Okay so I finally did that Barcelona to Valencia trip I’d been talking about forever. Seriously, kept putting it off with lame excuses like “train’s too expensive” or “maybe next month.” But last month? Just booked it. Boom. Done. No more overthinking.
Getting Out of Barcelona (And the Search)
First thing: getting from Barcelona to Valencia. Sounds simple, right? Not so much. I started digging around weeks before my travel date. Wanted to avoid flying – short flight, sure, but airports? Hassle. So, trains and buses it was. Checked the usual sites obsessively. Renfe trains? Pretty quick, about 3 hours. Looked amazing… until I saw the price! Ouch. Especially booking last minute-ish. So I pivoted to buses.
ALSA buses looked way kinder to my wallet. Found a ticket for under 20 euros! Yeah, it takes nearly 4 hours compared to 3, but saving like 35-40 euros? Seemed like a no-brainer for my cheap soul. Booked it online, printed the ticket like they said. Easy.
Day of departure? Hauled my backpack to the Barcelona Nord bus station. Place was buzzing. Double-checked my platform, triple-checked the bus number flashing on the sign. Didn’t fancy ending up in Zaragoza by accident. Got on, shoved my bag overhead, and claimed a window seat. Ready.
The Bus Ride Down (Not Too Shabby)
Okay, so it wasn’t luxury. Legroom was… adequate. But for 20 bucks? Couldn’t complain. Plugged in my headphones, watched some downloaded Netflix shows, stared out at the Spanish countryside whizzing by. Saw vineyards, lots of orange groves (hello Valencia oranges!), and cool-looking hills. Best part? The bus had free (and kinda decent) WiFi! Posted some Insta stories, boasted about my cheap journey. Small thrills. Also had a toilet on board, which is always a huge plus for a 4-hour trip. Arrived at Valencia’s main bus station, Estació d’Autobusos, feeling surprisingly un-crumpled.
Dumping the Bag and Hitting the Streets
First mission after the bus? Ditch the backpack. Walked straight to my hostel near the city center – booked a cheap dorm bed for like 18 euros a night via Hostelworld weeks earlier. Nice place, clean enough. Threw the bag on the bed and practically ran back out. Needed to SEE stuff.
First stop? Marched straight to Mercado Central. Holy wow. That building! Amazing architecture, beautiful stained glass, and inside? Complete foodie chaos in the best way. Mountains of fresh produce:
- Cheap, juicy oranges (duh)
- All kinds of weird seafood I couldn’t name
- Stalls selling olives, cheese, cured meats – smelled incredible.
Bought a bag of fresh-cut oranges for like 1 euro. Seriously, best orange ever eaten. Stumbled across Lonja de la Seda (the Silk Exchange) just opposite the market. Amazing old building, those twisty columns. Got the audio guide – worth it to understand the history.
Afternoon? Time for water. Wandered down to the old riverbed, Turia Gardens. Crazy big park! Followed it straight to the City of Arts and Sciences. Okay, pictures don’t do it justice. Those huge, gleaming white futuristic buildings? Mind blown. Didn’t go inside the Hemisfèric or Oceanogràfic (pricey!), but just walking around, looking up at the structures? Unreal. Took about a million photos.
Fueling Up (Paella is Mandatory)
All that walking? Had me starving by 2 PM. Knew the drill: gotta find PAELLA for lunch. Valencia is where it’s born, right? Avoided the super touristy spots near the beach initially. Asked my hostel reception guy. He mumbled a place in the Cabanyal district near the beach. Got lost briefly – my phone GPS was useless in those small streets – but finally found a local place with outside tables. Ordered authentic Valencian Paella (rabbit and chicken). Took forever to cook, obviously fresh. But wow. Worth the wait and the cost (around 15 euros I think?). Big portion too. Could barely walk back to catch the tram.
Later Vibes and Budget Check
Next day, hit the beach briefly (Playa de la Malvarrosa). Nice sand, long stretch. Grabbed a quick coffee nearby. Then wandered aimlessly through El Carmen district. Super narrow streets, cool graffiti everywhere, small shops. Got a bit lost again – part of the fun. Found some old city towers. Felt more relaxed exploring here than near the main attractions.
Overall costs? Kept track roughly:
- Bus Barcelona-Valencia: 18 euros
- Hostel (2 nights dorm): 36 euros
- Food/Groceries (breakfast/dinner snacks from market): ~20 euros
- Lunch (Paella, tapas bits): ~35 euros total
- Sight audio guide/local tram rides: ~15 euros
TOTAL excluding souvenirs? Roughly 124 euros. Felt pretty good for 2 full days! The bus ticket was the real budget saver. Train back was tempting, but nah. Stuck with ALSA.
Leaving Thoughts
Caught the bus back to Barcelona from Estació d’Autobusos. Slightly sadder backpack. Loved Valencia’s vibe – felt more relaxed than Barcelona somehow? Less frantic. The old city charm mixed with that crazy futuristic architecture park worked strangely well. And the PAELLA. My god, the paella. Would absolutely do this trip again, same budget style – bus, hostel, market food for wins. Easy, cheap, and packed with stuff to see just walking around.
