Hey Everyone,
My family of 4 will be traveling to Zaragoza in April for a weekend. We would like to extend the trip to either Valencia or Barcelona for 4-5 more days. We like slow travel so we only want to be in one place for the trip. We haven't been to either place. Does anyone have suggestions for which city to explore?
We've rented apartments in both cities. You can't go wrong with either choice ... both will give you a relaxed, slow-paced experience. But, if this is your first visit to either city, I'd suggest you have your first adventure in Barcelona. Although Barcelona is certainly larger than Valencia, it is very walkable, has a metro system that will get you close to everything, lots of Gaudi architecture, a wonderful Picasso Museum, beaches, great food ... the list goes on. Plus, assuming you're flying home after your visit, reaching BCN for your homeward flight will be far handier.
I really liked Valencia. It is slower paced, less crowded and less expensive than Barcelona (or Madrid). It is much safer to bike. The historical old city is compact and very easy to walk. The modern City of Arts and Sciences and the aquarium was a lot of fun to explore.
Having said that, I would factor in the travel time from Zaragoza. By train, it is almost 4 hours to Valencia versus 1.5 hours to Barcelona.
After three Spain visits Barcelona is my favorite. Not everyone likes Valencia.
For me Valencia is cleaner, safer, less crowded, less expensive, and generally more welcoming than Barcelona.
After three Spain visits Barcelona is my favorite. Not everyone likes Valencia.
The names of the two cities could easily be swapped without affecting the validity. Bottom line: they're quite different places. I don't enjoy Barcelona at all.
I've never been to Valencia, but I loved Barcelona. We saw all the main tourist attractions and wandered around the Eixample area with the beautiful buildings and great food. We spent 2 weeks there. We took a day trip to Montserrat, which was a highlight. I've never been to Valencia, but for art, architecture, history, food, wandering around, absorbing the vibe, Barcelona's great. Cathedrals, museums, public parks, wide sidewalks, beautiful buildings, great food, nice people, it was great.
Ha-Ha, it is so amusing to see people trying to justify one Spanish city over the other. The thing about Spain is that its rich diversity is one of its mighty strengths--one can always find something interesting to discover.
And I, as a person who loves big cities, would head to neither--instead I would be in Madrid for the four or five days, perhaps doing a day trip to one of the nearby historic medieval towns.
By the way, I think Valencia is very pretty, but a bit sedate, and I think Barcelona has a lot of great sights to see, but too many tourists; however, I would go and visit either city (again) if they were on my itinerary. But, I always make time for capital cities!
¡Buen viaje!
It’s a question that doesn’t make much sense… there’s no real comparison. It’s like asking if it’s better to visit Columbus, OH, or New York. No offense to Columbus -where I lived!- or to València.
I wonder if the destruction from the floods that Valencia suffered month before last might make travel there in April still difficult
I wonder if the destruction from the floods that Valencia suffered month before last might make travel there in April still difficult
I hope not because I'll be there in 2 weeks. From what I understand, the city itself suffered very little damage, but the general region was hit hard. I was able to order the train ticket I wanted since the train schedule is apparently back to normal and I've read that the metro from the airport to city center is operating normally again as well.
I plan to visit Barcelona eventually, maybe combining it with the southern part of France, and wasn't planning to visit Valencia this trip initially, but the more I read about it, the more I decided I didn't want to wait.
I think Barcelona is a must see. It is very unique in comparison to other European cities, of which I have been to many. I have been saddened to read that it has become over-ridden with tourists and the locals are up in arms. Am giving Valencia a visit this May, as something new. Do agree with previous poster that flying back to the US from Barcelona would be much easier and less expensive.
