Advice on long weekend to Valencia

[Hotplaces]

I'm looking at booking a five day trip to Valencia in June with my 17 year daughter. We want a mix of sight seeing and being able to go to the beach. We won't be visiting museums or art galleries, but focusing on the outdoors. We would probably prefer to stay in the city centre and travel out to the beach. There appears to be quite a few different areas in the city centre so just wondering if anyone can recommend best ones. We want to feel we can just wander around as soon as we step foot out of the hotel and they'll be lots of restaurants and piazzas and life but don't need lovely nightlife. Also considering town of Alicante instead of Valencia.

We were just in Valencia over Easter and there is very good public transport - metros, buses and trams so it should be easy to get to the beach wherever you stay. There is a long park throughout the city centre in an old riverbed which is nice for a walk - the Jardin del Turia We stayed in an Airbnb in an area called Cabanyal which is walking distance from the beach and had plenty of places to eat and caught buses to the city centre so that could be an option?

I've stayed in this hotel which is very reasonable but clean and central. It also has good double glazing so not affected by outdoor noise. It's worth paying for a room overlooking the square.

It's a short walk from a metro stop and there are also buses. The only time we took the metro though was to and from the airport and going to the beach. Everything else was walkable.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187529-d1198036-Reviews-Venecia_Plaza_Centro-Valencia_Province_of_Valencia_Valencian_Community.html

Doesn't have a pool though.

Look at Ruzafa and Cabanyal, and don't miss the indoor market or Juliet's Cookies!

We stayed in an apartment in the Le Seu district, close to the ring road/Turia and also close to the Carmen district where you’ll find lots of places for eating / drinking . We were around 5 mins walk to the bus stop down to the beach which goes past the City of Arts and Science and the Oceanographic centre. Around 25 mins to the beach. I would recommend the area we stayed in, but we didn’t have a balcony or pool which you would probably want if you are going in the warmer months.

Alicante is also lovely for a long weekend away. We stayed pretty close to the beach and marina there. If I went to Alicante again I would like to stay in the Melia which must have lovely views over the sea.

We visited Valencia in November and Alicante at the end of December (not the same year).

We stayed at the Melia, which was right in the centre, near all the shops. Had a balcony room, and it was a decent price

Where ever you stay, make sure to rent bikes and cycle the city park, finishing at the Science museum, fabulous.

https://www.palomargroup.es/ We stayed in Casita di Palomar and Palau di Palomar last September. 5 mins walk from the covered market and loads of restaurants etc nearby but both were on quiet streets. Big student buzz. The old town was easily walkable. We got a bus to the aquarium one day and the beach another. Highlight was renting eScooters and riding round the Turia gardens.

Thank you for all your advice/suggestions. I'm thinking we might stay in the old town and travel out to the beach when we want to go. I like the idea of wandering around the old town at night.