Valencia is a fantastic base, but many of the best places around it are hard to reach without a car. Some have a direct train, some have one bus a day, and some have no public transport at all. This guide sorts the most popular day trips from Valencia by how you can actually get there: by train, by public bus or on an organised coach trip.
We run group day trips from Valencia every weekend, so we know these routes well. All our trips leave by coach from Mestalla Stadium, with a bilingual coordinator (English and Spanish) and insurance included. But if a destination is easy by train, we will tell you, too.
Quick answer: which day trips work without a car?
- Easy by train: Sagunto, Xàtiva, Cullera, Gandia and Requena (Cercanías commuter trains), and Alicante (regional train).
- Possible by public bus, but slow: the Albufera and El Palmar, Dénia and Jávea, Altea, Chulilla.
- Very hard without a car: Montanejos, the Algar Waterfalls, Guadalest, Albarracín, Morella and the Valencian fjords. These are the trips where an organised coach saves you the most time.
Day trips from Valencia by train
Valencia’s Cercanías commuter network (run by Renfe) leaves from Estació del Nord and Valencia Sant Isidre. Trains are cheap, frequent on weekdays and less frequent at weekends, so check the timetable before you go.
Sagunto
About 30 minutes north by Cercanías. A Roman theatre and a castle with 2,000 years of history on the hill above town. One of the easiest half-day trips from Valencia by train. If you want to combine it with Peñíscola, the medieval town on the sea, the train will not get you there in the same day comfortably: see our Peñíscola & Sagunto day trip.
Xàtiva
About an hour south by Cercanías. The castle stretches along the ridge above town and is a steep walk up. Bocairent, a medieval village with caves carved into the rock, is much harder by public transport. Our Xàtiva & Bocairent day trip covers both.
Cullera and Gandia
Both on the coastal Cercanías line south of the city. Good for a beach day without planning, especially outside the summer crowds.
Alicante
Regional trains take a little under two hours. From Alicante, boats go to Tabarca, the only inhabited island in the region, but doing train + boat + island in one day is a long day. Our Tabarca Island day trip handles the whole route.
Teruel
There is a regional train, but it is slow and has few departures. Albarracín, one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, has no train at all. If you want to see both, the Albarracín & Teruel day trip is the practical option.
Day trips from Valencia by public bus
The Albufera and El Palmar
The Albufera lake is only about 20 minutes from the city. City buses reach El Palmar, but the famous sunset boat ride and the return trip after dark are easier to organise as a group. See our Albufera sunset boat tour with paella in El Palmar.
Dénia and Jávea
Long-distance buses run from Valencia to Dénia, and local buses connect it to Jávea. It works, but visiting both towns in one day means juggling timetables. Our Jávea & Dénia day trip does it in one go. To see the cliffs from the water, there is also the Valencian fjords boat trip.
Altea
Reachable by bus, or by bus to Benidorm and then the coastal tram. Guadalest, the castle village above a turquoise reservoir, has very limited buses. The Guadalest & Altea day trip combines both.
Chulilla
There is a bus from Valencia, but departures are few and do not always match a full hiking day. The hanging bridges route over the Turia canyon is one of the best hikes near Valencia: see the Chulilla hanging bridges hike.
Day trips that are hard to do without a car
These are some of the most spectacular places near Valencia, and also the ones where public transport lets you down.
- Montanejos: thermal river pools at around 25 °C all year, about 90 minutes inland. Montanejos hot springs day trip.
- The Algar Waterfalls: cascades and turquoise pools near Callosa d’en Sarrià, with almost no public transport. Algar Waterfalls day trip.
- Morella: a walled medieval town in inland Castellón. Morella & Peñíscola day trip.
- Albarracín: no train and very few buses. Albarracín & Teruel day trip.
Day trips from Valencia in winter
Valencia’s winters are mild, so most day trips work all year. Some are even better out of season:
- Montanejos: the spring water stays warm all year, so you can swim even in autumn and winter.
- Oranges and paella: orange season runs through the colder months. Our oranges & paella trip includes picking in the huerta and a paella lunch.
- Medieval towns: Morella, Albarracín and Xàtiva are pleasant to walk around without the summer heat.
- Coastal towns: Altea, Peñíscola and Dénia are quieter and more local in winter, though too cold for most people to swim.
Day trips from Valencia with kids
For families, shorter journeys and easy walking matter most. Good options are the Albufera boat ride, the oranges & paella morning, Montanejos (easy access to the pools) and, in summer, the Algar Waterfalls. Check each trip page for difficulty and duration, or contact us before booking if you are travelling with young children.
Why take an organised day trip?
- No driving, no timetables: one coach from Mestalla Stadium there and back.
- Bilingual coordinator: our team speaks English and Spanish.
- Easy to come alone: most people book on their own or with one friend. It is a good way to meet people if you have just moved to Valencia or are here on Erasmus.
- Group discounts: book three or more seats on the same trip and the discount applies automatically.
See all dates on our upcoming day trips calendar. For longer escapes, see weekend trips and multi-day getaways from Valencia, and for plans in the city, things to do in Valencia this weekend.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best day trip from Valencia without a car?
By train, Sagunto and Xàtiva are the easiest. For nature, Montanejos, Chulilla and the Algar Waterfalls are the most popular, but they are much easier with an organised coach.
Can I do day trips from Valencia by train?
Yes. Cercanías trains reach Sagunto, Xàtiva, Cullera, Gandia and Requena, and regional trains go to Alicante. Inland villages and nature spots generally have no train.
Where do your day trips leave from?
All our day trips leave by coach from Mestalla Stadium in Valencia.
Can I join a day trip on my own?
Yes. Most people come alone or with a friend, and our coordinators speak English and Spanish.