My wife an I visited Valencia in October 2005 for our silver wedding anniversary. the main reason for choosing was because she collects Lladro ceramic figurines and the factory is here and offers free tours and shop. (More later)
We flew from Doncaster direct with Thompson Fly. No problems only drawback was that they only carry about half a dozen breakfast baps so if your not in the front couple of rows you've no chance. Otherwise good and cheap.
Valencia airport clean, and cleared in a short time. Hired the car before travelling and was ready for collection,clean and relatively new, I used holiday autos.
Dirving was a little hairy. You know what the Spanish are like and Valencia is no exception. We saw several near misses and one poor guy on a moped knocked clean off, but be brave and shrug you shoulders a lot!
We stayed just south of the city at HotelSidi Saler (see my review) which was excellent. They offer a free minibus to the city centre so that saved a bit on driving and meant i could have glass or three of wine.
Shopping-
Lots of shops for the wife to feel at home. Range from designer shops to antiques to department stores, and make a visit to the huge indoor market hall selling all kinds of food stuffs.
Eating out-
Restaurants to cover all tastes, McDonalds to haute cuisine. But don't leave without trying a paella. Valencia is the birthplace of the dish evidently and particulalry at lunch time all the local business people can be seen in the bars with theirs. We liked the chicken best but the variety is endless.
There are also Italian resuarants that serve wonderful pasta dishes and many small bars with tapas.
Well this is proably why most people visit. The history of the old town is fascinating and architcture is amazing. An absolute must see is the Caterdral Miguelete. Pay for the audio tour which explains the history of each part of the cathedral and finally climb the tower for amazing views over the city. Be warned however the steps are very steep and tiring and there is not much room to pass.
The Plaza De La Virgen is beautiful, particularly at nght. Wonderful fountain and a webcam so those at home can see you, check it out on the Valencia website before you travel.
The square is surrounded by bars and all the locals congregae here on Sunday evening, the place is buzzing and so relaxing. (We found Monday and Tuesday evenings very quiet)
Valencia is not all old town however. The river has been re-routed and the old river bed is now gardens and fountains. Also the Science Museum and Opera House are modern futuristic buildings that glisten at night and are another must see.
The Museum is shaped like the skeleton of a dinosaur and Opera House like a ship, fantastic.
Lladro-
This was the main reason for our visit. My wife collects the figurines and wanted to see how they are made. The factory tour can be booked on line via the Lladro website and is free. It is well worth the effort, not the easiest place to find and quite un-imposing factory from outside.
You see the whole process from start to finish and of course the shop sells every figure you can imagine. They are not cheap, but less than in UK, but it is a memorable hour or so and makes you appreciate the skill involved in the production of these pieces.
Rcommendation-
Overall I would strongly recommend this city but don't take the kids unless they have an interest in cities or you intend staying near the beach, we never got there.
However long you spend in Valencia it won't be enough. We had 5 days and there was much more to see than we managed, can't wait to go back
Visit the website before travelling (www.comunitatvalenciana.com) where you can access the webcams and read about the city and the forthcoming Americas Cup which is being held here in 2007.
I hope you decide to visit and am sure you will have a wonderful time. Happy travelling.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I'm very happy you enjoyed the city, and you mentioned the main atracttions, those new buildings you talked about were made by Santiago Calatrava, who was born in Valencia, too.Thanks a lot for your review!
mattydalton 26.05.2006 13:45
Sounds like a nice place to go
lindsayjayne 25.05.2006 17:13
I've been to Valencia and it really is a beautiful place. x
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
We propose some unforgettable holidays in "El Capistrano Villages", in Nerja, the privileged balcony of the Costa del Sol. "El Capistrano Villages" is, possibly, the most beautiful and exclusive Urbanisation on the Costa del Sol.
Advantages: fun for all ages, great shopping, weather, food, nightlife. Disadvantages: In the summer months, make sure your hotel has a pool or you might find the heat a little too much
lola09 27.02.2009 (27.02.2009)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Valencia (Spain)
very helpful by (100%):
