Quick Guide to Valencia Transport
Today we will learn how to utilize public transportation to get around in the birthplace of the paella: The beautiful city of Valencia, Spain. Valencia is the city of arts and sciences, well known for wonderful sites such as the Valencia Cathedral, Old Town, Central Market, and many more. Here is a useful link for various public transport services available to you. Luckily for you, I have put together a brief guide on how to use the various forms of public transportation in Valencia:
Bus
Riding by bus is a great way to explore middle and long distances, whilst enjoying the scenery passing you by. Taking the bus will require you to pay close attention to where you are because you may not know where to get off. Understanding the route beforehand and using a GPS can be very helpful.
Valencia buses operate under the public bus networks of the city (EMT) and interurban (Metrobus). A single trip EMT bus ticket with no transfers will cost 1,50 €, the ticket can be purchased using the EMTicket app. The Valencia tourist card is another option if you are visiting Spain, this card will allow you to have unlimited rides for 24hrs (15 €) 48hrs (20€), or 72 hrs (25€) depending on what you want and transfers included. The tourist card will allow you to use urban and metropolitan buses. Here is a map that shows the routes.
Metro
Valencia's metro system is run by Metrovalencia and has ten lines with 142 stations. You can use the Metrovalencia map to assist your planning. An individual metro ticket can be 1.50€, 2.80€, or 4.80€ for one, two, or three zones respectively. There are many different fares for using the metro, here you can find information on the different ways to pay for a metro ticket.
You will need to decide for yourself what the best option is. If you have decision paralysis with so many choices, you can focus on one of three common options: SUMA 10, Single Ticket, and the Valencia tourist card.
High-Speed Train
The high-speed trains of Spain will allow you to commute between major cities like Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, etc. Train tickets can cost anywhere from $16 to $100 depending on when and how you buy a ticket. Renfe is Spain’s national railway company that offers many options for purchasing tickets.
Be sure to check out my article: High-Speed Trains of Spain if you want to learn more about utilizing the high-speed rail system of Spain.
Taxi
While most locals like to walk, cycle, or take the metro, taking a taxi can be useful late at night. The cost of a taxi will depend on what time of day and how far the trip is. The price per km will be about 1.08 € - 1.18 €. With taxis, there is a minimum fee, start price of the journey, and additional costs for luggage and riding to/from the airport.
To get a hold of a taxi, you can use an app called Cabify, wave down a taxi with a green light, visit a taxi stand, or call for a taxi.
Walk
Spaniards love walking, and with good reason! Valencia is a very walkable city with tons of options to get around. Many people say that getting around by car can be difficult because parking has many difficulties. Many ex-pats go even further to say owning a car in Valencia is unnecessary. Valencia is a compact city. Even though it has a total area of about 134 km2, getting around by walking is very common, below are a few reasons why:
Plenty of parks and public spaces
Streets full of beautiful architecture designed for walkers, cyclists, and transit
Access to a wide variety of nearby businesses/services
One of the best public transportation systems in the world and
Valencia is a safe city, plenty of people are active all day and even late at night
Bike
Valencia is a bike-friendly city that is perfect for cruising around. The city center even has a speed limit for vehicles to keep cyclers safe, which is 30 kilometers per hour. The old course of the Turia River is a garden that cuts through the urban center of Valencia, it’s perfect for spinning your wheels or going for a nice relaxing walk. There are over 156 kilometers of cycle paths for visitors to enjoy, so the options are there. All you have to do is start exploring! If you want to rent a bike, look no further than Valenbisi.
In Valencia, there are so many options for commuting, it really is something special. If you are from a city that puts cars at the forefront of city planning, you know how difficult it can be live life without a car. the simplest things can be difficult and expensive, especially with rising gas prices. So, when you visit Valencia, I challenge you to take full advantage of the public transport. You could Go for a stroll along the Turia River, read a book while riding the metro, appreciate the Spanish architecture while peering out a bus window, and wonder why you didn’t visit sooner.
Next Sunday, we will look at how to save money on flights.