Valencia

The fastest trains from Barcelona to Valencia take just over 3 hours. The distance is about 210 miles, so any alternative means of transportation would be slower, door-to-door. Rail tickets for the fall aren't available yet, but you'll save some money by buying yours soon after they go on sale. The cheap promo tickets are non-changeable and non-refundable, so you must be sure.

I gather that you spent some time in Barcelona last year; otherwise, "a few days" there will not be long enough.

I really like Cuenca, which is on the AVE line between Valencia and Madrid so works as a day-trip from either. It's about 1 hour from Valencia on the fast trains. The fare is reasonable if you pin down your itinerary early and can buy your tickets way in advance. Cuenca has a medieval upper town built along the edge of a ravine. in addition to the hanging houses, there's a pretty cathedral (English audio guide available) and a couple of modern-art museums.

Equally interesting is the little-known regional capital of Teruel. Unfortunately, it's at least 2-1/2 hours from Valencia by slow train. But the mudejar towers and scattered modernista buildings are quite something.

I haven't been to Valencia, but I have my doubts that it is as visually appealing as Cuenca and Teruel.

OH Thank you for the very quick response! Yes we did spend time in Baercelona last year and we love it there!
We are debating Valencia and looking for opptions. I have read about Cuenca and would love to visit! This is something I can look into as well as your other suggestion in Teruel. I am not familiar with Teruel - I need to educate myself a bit.
would you recommend a few nights in Cuenca as well? and skip Valencia? I will also look into other day trips from Valencia!
Thanks Again

I think two nights in Cuenca would be good if you have an interest in the art museums. Otherwise, that might be more than you need. The upper town isn't tiny, but it isn't huge, either. (We're not talking Toledo here.)

If you Google for photos of Teruel, they'll give you a good idea of what it looks like. It was so wonderful to be in a lovely town with--it seemed--no other tourists. I was really puzzled about why I hadn't been able to find an affordable place to stay, because the place is really not on foreight tourists' radar at all. Then I encountered a plaza full of people dressed to kill. They were guests at a fancy wedding; I suppose the out-of-towners had grabbed just about every hotel room in town.

I spent two nights in Cuenca, stayed at the parador, and that was an adequate amount of time. We had plenty of time to see both the upper and lower towns and were not rushed. Teruel is on my list of towns on my next trip to Spain. I’ve been to Valencia twice. To me (and just my opinion) it was a large port city with little to offer. By that I mean there are many other towns with much more to offer and if you are time constrained, I’d pick a different place to visit. Unless you’re going to visit some small towns en route between Barcelona and Valencia, use public transportation.

Thank you all for the very valuable input!

I haven't been to Cuerca, but I did like Valencia very much. Easiest to take the train from Barcelona. The central plaza is about a 10 minute walk from the train station. BTW there are 2 stations about one kilometer apart. You will likely arrive at the farther one. There's a free shuttle bus to the other one. You won't need a car in Valencia.