The Bottom Line

As we exited the Estacion del Nord train station in Valencia after a three-hour train ride from Barcelona, (upon seeing the image above) our first thoughts were that we were going to like this city.

Turning around we saw this.

Valencia makes a great first impression with its impressive architecture, and we thoroughly enjoyed our week exploring the city. So much so that we tried to extend our Airbnb, but alas it was booked, so if we were going to have pack up and move, we figured we might as well move on.

Arriving in Valencia

Valencia has two main train stations, Estacion del Nord, which has nothing to do with being north of the city (it was the name of the company that originally ran the train station), it’s actually in the center. Most trains arrive and depart from here, and the Metro stop is Xativa.

Joaquin Sorolla is a newer station built to handle the AVE (Spain’s high-speed system) trains. The stations are about a mile apart and are connected by a free shuttle bus (facing Estacion del Nord, it’s on the right-hand side). This Metro stop is Jesus.

Getting Around Valencia

Valencia has a robust Metro system (9 lines), and most places of interest are contained within Zone A. Rides cost 1,50 € plus a 2 € fee for a rechargeable card. If you buy a Bonometro (10 rides within one zone: A, B, C or D), the price drops to ,76 € each. All of the above transactions can be performed at the kiosks located at each station. If you are over 65, you can get a Monthly Gent Major (covering Zones A, B, C D) with unlimited rides for 9,70 € plus a 4 € fee for the card – a great deal! To get one of these requires a passport copy, having a picture taken, and filling out a form with an address. Ann got her card at the Information office at the Xativa Metro station. Turns out it would have been cheaper if we just bought another Bonometro, but now Ann has unique souvenir: a photo ID card for Metro Valencia. And who knows? We may return someday. Ann was also fascinated by the fact that we could scan both these cards at the access point without taking them of our wallet or purse!

Valencia Orientation

Valencia’s historic center is of primary interest to tourists, it’s small and easily walkable. It’s the area originally surrounded by the city walls, which no longer exist. All that’s left are two city gates on either side of town. The reason these are still standing is that when all the others were destroyed, these two gates housed the male and female prisons.

To get oriented, we opted for another free walking tour. We are now big fans of these. The company we used, Freetour, has tours, which take about 2 ½ hours, at 10 am and 12 pm. We met our outgoing and knowledgeable guide at Plaza de la Virgin and visited inside the Basillica and learned all about the Madonna who took care of poor people’s souls. We visited the outside of the Cathedral and learned why it has three doors; it also claims to house the Holy Grail.

Above photo taken on the day of the Festival of Our Lady of the Foresaken, Virgen de los Desamaparados

The walk also included the silk museum (silk being the reason Valencia had so much wealth), a number of other churches, one of the tower gates, and the Central Market (which we went inside), made up of two buildings, each containing its own ventilation to isolate the fish smell.

We also learned about the Las Fallas festival which takes place in Valencia for 5 days in March and is one of Spain’s largest, with related events in the 2 weeks leading up to the festival. Culture Trip has a good post https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/how-valencias-las-fallas-festival-became-spains-loudest-fiesta/ describing Las Fallas.

Our Neighborhood and Airbnb

Valencia is divided into several districts with various barrios in each district. Our Airbnb, conveniently located one block from the last stop (Maritim-Serreria) on Metro Lines 5 and 7, was somewhere in between the El Grau the El Cabanyal-Canyamelar barrios in the Poblats Maritims district, in a working/middle class neighborhood of towers (not too tall, 6-8 stories). Bonus: a 15 minute walk to the beach! Our apartment was great, two full bedrooms, comfortable bed and furniture for $52 a night. A great place to catch up on business after being out of contact for a couple of weeks while on the cruise, followed by three crazy sightseeing days in Barcelona.

One day we walked to the beach just to check it out, and another day did our usual long walk on the beach with our feet in the Mediterranean.

Another day, we wandered around the up and coming somewhat bohemian neighborhood of Ruzafa and enjoyed a yummy lunch. Although mostly a younger crowd, we liked this neighborhood and thought we might try to stay here if we ever return to Valencia, which, at this point, we think is a possibility.

Paella

Paella originated in Valencia, and we partook of this specialty on more than one occasion, including paella Valenciana, the traditional recipe made with chicken and rabbit.  Paella is also the name of the pan in which the dish is cooked, and the dish is cooked early in the day and meant to be eaten for lunch. Several restaurants specializing in paella aren’t even open for dinner, and if you order paella in a restaurant at dinner time, it’s more than likely been reheated in a microwave. In Valencia and other parts of Spain comes in a variety of types with different ingredients and tends to be a bit more greasy than what we have experienced in restaurants in the US.

Valencia Prices

We are finding Spain a pretty good bargain especially for groceries, wine, and chocolate. We are seeing higher quality goods for about the same prices we paid in Latin America, and our Airbnb apartment was also priced about the same. However, restaurants are more expensive; we suspect because labor costs are higher here than in most of Latin America. Tipping is not expected, although it’s common to leave a few coins. After a week here, our budget is back under control.

Housing

Apartment rentals start at about 500 € per month and go up rapidly from there, depending on the neighborhood. Studio apartments are not common; most have at least one bedroom, many with three or even four. Depending of course on location, condition, and size, etc., apartments were available for purchase as low as 60,000 € with many under 200,000 €.

Climate

Valencia has a mild winter, it rarely snows, very little rain, but can be very hot (over 100) in the summer. It also can get quite crowded in July and August as vacationing Europeans converge on its beaches.

Valencia Negatives

• This one is minor. Valencia, like Catalonia (without the independence movement) has two official languages, Spanish and Valencian. All official business and signs must have both, but sometimes not in the same place. Which causes some confusion when looking up locations or streets on a map or GPS, e.g., virgen vs. verge, calle vs. carrer. To our ear, Valencian is similar to Catalan.
• Spain is relatively easy to get a visa as a retiree with a pension or Social Security. Spending more than 180 days a year in Spain (tax resident) would mean paying Spanish tax on worldwide income. The US does have a tax treaty with Spain to avoid double taxation, but the Spanish taxes would be higher than comparable US taxes. In comparison, Portugal has a special retiree visa that exempts the holder for 10 years from Portuguese tax; however, it requires residency in Portugal for 183 days a year.
• Unlike Portugal, foreign residents are not allowed into the Spanish health care system, so private insurance would be required.

Valencia Positives

• Easy to walk around
• Reasonable prices
• Pleasant climate
• Medium sized city with culture, etc. available
• Other than summer for the beaches, not a prime tourist destination

In Summary

While Valencia doesn’t have the world class attractions of Barcelona, Madrid, Seville or Granada, it’s also not overrun with tourists. A pleasant place to spend some time if interested in a real Spanish city that still offers a lot of history. We could see ourselves coming back to Valencia for a month or two. If we end up deciding on a full-time expat location, Valencia is definitely in the running.

Next stop is Seville, a more expensive city, so we will only be staying three days.

Ian & Ann