How are you supposed to know if a company is properly licenced or not?

I used a highly recommended company last year but have since discovered that he is not officially licenced either.

The police having an interest is an obvious cause for concern.

Hi cheesepasty2000 ... unfortunately it is sometimes the case that recommendations are based purely on price, without the necessary consideration given to who is actually being hired to provide the transfer service.

Most reputable and legitimate companies will have a proper website with online booking system, displaying a full registered business address and contact details, with booking terms and conditions clearly shown. In most cases, they will have a fleet of vehicles, properly maintained, and with full back up service in the event of any problems. Legitimate companies will have a "Tarjeta de Transporte" licence and full insurance cover for that type of work, and should have no objections to providing you with details prior to booking if requested.

Those trading illegally may not even be a company, it may be just be one man or a couple of expats with a car or people carrier, without proper licence or insurance for the vehicle and its passengers, and no back up service for the customer if anything goes wrong with the vehicle. Alarm bells should perhaps start ringing about the legality of the operator, if the only contact is through an untraceable e-mail address or mobile phone number, a pub or restaurant phone number, or via e-bay, or if their website consists of no more than a single page which doesn't display a registered and verifiable business address, contact details and booking terms and conditions. There will be a reluctance to supply you with details of the "Tarjeta de Transporte" and there may even be a reluctance to meet and greet you inside the arrivals hall or in the official designated transfer pick up points, preferring to meet you instead in a public car park to try and avoid their illegal trade being detected.

Even if someone claims to be operating legally or is touting for business via a reputable third party website, or perhaps has other holidaymakers touting for them, it is best to make further enquiries as you may not just be jeopardising the success of your holiday for the sake of a bargain price, you could be putting your family's safety at risk too.

David

looking for transfer from alicante search google for (Name removed ... David HT Mod) i have just used the apartments and transfer service. fantastic apartments and worked out cheaper than a package deal for a family of 4. the transfer was very cheap and they spoke english, will use again.

Alex

Thanks for the recommendation Alex. Perhaps it was a just a slight oversight on your part, but it seems to have slipped your mind to mention your personal connection with the company that you were trying to promote. I have therefore removed the name of the company and deleted your other posts where you also posed as a satisfied customer. All you have achieved is to ensure that any further recommendations for the company from any source will also be deleted.

David

WE are going out to Benidorm on the 01/10/2008 returning on the 31/10/2008 when I have looked at the bus time table it say after August it is back to 4 times a day do you know what time they will be. This is the airport bus and is it right that they stop on Avda Europa.

Hi Leyland Lass ... are you using the bus company's own timetable, or someone else's version of it ?

Looking at their online timetables, there seems to be lots of services on the dates that you have mentioned. Click HERE and use the drop down menus to select timetables from Alicante Airport to either Benidorm Bus Station or Avenida Europa.

David

i know there is a main transfer section, not sure if i have posted in correct section, but i need a recommended operater that can transfer 11 passengers with luggage in private vehicle, to first pick up keys from old town, then drop of in new town, (Benidorm)

thank you

Hi karate ... do you know exactlly where the keys have to be picked up in the Old Town ? Some of the streets are pedestrianised and others may be so narrow that they could be inaccessible to small coaches, or minibuses with luggage trailers. It may be easier and more economical to go straight to your apartment complex, and then have one of the group nip into town by taxi to collect the keys.

David

Hello

Hoping that some one can help i cant find the information i need my mum is coming to benidorm tomorrow and she is planning on getting the bus from alicante airport in to benidorm does any one know the number of the bus stop that the bus leaves from also am i right in thinking it is directly at the top of the ramp once you get out of alicante airport thanks for your help catherine

Yes you are correct. It is the one at the top of the ramp. It has BENIDORM written on it, I believe.

Just a word of warning for anyone who fancies a crafty fag at gate 10?
When I was there yesterday there was a woman trying to flog Easyjet flights and she was warning people that they are really clamping down.

They have been known to frogmarch culprits out of the airport, remove there passport from them then give it back to them when the flight has gone.

Sue

Bet you still managed a quick drag or two though Sue!! People were still using that area at beginning of July when we were there, in fact a security guard walked past when there were at least 8 or 9 people smoking and he did'nt bat an eyelid. Perhaps depends whose on duty and what kind of day they've had!

Best Regards - Taggy

Just a word of warning for those who book DIY and there own transfers.

If you have not enquired yet about next year I have found that the prices are through the roof compared to the prices this year.

I know that fuel charges will affect this increase but some of the operators are really having a laugh with how high they have jumped them up, one operator is wanting 200 euro return!

I know that fuel charges will affect this increase but some of the operators are really having a laugh with how high they have jumped them up, one operator is wanting 200 euro return!

Please can you indicate who these comanies are so that they can be avoided. The company I use only charge €100 return at the moment so I can't see them doubling their prices for next year.

Sue

I know I am awful but I would rather not name and shame as such because it would seem that I am slating this mans company and I know that he usually gets raving reviews. There was a lot of information about the company being licensed and as this was not mentioned on earlier quotes I can only assume that he was not before hence the cheaper prices, I don't know

The company I personally used this year has gone up by 20 Euros so far!

ive booked with shuttledirect again for next tuesday it has cost me £43 return for the 3 of us used them in july for myself and they were brill no probbs both ways will let you know what they are like this time when i get back

Does anyone know if theres a "Bag Drop Off Point" at Alicante airport for online check-in? I've just checked in with Jet2 for our September flights both outward and return, but not sure where the drop off point at Alicante is to avoid the queue?

Best Regards - Taggy

I Taggy, do you mean for premuim check in? Have you paid extra for this?

Sue

Hi Sue...I've not paid extra for the Check in, but we wanted extra legroom seats so have pre-booked these. Having paid for that it allows us to Check-In online at no extra cost and print out our boarding passes which we have done. If you've only hold baggage you can go straight through to departures. Obviously you cant do that with hold baggage, so was wondering if they have a separate desk at Alicante to take the hold baggage to, like they do at Manchester. It still means you may have a small queue but its much shorter than the standard ones. I did'nt realise that you could do an online check-in for the return from Alicante though until it allowed me to do so!

Best Regards - Taggy