Getting around Valencia

Public transport

The main bus company in Valencia is EMT (tel: +34 96 315 8515; www.emtvalencia.es) which operates regular daily services from around 0630 to 2230. There is also a night bus service from the Plaza de Ayuntamiento, which operates Thursday to Saturday 2300-0300.

The underground metro system (tel: +34 900 461 046; www.metrovalencia.com) is geared towards local commuters rather than tourists as it serves the residential and suburban areas. However an extension links the airport to the city centre (lines 3 and 5), port (line 5) and beach at Malvarossa (line 4 which is actually a tram).

Multi-ride tickets and passes (from one-day to monthly passes) cover all transport networks in the city, including the journey between the airport and the centre. The Valencia Tourist Card (www.valenciatouristcard.com) can be used on the bus, tram and metro networks.

Taxis

Radio Taxi Valencia (tel: +34 96 370 3333) and Teletaxi (tel: +34 96 357 1313) are the main taxi providers in Valencia. Meter fare includes VAT (rates rise at night and on Sundays and holidays). Tipping is not expected, but if you would like to tip, the usual amount is 5 to 10% of the meter fare.

Driving

Motorways in Valencia are excellent, but they can get extremely congested during rush hours. The narrow streets in the historic quarters can be hard to navigate, and parking is difficult to find. There are numerous paid car parks in the city centre. Blue markings with a meter signify pay to park for a limited period of time while yellow markings signify no parking.

Car hire

Most of the major international operators have an office at Valencia Airport though usually you get a better deal from the local Spanish operators. Reliable companies include Avis (tel: +34 902 110 195; www.avis.es), Europcar (tel: +34 902 105 055; www.europcar.com) and Hertz (tel: +34 96 240 4039; www.hertz.es).

The minimum age to hire a car in Spain is 21 years old. A passport and a valid driving licence are required. Unless you intend to drive to the countryside, car hire is not necessary as public transport in the city is excellent.

Bicycle hire

Valencia is a great city to explore on two wheels, especially in the historic centre. Valencia Guias, Paseo de la Pechina (tel: +34 650 621 436; www.valenciabikes.com) rents out bikes and organises guided tours with both of them.

Orange Bikes, Calle de Guillem Sorolla (tel: +34 96 391 7551; www.orangebikes.net), has a variety of bikes available, from mountain bikes to electric bikes.

Alternatively, you can try out the city's public bikeshare scheme, Valenbisi (tel: +34 900 900 722; www.valenbisi.com). A short-term subscription is valid for seven days.