Information

How to travel to Cartagena

Traveling via Alicante Airport

Alicante International Airport (Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport) is located 130 Km north of Cartagena city. It is an important hub for international travel and it has connections with many of the European capitals every day.

You have several options to travel from Alicante airport to Cartagena:

  • By bus: You can arrive at Alicante bus station from Alicante airport using the C6 city bus line or by taxi, and from there take a bus direct to Cartagena. The travel usually takes 2.30-3.00 hours and it is advisable to buy your tickets in advance in https://www.movelia.es
  • By train: You can also arrive at the train station from the airport using the C6 city bus line or by taxi. Most train connections between Alicante and Cartagena connect through Murcia, where you will need to change trains. In total the train journey will take approximately 2 h 20 min approximately. You can see the details and buy your ticket in advance at https://www.renfe.com/es
  • By car: The journey by car usually takes 1.30 hours and there are two possible routes, via the A-7 and A-30 passing through Murcia, or via the AP-7 paying a toll.

Traveling via Murcia Airport

Air traffic is less busy in the Murcia International airport than in Alicante and most connections come from the UK.

You can arrive at Cartagena from Murcia airport in different ways:

  • By bus: It is possible to travel directly to Cartagena by shuttle bus from Murcia Airport. It is advisable to check availability beforehand: https://www.interbusmurcia.es/servicio-aeropuerto-2/ . From Murcia, you can reach Cartagena by bus from the bus station in 45-60 minutes:  https://grupointerbus.com
  • By car: The journey from Murcia Airport to Cartagena is only 30 km via the A-30 highway.

Traveling via Madrid International Airport

Madrid international airport Adolfo Suarez-Barajas is the busiest airport in Spain.

You can also connect with Cartagena city in different ways. 

  • By bus: You can travel directly from Madrid Airport to Cartagena or take a bus from Madrid's South Bus Station (Estación del Sur). The journey usually takes between 5.30 and 6.00 hours. You can find timetables and buy tickets here: https://www.alsa.es
  • By train: Trains connecting Madrid to Cartagena depart from Chamartín-Clara Campoamor station. To get there from the airport, you can take the underground (Metro line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios station and transfer to line 10 until Chamartín train station. You can check this on the Madrid Metro website. 
  • Train journeys usually take between 4 and 6 hours depending on the train, and you always have to change trains at Murcia train station Del Carmen before arriving to Cartagena: https://www.renfe.com/es

You can find interesting travel information here: https://turismo.cartagena.es/como_llegar.asp