Trains Valencia

Next to the beautiful city of Valencia, there is so much to see in the surroundings! Go for a nice day trip or combine your vacation in Valencia with another Spanish city. In Valencia you will find the train stations Estación del Norte and Joaquín Sorolla. Both stations have good connections to the rest of Spain. On this page you can find all the information you need about traveling by train in Valencia.

Two stations

In Valencia you will find two big train stations: Estación del Norte and Joaquin Sorolla. Estación del Norte is located in a beautiful old building behind Plaza Ayuntamiento. Joaquin Sorolla is located in a newer building, next to metro station Jesús.

Estación del Norte

In the city center of Valencia, next to Plaza de Toros, you will find Estación del Norte. This is Valencia’s main train station and has a great connection to all kinds of cities and villages in Spain. The building itself is also worth a visit:  the facade of the station is covered with oranges and blossom, which characterizes the agriculture of Valencia. If you go inside, you’ll notice the old wooden counters. These are the original counters; they never replaced them! If you enter the hall and go to the right, you can admire the old waiting room where the Valencian elite used to wait for their train. In this waiting room you will find trencadís on the walls – a kind of mosaic where they break big tiles in pieces. The walls show, among other things, the beautiful lake of Albufera where the paella rice grows.

Fun fact! Estación del Norte – literally translated as ‘station from the North’ – is not even located in the northern part of Valencia!

Joaquín Sorolla

This station is opened in 2010 and is build to facilitate the AVE – Spain’s high-speed train. The station is named after the painter Joaquin Sorolla, who is born in Valencia.

Tickets

You can buy a ticket for the train online, onthe website of Renfe. Renfe is the Spanish national railway company.

There are different kinds of tickets you can choose if you are traveling by train. Prices vary per route and per ticket. When you buy your ticket, you have the option to receive your ticket on your phone (‘sms de billete en el móvil’), so you don’t have to print it. If you agree to get the details on your phone you will get a text with a link. If you click on this link you will see your ticket. This means you only have to show your ticket on your phone. Easy!

Below you will find a list of different tickets.

Mesa (M)

With this ticket you will get four seats and a table. Keep in mind that you should only buy this ticket when you are travelling with four people, because you have four seats. Important: you can’t choose your own seat, you can’t change or cancel the ticket and you can’t combine the discount with other actions.

Promo (P)

With this ticket you get al lot of discount on your ticket. The amount of discount depends on the time you book the ticket and the type of train you are traveling with. Keep in mind that you can’t choose your own seat, you can’t change or cancel the ticket and you can’t combine the discount with other actions.

Promo+ (P+)

With the Promo+ ticket the discount can be up to 65%. The exact discount depends on when you will you will go and which train you are traveling with. With this ticket you can choose your chair. You can change the ticket for 20% of the paid price and when the new ticket is more expensive you have to pay the difference. When you cancel the ticket you can get 30% back of the paid price. You can’t combine this ticket with other actions.

Arrows – Tarifa ida y vuelta (return ticket)

This return ticket is valid one year after buying it. Changing this ticket is for free. However, when your new ticket is more expensive, you have to pay the difference. On the ticket you have a 20% discount on both ways. When you want to cancel the ticket you have to pay back 40% of the price.

Flexibel (F)

The name of this ticket says enough! With this ticket you have flexibility, so you can change and cancel the ticket whenever you want. You can change the ticket within you travel period. You only have to pay the difference when the new ticket is more expensive. When you want to cancel the ticket you will get 95% of the total price back. If you’re running late for your train, you just change the ticket to one train later without any extra costs. This has to be at least 30 minutes before the train leaves.

Kids

Renfe offers special tickets for kids. Children between 0 and 13 years old get a 40% discount on their ticket. If your kid is younger than 4 years and doesn’t need his/her own chair, the ticket is for free.

Tip!

If you are looking for a cheap ticket, you might want to have a look at the website of Renfe. There are sometimes very cheap train ticket offers available.

Different types of trains

The train network in Spain has improved a lot the last couple of years. There are different types of trains you can choose. Which type is the best, depends on your destination.

AVE

The AVE, Alta Velocidad Española, is Spain’s high-speed train. It’s a great way to travel longer distances! It will bring you in no time from one city to another. Keep in mind: the AVE leaves from the Joaquin Sorolla station.

Cercanías

At Estación del Norte arrive and leave trains to various locations every day. Some trains only go to cities and villages in the region of Valencia. This region consists of the provinces Valencia, Alicante and Castellón. These trains are called Cercanías. Fun fact: the Spanish word ‘cerca’ means ‘close’. The tickets of these trains are available at Estación del Norte. This train stops more often and is a bit more expensive. The benefit of these trains is that you can easily visit the smaller villages near Valencia. On this map you will see to which places you can go with cercanías.

Where to go by train from Valencia?

The next step: deciding where you will go by train! Because Valencia is surrounded by a lot of beautiful cities and villages, you can easily do a daytrip. If you have more time, it’s also possible to visit the other regions. If you want to go further away, we recommend taking the AVE. This high-speed train leaves from the Joaquin Sorolla station, which is 15 minutes walking from Estación del Norte. We will give away some of our favourite destinations to visit by train!

Alicante

With its city beach, beautiful old town and castle with amazing view, Alicante is a great place for a day trip from Valencia. Stroll through the city centre and walk to the Castillo de Santa Bárbara for a great view over the city and the sea. In two hours Renfe brings you from Estación del Norte to Alicante. Good to keep in mind: in the weekends there a less trains to Alicante than during the week. Make sure you check the train schedule before you go.

Xàtiva

In less than one hour the Cercanía brings you from Valencia to Xàtiva (in Spanish: Játiva). This cute little town is known for it’s big castle, which you should visit as well. A great view over the city is guaranteed! In the summer this place gets really warm, so it’s recommended to go during the cooler months.

Requena

Requena is an old Moorish town 60 kilometres from Valencia. It’s located in the region Utiel-Requena, known for their great wines. You can combine a visit of the city with a wine tasting in one of the surrounded bodegas! The Cercanía brings you in less than two hours to this beautiful town. Will you visit Requena in the end of August? Don’t miss the Fiesta de la Vendimia: the celebrating of the harvest.

Madrid

Travel in only two hours to the capital of Spain! It’s possible with AVE, the high-speed train that leaves every day from the Joaquin Sorolla station to Madrid. Go to this amazing city to visit all the impressive museums, the famous palace and Plaza Mayor and the beautiful Retiro Park. Also if you are searching for a city with an extraordinary nightlife, Madrid is the place for you!

Barcelona

Hop on the train in Valencia (Joaquin Sorolla station) and four hours later you will be in the city that never sleeps. Stroll through the bohemian area Gracia, enjoy the view in Park Güell and have drinks in Barceloneta. Stay at least one night, because there is so much to see!

Málaga

Málaga is a beautiful and vivid city in the region of Andalusia. With its characteristic old town and beautiful coast, this city is definitely worth a visit.  From Estación del Norte you can take a normal train. Keep in mind that this will take around eight hours. Way faster is going to the Joaquin Sorolla station (15 minutes walking from Estación del Norte). Here you can take the high-speed train AVE: sit down and 4,5 hours later you will be in Málaga!

Sevilla

Another Andalusian beauty is Sevilla, with its impressive cathedral, beautiful Plaza de España and famous Alcazár. Stay at least one night (but preferably longer!) in this overwhelming city. There is so much to see! The good news is: the high-speed train brings you in four hours to the Santa Justa station in the heart of Sevilla. Take the AVE at the Joaquin Sorolla station, only 15 minutes walking from Estación del Norte.

Bring your buddy

It’s aloud to bring your pet in the train. There are a certain rules that you should keep in mind before you decide to travel with your buddy:

  • Guide dogs can travel for free
  • You can only bring one animal per traveller
  • In the AVE, long distance trains and medium distance trains, animals should be carried in a cage
  • In the Cercanías, dogs and ferrets should be transported in a cage. If dogs are not carried in a cage, they should wear a muzzle and be leashed on

Prices for traveling with pets:

  • In the Cercanías – the regional trains – animals travel for free
  • In the AVE and long distance trains animals travel for free if you are in Preferente, Cama Preferente, Gran Clase or Asiento Gran Confort. For the rest of the tickets you should pay 25% of the Turista/Turista+ ticket.
  • If you travel with the Avant trains or medium distance trains (Media Distancia Convencional), the ticket for your animal is 25% of the Turista ticket.

Bring your bike

You want to travel with your four-wheeled friend? It is possible, but you should keep some rules in mind. Also make sure that you are right on time at the train station, so you have enough time to arrange everything. Tip: rent a good quality Dutch bike at our shop!

  • You can bring one bike per traveller
  • It’s a only allowed to bring your bike in the therefore designated areas in the train
  • In AVE, large distance trains and Avant, folding bikes should be carried in a cover
  • In the middle distance trains and the Cercanías it’s not obligated to carry your folding bike in a cover

Prices:

  • If you travel with Cercanías, you can bring a bike for free
  • In the middle distance trains, you pay 3 euro per 100 kilometres. If you travel less than 100 kilometres, you don’t pay anything.

Shops and snacks

Both Estación del Norte and Joaquín Sorolla offer some nice bars where you can grab a coffee or some food before you go on the train. There are also several shops in case you forgot something important. Both stations facilitate lockers, toilets and parking places.   

Estación del Norte

Cafés
Eating something before hopping on the train? Go to En Pans for a sandwich, croissant or a cup of coffee. At Amazing Toko you can eat Asian food like ramen or sushi. In a hurry? You can also buy the food and take it away. Just longing to a cold beer? La Cervecería de San Miguel is the place for you!

Shops
You can find several shops at Estación del Norte. You can for example go to Parfois or Accessorize for jewelleries. At Ale Hop and Natura you can find a lot of nice things, perfect if you need to buy a present!

Sleeping
Are you arriving in Valencia by train late in the evening and do you want to go directly to your hostel? You can actually sleep in the train station. UP Hostel is located inside Estación del Norte. No, we are not kidding! Check it out yourself. The hostel offers rooms, dorms and has a nice bar with terrace.

Services
At Estación del Norte you’ll find:

  • Pharmacy
  • Toilets
  • Photo booth
  • Money exchange
  • Tourist information
  • Trolleys
  • Lockers
    You can rent a locker between 08:30 and 20:30. Prices are between €3.10 and €5.20, depending on the size of the locker you are renting.

Parking
Around the train station you will find a few parking places and garages:

Estación del Nord
Carrer de Xàtiva 24
46007 Valencia
Price: from €3.15 per hour

Parkia San Agustín
Plaça de Sant Agustí,
46001 València
Price: €6.40 per two hours

Barrera parking
Carrer de San Vicente Mártir 83-85
46007 Valencia
Price: €3.20 per hour / €18 for 24 hours

Parking AZA, S.L.U Colón
Carrer de Cristóbal Colón 6
46004 Valencia
Price: €3 per hour / €22 for 24 hours

Joaquin Sorolla

Cafés
At La Pausa you can go for a coffee to go, cold drinks, sandwiches and other simple food. This bar even has a small terrace, so if you have to wait for your train this is the best spot! Gardi Dulces y Salados is a big candy shop. Mon Orxata sells the typical Valencian drink horchata; the locals love to drink this in the afternoon, between lunch and dinner, preferably with a farton. Are you craving for fast food? Of course you’ll also find the big yellow M at this station.

Shops
For typical Valencian products, you can go to Original CV. This is also the perfect shop to go if you need some souvenirs. At Ale Hop you will find… Well, what will you not find? Imaginarium is the place to go if you need toys and other stuff for children and babies. For electronic devices you can go to Fnac.

Services
At Joaquín Sorolla station you’ll find:

  • Pharmacy
  • Toilets
  • Photo booth
  • Money exchange
  • Tourist information
  • Trolleys
  • Lockers
    You can rent a locker between 07:00 and 22:00. Prices are between 3.10 and 5.20, depending on the size of the locker you are renting.

Joaquín Sorolla is a wheelchair friendly station.

Parking
Around the train station you will find a few parking places and garages:

Parking Saba Estación Joaquín Sorolla
Carrer de Sant Vicent Màrtir 171
46007 Valencia
Price: €3.40 per hour

Parking AVE
Carrer de Carcaixent 14
46007 Valencia
Price: €2 per hour (during the week), €1.75 per hour (in the weekend) / €20 per 24 hours (during the week), €12.50 per 24 hours (in the weekend).

Car rental
Next to Joaquín Sorolla station you can find some car rental companies. Check out the website of Car del Mar to compare different companies and prices.

Where

Estación del Norte is located next to Plaza de Toros and metro stop Xàtiva, close to the old city center. Joaquín Sorolla station is located only 800 meters away, close to Jesús metro station and Bailén metro station.

Address

Estación del Norte
Carrer de Xàtiva 24
46007 Valencia

Joaquin Sorolla station
Carrer de Sant Vicent Màrtir 171
46007 Valencia