Spain experts: Barcelona to Alicante overnight stop
 

Hello All

My husband and I will soon be visiting Barcelona and then we are going to head to Alicante for a wedding. We will be hiring a car to make the journey. We would like to stop off somewhere in between to stay for the night, to break the journey but also just to experience a bit more of the coast. Sagunto has been suggested to me as an interesting place to visit. Does anyone have any tips? Also, suggestions for a decent hotel would be great. It would be wonderful to stay somewhere near the beach within driving distance of an interesting place. Doesn't have to be flashy, just clean. Thank you in advance!

The drive will take a little over 5 hours. Why not take the train to Valencia, spend the night in Valencia, and pick up the rental car the next morning to take the short drive to Alicante?

I would take the train to Valencia also, overnight there, unless you want to make a snack stop in picturesque Peñiscola, 2 hours south of Barcelona. After your photo stop and meandering up on the town castle hill, continue to Valencia.

Sagunto is interesting as a Roman ruin, but can be stifling hot on a sunny day. I don't see spending the night there at all, ever. I hate to say it is almost impossible anymore to even stop in this town to see the amphitheater because there is NO parking anywhere nearby (6-8 blocks) unless you are VERY lucky.. not even PAYING. I have left enraged more than once after making the trek there.

The climb up the windy street and later steep climb up to the fortress ruins and amphitheater are now only for the fit as you cannot drive up along the road any longer.

Where to stay along the coast.

Valencia is a logical stopover. Plenty to see here and there is a beach ( La Malvarrossa) with some small hotels and two nicer ones (Las Arenas and Hotel Neptuno).

Depending on where the wedding is in Alicante, and where your hotel is, you need to give yourself 2-2.5 hours to get to your city hotel door to door. The train is 1.5 hours.

I doubt you will need your car in Alicante. Parking can be 10-18E/day. If the wedding is in the city you might reconsider taking the train, enjoying Valencia, and relaxing down the coast instead of driving.

Prices of tolls and gas at www.viamichelin.com (Barcelona/Alicante will be EXPENSIVE toll road and gasoline now is close to $8 a gallon / 1.45E liter))