Getting Around Valencia
Valencia is a flat, compact city with a mild climate, which makes it unusually easy to explore on foot. The historic centre, the Turia riverbed gardens and the City of Arts and Sciences are all comfortably walkable, and many visitors find they can cover the heart of the city without touching public transport at all. For longer hops — out to the beach, the port or the surrounding towns — the city has a well-integrated public transport network of metro, tram, city buses and commuter trains, all linked under a single fare system called SUMA.
Walking
Exploring the hub of Valencia requires no public transportation. Much of the city can be done walking, stopping for a coffee or a beer and then walking more, all very leisurely. You do not need the mindset of mastering a complex public transport system unless you plan to range further afield.
Two practical cautions. First, pedestrians should be careful not to walk in the designated bike lanes. Second, streets in Valencia have two names — one Valencian and one Spanish — but most street signs are in Valencian only. Maps may list street names in Valencian or Spanish and rarely both, and addresses may be given in either language, so expect some confusion when matching a map to a sign. The city has also been renaming some Franco-era streets, so online mapping services are largely up to date while printed maps likely are not.
Metro and Tram
The metro and tram network is the backbone of the system for visitors, connecting the city centre, the airport, the beaches, l'Albufera and nearby towns. Trains run frequently — roughly every ten minutes — and the network is easy to use once you understand the ticketing.
For reaching key sights, the metro is often the simplest option:
- Historic city centre: metro stops Xàtiva or Colón, plus numerous bus lines.
- City of Arts and Sciences and Oceanogràfic: tram line 10, plus several bus lines.
- Marina, beaches and seaside districts: tram lines 4 and 6, plus buses.
- Bioparc and Cabecera Park: metro stop Nou d'Octubre, plus buses.
- Jardín del Turia: metro stops Alameda and Túria.
- Mestalla stadium: metro stop Aragón.
- Conference Palace: metro stop Beniferri, plus buses.
Note that the metro does not run between roughly midnight and 05:30, so plan late evenings around taxis or buses.
Buses and Other Public Transport
EMT city buses fill in the gaps the metro and tram leave, and the network is extensive — dozens of city lines plus a large set of metropolitan routes reaching surrounding towns. Several lines are especially handy for sightseeing; line 95 in particular is noted as useful for the main tourist attractions. Buses also serve l'Albufera and El Palmar, Port Saplaya, El Puig and Sagunto, alongside commuter trains (Cercanías) for some of those destinations.
For planning on the move, the official EMT Valencia app covers urban buses and the Metrobús València app covers city buses; a downloadable metro map is also available.
Tickets and Passes
How you buy tickets matters a great deal to your budget, because single tickets for multiple trips are significantly more expensive than travel cards.
- Valencia Tourist Card: a one-, two- or three-day pass giving unlimited travel on the SUMA network — metro, EMT buses, tram and commuter trains — including journeys between the airport and any point in the city or region. It also includes free entry to public museums and monuments, discounted admission to other attractions, and discounts at some shops and restaurants. A seven-day version exists without transport. Buy it at any tourist office, including at the airport, or online for a discount and pick it up on arrival.
- SUMA 10: a rechargeable card valid on both metro and bus, covering ten journeys including transfers begun within 90 minutes of starting your trip. Transfers include unlimited changes between metro or tram lines and a single transfer to or from bus lines. Cards are not personalised, so one card can be shared by several people, deducting a journey each. Buy them from machines in metro stations and recharge at any metro ticket machine.
- Single tickets: a single EMT city bus ticket costs €2.00 per trip. A single metro ticket ranges from €1.50 for one zone up to €4.80 for the airport journey, plus the cost of a reusable card (€1.10 for cardboard, €2.10 for plastic).
If you are in Valencia for only a short visit and want museum entry bundled in, the Tourist Card is the straightforward choice. If you are staying longer or mainly want transport, the SUMA 10 is the flexible workhorse.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are readily available, with stands at the airport, the port ferry terminals and around the city, and several radio taxi companies take bookings by phone, online or through their own smartphone apps. Fares are metered and tariffs are displayed in the taxi in Valencian, Spanish and English, though the display can be difficult to read. Be aware that airport journeys carry an additional airport supplement on top of the metered fare.
For longer or cross-city trips, or late at night when the metro is closed, taxis are the reliable fallback. Booking ahead by phone or online is worthwhile at busy times.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Valencia Airport (VLC) sits in the neighbouring town of Manises, close to the city, and is served by major airlines including Air Europa, easyJet, Iberia, Ryanair, Transavia, Vueling and Wizz Air, among others. Nearly all intercontinental visitors will need to connect through a major European hub to reach Valencia, unless they can take the seasonal direct transatlantic flight from Montreal. The terminal has free Wi-Fi for the first 30 minutes, plus restaurants and duty-free shops after security.
Three main options get you into the city:
- Metro: metro lines 3 and 5 run directly to the town centre and link the airport to the main train station, Estación del Norte (beside the Xàtiva metro stop). Trains run every 8 minutes and the journey takes about 21 minutes. A one-way ticket to the city centre costs €3.90, plus €1 for the rechargeable cardboard ticket with chip. Buy tickets at the manned service counter (English spoken) or from vending machines that accept credit cards. Note that the paper tickets with magnetic strips are rechargeable, and there are no trains between midnight and 05:30.
- Bus: Fernanbus operates route 150, with yellow buses departing every 15 minutes and terminating at Àngel Guimerà. Tickets cost €1.50 and the journey takes about 30–40 minutes.
- Taxi: a taxi stand sits just outside the arrivals hall. A ride to the historic city centre costs roughly €20–23 plus an airport supplement of around €5, and the same journey back from the city centre to the airport is notably cheaper. You can also book ahead with one of the radio taxi companies or online transfer services.
Whichever you choose, the airport is well connected to the rest of the network, so a Tourist Card or SUMA 10 bought on arrival will cover the trip into town and everything after it.