While you’re planning your trip or weekend in Valencia, one of the things not to underestimate is how to get around the beautiful Spanish city and how to get from Valencia airport to the city center. That’s why today I’m telling you about public transport and specifically the metro in Valencia, its ticket prices, lines, and a couple of tricks to remember to spend less!
Why the metro in Valencia
Public transport in Valencia doesn’t just include the Metro; there’s also an extensive bus network, as well as a large train station (Estaciò del Nord) which, by the way, is architecturally very beautiful even just to visit, to catch trains that travel within the Valencian Community and throughout the rest of Spain.
In my opinion, however, the metro in Valencia is the best way to visit the city and get around quickly. The services are frequent, with just a few minutes between one and the next, they’re usually on time and don’t suffer from the sometimes heavy traffic you might encounter with buses.
The only downside is that the metro closes early in the evening. Latest metro services in Valencia run between 10 PM and midnight depending on the line, which also affects residents (including those who finish work late at night) and could cause you trouble if you want to enjoy a bit of nightlife far from your accommodation.
That’s why I always recommend staying in Valencia in the city center, as it’s not even expensive.
Read also: Where to stay in Valencia, the best areas
Metro tickets in Valencia
Traveling by metro in Valencia is quite simple and cheap.
How to buy tickets
All types of tickets are loaded onto rechargeable electronic cards: the rechargeable card costs €1 (the cardboard one, while it’s €2 for the PVC one), paid in addition to the first ticket you buy, after which you can keep the card to load countless other tickets, even of different types.
Where to buy tickets
Valencia metro tickets can be bought and recharged both at ticket offices with an operator, found in the larger Valencia metro stations, and at automatic ticket machines, which are present in all metro stations, even the smallest ones.
Traveling as a couple? You can also buy just one card and share it, obviously remember to pass the ticket through the entry and exit turnstiles once for each person! This is convenient not only to save the euro for a second card but especially if you’re going to load the 10-trip tickets I’ll tell you about shortly; in fact, if you plan to travel little on the Valencia metro (for example, 5 trips per person), you won’t risk wasting money by buying too many.
Valencia metro prices and ticket types
To get around Valencia by metro, ticket prices are divided based on the number of Zones crossed. You’ll probably make all your city trips in zone A, except for the journey to the airport (zone AB+).
The Valencia metro has many possible ticket types, here we’ll look at the most useful ones for a traveler staying a few days:
Some activities you may like, before going on with the article:
- The cost of a single 1-zone ticket is €1.50;
- however, if, as is likely, you won’t make just one metro journey, it’s better to get a 10-trip pass “SUMA 10” which costs €9 (each trip drops to just €0.90 and you can share it among several people); this is valid on all transport: metro, tram, bus, local trains.
- The single ticket for the journey from Valencia airport to the city center (and vice versa), in zone AB+, costs €4.80 instead;
- The probably perfect solution for those staying in Valencia for a few days, finally, is a “T1+/T2+/T3+” ticket for zone AB+ respectively for 24/48/72 hours which includes unlimited journeys both in the city and to the airport, it costs you less than all other solutions. However, you need one for each person. These are only valid on metro and tram.
Here’s the summary table, with those you’ll probably use most in bold:
| Ticket type | 1 zone A, B |
2 zones AB |
AB+ (airport) |
| Sencillo (single) | €1.50 | €2.80 | €4.80 |
| 24/48/72H Ticket (metro+tram) | like 2 zones>> | €4.50/€7.50/€11 | €9/€14/€17 |
| SUMA 10 (10 trips on metro, tram, bus+trains) |
€9.00 | €12.50 |
On the official Valencia metro website, you can always find the updated prices to check for any increases.
How to get around Valencia
Now that we know the prices… we also need to know where to go! 🙂
First, download the Maps.me app with city maps onto your smartphone: with this, you can also see the names of the nearest stops to you, as well as many useful details.
At this link you’ll find the official Valencia metro website’s journey planner: with the “Plan your route” button and by entering the names of the origin and destination stops, it’ll tell you the route and journey time. Using the “Route Timetables” button instead, you’ll find the line timetables and network maps.
Here instead, you’ll find the zone map (A, B, and +). If the link changes, go to the fares page and halfway down the page you should find the new “Zone Map” link.
I recommend saving the map on your smartphone to view it if you lose network signal in the metro; as for the timetables, don’t worry too much, the frequency of services ranges from 5 minutes to a maximum of 20 minutes in the early morning or late evening.
The lines you’ll basically use are 1, 3, and 5, which are underground metro lines, plus 4 and 6, which are tram lines. Any tram should be considered as if it were a metro: same tickets and same prices, the only difference is that on the tram you validate the ticket only when boarding. Validating machines are located at the stops, like this one:
If after a while you get tired of public transport… also try visiting the city by Segway or a cheap boat trip to the nearby Albufera lagoon! 🙂
How to get to the beach from Valencia city center
Probably one of the journeys you’ll make if you visit Valencia in summer months will be to reach the beach at least once (Discover the best areas to stay in Valencia).
The recommended route starting from Valencia city center is as follows: at the Xativa or Colòn Metro stop, take metro line 5 (green) towards Maritim-Serreria to the end of the line. From there, exit the turnstile and take tram number 4 (blue) to the Les Arenes stop. And vice versa for the return, same stops.
When you get off the metro and onto the tram, you might be disoriented for a moment, as from the metro exit you have to walk a few steps before you can see the tram tracks.
From Valencia airport to the city center by metro
Okay, at this point you want to get from Valencia airport to the city center by metro but you’re still confused? Now I’ll clear things up by explaining step by step what to do. 🙂
- Once you’ve landed at Valencia airport, follow the signs to reach the metro entrance. If it’s raining, you won’t get wet, it’s always covered.
- Once at the metro entrance, you’ll find a ticket office with an operator at the counter. Directly purchase an unlimited travel ticket for 24/48/72 hours (T1+, T2+ or T3+) for zone AB+ which includes the airport and enjoy your holiday! 🙂
If, however, for some reason it’s cheaper for you to buy single airport-center tickets and then use SUMA10 passes, remember that to change the type of ticket to load onto the electronic card, you must first have emptied it. That’s why it’s not convenient to load return tickets for the airport on the first day, otherwise you’d have to buy a second card for tickets to get around the center, or cancel them.
Finally, two tips for when you take the metro back to Valencia airport:
- Check the time of the first metro in the morning if you have a very early flight: usually the first run is around 5:20 AM and allow half an hour for the journey.
- Only take line 3 or 5 to go to the airport, but not line 9, which follows the same route for a while but doesn’t go all the way to Valencia airport! 😉
Valencia Tourist Card: public transport, metro to the airport, and access to 14 museums
If, in addition to exploring the city, you also want to visit some museums and attractions, you might like the Valencia Tourist Card.
For a fixed price of 17-24-30€, (depending on whether it’s the 24-48-72 hour Pass) the Valencia Tourist Card allows you to use public transport for the chosen duration, the metro to/from the airport, and access to 14 museums and attractions in the city.
On this page you can check availability, details, and purchase it, or here too, with the option of deferred payment.
Hassle-free transfer between Valencia airport and city center
Finally, if you have a lot of luggage or if you don’t want to worry about Valencia metro tickets, you can also consider using a private transfer service or one with a dedicated driver:
Transfer service in Valencia: WelcomePickups and Kiwitaxi
WelcomePickups and Kiwitaxi are taxi-like transfer services, with a driver waiting for you in the arrivals area of Valencia airport and taking you directly to your destination address in or out of the city (or vice versa).
This service, in addition to the convenience of not having to take public transport, saving time, and arriving right at your destination, becomes even more convenient than public transport if you’re traveling in large groups, as you can then split the cost.
Private taxis in Valencia
The Taxileader service, available in many european cities, allows you to book a private taxi that waits for you directly at the airport. In this case, there are discounts based on the number of people in the group.
Now that you know everything about how to get around Valencia, start visiting the city’s beauties like the Torre de Miguelete and then recharge your batteries with some delicious Fartons! 🙂
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