Valencia Guidebook

For going out, I would recommend the Ruzafa neighborhood https://goo.gl/maps/TqbHJ7KzpXNHGZN68, it's where the magic happens after 9-10pm, with a lot of terraces, bars like Ubik Cafe https://g.page/ubikcafe?share or Cafe Berlin https://g.page/cafeberlinvalencia?share

The old center of the town has a few nice places too, like Mercat de Tapineria https://goo.gl/maps/kA69ftazDxWRNqd46 and La Negrita where they will sometimes play live music: https://goo.gl/maps/w7TXydqCLfcj9zjLA

Mercat Central is also worth a visit during the day https://goo.gl/maps/iBEDodJr45xhpo3B8, a lady there is making one of the best coffees around, called RetroGusto: https://goo.gl/maps/1MMhx4yaJSKRM8fX7. There are a lot of takeaway places in Valencia, usually at the corner of each neighborhood, called Para Llevar, they always serve good paella to go, this is quite famous in Valencia: https://g.page/PaellasVelarte?share

So you can bring strollers with you everywhere, including on buses, they are equipped to lower down and allow you to get the stroller inside.

Valencia is a kid-friendly town, with many recreational parks where kids can play. The Turia park is definitely worth a visit, it's the old river (Turia) that used to cross through the middle of the city towards the sea. Many years ago the riverbed was dried out and a park was built instead of it, the park stretches for 12km all throughout Valencia so you can use it to travel to different districts. For kids, I would recommend the City of Arts and Science, Bioparc (zoo) and Oceanographic. For the latter of the two, I recommend buying the tickets online to avoid the queues.

Valencia is a super bike-friendly city, with bike lanes connecting all parts of the city. In the city's centre, dozens if not hundreds of places rent city bikes at around 8-10 euros per day. Most offer additional seats for kids.

Get a Valencia Tourist card if you can, it offers free transport around the city and entrance to museums: https://www.visitvalencia.com/en/valencia-tourist-card According to them: With the València Tourist Card you travel FREE on urban and metropolitan buses, metros, trams and suburban trains, get FREE entry to municipal museums and monuments and enjoy special discounts in València's main tourist attractions. You can buy this card online before arriving to Valencia or at any of the tourist centres around town.

Apart from touristy restaurants in the centre of the city, most Valencian restaurants operate a strict schedule for having lunch and dinner. Lunch is usually served between 1 and 3pm, dinner is served starting at 8pm. I advise you to check the opening hours of each place you want to go to and ideally call to book a table, most restaurants have English-speaking people ready to take your booking.

Make sure you bring sunscreen, temperatures in Valencia will regularly go above 35 degrees in the summer and you will need this whenever you go out of the house unless you want to have a nasty surprise. A bottle of water with you whenever you plan to discover the city by foot, is again advised. Payment by card here is very popular so you don't necessarily need to bring cash with you all the time, payment by contactless (including mobile) is available virtually everywhere, including transport.

Be careful with your belongings, Valencia is a super safe city with a low crime rate but petty theft occurs especially in high-density tourist areas. Bring your common sense with you, don't walk around with phones hanging out of your back pocket, don't leave your wallet on the beach while going for a dip in the water, etc. The same goes with bikes if you rent, leave them locked and in busy areas.

Most taxis will have a baby seat in the trunk, if you see a line of taxis, ask if they have kids seat (silla de coche), you will most likely find one that has them. You can pay by card on taxi. White taxis are the official taxis around Valencia but Cabify, Freenow and Uber also operate in the city and they can be accessed via their apps.

For clubs and nightlife check this guide: https://xceed.me/blog/en/10-best-clubs-in-valencia-and-why-you-must-visit-them-all/

A very close friend of mine is organising bike tours to Albufera, Valencia's biggest natural park that stretches along the sea. Recommended for people 16 and above. For more info and ways to book, check out his link: https://abnb.me/yMEduoQgPqb More on Albufera: https://www.visitvalencia.com/en/what-to-see-valencia/albufera-natural-park

Few people visiting Valencia are aware that the Valencian Cathedral is home to The Holy Chalice, also known as the Holy Grail, the vessel that Jesus used at the Last Supper to serve wine, according to Christian tradition. Admission to the on-site Museo Catedral de Valencia, an art museum which features a variety of artworks and events, costs around 8 euros and access to the Gothic Miguelete tower, which offers remarkable views of the city, costs around 2 euros. Tickets can be bought at the entrance, more info here: https://museocatedralvalencia.com/en/#visitingtimes