Getting around Valencia

The city of Valencia has a wide network of public transportation that will allow you to comfortably reach any neighborhood and the areas of greatest interest for tourism. It is not a very large city, so you can walk it without problems and even rent a bicycle or an electric scooter to take a walk and enjoy the outdoors.

The cards you need

València Tourist Card

It is the essential card for any tourist visiting Valencia who will use public transport. It is the most comfortable, fast and economical way to enjoy the city through unlimited 24, 48 or 72 hour trips. Once you have it, it is activated on the first use and can be used for buses, subways, streetcars and commuter trains. It also includes the trip from the airport to downtown on any of the metro lines 3 and 5, and there are also discounts on cabs and this same trip would cost about 15 euros. This card will also give you free access to municipal museums and discounts at many of the city’s stores and tourist attractions.

The one-day card costs €13.50, the two-day card costs €17.00 and the three-day card costs €22.50. There are also special plans that include tickets to the Oceanogràfic, Science Museum and Hemisfèric and Bioparc in different packs and promotions.

Subway and tramway

The metro and streetcar lines form a unified network of ten lines with multiple combinations that allow you to reach any neighborhood in Valencia. If you do not have a tourist card, the single ticket costs €1.50 for one zone, €2.80 for two zones and €4.80 for three zones. To this value is added the mandatory €2 for the rechargeable card. If you are going to use this service a lot, it is best to buy the SUMA 10 voucher for a value of 10 € (2 € for the support plus 8 € for the trips), which includes ten trips and allows transfers from the metro or streetcar to the bus, or the other way around.

From Monday to Thursday and Sundays, the metro and streetcars are open from 4:00 am to 11:30 pm. On Fridays, Saturdays and holiday eves, the hours are extended until 3:00 a.m. You can carrying bicycles in railcars and some stations are very beautifully designed, such as the Alameda, where metro lines 3 and 5 arrive from the airport, designed by Santiago Calatrava, or the Amado Granell-Montolivet station, with a mural by the famous Valencian illustrator Paco Roca.

Buses

Valencia has 60 bus lines and in all of them you can use the València Tourist Card as many times as you want while the contracted pass lasts. The single bus ticket costs 1,50 € and you can buy the Bonobús for ten trips for 10,50 € (8,50 € plus 2 € for the cost of the card) at tobacconists, newspaper kiosks or EMT customer service offices. You can then recharge it online.

Buses operate from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. with an average waiting time of 12 minutes. After 22:00, the night service continues to operate, but frequencies and the number of lines available are reduced from 60 to 23. We recommend you to download the EMT València app to easily check how long until the next bus, see different route options and locate stops near your location with GPS.

Cabs

Valencia cabs are white in color and are available all day long, and can be ordered by phone or through the companies’ websites. Stops are scattered throughout the city and are usually located on the main streets with the most traffic. At the airport, cabs are located outside the arrivals area of Terminal 1. The fares charged per trip depend on the three zones traveled (urban 1, urban 2 or interurban) and also on time slots, as the price rises during the night. You can pay by card, as most of the cars are equipped with a data phone, although it is always better to ask before getting in.

Uber and Cabify

These are two other options for getting around Valencia by car and both companies have vehicles available throughout the city. By downloading any of the apps you will have access to the service and, depending on the time and availability, you can find cheaper rides than by cab.

Bicycle rental

Valencia is an ideal city for cycling and the 150 kilometers of bike lanes distributed throughout the city corroborate this. The old Turia riverbed has been converted into a path for cycling and thus cross the entire urban area of the city. In addition, there is the advantage that all the terrain is flat so that pedaling does not involve too much effort. You can hire guided bike tours to get to know some of the attractions and places of interest in the city or rent a bike and move around on your own. Guided bike tours cost around 25 € per person, depending on the type of visit. Renting a bike for a whole day costs about 15 €.

Scooters

The trendy urban transport also hatches in Valencia and you can rent electric scooters per hour from 1 € or for a whole day from 15 €. You have several companies operating in the city and it is an excellent option for your vacation. In addition, you can easily transport it in subway cars, especially if you have to cover a long distance.

Rent a car

All major car rental companies operate in Valencia and you have many options available, but it is not the most advisable if you are not going to move too much outside the city. There are few free parking options and during rush hour traffic can be heavy.

Walking in the city

After all this panorama of public transportation and different car rental options, we give you some options of routes to walk the city and get to know it thoroughly, feel it with all five senses and enjoy your walks. A first route to walk Valencia is the historic center with the Lonja de la Seda, the Central Market, the Cathedral or the Plaza de la Virgen. Another very interesting option for walking tours are the Turia Gardens and its 9 km of lush forests and futuristic buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences. And, of course, walking along the coast is always very pleasant, especially the area of Malvarrosa Beach, Cabanyal and Paseo de Neptuno. And if you are a fan of modernist architecture and modern urban life, the walking route through the Ruzafa neighborhood, the Ensanche, the Mercado de Colón and the Estación del Norte will delight you.