Our family is considering travelling to Spain for the first time this summer, in late June or early July, for ten to twelve days. We would fly into Madrid, spend a few nights, then rent a car and drive east towards the coast.

Has anyone travelled to Valencia? I have read that it is an interesting and beautiful city and one that many travellers overlook.

Should we include Valencia in our plans?

Thank you.

Valencia would be great. Plenty to see, wonderful food, and a terrific beach. If you're there for the Feria de Julio, all the better. Concerts, bullfights, etc.

Thanks very much Bedar.

Is the east coast, including Valencia, Barcelona, and other smaller villages, a better destination than travelling south to Andalucia for our first time to Spain?

Although Valencia has it own charms, I would not visit it on my first trip to Spain. I would consider Barcelona or Andalucia as other places to visit.

Hi IMDonehere,

Thanks for your thoughts.

My wife just showed my a trip report on western Spain (the region of Extremadura), including Trujillo, Plasencia and Caceres. What about this region and Andalucia and leave the eastern coast for another trip?

I have been to Extremadura in June and it was so hot you could not stay out long that long during the day. There is a wonderful Roman amphitheater in Merida.

I should also point out, to be fair, most of Spain will be terribly hot at the time you are visiting. Many Spaniards try to escape to the beaches in the Basque Region, Cantabria and Galicia.

The heat in Madrid can be overwhelming.

So please take that into consideration as you plan.

Just one of many reasons to like V.:
http://www.visitvalencia.com/en/blog...ture-valencia/

I like Valencia very much...the beaches are spectacular
There are so many great spots n Spain...not easy to chose.

One thing s for sure.. it is hot I the summer especially so in Andalusia.
You might drive to Valencia for a few days and continue up the coast
to Barcelona.

I'd have thought that for June, Valencia would be a great choice - there is loads to see, wonderful food, and a terrific beach. And it should be less hot than Andalucia too, and less crowded than Barcelona. Nice day trips to do too.

Just because it's not one of the places that tourist flock to doesn't make it a bad place to go, in fact to some of us that makes it more desirable.

Hi annhig,

Thank you for your thoughts. We, as well, try and travel to places less touristy and that is what attracted us to Valencia and the Extremadura region.

In Italy, our favourite cities were Bologna and Lecce, two places that are not filled with tourists.

We once stayed an extra day in Bologna just to eat.

in that case, MichaelAndrews, Valencia looks like a perfect fit.

I can't express a view on Extremadura but if others say that it's very hot in June, I would be inclined to believe them.

Love Valencia- it was the first city I visited in Spain- like the size , food, buildings , beach and especially around Las Fallas ( which is March ) . Drive out into the countryside where rice is grown and more lovely beaches.

I wrote a report here on my visit to the city:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-blossoms.cfm

Valencia, the coast and the mountains could be a very good idea. Here's an article about Valencia by Jason Webster who used to live here. He has written several excellent books about Spain, also from Valencia itself and the mountains:
http://www.jasonwebster.net/moorish-valencia/

Sacred Sierra: http://www.jasonwebster.net/sacred-sierra/

And Webster also writes critically acclaimed crime novels, and the Valencia setting and deep knowledge of the city is a key factor: http://www.jasonwebster.net/a-death-in-valencia/
http://www.jasonwebster.net/or-the-bull-kills-you/

thanks for the links to Jason's books, kimhe - I've just downloaded the first one onto my kindle.

eck - i remember that TR - I think it was one of the things that encouraged us to go to Valencia when the opportunity arose.

Thank you everybody for your help and your links. Fascinating and very informative.

Most people I talk to have never considered going to Valencia, but that makes us want to go even more.

Now, the question is, should we travel north from Valencia or south after spending about 5 or 6 days there?

Most people I talk to have never considered going to Valencia, but that makes us want to go even more.

Sometimes there is a reason for that.

A reason for that? Do you mean a reason they don't consider going or a reason I should want to go?

I am not sure I understand.

Re: the questions you posed, and that I answered, on another thread: I don't regret giving you advice, although I'm sorry that doing so took the thread so far from the OP's questions. I believe you are new to Fodor's? Welcome! You might want to learn a bit about our norms before violating all of them. ;-) JMO.