Compare Benidorm flights

If flying simply isn’t for you and you’d prefer to tackle the high seas, Brittany Ferries runs a no-frills economy service from Portsmouth to Santander every Saturday. Catching a ferry is especially handy if you’d like to use your car in Benidorm. In 2023, departure times are in the morning, with voyages lasting around 24 hours.

On board you’ll find a self-service restaurant, bar, shop, board games and a movie lounge – enough to keep body and mind sated on the long journey. There are also private cabins on board if you wanted to get your head down and arrive in Spain fully refreshed for the journey to Benidorm ahead.

Brittany Ferries also operate luxury cruises from Plymouth and Portsmouth to Santander and Bilbao, if you fancy starting your holiday in style. Choose from their 24-hour or 32-hour cruises and take a dip in the on-board pool, drop by the cinema and relax on the sundeck before dining in one of the fancy restaurants. Luxury crossings from Portsmouth to Bilbao run twice a week, to Santander three times a week and from Plymouth to Santander once a week.

From Bilbao or Santander, it’s around a seven- or eight-hour drive south to Benidorm. A long journey but a beautiful one, taking you through the lush, green hills of northern Spain then down through sun-baked sierras and whitewashed villages until you reach the Mediterranean.