autovía de Alicante67 km
-
A-7 Autovia de la Mediterrània43 km
-
A-35 Autovía Almansa-Xàtiva32 km
-
A-33 Autovía del Altiplano13 km
-
V-31 —12 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 87%
- Secondary
- 0%
- Other / rural
- 13%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Easy
Straightforward drive. One driver, one day, little to worry about beyond fuel and a toilet stop.
- No major complicating factors — motorway-heavy, single country, comfortable length.
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €21
13.4 L × €1.54 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €18
10.7 L × €1.72 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €20
31 kWh × €0.64 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Motorway tolls & vignettes
≈ €16
- ES — €0.09/km on the motorway network (≈ 178 km in-country ≈ €16) Toll-free on the A-network; charged only on AP roads.
Prices last refreshed 2026-05-11.
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇪🇸 Alicante
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
18°
9°
|
17°
9°
|
20°
11°
|
21°
13°
|
23°
16°
|
28°
21°
|
30°
24°
|
31°
24°
|
27°
21°
|
25°
18°
|
22°
13°
|
18°
9°
|
| 9mm | 16mm | 56mm | 16mm | 37mm | 14mm | 11mm | 13mm | 47mm | 61mm | 5mm | 30mm |
hot mild cold
🇪🇸 Valencia
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
17°
8°
|
17°
8°
|
20°
10°
|
22°
12°
|
24°
15°
|
28°
20°
|
31°
23°
|
32°
23°
|
27°
20°
|
25°
17°
|
21°
12°
|
17°
8°
|
| 14mm | 23mm | 62mm | 10mm | 35mm | 15mm | 17mm | 19mm | 105mm | 114mm | 44mm | 45mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Valencia
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Thu 21
☀️
28° / 16°
—
-
Fri 22
☀️
28° / 17°
—
-
Sat 23
☀️
28° / 17°
—
-
Sun 24
⛅
27° / 18°
—
-
Mon 25
☀️
28° / 19°
—
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 14 manoeuvres
- Plaça de l'Ajuntament
- —
- Autovía de Alicante (A-31)
- Autovía de Alicante (A-31) 67 km
- Autovía del Altiplano (A-33) 13 km
- Autovía Almansa-Xàtiva (A-35) 3 km
- Autovia Almansa-Xàtiva (A-35) 5 km
- Autovía Almansa-Xàtiva (A-35) 4 km
- Autovia Almansa-Xàtiva (A-35) 21 km
- Autovia de la Mediterrània (A-7) 43 km
- (V-31) 12 km
- Pista de Silla (V-31) 2 km
- Avinguda d'Ausiàs March 0.1 km
- Plaça de la Ciutat de Bruges
By coach from Alicante to Valencia
Indicative duration of the fastest direct long-distance coach found in the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus EU schedules.
- Travel time
- 2h 10m
- Direct
- Operator
- FlixBus-eu
- Departures / day
- ~1
- Approximate based on the published schedule.
Show coach corridor on map
Schedules sourced from the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus GTFS feeds via transport.data.gouv.fr. Times are indicative; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Booking link coming soon.
By train from Alicante to Valencia
Fastest cross-border rail itinerary from the public Transitous planner. Times reflect a typical Monday-morning departure on the next available service-day.
- Fastest journey
- 3h 29m
- 4 changes
- Lead operator
- RENFE OPERADORA
- Alternatives
- 2
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- AVLO 05817
- AVLO 05124
Includes a high-speed rail leg (TGV, ICE, AVE, Frecciarossa-class).
Show route on map
Routing via the public Transitous OTP planner (community-run MOTIS instance). Cached 24 hours; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Frequently asked
Is there a toll on this route?
The primary route connecting Alicante and Valencia via the A-31, A-33, and A-35 is currently toll-free, making it a very efficient choice for commuters and travelers alike.
What is the speed limit on Spanish motorways?
The standard speed limit on Spanish motorways, or autovías, is 120 km/h. Be sure to watch for variable electronic signs that may lower this limit during adverse weather or traffic congestion.
Is it difficult to drive into central Valencia?
Driving into the historic centre of Valencia can be challenging due to narrow streets and limited parking. It is highly recommended to use a car park on the perimeter of the city centre and navigate the rest on foot or via public transport.
How this page is built
Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, Open-Meteo for monthly climate normals, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.