How To Get Around Valencia

Valencia has a world-class public transport system that's ultra-modern, clean, and efficient. You won't find yourself riding on any bone-shaking vintage trams like you would in San Francisco when you're in Valencia. Whether you want to explore the central part of the city or the outlying suburbs, moving around in Valencia, by bus, on the subway, by tram or tranvia as it's called in Spanish, is quite easy and very economical if you're aware of the right tickets to purchase.

Using public transport like trains and buses in Valencia might not be the most convenient if you're heading to Valencia Airport in the middle of the night. It's not a problem though as there are taxis and Uber services that provide a twenty-four hours of the day, seven days of the week service which is fast and affordable. Car hire or public transport aren't your only options for getting around Valencia if you want to sightsee. There are other ways like segways, tuk-tuks, and e-scooters which are much more fun forms of getting from A to B too.

The one thing you won't want to do is be restricted by your bags while you're moving around Valencia, especially if you're doing it on an e-scooter or by bicycle. The simplest solution to any baggage problem you have is to leave all your stuff with our partners for luggage storage in Valencia. It'll be in a safe place while you go off and enjoy this amazing Spanish city to the absolute max.

Public Transport In Valencia

There are various modes of public transport in Valencia and they all make moving around the city simple. One leading question many people often ask is if Valencia has a subway. The answer is yes, it does, but the underground train system in Valencia is called a metro. The other main inner-city public transport services are bus and tram both of which can be very convenient if you're going shopping in Valencia.

Bus In Valencia

EMT is the main bus company in Valencia and operates an extensive bus network of over fifty routes throughout the city with their fleet of almost five hundred buses. EMT stops are easily recognizable as they are glass shelters emblazoned with the company's distinctive red and blue logo. You will find a timetable of services for the bus route that run past that bus stop, but they can be difficult to understand. The simplest way to find out when the next bus is due is to download the EMT app from the company's official website and it will tell you how much longer you'll have to wait. Don't worry if you don't speak Spanish as the EMT app is downloadable in English. There are several different types of tickets which you can find out more about below the section about trams.

Trams In Valencia

The trams or tranvias in Valencia are operated by two different companies EMT and MetroValencia. Tickets for one are not valid on the other so you need to check you're using the right system before boarding or have tickets for both. How will you know if you're on a route for either one? Look down and you'll see twin rails running along the street. Look up and you'll see the electric cables overhead. There are digital displays inside the trams that tell you what the next approaching stop is, which is great so long as you know where you're going. If not, sit back, relax and enjoy the adventure.

MetroValencia

MetroValencia is the company that operates the subway in Valencia and several tram routes throughout the city center and beyond. They have an underground network of thirty-five metro stations distributed over twenty-seven thousand kilometers of track as well as a network of over a hundred thousand kilometers of lines connecting more than a hundred stations above ground. The metro network might sound a lot to have to find your way around, but it boils down to six metro lines and three tram ones so it's nowhere near as complicated as finding your way around the London underground system.

Best tickets to buy for EMT

If you're only planning on catching the bus, tram, or subway in Valencia city a couple of times then it's not worth purchasing a multi-journey ticket as single ticket prices are less than two euros. However, if you're going to use public transport as your main way of getting around Valencia city then you should definitely consider investing in a bono or travel card. All bonos and cards can be purchased from tobacconists, newspaper kiosks, and the main EMT office in Valencia Bus Station.

There are several different bonos, which are multi-journey cards, and special visitor cards so it depends how many trips you're going to make as to which will work out the most economical for you.

Single Trip Tickets – A single ticket can be bought on boarding a bus, not the metro or tram, or you can buy the ticket on your mobile using the EMTicket app. Single trip tickets are valid for an hour after you've activated it on your first trip which you do on boarding. During the hour the ticket is valid you can change buses as often as you want. After an hour has expired you need to purchase another ticket.

Bono Travel Card – Buy a Bono Travel Card and it will be valid for a total of ten journeys on all EMT services and on the Metro if you stay within Zone A. Each individual trip is valid for one hour after the initial activation.

Valencia Tourist Card – The Valencia Tourist Card is the best type of ticket to purchase if you're visiting Valencia for two or three days and plan to explore Valencia using public transportation. The added bonus with a Valencia Tourist Card is it will give you discounts on entrances to several main attractions. You can buy a VTC that is valid for 24, 48, or 72 hours which are priced accordingly at 15, 20, and 25 euros. The VTC is valid for all EMT lines within the city as well as Metro lines A, B, C, and D and allows unlimited connections between all services.

Other Ways To Get Around Valencia

Taxi – There are multiple taxi companies operating throughout Valencia and while they can work out to be a quick way of getting from your accommodation to Valencia Train Station for example, they can also work out to be expensive in the long run. Taxis charge a standard pick-up fee which will show on the meter when you get in then an additional per-kilometer charge. You can flag a cab down or pick one up at any of the designated taxi ranks throughout the city.

Uber – Uber does operate in Valencia, but Uber rides are not as common as taxis. To get an Uber in Valencia, you'll need to download and use the Uber app.

Tuk-Tuks – Tuk-tuks can be a fun way of getting around Valencia if you take a sightseeing tour in one or want to enjoy some of the things there are to do at night in Valencia, like explore the street food scene or go on a pub crawl. There are several tuk-tuk companies working in the city, all of which need to be pre-booked in advance.

Alternative ways to move around in Valencia

You don't need to be restricted to using public transport for moving around Valencia. There are other ways of seeing the city that are fun as well as exciting, but will, on occasion, cost you a little more than a single trip bus ticket.

Valencia Tourist Bus – If you only want to see the main sights in the city then the best way to get around Valencia is on the Hop-on Hop-off tourist bus. The open-topped double-decker runs a regular two-hour long route past all of the city's major tourist attractions. There are two different tickets you can get for the Valencia tourist bus. The first is valid for twenty-four hours during which you can get on and off as many times as you like for a cost of nineteen euros. The second is valid for forty-eight hours and costs just one euro more.

Car Hire – Before you consider hiring a car and driving yourself around Valencia, you need to know that, if you are from outside of the European Union then you will need an IDP. An IDP or International Driving Permit should be obtained in your home country before you arrive in Spain. Unless you are planning on heading out of the city to visit places nearby, it's not worth hiring a car to drive around Valencia's congested streets where the stress of trying to park will spoil your day completely.  

Limousine Hire – If you want to ride around Valencia and feel like visiting royalty, hire a limousine for a few hours or even an entire day. No, whichever of the companies with fleets of limos in Valencia you choose, it won't be cheap, but can work out reasonable if you're traveling in a group.

Bicycle – Valencia is one of the best cities in Spain for cycling. It's totally flat and has more than a hundred and fifty kilometers of cycle paths. There are multiple bicycle hire companies distributed throughout the city, but the best to use is Valenbisi as they have more than three hundred bike stations in Valencia where you can drop your cycle while visiting somewhere, having a coffee, or eating. You'll only be required to use a helmet when you're riding through the inner city.

Segway – Segways are not the most economical way of getting around Valencia as they can work out to be expensive if you hire one for four or five hours, but they're great fun though. Segway hire starts at around thirty euros per hour which includes the use of a safety helmet and is probably time enough to have a whizz around the Turia Gardens, along the beachfront, or through the center. You don't need to ride on the road or cycle paths as there are special lanes for motorized vehicles like segways and e-scooters running parallel to many of the pedestrian walkways.

E-Scooter – E-scooters are the mode of transport that's totally on-trend for getting around Valencia and are a lot more economical to hire than a segway. You can hire an e-scooter for a full day for the same price as a segway for an hour so your thirty euros will get you a lot further. Most e-scooters can travel around thirty kilometers on a full charge which is more than enough to get you around the city center three times over. 

If you hire an e-scooter for the day, the hire company will provide you with a transportable charger to make sure you don't run out of juice. The only thing you need to be aware of before e-scooting all over Valencia is to wear a safety helmet and stick to the authorized lanes by the cycle paths and walkways for this type of transport.

Helicopter – While taking a helicopter flight over Valencia isn't something that's exactly within reach of everyone's budget, it will get you around the city in the quickest possible way, if definitely not the cheapest. If you're short on time but not on dough then sightseeing from a bird's eye view in ten, twenty, or thirty minutes is one exciting way to see Valencia.

Mini Train – If you don't mind feeling like a complete tourist then you should jump aboard the mini train in Turia Gardens. It will take you on a half-hour trip through the City of Arts and Science and through the gardens as well as by various other well-known Valencian attractions. It's naff, but fun and if you wave at the folks you pass, they'll wave back.

No matter how you decide to move around Valencia you can't do it dragging your bags behind you. Drop your belongings at a Bounce luggage locker facility in Valencia and you'll have your hands free for cycling, riding an e-scooter, or waving at passersby you spot when on the mini train.