Driving in and around Torrevieja
Torrevieja is situated in south Spain and chances are if you
were a tourist you would be hiring a car from Alicante airport,
Murcia airport or driving south from France. The main road that
serves all that area is the AP-7 and is linked to both airports,
you can follow this road right up through Northeast Spain until
you reach France. Alicante airport. Alicante airport is the
largest in the area and is a major hub for all of North Europe
and the world. Most tourists who arrive here get on to holiday
busses and are whisked away up to Benidorm a major tourist
destination. Alicante airport lies 40 minutes or so North of
Torrevieja and because many visitors either own holiday homes
here or are renting one out, chances are they will hire a car.
As you leave Alicante airport you will have 2 choices of which
direction to go. Either follow the one way system around to meet
the AP-7 or take the back road to meet up with the N-323. The
AP-7 road is quicker in most cases, but if you are nervous
driving in a foreign country you will be driving on a faster
road. It is well signposted, but beware there is a dual
carriageway that takes you to the AP-7, my first visit I
actually though I already was on the AP-7. As you follow the
AP-7 south look for the signs and turn left at the relevant slip
road which will then take you straight into Torrevieja past
Carrefore. The second option using the N-323 is not so obvious
as the signs at the rear of the airport are very small. There
are also limited street lighting and road markings at night and
if you don't know where you re going can be a bit scary. Head
for the coast to pick the N-332 and turn right. The benefits of
using this road are that it will take you directly to Torrevieja
without any detours. It is also ideal if you are going to a
holiday home just south of Torrevieja, as this road continues
straight on to these areas. But beware at night, lighting is
poor and sometimes the Spanish drivers can't get by because of
single lines in the middle of the road and sharp bends. Murcia
Airport Murcia Airport is situated 30 minutes or so south of
Torrevieja and has a direct link to the AP-7. Because this is a
small airport, it can be much easier getting out of the airport
straight to the AP-7 and is my favourite option. Turn right on
the AP-7 and follow this road north. However you will face
tollbooths as you near the Torrevieja area. If you wish to avoid
these, divert off the AP-7 on to the N323 going north this time,
where the signs on the AP-7 say Campoamor beach. Again the N323
will take you straight to Torrevieja but going north. Torrevieja
Torrevieja is pretty much made up of narrow Spanish streets,
many of them one way. If you wish to park, follow the roads down
to the harbour where there is a car park right there. Most
locals however try to park in the narrow streets; if you look
around long enough you should find a parking space but I never
find it worth the extra time and hassle from the habour car
park. Driving The Spanish like to drive their cars fast, and
hate to stop for anything. If driving past a slip road either
speed up, slow down or move over, but find a place for that
driver to fit in because he will not stop. Ironically though I
find them far more polite with the horn and considerate to let
you in when queuing. They don't mind slower drivers as long as
they can get past and on with their business and seem less
likely to judgeyour driving than in other countries. In the are
area around Torrevieja however there is a hugh North European
population who have bought holiday homes there, so that Spanish
driver may not be Spanish after all. Safe driving!