Valencia’s public transportation includes buses, streetcars and metro. From 1951 to 1976 there were also trolleybuses, but they were removed as an inconvenient and suboptimal mode of transportation (in all of Spain, trolleybuses now operate only in one city: Castellon de la Plana). Buses run all over the city; the metro doesn’t go into the old center. Streetcars and subways are united in a single network: the only difference is in the arrangement of the cars and the fact that one runs on the ground, the other — under it.
The historical past and beautiful old town, luxurious beaches of the Mediterranean Sea, Art Nouveau architecture and futuristic sights attract more and more tourists to Valencia. According to statistics, the average tourist stays 2—3 nights. I lived here for three months, explored every corner and told you in a mini-guidebook: What to see in Valencia in a couple of days.
Valencia’s subways and streetcars
Valencia’s metro is one of the best in Spain. The new air-conditioned cars save you from the heat and take you even to the suburbs. Attractions are often far away from each other, and the metro helps you cover the kilometers quickly and comfortably.
The metro and streetcars have two different types of season tickets: the old Bonometro and the new TuiN Card. You can buy a single ticket or a ticket for two trips. The price depends on the zone, of which there are four in total.
Valencia’s streetcars and metro are combined into one system, with metro lines 1, 3 and 5 and streetcar lines 4 and 6.
Metro and streetcar tickets
In the metro you can use special tickets that are valid only in the Metrovalencia network, or you can use single passes that are valid on all public transportation. Here I will talk about special metro tickets.
All Metrovalencia tickets have expiration dates depending on the fare zone:
- When traveling in zones 1 and 2, the ticket is valid for 90 minutes;
- If traveling in three zones, 120 minutes;
- If traveling in 4 zones, 150 minutes.
During this time you can change routes, change from streetcar to metro and vice versa.
Valencia metro fares:
- A single ticket costs €1.5 for one zone; €2.1 for any two zones; €2.8 for three zones and €3.9 for all zones. This ticket is valid for only 2 hours from the time of purchase, so you should not buy it in advance.
- The round-trip ticket works in the same way: the first trip must be completed within 2 hours of purchase, and the second trip must be completed no later than 23:59 of the same day. It costs slightly less than a single ticket: 2.9 € for one zone, 4 € for two zones, 5.3 € for three zones and 7.4 € for the entire network.
- Bonometro is a pass for 10 trips. Within one zone the pass costs 7.6 €, for any 2 zones 11 €, for 3 zones 14.7 € and for all 4 zones 21 €.
- TuiN Card is a new type of travel card, introduced in 2019. The prices are more favorable than in Bonometro: a trip within one zone costs 0.72 €, between two zones costs 1.04 €, the third and fourth zones (except the airport) are combined into one and cost only 1.4 €.
The TuiN card works as follows: the card must be topped up with 10 € or more and then put it to the validator. When you enter the car, the card is charged for one trip per zone (0.72 €), and when you exit, an additional cost is charged if you travel more than one zone. The subway network is divided into 4 zones, while the streetcar network is divided into one zone, so in the subway the card must be attached every time you enter and leave the car, while in the streetcar — only at the entrance.
Unlike Bonometro, the TuiN Card can carry up to 60 passengers at a time. Detailed instructions for the TuiN Card in English on the Metrovalencia website
Discounts on subway fare
Most discount cards are valid only for Valencia residents with ID. For tourists, only discounts for children and pensioners are valid:
- Children under 10 years of age do not require a separate ticket if accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Each adult can carry two children.
- Pensioners are entitled to a 50% discount on single tickets, but only on presentation of a personalized Mobilis card. You can get a personalized card at Metrovalencia offices.
Buying tickets in the Valencia Metro
When you make your first purchase, you have to pay for a Móbilis card: 1 € for cardboard, 2 € for plastic, 4 € for personalized plastic. This card can then be topped up with the Bonometro or TuiN Card of your choice. At this point, the advantages of the TuiN card become obvious: if TuiN needs to be topped up for 10 € and the actual cost will be deducted from each trip, Bonometro is always topped up for 10 trips at the same fare. For example, if you need to go to the airport, you buy 10 trips at the zone D fare. You can then also use the card within zone A, but the cost will be charged as if you had traveled to zone D.
You can buy a Móbilis card and top it up at points of sale:
- Terminals that are at every subway station and accept cash and cards,
- Cash registers, which are not available at all stations,
- Tobacco stores and press kiosks.
The price does not depend on where you buy, but stores and kiosks only accept cash.
Please note that there are two machines at the streetcar stop: one for buying tickets and topping up the card, the other for validation. Before boarding the streetcar, you need to put your card to the validator (except for single tickets, which are valid for 2 hours after purchase).
If you don’t validate your ticket, the fine for fare evasion is 100 €.
More about the Valencia metro:
- Valencia Metro website
- Rules of travel and use of the subway
- Tariff comparison and Tariffs in detail
Buses in Valencia
In the three months I lived in Valencia, the metro and streetcar network was almost completely enough for me. However, some attractions (such as the City of Arts and Sciences) are too far to walk from a streetcar stop, so buses are sometimes necessary.
Bus transportation in Valencia is provided by EMT Valencia. The buses are all new, in good condition, with air conditioning and announcement of stops. The route network is much more extensive than the metro. For example, in the old city it is the only mode of transportation, apart from cabs.
Types of bus tickets:
- Single ticket: 1,50 €
- Bonobús — 10-ride pass: €8.50. This pass is valid only on the bus network, without metro transfers. Unlimited transfers on buses within 1 hour are allowed.
As with the subway, to top up the fare you need to buy a plastic card for 2 €. There are no 1 € cards on buses.
Useful links on buses:
Unified bus and metro passes
For those who travel extensively on all modes of transportation, there are several single tickets available.
- Bono Travel Card — a single pass for 9 € for 10 bus and metro rides within Zone A. This pass allows 3 transfers between buses and metro within 50 minutes.
- Bono Travel Card AB — The 15.5 € pass for 10 trips within zones A and B is valid for Metrovalencia, EMT buses and Metrobús suburban buses. If you don’t plan to travel to the suburbs on a regular basis, this ticket is redundant.
- T1, T2 and T3 are time-based passes. They are valid for buses and metro and allow unlimited travel in Zone A. Price: €4.00 for the T1, which is valid for 24 hours from the first validation, €6.70 for the two-day T2 and €9.70 for the three-day T3. These tickets can also be bought in vending machines and in tabacquerias.
- The Valencia Tourist Card is a tourist card that gives discounts in museums and free public transportation within all four zones, including the airport. It is valid for a limited time: from 1 to 3 days. Price: 15 to 25 €. The Tourist Card is sold only at tourist information centers. Read more about the tourist card here.
Travel in the opposite direction is not allowed on Bono Travel, on T1, T2 and T3 you can go anywhere and as many times as you like without leaving the A-zone, and the tourist card does not restrict travel throughout Valencia.
Tourist bus
Not exactly public transportation, but also transportation: Hop On Hop Off buses. The three routes of Valencia Bus Turistic take you to all the sights of Valencia. In the cabin of the bus you get headphones with an audio guide (though there is no Russian language).
- Tour bus website
A ticket for 24 hours for adults costs 17,00 €, for 48 hours — 19,00 €. You can buy a tour bus ticket at the hotel, tourist offices, at bus stops and on the official website.
How to get from the airport to the center of Valencia
The airport falls into Zone D. It can be reached quickly and cheaply by metro or bus. Instructions: How to get to and from Valencia Airport.
