With a relatively small and compact centre and wide boulevards connecting the outer areas of the city Valencia is easy to get around, boasting an efficient and effective transport system to boot.
Valencia airport is currently under construction and is continually welcoming flights from more and more airlines, flying both internally and to the rest of Europe. The cheapest way to get from the UK to Valencia and vice versa is with Ryanair or Easyjet. Also look at Spanish airlines for returning home for holidays: Spanair and Iberia are two of the biggest and most reliable companies.
There are currently 2 ways of getting to and from Valencia airport. The first is the Aerobus, which leaves from outside the departures floor every 15 minutes, takes you to the main train station in the city centre via Avenida del Cid and Gran Via Àngel Guimerá and costs just 2 euros 50. The second is by taxi, which again is reasonably priced and very much more practical for those not staying or living in the city centre. It will cost between 10 and 25 euros depending on distance covered, time of day and how much baggage you have. The airport is currently undergoing some major reconstruction and expansion work, part of the plan being to create a metro line between it and the beach and port areas in time for the America´s Cup competition in summer 2007.
Numerous bus lines cover the vast majority of the city itself. The buses are red and a journey costs 1,10 euros. Be sure to hold on tight as the conductors drive at a fair speed, but the ride is generally comfortable and further enhanced with television screens displaying local and world information covering events, news, health and fitness, culture, the weather...There is no fear of getting lost either as an announcement is made at every stop and the drivers are particularly friendly and helpful to anyone with any difficulty, as long as you can ask in Spanish.
Valencia’s metro system is under constant expansion. There currently exist 5 lines including a tramline that runs along the north of the city from Féria Valencia in the Benimamet region right the way out to the beach. Serving north, south, east and west, all the metro lines bypass the city centre itself but stop very nearby; with some of the most convenient being at Àngel Guimerá, Xátiva, Colón, Alameda, Pont de Fuste and Túria. A journey costs 1,20 euros but there are monthly (around 30 euros) and 10 journey (between 5 and 7 euros) travel cards available with discounts for students and pensioners. Acquiring a monthly travel pass is a fairly lengthy procedure as you must visit the main office in Xátiva station to register for your photo card before buying your pass at one of the ticket booths in any station. However, once you have your ticket, travelling is quicker and cheaper and you can start the pass conveniently at any point during the month. These cards can also cover the city’s buses, including the metro bus that operates outside the city itself. Try www.metrovalencia.com for more info .
Taxis are in abundance in Valencia and cost very little in comparison to other large European centres. A ten to fifteen minute journey from the city centre to the beach will cost somewhere between 5 and 8 euros depending on the time of day. Do try to speak as much Spanish to the driver as possible and make out that you know exactly where you are going as they have been known to rip foreigners, and especially English visitors off somewhat, but the drivers are more often than not very friendly and agreeable people.
This article has been submitted by Suzanne Bailey for Ibericity.com
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