Visas & entry
Spain is in the Schengen Area. EU/EEA/Swiss visitors can enter with ID or passport; many visitors including UK, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passport holders can usually visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day Schengen period, but must check current entry, passport-validity and ETIAS requirements before travel.
Getting in
- València Airport: The best arrival airport for València city, Albufera, Xàtiva, Requena and the central/northern part of the region. It has Metro links into the city; use it rather than renting a car immediately if València is your first base.
- Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport: The main gateway for Alicante city, Elche, Tabarca, Benidorm and the Costa Blanca. The C6 airport bus connects the terminal with central Alicante and the rail station; it is the more useful airport for a southern-coast trip.
- Castellón–Costa Azahar Airport: Useful only when its limited flight schedule happens to fit, especially for Peñíscola and the Castellón coast. Do not plan a trip around it without checking current routes and onward transport; València is often the more reliable alternative.
- Madrid-Barajas Airport: A sensible long-haul gateway when flights to VLC or ALC are poor. Continue by high-speed rail to València, then use València or Alicante as a proper base rather than trying to cover the region directly from Madrid.
Getting around
Use rail for the backbone: València–Alicante is straightforward by mainline train, and València has useful regional services for places such as Xàtiva and Gandia. Alicante’s TRAM is good for a slow, scenic car-free progression through Benidorm and Altea towards Dénia, but it is not fast. Rent a car for Requena wineries, Guadalest, mountain villages, remote coves and the Dénia–Jávea stretch; avoid taking it into old centres or beachfront cores in summer, where parking is usually more trouble than freedom.
Money
Spain uses the euro (€). Contactless cards and phone payments work almost everywhere in cities and resorts, but carry some cash for small bars, rural stops, markets and occasional parking machines. Tipping is modest: round up or leave 5–10% for notably good table service, rather than treating it as mandatory.
Daily budget · EUR (€)
- Value
- €95–145 per day
- Mid-range
- €180–300 per day
- High-end
- €450+ per day
- Bands are per person per day, excluding international flights, assuming two people share a double room. Solo travellers should budget substantially more for accommodation.
- Value: simple guesthouse or outer-neighbourhood hotel, bakery breakfast, menú del día lunch, casual dinners, public transport and occasional paid sights.
- Mid-range: well-located 3–4-star hotel or good apartment, a proper rice or seafood meal most days, some taxis, shared car-hire costs where useful and regular paid attractions.
- High-end: boutique or five-star stays, serious seafood or tasting-menu dining, premium wine, private transfers or car, guides/boat outings and peak-season coastal hotels.
- Accommodation dates and location matter far more than museum entry. August on the Costa Blanca, Las Fallas in València and Alicante’s Hogueras can make an ordinary mid-range room cost more than a winter luxury room.
- Keep costs sensible by basing in València or Alicante for car-free days, then hiring a car only for inland wine country, mountain villages and cove-heavy Costa Blanca sections. Avoid paying for parking in old centres and beach cores in summer.
Eating well
- Book a serious paella or rice restaurant—especially in El Palmar, València, Dénia and summer Costa Blanca towns—and confirm the minimum number of diners and advance-order policy.
- Eat rice at lunch. Many kitchens treat it as a proper midday dish, and late-night paella is usually a tourist compromise.
- Do not judge the region by paella alone: order the local rice style where you are, then use dinner for seafood, tapas and wine.
- At coastal resorts in July and August, reserve desirable dinner tables and arrive early for coveside or waterfront places; the best kitchens and parking both fill quickly.
- In Requena–Utiel, arrange winery visits ahead rather than assuming walk-in tastings; a car or prebooked driver makes the wine country much more practical.
Book before you land
Las Fallas accommodation in València for 15–19 March; reserve months ahead if you intend to be there. · Hogueras de San Juan accommodation in Alicante around 20–24 June. · La Tomatina in Buñol (last Wednesday of August): official entry ticket required; arrange transport from València early. · Misteri d’Elx performances in Elche in August: book once performance dates are released. · Peñíscola Castle in busy summer and holiday periods, especially for timed or special-route tickets. · Tabarca return boats in July–August and on peak-weather weekends; take an early departure. · Popular small-cove kayak, snorkelling and boat trips on the Costa Blanca in July–August.
- Do not use one hotel to “do Valencia.” For 4–5 nights, choose either València or Alicante/Costa Blanca; for 7–10 nights, use two bases. Peñíscola is not a worthwhile València day trip, and Dénia is not a satisfying day trip from either major city without a car.
- Eat rice at lunchtime, ideally with a reservation. Paella is traditionally a shared, made-to-order midday meal; ask for arròs a banda in Dénia, all i pebre around Albufera, and local seafood rather than defaulting to generic tapas.
- Summer beach logistics are unforgiving: arrive early for small coves, and do not expect easy parking in Altea, Dénia, Jávea, Calpe or Peñíscola. Keep a beach day local rather than driving between coves at midday.
- Fallas and Hogueras are not background festivals. Expect firecrackers, late nights, street closures, disrupted taxis and sharply higher hotel prices; avoid them if you want quiet sightseeing or reliable sleep.
- September is often the best beach month; October can be excellent but brings the greatest risk of intense rain. Keep a backup plan for boat trips, hikes and tightly scheduled drives.
- Old towns are pedestrian, steep or both. Park outside historic centres, use public car parks where necessary, and wear proper shoes for places such as Xàtiva, Altea, Peñíscola and Guadalest.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.
Season by season
December–February
Coastal days are often mild enough for outdoor lunches and city walks, but swimming is cold, inland nights are chilly, and smaller beach towns run with reduced restaurants and boat services.
València and Alicante city breaksmuseums and foodcyclingwinter sun
This is the value season outside Christmas and New Year, but resort towns can feel half-shuttered and the north is notably quiet.
March–May
April and May bring comfortably warm weather, green inland scenery and strong hiking conditions; March is pleasant too, except València becomes dominated by Fallas in its second half.
first visitscity sightseeingroad tripswalking and hiking
Easter raises demand, and 15–19 March in València is loud, crowded and expensive unless you are visiting specifically for Fallas.
June–August
The coast is hot and humid, the sea is warm, and beach towns run at full capacity; inland sightseeing is uncomfortable from late morning through afternoon.
beachesnightlifefamily holidaysfestivals
This is the priciest and most congested period: coves fill early, rental cars and coastal rooms need advance booking, and parking is a daily nuisance.
September–November
September has warm water, softer crowds and better walking weather; October and November are cooler but can bring short, intense rain events, especially along the coast.
late-season swimmingfood tripscity breaksroad trips
October is the region's most weather-volatile period, so leave backup plans for boat trips, hikes and coastal driving days.
Events worth planning around
Las Fallas · 1–19 March, with peak celebrations usually 15–19 March · València
An exceptional reason to visit if you want spectacle, but book accommodation months ahead; expect street closures, severe noise, packed restaurants and disrupted ordinary sightseeing.
Hogueras/Fogueres de Sant Joan · Roughly 20–24 June, with fireworks continuing afterward · Alicante
Alicante becomes crowded, loud and traffic-choked; reserve lodging well ahead and do not expect a quiet city break.
La Tomatina · Last Wednesday of August · Buñol
This is a ticketed mass event rather than an incidental festival; stay in València, buy entry ahead and treat it as a long excursion.
Misteri d’Elx · Usually August; performance dates vary · Elche
This serious religious-theatrical tradition has limited performances; confirm dates and book tickets if it is a priority.
What to eat
Eat by geography, not by a generic tapas checklist: rice dominates around València and Albufera, seafood gets stronger along the Costa Blanca, and inland Requena brings Bobal wine and cooler-climate cooking. Have rice at lunch, ideally for two or more people and ordered in advance where required; dinner is better for smaller seafood dishes, bars and vegetables.
Paella valenciana: the original, typically chicken, rabbit, garrofó beans and green beans—not seafood paellaArròs a banda: fish-stock rice, especially good around Dénia and the Costa BlancaAll i pebre: eel, potato, garlic and paprika stew from AlbuferaFideuà: short noodles cooked paella-style, usually with seafoodArroz del senyoret: seafood rice with shellfish already peeledDénia red prawnsSeafood stews, grilled fish and dried octopus around Dénia and JáveaBobal wines from Requena–Utiel
València city and Albufera/El Palmar: Paella valenciana · All i pebre · Rice dishes cooked over a wide paella pan · Horchata with fartons in the city
Dénia and Jávea/Xàbia: Dénia red prawns · Arròs a banda · Fish stew · Dried octopus · Seafood-and-rice cooking shaped by the Montgó coast
Alicante city and the southern Costa Blanca: Arroz del senyoret · Seafood rice dishes · Fresh fish and shellfish · Turrón from nearby Jijona
Requena–Utiel: Bobal red wines · Local cellar tastings · Inland, more continental food and wine culture