Book Flights to Valencia, Spain
After a devastating 1957 flood, Valencia diverted its river around the city and turned the empty riverbed into nine kilometers of parkland, culminating in Santiago Calatrava's futuristic City of Arts and Sciences. The surrounding wetlands are also where paella was actually invented — Valencians will tell you the seafood versions served elsewhere aren't the real thing.
Ryanair runs an extensive low-cost network into the city, with Iberia, British Airways, Air France and Lufthansa offering full-service alternatives. FareOptic compares every routing into VLC.
Cheap Flight Deals to Valencia
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Why Visit Valencia?
A futuristic riverbed park, a Gothic silk exchange from Valencia's trading heyday, and the true, defended-to-the-death origin of Spain's most famous dish.
The City of Arts and Sciences — A Futuristic Complex Built on a Reclaimed Riverbed
A Dramatic Modern Architectural Complex Designed Largely by Valencia-Born Architect Santiago Calatrava, Built on the Site of the Former Turia RiverbedThe City of Arts and Sciences, a sprawling complex of strikingly futuristic white structures designed largely by Valencia-born architect Santiago Calatrava and completed in phases beginning in the late 1990s, has become Valencia's single most recognizable modern landmark, its organic, skeletal architectural forms, evoking everything from eyes to fish skeletons to whale ribs, creating a genuinely unique visual identity that draws architecture enthusiasts and casual visitors alike. The complex includes the Hemisfèric, an IMAX cinema and planetarium housed in a building shaped like a giant eye, the Oceanogràfic, the largest aquarium complex in Europe, and the Museum of Sciences, a hands-on science museum, all built along the dried course of the former Turia River, which was diverted around the city following a devastating 1957 flood.
The Turia Gardens — Nine Kilometers of Parkland Where a River Used to Flow
Following the catastrophic 1957 flood that prompted the diversion of the Turia River around rather than through the city, Valencia made the genuinely unusual decision to transform the river's former urban bed, rather than developing it, into the Turia Gardens, a roughly nine-kilometer-long linear park running through the heart of the city, now filled with gardens, sports facilities, cycling paths and the City of Arts and Sciences itself, representing one of Europe's most extensive and successful examples of converting a piece of disaster-driven infrastructure change into a beloved permanent public amenity.
Valencia's Historic Old Town and Its Silk Exchange
A UNESCO World Heritage Gothic Silk Exchange and a Historic Center Reflecting Valencia's Medieval Prominence as a Mediterranean Trading PowerLa Lonja de la Seda (the Silk Exchange), a UNESCO World Heritage Site completed in the late 15th century, exemplifies civil Gothic architecture at its most ambitious, its Contract Hall's twisted spiral columns and soaring vaulted ceiling reflecting Valencia's considerable wealth and prominence as a Mediterranean trading hub during this period, when the silk trade in particular made the city one of the most important commercial centers in the Western Mediterranean. Valencia's wider historic center holds the Valencia Cathedral, which some scholars claim houses the authentic Holy Grail (a claim taken with varying degrees of seriousness but genuinely embraced as part of the cathedral's identity), along with the Central Market, one of Europe's oldest operating markets housed in a striking modernist Art Nouveau building completed in 1928.
Valencia's Modernist and Art Nouveau Architectural Heritage
Beyond its medieval Gothic landmarks, Valencia holds a notable collection of early 20th-century Art Nouveau and modernist buildings, including the Central Market and the North Station (Estación del Norte), reflecting a period of civic ambition and economic growth in the early 1900s that parallels, on a smaller scale, the more internationally famous modernist architectural movement in Barcelona during the same era.
Paella and Valencia's Position as the Birthplace of Spain's Most Famous Dish
Paella Originated in the Rice-Growing Wetlands Surrounding Valencia, and the City Maintains a Strong Claim to Being the Only Place Serving It in Its Authentic, Original FormPaella, arguably Spain's most internationally famous dish, originated in the rural areas surrounding Valencia, particularly around the Albufera lagoon and its associated rice-growing wetlands just south of the city, and Valencians maintain a genuinely strong and often fiercely defended claim that authentic paella Valenciana, made with rabbit, chicken, snails and local vegetables rather than the seafood-heavy versions more commonly served internationally, represents the only truly authentic version of the dish, a distinction that matters considerably to local culinary identity and pride. The dish's name derives from the wide, flat pan (paella) it's traditionally cooked in over an open flame, and traditional preparation techniques, including the specific type of short-grain rice grown in the surrounding wetlands, remain a source of genuine culinary pride and regional identity.
The Albufera Natural Park and Valencia's Rice-Growing Wetlands
The Albufera Natural Park, a large freshwater lagoon and wetland just south of Valencia, protects the rice-growing landscape that gave rise to paella and remains an important habitat for migratory birds, and boat tours across the lagoon, particularly at sunset, combined with a stop for an authentic paella meal in one of the surrounding villages, offer visitors a genuine connection between the dish's culinary fame and its actual agricultural origins.
How to Find Cheap Flights to Valencia
Compare Ryanair's Low-Cost Network Against Full-Service Carriers
Valencia's extensive Ryanair connectivity often offers the cheapest fares from across Europe, but compare against Iberia, Vueling or British Airways if flexibility or checked baggage matter for your trip.
Book City of Arts and Sciences Tickets Online in Advance
The Oceanogràfic and Hemisfèric can have long queues during peak season. Booking combined tickets online in advance saves time and sometimes money compared to buying at the gate.
Visit the Albufera Natural Park for an Authentic Paella Experience
For paella made in its original, traditional style, head to the villages around the Albufera lagoon south of the city rather than more tourist-oriented restaurants in the city center.
Walk the Turia Gardens Rather Than Taking Transit Where Possible
The nine-kilometer former riverbed park offers a genuinely pleasant and scenic way to move between many of Valencia's major sights, including the City of Arts and Sciences, on foot or by bike rather than by car or bus.
Airlines Flying to Valencia (VLC)
Iberia, Vueling and Ryanair — The Dense Domestic and Low-Cost Spanish Network
Frequent Madrid and Barcelona Connections, Alongside Extensive Ryanair and Vueling Low-Cost Routes, Make Valencia One of Spain's Best-Connected Secondary CitiesIberia and Vueling operate frequent domestic service linking Valencia to Madrid and Barcelona, while Ryanair maintains an extensive low-cost network connecting Valencia to numerous other Spanish and European cities, together making Valencia, Spain's third-largest city, one of the best-connected secondary Spanish destinations for both domestic and international low-cost travel.
Key Routes
Iberia and Vueling from Madrid MAD and Barcelona BCN; extensive Ryanair low-cost network from across Spain and Europe
British Airways, easyJet and the UK Leisure Travel Network
Direct Service From London Reflects Valencia's Growing Popularity as a UK Leisure and Second-Home DestinationBritish Airways and easyJet both operate direct service between London and Valencia, part of a broader pattern of strong UK leisure travel demand into the wider Valencia and Costa Blanca region, which has become an increasingly popular destination for British tourists and second-home owners in recent years, drawn by the region's climate and relatively lower cost of living compared to more established Spanish coastal destinations.
Key Routes
British Airways and easyJet from London LHR
Air France, Lufthansa and Continental European Connections
Direct Service From Paris and Frankfurt Provides Well-Connected Central European Routings Into ValenciaAir France from Paris and Lufthansa from Frankfurt provide reliable direct connections into Valencia from two of Europe's largest aviation hubs, useful for travelers arriving from North America or elsewhere via these gateways rather than routing through Madrid or Barcelona.
Key Routes
Air France and Vueling from Paris CDG; Lufthansa from Frankfurt FRA
Things to Do in Valencia
Important Information Before You Fly to Valencia
Currency
Euro (€)
Language
Spanish and Valencian — English widely spoken in tourist areas
Time Zone
CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2) in summer
Country Code
+34 (Spain)
Airport Code
VLC — Valencia Airport, ~8 km west of the city center
US Visa Required
No — 90 days visa-free in the Schengen Area for US passport holders
Power Plugs
Type C/F — 230V / 50Hz; an adapter is needed for US devices
Emergency Number
112 (EU standard)
Most Popular Airlines
Best Airlines for Domestic & International Routes
Frequently Asked Questions on Travel to Valencia
Everything you need to know about booking cheap flights to Valencia, Spain
What airport serves Valencia?
Valencia Airport (IATA: VLC) sits about 8 kilometers west of the city center. Iberia and Vueling connect it to Madrid and Barcelona, Ryanair operates an extensive low-cost network, and British Airways, easyJet, Air France and Lufthansa all offer direct European service.
What is the City of Arts and Sciences?
A futuristic architectural complex designed largely by Valencia-born architect Santiago Calatrava, built on the site of the former Turia riverbed. It includes the Oceanogràfic, Europe's largest aquarium complex, and the Hemisfèric, an IMAX cinema and planetarium.
Why is there a park where a river used to be?
After a devastating flood in 1957, Valencia diverted the Turia River around the city and transformed its former urban bed into the Turia Gardens, a nine-kilometer linear park that now houses the City of Arts and Sciences alongside gardens and sports facilities.
Where did paella originate?
In the rural wetlands surrounding Valencia, particularly around the Albufera lagoon. Valencians maintain that authentic paella Valenciana, made with rabbit, chicken, snails and local vegetables, is the only truly authentic version of the dish.
What is La Lonja de la Seda?
A UNESCO World Heritage Gothic silk exchange completed in the late 15th century, reflecting Valencia's historical prominence as a Mediterranean trading power, particularly in the silk trade.
Do US citizens need a visa for Spain?
No. Spain is part of the Schengen Area, so US passport holders may visit for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa.
What currency is used in Valencia?
The euro (€). Cards are widely accepted throughout the city.
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