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Getting
Around
Because the centre of Valencia is so accessible on foot,
you will probably not need to use the plentiful buses
very much, and you may not even have to descend to the nearly
new Metro
at all, though it can be handy for getting to the beach. Bus
number 5 is a convenient circular route around the historic
centre, and the 5-B is even better, taking you through it.
Where
to Stay
In addition to the four- and five-star hotels currently in
the SPV Valencia hotel
directory (the Valencia Tourist Board has this,
more comprehensive list, but no on-line reservation) there
is plenty of lower priced accommodation in Valencia. If you
arrive without a booking, there are a good number of cheap
places near the station, though the area is not very nice,
and in the rest of the old part of the city, while more upmarket
places are concentrated on the other side of the Turia Gardens
and near the City of the Arts and Science (if you are looking
for inexpensive lodgings, I have stayed in the one-star Hotel
Alcázar, just off the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, and found
it acceptable and nicely located).
Getting
There
From abroad. Valencia has its own airport, of course,
though you may find it better value for money to fly to Alicante
or even Madrid and catch the train from there. This is especially
true coming from the UK, from where easyJet and similar airlines
offer frankly rock-bottom prices.
From Madrid. By car: Valencia is now a mere
3 h 18 min from Madrid by the A-3. By train: A very
comfortable (usually) three-and-a-half-hour journey, with
13 trains a day, most on the Alaris, the non-high-speed-line
version of the high-speed AVE, which is good value for money
at 36.50 euros each way. If you prefer you can take the tortuous
Regional train, which takes nearly twice as long, but for
half the price, but it would be more sensible to get the bus.
By bus: Samar
used to cover the Madrid-Valencia line, and according to the
website of the Estación
Sur (Mendez Álvaro, tel 91 468 4200), still
does. Auto-Res
advertises 15 buses (coaches) a day, taking 4 hours, at a
cost of 21.59 euros each way, probably leaving from the bus
station in Conde de Casal.
Elsewhere
on the Net
Ayuntament
de Valencia
The municipal site is not primarily intended for visitors,
so tourist information is not copious but is very high quality.
"Visit Valencia" lets you choose between "Museums"
and "Itineraries," routes, both with excellent interactive
maps. "Images of the City" offers 360º views
and under "Webs Municipales," there is a very nice
but Spanish-only subsite dedicated to the Devesa and Albufera.
The
City of Valencia - by the Regional Tourist Board
A great site, hi-tech without being slow, informative but
entertaining, lacking only an accommodation finder to be top
class (the parent site has one, and very attractive it is,
but far from complete).
Comunidad-Valenciana.com
The regional tourist board's site has many virtues and a similar
number of vices, such as broken links.
Turisvalencia
The site of the Valencia Convention Bureau, although designed
for its purpose, has much to offer the non-convention visitor
as well. The best is to be found under the tab 'A walk through...'
Valencia
- A Virtual Trip
Old-fashioned but enjoyable and very complete, from the University
of Valencia.
Valencia
- by All About Spain
Not very illuminating, but the photo gallery is worth a look.
Valencia
- by University College, Dublin
A rather scant page telling future overseas students what
to expect of Valencia in terms of accommodation, nightlife...
Valencia
Hotel Guide
A pretty useless, Spanish-only site, which only provides an
address and telephone number for each hotel.
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