Valencia and Barcelona: A Budget-Friendly Adventure
Hey everyone! I'm excited to share my recent 4-day, 3-night trip to Valencia and Barcelona. This itinerary is perfect for students and budget travelers looking for a weekend getaway. The total cost was around 400 euros per person.
Getting Around Spain
We started our journey from Marseille, France, and chose the bus as our main mode of transportation, costing approximately 100 euros per person. We used Flixbus for the Marseille-Valencia and Barcelona-Marseille legs, and Alsa for the Valencia-Barcelona route. We needed our health pass when returning to France, but there weren't any checks otherwise. We booked our tickets a week in advance, so our options were limited, but we prioritized finding convenient departure times. We opted for overnight buses to save time and energy—just hop on, sleep, and wake up in a new city!
Our Itinerary: Valencia & Barcelona
Day 1: Valencia
The bus dropped us off just outside the city center around 7:30 AM. It was a pleasant 20-minute walk into the heart of Valencia. The morning air was fresh, and we crossed a beautiful bridge (Jardí del Túria) leading into the center. Since there were two of us with just a 20-inch suitcase and a backpack, moving around was simple; we took the suitcase with us throughout the morning. We found a spot for breakfast and strolled through the Plaça de la Mare de Déu, the area around the City Hall, and the Mercat Central in the old town.
Around 11:30 AM, we checked into our Airbnb right opposite the market (a pretty central location, costing around 45 euros per night!). After a short break, we headed to the La Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (City of Arts and Sciences). Before that, we bought metro tickets for central travel – 6 euros per person for a day pass covering both the metro and bus (the pass itself was 4 euros, and the card...2 euros! 🥵).
The City of Arts and Sciences is already incredibly famous, but it's an architectural marvel, a complex of stunning buildings featuring an opera house, cinema, aquarium, and museum. We arrived around 3 PM, so we explored the grounds and then went to the aquarium. The aquarium is massive, showcasing a huge variety of sea life, from fish and turtles to starfish, sharks, and even birds and insects. We even managed to catch the last dolphin show (at 6:30 PM). The reptile section was a bit underwhelming =)) I didn't see any real reptiles, just replicas in recreated habitats and some...wooden lizards 😂. After nearly two hours at the aquarium, we took a bus to the beach. Initially, the beach reminded me of Vietnam =)) with its soft, long, and wide sandy shore. Once at the shore, it was eerily similar to Sầm Sơn 😅. I don't know if it's usually this way, but during our visit, the beach was relatively dirty despite the fine sand and warm water. The water was shallow, but there was so much trash floating around. That evening, we enjoyed dinner at a restaurant on the beach and tried the famous Paella; we chose the seafood option with lights 😂. It was delicious. We returned around 11 PM, taking a taxi back to our Airbnb for safety. On the way back, we passed the illuminated Bullring and Estació del Nord station, which looked stunning at night.
Day 2: Valencia (Again) and Barcelona in the Evening
We woke up on the second day, checked out of our room, grabbed some breakfast, and stored our suitcase. Since our bus to Barcelona didn't leave until 4 PM, we decided to store our luggage at Lock and be Free. It cost 8 euros for a suitcase and a backpack. It seemed more secure since I had my laptop. If you want a cheaper alternative, you can go to Estació de Nord and rent a self-service locker for about 4-5 euros. Then, we spent the day exploring more of Valencia's city center. I found the streets, buildings, and houses here were spacious, beautiful, clean, and had many churches. We went to the old town, to Llotja de la Seda (free entrance, but not much to see inside, mostly Gothic architecture), and Torres de Quart (also free, climb up to see the entire old town below, where we discovered that all of the houses have antennas 😂). After that, we walked towards the Bullring and Estació de Nord and visited the Museo Nacional de Cerámica y Artes Suntuarias González Martí (National Museum of Ceramics and Sumptuary Arts, as you might say). It is free on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. The building has a unique design. There were many interesting things to see inside, especially the reconstructed traditional Valencian kitchen; if you have time, you should go visit, the tickets are very affordable. Finally, we retrieved our luggage and walked to the bus station to head to Barcelona.
We arrived in Barcelona around 8 PM, checked into our hotel, and then went out for dinner. The Acta Antibes hotel, near the bus station, was great value for the price, beautiful, and very clean (75 euros per night). Arriving in Barcelona felt like landing in Vietnam because there were so many motorbikes. We felt so at home that we decided to rent electric motorbikes to blend in =)). There are many motorbike rental apps to choose from, and the process is straightforward (scan your passport and driver's license). It's not cheap, but it's awesome =)). That evening, we went to a Vietnamese restaurant for pho (a bit disappointing, so I won't mention the name here) and then went to sleep.
Day 3: Barcelona
Day three began with coffee and breakfast at Starbucks opposite the Sagrada Familia. By chance, we discovered a tree-lined street next to Starbucks that was green and dreamy, with sunlight filtering through the leaves. I took a photo, and then everyone followed suit :)). We spent the day exploring primarily by electric motorbike and on foot. Barcelona's architecture, famously influenced by Antoni Gaudí, stands apart from other European architecture, which is why I like it =)). It is no wonder the tickets to see his buildings are very expensive, easily around 20 euros, and even divided into morning and evening sessions =)). The Sagrada Familia is a massive cathedral that has been under construction for five generations. Besides its grandeur, you can enjoy 360-degree views. Head towards the lake for a beautiful view of the cathedral; it is easy to find as many others will be taking photos there. We then visited Casa Vicens, the first house designed by Gaudí. At this point, we had to take the metro because it was too far to reach Poble Espanyol.
Poble Espanyol is an entertainment complex designed like a village, showcasing the architecture, culture, and art from different regions of Spain. We had lunch here, but the food wasn't particularly special. Because we were there on a Sunday, some of the handmade shops were closed. The entrance fee was 10.5 euros for students. You can also buy tickets online for 11.2 euros (20% off). Be sure to check out Fiesta to see the introduction of festivals in Spain by region and season; it is worth it. After leaving around 5 PM, we rode our motorbikes to the old town, walked to the harbor, watched the sunset there (there's even a sign saying "sunset view at the harbor" =)), and had dinner at La Paradeta, a seafood restaurant chain. The seafood is fresh and affordable. You select your seafood + preparation method and then choose your drinks and wait. It is super crowded; we waited in line for half an hour. After a satisfying meal, we went to sleep.
Day 4: Barcelona Stroll and Departure
We checked out of our hotel in the morning and left our luggage there (free) before grabbing breakfast. Try the croissant jambon; it is quite delicious. We rode our motorbikes to Casa Milà and then down to Casa Batlló, my favorite spot in Barcelona. The building's design reminds me of a chameleon =)). After that, we walked to the center, browsed stores like Zara and Mango, reached La Rambla pedestrian street, and entered La Boqueria market. The jambon is amazing, and there are also snacks like fruit and juice for 2-5 euros. In the afternoon, we revisited the old town, visiting the Santa Eulalia Cathedral, Plaça del Rei, El Pont del Bisbe, and Arc de Triomf. By 7 PM, we returned to the hotel to collect our luggage and had dinner at an Asian buffet restaurant called Kyoka. The food was okay, considering the price of only 16.5 euros per person (excluding drinks and dessert), with sushi, stir-fried dishes, and seafood served at the table. The restaurant is right opposite the bus station, so it was convenient to walk to the bus after eating.
Voilà, our 4-day, 3-night trip (plus 2 nights on the bus) comes to an end. I hope everyone has a fun summer!
```