The beautiful town of Jávea is almost equidistant between Alicante-Elche and Valencia international airports, both of which welcome thousands of flights from airports across the UK. Both airports are about 90 minutes drive from Jávea. Although there isn’t a railway station, it is quite possible to travel from the UK by train, albeit with a couple of changes and a transfer from Valencia. Driving by car from the UK offers two options: a long ferry journey to the northern coast of Spain which is about eight hours drive from Jávea; or driving through France and Spain, a distance of about 1,800km.
Post-BREXIT Procedures for UK Nationals
IF YOU ARE REGISTERED AS RESIDENT IN SPAIN
British citizens should proactively show proof of residency to Spanish border authorities on their arrival in Spain as well as their passport. Passports should not be stamped.
Link: The UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement & the TIE residency card
IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED AS RESIDENT IN SPAIN
Be aware that, as Third Country nationals, UK citizens are now subject to the same entry conditions as those from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, etc.
Passports should have been issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country and should be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave Spain. It is important that you check that your passport meets these requirements before you travel.
As Third Country nationals, UK nationals can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa for holidays, to visit family and friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sporting events, or for short-term studies or training. Be aware that overstaying this period, even accidentally, can result in deportation from the country and a future entry ban.
It is true that Spain is considering following the lead of France which has approved an amendment to its Immigration Bill that could allow UK nationals who own second homes in France to spend more than 90 days in a 180 day period in France, although this has still to be confirmed. However, there has been no real progress in Spain, aside from a number of discussions between Madrid and London regarding longer stays for UK tourists but it is interesting to note that the UK allows nationals of Schengen countries to use up their whole 180 day allocation in one go if they wish.
At the Spanish border, UK nationals may need to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their passports may be stamped on entry and exit. Be aware that if relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit and may impose penalties including a ban from entering the country in the future. You may also need to provide a ticket for return or onward travel, proof of accommodation, and proof that you have enough money for their stay in Spain which, as of January 1st 2023, is 108 euros per person per day with a minimum of 972 euros or its equivalent in foreign currency, regardless of the length of stay.
If you are staying with friends or family, suitable proof of accommodation may be difficult to provide. However, the Spanish government has confirmed that a “Carta de Invitación” is an option to prove that you have accommodation. Unfortunately, this costs money – at least 80 euros – and the procedure has to be carried out by the person with which you are staying in Spain through the nearest station of the Comisaría de Policia where they are registered as resident. The process for application is explained in a special section HERE.
Note: As a Third Country national, you cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions for medical reasons, for example certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food, or pet food required for medical reasons. Click here for more information.
TRAVELLING BY AIR
Alicante-Elche Airport
Alicante is the main arrival point for the Costa Blanca. It is the fifth busiest airport in Spain with over 13 million passengers passing through in 2022. Several major airlines fly in and out of Alicante-Elche including easyJet, Jet2.com, Norwegian Air International, Ryanair, TUI and Vueling with the busiest international routes during 2022 being from Manchester (361 flights), London-Gatwick (332), Amsterdam-Schiphol (210) and Bristol (209).
Self-Drive: All the major car hire companies have a presence at Alicante-Elche airport. There are a number of booths in the arrivals hall at which you can arrange or confirm your booking. Jávea is about a 90 minute drive using the A-7 motorway (which is now toll-free) to Junction 62 (Ondara | Dénia | Jávea / Xàbia) and then following the signs to Jávea / Xàbia. See the AENA website for more information. [External Link].
Bus Transfer: ALSA runs a shuttle service direct to Benidorm bus station where a connecting service can be taken to Jávea via Calp, Teulada and Benitachell. The single-journey price is 16,75 euros per adult and 11,80 euros per child (4-11years) (2023) and the journey can take between 2h15m and 4h15m, depending on the waiting time at Benidorm. At the bus station in Jávea, there is a taxi rank for onward travel to your accommodation. See ALSA website for more details. [External Link].
Beniconnect: The Costa Connect shuttle runs between the airport and Jávea, via Calp, Benissa, Moraira and Benitatchell and the single-journey cost is 27.00 euros (2023), taking just over an hour to reach us. There are several stops in Jávea: Hotel Pinosol, Saladar, Parking-Arenal, Quicksave Supermarket, Parador Nacional, Dolphin Roundabout (Port), McDonalds/EuroMarket, Silvasol (Old Town) and Restaurante Montgó. Beniconnect also offers other options including VIP transfer and large coaches for larger parties. See the Beniconnect website for more details. [External Link].
Taxi: A standard taxi fare – one way – can cost upwards of 100€; taxis can be found outside the arrival hall. There are also a number of private companies who operate between the airport and resorts along the Costa Blanca. You should make sure that they are legally registered to do so.
Valencia Airport
Valencia, also known as Manises Airport, is a more recent arrival point for the Costa Blanca, expanded in 2007 when Valencia hosted the America’s Cup and it is the quieter option for getting to Jávea, although this has it drawbacks in terms of transfer options. It is the tenth busiest airport in Spain with over 8.1 million passengers passing through in 2022. Several major airlines fly in and out of Valencia including easyJet, Ryanair and Vueling with the major routes being Amsterdam-Schiphol, Paris-Orly, London-Gatwick and Frankfurt.
Self-Drive: All the major car hire companies have a presence at Valencia airport. There are a number of booths in the arrivals hall at which you can arrange or confirm your booking. Jávea is about a 90 minute drive using the A-7 motorway (which is now toll-free) to Junction 62 (Ondara | Dénia | Jávea / Xàbia) and then following the signs to Jávea / Xàbia. See the AENA website for more information. [External Link].
Bus Transfer: ALSA runs a very limited shuttle service direct to Jávea bus station. The single-journey price is 17,15 euros per adult and 12,00 euros per child (4-11years) (2020) and the journey can take around 3h30m. At the bus station in Jávea, there is a taxi rank for onward travel to your accommodation. See the ALSA website for more details of bus routes and tariffs. [External Link].
An alternative is to catch the regular shuttle bus (Linea 150 Metrobus) into Valencia city centre (1,45 euros) and then a 25 minute walk or 5 minute taxi journey to Valencia bus station from where there are regular ALSA services direct to Jávea. The single-journey price is 12,45 euros per adult and 8,90 euros per child (2020) and the journey can take between 2-4 hours, depending on the service route. See the METRO VALENCIA website for more details on the L3 route from the airport into the city. [External Link].
Richard Welch has also suggested the following method which he has used. Take the L3 Metro-Valencia service from the airport to the Xàtiva stop in the heart of the city of Valencia and located right next to the València-Nord railway terminal (Ticket: 3,90 euros, 2020). From the railway station, take the C1 Renfe Cercanias service to Gandía (Ticket: 5,80 euros, 2020). From Gandía, take an ALSA coach to Xàbia. (Ticket: 4.70 euros, 2020). The total single-journey price is 14,40 euros (2020). Or you can take a taxi from Gandía which is not so expensive as taking it from the airport. See the RENFE website for more details on the C1 route to Gandía. [External Link].
Taxi: A standard taxi fare – one way – can cost upwards of 100€; taxis can be found outside the arrival hall. There are also a number of private companies who operate between the airport and resorts along the Costa Blanca. You should make sure that they are legally registered to do so.
TRAVELLING BY SEA
Brittany Ferries run three services to the northern coast of Spain – Portsmouth to Bilbao, Portsmouth to Santander and Plymouth to Santander. Check the Brittany Ferries website for more information. [External link].
Bilbao: Jávea is about 750 kilometres from Bilbao via Zaragoza and Valencia, taking about 8–9 hours.
Santander: Jávea is about 830 kilometres from Santander via Zaragoza and Valencia, taking about 9-10 hours.
If you want to break the journey with an overnight stop, we recommend the historic town of Daroca as a nice overnight stop which is almost midway between the northern coast and the Costa Blanca.
TRAVELLING BY RAIL
It’s quite possible to travel from the United Kingdom to Jávea / Xàbia by train – though not quite all the way as our town doesn’t have a rail link but certainly to within a short coach trip of our lovely resort. An excellent resource is ‘The Man in Seat Sixty-One…’ [External Link] which describes the recommended route in detail which uses the Eurostar connection between London and Paris before transferring to the Trenhotel service to Barcelona. From the Catalan capital, there is an option of the cheaper regional express to Valencia or the faster, but more expensive, Euromed service. From the city of Valencia, there is a regular coach service that passes through Jávea / Xàbia.