My husband is traveling to Valencia in October for a work trip. I will be joining him. I would love advice on the following:
Thanks in advance for any advice or tips for both a couple and a single woman.
Cheers!
I just got back from a solo week in Valencia. It's a wonderful, vibrant city.
There are museums and the cathedral, gardens and eye popping architecture. And the city is lively from morning until past dark with people out with friends and family having coffee, tapas, and dinners that begin at 9pm and ice cream at any time.
Here's how I spent my week:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/7-and-a-half-days-solo-in-valencia
If you like ceramics, the town of Manises is nearly an outdoor museum. It's reachable by an easy 30 minute metro ride.
If you like wide, sandy beaches, they're an easy trip by public transit.
It's a delightful town to explore, enjoy!
Thank you @ CWSocial! I read your travel forum post from earlier in the month with such helpful tips and ideas. That is exactly what I needed! Woo hoo! Now, I am so excited for this adventure!
Hello, when you say stopping on the way from Valencia to Barcelona on a train, are you talking about the Euromed high speed train that makes its way up the Mediterranean coast? Are you planning on separate tickets for stops along the way or just looking for a single stop to break up the trip or stay overnight?
Robin M., I'm happy to hear that it was helpful, thanks for your feedback!
A few bars/restaurants that I highly, highly recommend:
Latte e Farina, Sueño Andaluz, Stupor Mundi Vino
Thank you for the tips @Plectrude! I really appreciate learning what Valencia has to offer. Drinking Spanish wine in a lovely plaza sounds perfect as does a visit to Xativa.
@Carlos: any recommendations for how to get from Valencia or Barcelona with some stops along the way are appreciated. Having not ever been to Spain I’m not sure the best way to travel or get around. We don’t have much time so I was thinking that this coastal area and making it to Barcelona would be a nice add on. Do you have any recommendations for best ways to get around? Or, even other areas that we should visit instead of that coastal area and Barcelona? We have not booked flights in or out of Spain yet as we just found out about this trip. Thanks in advance and for asking the question!
any recommendations for how to get from Valencia or Barcelona with some stops along the way are appreciated. Having not ever been to Spain I’m not sure the best way to travel or get around. We don’t have much time so I was thinking that this coastal area and making it to Barcelona would be a nice add on. Do you have any recommendations for best ways to get around?
I'm not sure which one is "the best". The most efficient and cost effective will probably be the Euromed high speed train direct from Valencia to Barcelona.
Alternatively, the Euromed also stops in Tarragona which is roughly halfway in between Valencia/Barcelona. This could be a good place to break up the trip for a few days. For this you would need to buy two tickets one for Valencia to Tarragona and then from Tarragona to Barcelona (this leg has more local train options)
If you want to stop along the way at your leisure over a period of a few days, you would probably need to rent a car in Valencia and then drop off when you reach Barcelona. Along the way these would be my top picks of what to see:
Garraf - laid back beach community just south of Barcelona. Popular with locals and with good seafood restaurants. There is also here a beach house designed by none other than Antoni Gaudí.
Poblet Royal Monastery - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and still active 12th-century Cistercian monastery. It was a fortified medieval royal residence and contains the unique hanging tombs of the old Kings of Aragon. (car needed)
Villa Romana dels Munts - a 1st-century Roman villa overlooking the Mediterranean, with preserved mosaics, baths, and frescoes that once belonged to the Roman governor of Hispania. (car suggested)
Tarragona - ancient seaside town with very good Roman ruins, including an amphitheater, intact aqueduct, and Praetorium Tower, was once the capital of Roman Hispania (modern-day Spain). Tarragona's medieval old town is a delight to explore too.
Les Ferreres Aqueduct - Roman Aqueduct you can walk on top of, a few km from Tarragona.
Castillo de Miravet - A large riverside stronghold built by the Knights Templar with commanding views of the countryside. The adjacent medieval village spills down the cliff towards the rivers. A great place to bicycle, kayak, or take a leisurely boat down the Ebro river. (car suggested)
Peñíscola - With its cobbled streets and whitewashed houses, the old town of Peñíscola sits on a big rock that juts out into the sea. The town is dominated by a large Knights Templar castle that looks like something out of the Crusades. Recently, Peñíscola was used as a filming location in the T.V. series Game of Thrones.
Sagunto Castle (Saguntum) - settlement sacked by Hannibal Barca that led to the Second Punic War. Now an eclectic mix of Roman, Moorish, and Christian fortifications.
