We're driving from Madrid to Torrevieja in April and would like to know the best route to take. Is it quicker to go to Valencia and then down to Alicante and how long does it take.

Hi,

The quickest is the N-III to Valencia then catch the A-7 to Alicante.

Follow this link: http://www.dgt.es/cgi-bin/peajes/peajes1.cgi

PS Tirachinas and Hook are really good!

Another possibility will be taking NIII but going to Alicante straight instead of bifurcating to Valencia and then take a much smaller part of A7 towards Torrevieja.

NIII is a bit more "curvy" if you are going towards Alicante. Nevertheless, remember that NIII is free and A7 has a rather unconvenient toll, and the less A7 you take the less you'll spend.

Sorry I just forgot. Depending on your driving and the traficc. In normal conditions, you should be able to get there in 3 1/2 fast - 4hours very relaxed.

Please keep in mind that for Madrid people NIII is "the road to the beach" and it can be terribly crowed in Easter and summer vacation. Traffic blocks in that road are reputated to be the among the worst in Spain if not the worst.

But there is hope, in 4 years the new high speed train we make Valencia and Alicante in 1hour 25 minutes....The beach even in December at only one hour..... I can't wait

If you're not in a hurry, its worth a stop in Chinchilla to see their small castle and a great town plaza.

thanks for all your help. Is the NIII a good road, a motorway. We arriving into Madrid at 10.30pm and thinking of driving then straight to Torrevieja instead of staying the night somewhere but need to know if the roads are good.