Crowned the European Green Capital for 2024, Valencia beckons to cyclists and pedestrians. In this Mediterranean-side city, leafy bike paths are separated from the traffic, running all the way from the city to the sea, while cars have been diverted from the most beautiful squares.
It’s easy to walk or pedal through the flat, pretty streets of the Old Town. When your quads can take no more, use the metro to for excursions farther afield – such as visiting the beach bars on Playa de la Patacona, or spending an afternoon sipping vermouth in a poetry cafe in the barrio of Benimaclet.
From accessible transport to brilliant bike paths, here’s everything you need to know about getting around in Valencia, to see all the city has to offer.
Set out on foot to explore central Valencia’s warren-like streets
Your legs will be your go-to vehicle in Valencia’s city center, which is both flat and elegant, with many of its main squares pedestrianized. With its cozy wine dens hidden in crumbling old buildings, the Old Town is primed for serendipitous discoveries. And walking around Barrio del Carmen is a particular joy: its timeworn streets conceal plenty of hidden watering holes to stumble upon. (We particularly love Oliví and Botanista Cocktail Bar.) Street signs are in either Spanish or Valencian, and sometimes both – something to keep in mind as you set out on a long walk.
Planning tip: Don’t rely too heavily on Google maps in Barrio del Carmen, as GPS is not a fan of the narrow, tightly knotted alleys. Getting a bit lost is part of the neighborhood’s charm.
Hop on a bike to enjoy miles of leafy bike lanes
Bikes are not just ever-more popular in Valencia – they’re ever-more powerful, too. In 2024 Russafa was named Valencia’s first ciclobarrio, a neighborhood where cars are limited to 20km/h and bicycles are given right of way. Indeed, cycling is the most enjoyable and sustainable way to get around the city – as long as you stick to the bike paths when pedaling, then dismounting and walking your bike along footpaths. Want to hire some wheels? Consider hiring an unmarked bike to blend in. With three shops across the old town, Happy Tourist Center rents chic B’Twin bikes with helmets for €12 a day.
Zip and zigzag through the city on a scooter
Anyone can rent the cute mint-green electric scooters parked up around the city. Just download the Yego app and fill in the form with your ID and driver’s license; within 2 hours, you should be verified to ride. Two helmets are kept in the box behind the seat to make sure you and a passenger enjoy this exciting form of transport safely.
Catch the bus to see the sights
Air-conditioned and efficient, the bus is an easy option for covering ground. It’s also a Valencia transport option that’s getting more sustainable: in 2024 the local bus company EMT introduced a new fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles to its network. All around town, bus stops have a useful screen counting down the minutes until the next bus arrival. Once you board, you can tap your phone, credit card or SUMA travel card (more on that below) to pay your fare. You can even buy a €1.50 ($1.63) ticket from the driver in cash (just try to have the exact amount or small bills ready).
Save time by taking a taxi
You can easily flag a black cab outside the airport arrivals building and on busy streets in the city center; expect to pay around €1 ($1.09) per kilometer. The taxi app Cabify is more convenient than black cabs in the city center (Uber doesn’t operate here): you can schedule taxis or call on a large pool of drivers already on the road. The Cabify rate is around €0.80 ($0.87) per kilometer.
Use the metro to get to know local neighborhoods
Valencia has a combined metro/tram system that’s easy to use and whose lines snake through down-to-earth communities outside of the city center, and along the beachfront. At stations around town, you’ll have to buy a card for €1 ($1.10), before topping it up with as many €1.50 ($1.64) fares as you’d like. The SUMA 10 card – which comes pre-loaded with 10 journeys – is a stupendous deal at just €8 ($8.68); you can use these journeys on buses and Renfe cercanías (local commuter trains), too, as long as you stay in the central zone. The Valencia Tourist Card offers unlimited travel within 24 (€15/$16.28), 48 (€20/$22) or 72 (€25/$27) hours – as well as some bonus extras, like free entry to Museo de la Seda (normally €2/$2.17) and free entry to Torres de Serranos (normally €2/$2.17).
Planning tip: SUMA T is another good option for visitors. It doesn’t have all the freebies of the Tourist Card, but it does offer unlimited travel for 24 (€4/$4.34), 48 (€7/$7.60) or 72 (€10/$10.86) hours. The Suma T+ costs around €4 ($4.34) more and includes public transport to the airport.
Cars are best for getting out of the city – not driving within it
Finding parking in central Valencia should be an Olympic sport – for you need both sharp tactics and skill to avoid parking tickets and payments to illicit, self-appointed “parking attendants.” And even when you do score a spot, you risk the car being towed or blocked in completely by a street parade for a local festival.
Accordingly, we recommend skipping driving your own car in town – and instead hitting the road to escape the city and explore the surrounding countryside. Drive to Montanejos (1h15m) to swim in crystal-clear hot springs; Requena (1 hour) for a sleepover in a vineyard; or picture-perfect pueblo Chulilla (1 hour) for staggering hikes with plenty of rope bridges.
Accessible transportation in Valencia
Valencia has a strong reputation for accessible travel. All the metro stations in the network have adapted routes with ramps and elevators (with the exception of València Sud station), and buses are also accessible, with electric ramps and dedicated space for wheelchairs.
Fancy a dip in the sea but need extra equipment for bathing? People with disabilities should head to Playa de las Arenas and use the entrance leading from Calle del Pintor Ferrandis (near the food court Mercabañal). Here, you’ll find disabled parking spots and wooden ramps leading to a shaded platform in the sand. A friendly Red Cross (Cruz Roja) team offers assisted bathing from 11am to 7pm every day, complete with floating wheelchairs, water crutches and lots more. It’s free; just turn up.
This article was first published Oct 28, 2021 and updated Oct 21, 2024.
