International Student Accommodation - Go Live It

The City

Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona, yet is catching up as one of Spain’s most desirable tourist destinations. The city has everything to offer. A buzzing metropolitan centre in a beautiful seaside location, also benefiting from a close proximity to a beautiful coastal mountain range making Valencia the place to be! The climate is controlled by the Mediterranean: hot summers, mild winters and an average of only forty-four rainy days a year, means Valencia is known for having some of the best weather in Spain.

Its architecture is hard to rival. The City of Arts and Science attracts four million visitors annually. The brainchild of Valencia-born Santiago Calatrava contains Europe’s largest aquarium, an opera house, an IMAX theatre and a science museum. There is also an impressive structure leading towards these buildings; a long, arched walkway called ‘L’Umbracle.’ In contrast, the old town has remains from very remote periods, as far back as the year 138 B.C.. The main cathedral is a major tourist point and inside is a number of paintings by many eminent artists. It is without dispute that Valencia combines the new with the old in a fabulous way.

In addition to all of this, Valencia has placed itself firmly on the map as a key party destination. Las Fallas, a five day festival in March, involves copious amounts of fire and fireworks, parades, music, dancing and alcohol. Valencia’s population is said to quadruple during the festival. Valencia recently hosted the 32nd America’s Cup. The port underwent a huge revamp in preparation for this and the million of visitors who flocked to experience the huge sailing competition. Even more visitors are expected this year, as Valencia has been included on the Formula One racing circuit. The excellent gastronomy and busy nightlife in the old-town allows everyone to enjoy their stay.

Transport

Valencia’s advanced transport system means that you’ll have no problems getting around without a car. There are bus and train routes to almost everywhere you could desire to go, to both close destinations and to other Spanish cities (see http://www.renfe.com/ for train information). There is also a modern metro system, all of which are provided by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV).

Purchasing a ‘Bono-10 Metrobus’ from a metro station is definitely advisable, as this will supply you with ten journeys on the metro and/or bus for only 7€.

Despite Valencia’s vast transport system, the majority of students buy bikes as Valencia is extremely flat. It is such an affordable and convenient way of travelling around the city. A word of advice however: buy a good lock (or two!) as bike-theft is a big problem in Valencia!

If you’re planning trips further afield, coaches from the bus station in Turia do tend to be cheaper than trains, with a single 4 hour trip to Madrid or Barcelona costing only 20€.

University

Valencia has four universities, with the ancient Universitat de València, and the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia being the largest and most important. The Universitat de València is one of the oldest and largest universities in Spain, having been founded in 1499 and currently having around 60,000 students. There are three campuses: the Burjassot Campus, the Blasco Ibañez Campus and the Tarongers campus, all within a very close proximity of one another.

The Universitat Politécnica de València is another Spanish university. It tends to focus on science and technology. It was founded in 1968 as the Higher Polytechnic School of Valencia and became a university in 1971. This university has four campuses: Camí de Vera, Gandía, Alcoi and Xàtiva which are set further apart but are still easily reachable by metro.

If you’re in Valencia on an exchange programme, you will probably find that course choice is very flexible and the university staff is always willing to help. However, the relaxed Spanish way of life means that tutors are often out-of-office during their office hours so it is strongly advised that you set a time to go and see them.

These universities both have many clubs and student associations which encourage student involvement and participation. Erasmus students are more than welcome to join in any event!
If you’re studying at the Universitat de Valencia, then you will be eligible for language classes at the Centro de Idiomas, a language school with direct links with the university. The classes follow the European system (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) and they only cost 65€ a semester for 4 hours tuition a week so they’re definitely a good thing to do, both for educational and social reasons (as all the students there are studying on the Erasmus program).

Food and Drink

Valencia is known as the city of paella. It is therefore its no wonder the city is famous for to its wonderful gastronomic culture and is a food-lovers haven.

Valencia's economy has always relied heavily upon its seaside location. Some of the most common seafood that you're likely to come across on any restaurant's menu are sardines, hake, octopus, mackerel, cuttlefish, mussels, shrimp, prawns and many more. Naturally the Valencian speciality extends much further than paella Valenciana. Other typical Valencian foods include arroz negra, arroz al horno, allioli, bunuelos and olleta.

Restaurants in Valencia tend to be relatively inexpensive and creative with their dishes, the perfect combination for a Valencian dining experience. Be sure to try as many Valencia food dishes, drinks and tapas as possible!

You can find bars and restaurants serving up traditional Valencian food, seafood, paella and tapas throughout the city, here are some of the best…

La Pepica, Paseo Neptuno, 16; a former favourite of author and Spain-fanatic Ernest Hemingway, La Pepica is larger and more expensive than its neighbouring restaurants, but it is well worth the money, especially the seafood and the rice dishes. The walls are plastered with photos of appreciative, and often famous, diners.

La Lluna, c/ Sant Ramón, 23; with "La Huerta" providing the city with a vast array of fresh produce, vegetarian restaurant La Lluna offers great variety and an inexpensive menú del día at just 6€.

Las Cuevas, c/ Samaniego, 9; appropriately named "The Caves," this low-ceilinged restaurant is famous for its endless list of diverse tapas.

Bar Cánovas, Plaza Cánovas Castillo; known as one of Valencia's best tapas bars, it also serves typical Valencian meals and has a menú for just 5.40€.

Out on the Town

If you’re looking to live in a city where there’s always something going on, then Valencia is the place for you as it’s famous for its vibrant nightlife. The main spot for nightlife is, undoubtedly, the Barrio del Carmen, located in the historic heart of the city. Here, Bohemian tradition (quiet cafes and get-togethers on outside terraces) rubs shoulders with modernity (many clubs offering a wide variety of music).

The student nightlife is found along the Avenida de Aragón, in the Plaza de Canovas, also in the university area along Avenida Blasco Ibáñez, in Plaza de Honduras, Plaza Xúquer and Juan Llorens. During the warmer summer months there is also a lot of nightlife on the beach along the Paseo Neptuno. Other vibrant areas include the Port and in the area surrounding Malvarossa Beach. The Spanish operating hours however do take some getting used to. The bars don’t get busy until well after midnight and although the discotecas open at about 2am, they don’t get going until 3.30/4am, closing at 7am.

Botellons are very common in Valencia. Essentially, the botellon is Spain’s version of drinking on the street. It is not unusual for large groups of young people to assemble in a public place and bring bottles of beer or vodka. While it is strictly illegal, often the police turn a blind eye. It is popular to hold one before heading into town on a night out. Of course, these take place a lot more often during summer months!

Day Tripper

If you decide that you want to travel a little and explore what the cities around Valencia have to offer, then you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to daytrips. The Renfe Cercanias (journeys to nearby places) are very affordable and leave from the main train station, Estacion del Nord, about once every hour.

Requena; is a pleasant old town; however, it’s the wine you'll be visiting for! Utiel Requena is the region's speciality, a red wine made from Bobal.

The Fiesta de Vendimia (August 23 - September 3) is Requena's big festival, where locals celebrate the end of the harvest. The most bizarre moment of the festival is the Noche de Zurra, when people march through the town asking God for good rain for the next harvest and get doused in water by people standing in the balconies above. Trains cost 4.75€ and take approximately 1h30.

Castellón; is the biggest city between Barcelona and Valencia. It’s is one of the most mountainous provinces in the whole of Spain and offers countless opportunities for travellers who enjoy rural tourism, mountain walks and sleepy villages. Castellón de la Plana is a historical city dating back to medieval times (13th century). It is situated between the sea and the 'Desert de les Palmas' mountain range and has a population of 140,000. Nowadays, the city is both modern and historical. The old quarter around the Plaza Mayor, the Plaza de Santa Clara and the Plaza de la Pescadería have many ancient buildings.

Benicassim; this town is best known for its rock festival, The 'Festival Internacional de Benicassim'. However, the town is also very popular with the Spanish and is well worth a visit purely as a beach resort. The Carmelite monastery can also be found in the Desierto de las Palmas a few miles outside of Benicassim. The journey by train takes an hour (although, inexplicably, at various times in the day the price is tripled so make sure you check the Renfe website for timetables.)

There are endless places that are worth a visit in and around Valencia. Here are just a few ideas:

• La Lonja, the old hemp exchange.
• Ten paintings by Zurbaran hang in the Convento de Capuchinas.
• Many interesting museums e.g Museo de Bellas Artes, El Museo Etnológico de la Diputación, Museo de la Concatedral de Santa María. Train costs 15€ and takes 1h. You can however also travel with the Alsa bus company which works out about 10€ cheaper.

Making your life easier

Shops; the majority of shops close for siesta between 2pm-5pm and on Sundays almost all shops close for the whole day. Mercadona, Valencia’s most popular supermarket doesn’t close for siesta, however it is closed all day Sunday, so it’s worth stocking up in preparation! If you find yourself desperate on a Sunday, Opencor, a much more expensive supermarket, is open 24/7, every day of the year!

There are also several markets in the centre of the city, namely the mercado central, where the quality of fresh food is much higher than that of those found in supermarkets.

The boring stuff

To view information about Bank Accounts & Money transfers, Internet & Telephone and Health, visit our Spanish homepage.

Guide written by Laura Hudson, English exchange student Valencia, 2007/2008.

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