I’ve been living in Valencia for several years now. And I think it took me at least a year to figure out all the different metro ticket options and to learn about the TuiN Card for Valencia’s metro.
Even though the TuiN card is a standard Valencia metro ticket, I found out many people who have lived here for years don’t know about using this card on the Valencia metro. And it can save you a lot of money!
But this TuiN card doesn’t only save you money, it also makes using the Valencia Metro easier.
So, whether you are visiting Valencia or are living here, read this article to find out why and how you should use Valencia’s TuiN card.
Note: A couple of years ago Valencia launched a new public transport card called the SUMA. With this card you can use the metro, the bus and the regional trains. Prices of the SUMA card are similar to the TUIN card and I will therefore mention how the SUMA card works, and how it compares to the TuiN card, in this article as well.
Using the Metro in Valencia
Valencia’s Metro is clean, safe and reliable.
There are 10 metro lines. Some of the lines are actually partially or entirely above ground, and are technically trams but they are part of the same network and therefore work with the same metro tickets.
To be honest, I don’t use the Valencia metro a lot. It’s how I get from Valencia airport to the city center, but the rest of the time I mainly walk, or sometimes cycle, to get around the city.
This is actually one of the things I love about Valencia: it’s a very walkable city with a very compact center.
But, before I tell you more about the TuiN card, let me try to give a short explanation of how to use the metro in Valencia.
This is the official map of the metro lines in Valencia:
(note: Valencia changed the zoning of the metro in 2022. You might still find old maps with zones A-D. The below map, with only three zones, is the correct map for 2026)
As you can see there are two lines (line 3 and 5) that go from the airport to the city center.
I would say the metro is the best form of transportation from Valencia airport to the city center.
The only real alternative is taking a taxi but that, of course, costs a lot more. There is one bus from the airport to the city center as well, but the metro is definitely more convenient.
And, as I will explain below, with the TuiN card or the SUMA you pay only 2 Euros to get from Valencia airport to the city center!
For any other use of the metro in Valencia I’d say just check Google Maps. Type in your destination and Google Maps will tell you which, if any, metro line you can take.
Valencia Metro Tickets & Metro Zones
Have another look at the Valencia metro map above. You’ll see the letters A and B, and a ‘+’ for the airport. Those are the different zones Valencia’s Metro system uses.
Depending on where you plan to go to you can buy tickets for different zones. Your standard ticket option is a one-way ticket, and you’d buy two of those if you plan to return as well (there is no special rate for round-trip tickets in Valencia).
But, a cheaper option to use the Valencia metro is to not buy a specific ticket but instead load credit on your metro card. And that is essentially what the TuiN and SUMA cards are: two different types of metro cards. Or better said, public transport cards, because the SUMA card can be used on other forms of public transport as well, but more about that later.
Valencia Metro tickets and the TuiN and SUMA cards can be bought at any metro station, either through a ticket machine or from the ticket office.
I’ll share several other tips for using the metro in Valencia at the end of this article, but let’s talk about the TuiN card first. And, I’ll follow that with information about the SUMA card so that you can compare the two options.
Why You Should Use the TuiN Card in Valencia
First of all, although people call this the TuiN card (and even the official Metro Valencia website calls it this), it’s not actually a different card.
It’s just a way of loading money onto a standard metro card. It’s exactly the same card you’d use for a one-way ticket.
The short answer to why you should choose the TuiN option when using the metro in Valencia is: the TuiN card allows you to use the entire Valencia metro & tram network with just one card and it’s a lot cheaper than buying single tickets.
But, let me describe the pros and cons of the TuiN card in Valencia in a bit more detail.
Pros of Using Valencia’s TuiN Card
1. Going to the Airport Costs Just € 2 Instead of € 4.80 or € 5.90
When I first moved to Valencia I did what most tourists do when they arrive at Valencia airport: walk to the ticket office or one of the ticket machines and buy a one-way or return ticket into the city.
This way you pay € 5.90 for a one-way ticket into the city (€ 4.80 + € 1.10 for the card), or € 10.70 for a return ticket (€ 9.60 + € 1.10 for the card).
If you’d buy a TuiN card each ride from or to the airport would cost you only € 2, plus a one-time fee of € 1.10 for the card.
The first thing most visitors don’t know is that the paper metro ticket you receive is actually reusable and has cost you € 1.10. So, don’t throw it out! The next time you want to buy a metro ticket, either hand this ticket to the ticket vendor or insert it into the ticket slot in the ticket machine. This way your new metro ride(s) will be loaded on the existing ticket. You save € 1.10 and waste less paper.
Tip: if you are staying in Valencia longer you can ask the ticket office for a more durable plastic card. The card costs € 2.20.
Plastic cards can’t be obtained at the standard ticket machines, but more and more stations now have at least one machine like the one pictured below, which gives out plastic cards for 2.20 Euros.
2. All Your Metro & Tram Trips in Valencia Turn Out Cheaper
Ok, this used to be a big advantage before the introduction of the SUMA card. Now prices of the TuiN card are actually the same as those of the SUMA card.
I’ll explain more about the SUMA card later.
TuiN prices are a lot lower than those of one-way tickets which still makes the TuiN the cheap option for using the Valencia metro.
See the price comparison between the different metro ticket options further down the article.
Also Read: How to Save Money When Traveling
3. You Don’t Need a Different Card for Different Zones Anymore
This, to me, is the biggest advantage of the TuiN card.
Like most of my friends in Valencia I used to have various metro cards: one for traveling within zone A, one for going to the airport, and for a while I had one for zone AB too.
This is because the SUMA is substantially cheaper than just buying a one-way ticket. But, each metro card only allows a SUMA for 1 type of metro ticket.
It’s annoying! I never liked keeping track of my balance on all the different cards and I was always worried I would end up taking the metro from a different zone and then my card wouldn’t work.
So, having one TuiN card that can be used on the entire metro & tram network is definitely easier!
4. You Can Use One Card for the Whole Family
This is actually a useful tip for both the SUMA and the TuiN; you can use the same card for multiple people. The TuiN card can be used for up to 60 people!
So, if you plan to travel together as a group or family, just buy one metro card, load enough TuiN credit on there, and use the one card to check everyone in and out when using the metro or tram.
Note: if you decide to buy a simple one-way ticket instead of the TuiN, you can load four of those on one Valencia metro card. So even this way you can use one card for multiple people.
5. You Travel for Free Once You’ve Reached a Monthly Limit
This is a nice bonus if you use the metro a lot. But, I do mean A LOT, since the monthly limits are high.
Monthly Limits:
- 1 zone: € 35
- 2 zones: € 53
- 3 zones: € 53
How Does This Work?
Once you have spent 35 Euros within one calendar month, all your travels for the rest of the month within one zone are free of charge. You will still pay the normal TuiN rates when you travel in 2 or more zones.
Then, once you have spent 53 Euros, your travels for the rest of the month within 2 and 3 zones also become free of charge.
Again, with Valencia being such a walkable city I don’t think many people spend this type of money on the metro, but if you do, this is nice to know!
Note: only your own trips count towards this free travel. If you use one TuiN card for more passengers at the same time, only one counts towards your monthly balance. The fare per journey for your companions will be the same as any TuiN cardholder but only you will be able to take advantage of free journeys once you have reached the monthly threshold.
Cons of Using Valencia’s TuiN Card
1. The Tuin Card Can Only Be Used on the Metro and Tram
The TuiN card only works on the metro and tram lines. If you, for example, need a metro ride and a bus ride to get to your destination you will need a separate ticket for the bus.
The SUMA card is the one card that combines all of Valencia’s public transport.
2. You Have to Load Your Card With a Minimum of 5 Euros
If you are only visiting Valencia for a few days, there is a chance you won’t spend 5 Euros on the metro.
For example, if you are visiting Valencia and are staying in the city center, you might only use the metro to get around in zone A. At € 1.50 per trip, you could take three metro rides and it would still be cheaper to buy one-way tickets.
But, add to that just one ride to the airport at € 4.80 and you’re much better off getting a TuiN card. Even more so when you are traveling with other people, the TuiN very quickly becomes the cheap way to use the Valencia metro.
Futher on in this article I share a comparison of prices for the TuiN, SUMA, and one-way tickets, to give you a better idea of what your metro usage in Valencia would cost.
Note: the maximum you can load on the TuiN card at one time is 100 Euros.
3. You Can’t Load TuiN and Bonobus on One Metro Card
There is a 10-ride package for the bus called the Bonobus. This makes using the bus a lot cheaper than buying one-way tickets.
If you’ve been in Valencia for a while you might have gotten used to loading the old Bonometro option (before SUMA was introduced) and the Bonobus on the same card. Unfortunately, TuiN cannot be combined with the Bonobus so you’ll need a separate card for the bus.
If you’ve never been to Valencia before just ignore this comment and know that you’ll get a card exclusively for the metro, on which you’ll load your TuiN credit.
But, these are really the only minor downsides to using the TuiN card I can think of. Because, apart from special memberships (such as monthly ones or ones for retirees in Valencia) the TuiN really is the cheap and easy way to use Valencia’s Metro and Tram system.
The TuiN Card versus the SUMA Card
The introduction of the SUMA card as a general card for public transport in Valencia has simplified the Valencia metro, thankfully.
There used to be all sorts of options for using the metro including the Bonometro and discounted round trip tickets.
The Bonometro (10 one-way tickets to be used within one zone) is replaced by the Suma 10. Discounted round-trip tickets have disappeared altogether.
If you choose the SUMA card to use Valencia’s metro you’ll have three standard options:
- You buy a SUMA 10: 10 one-way tickets for the zone(s) of your choice.
- You buy a monthly plan (very unlikely because you’ll have to use public transport a lot to make that worth it).
- You buy a 1, 2 or 3-day ticket that gives you unlimited travel in 2 or 3 zones (only useful if you plan to use the metro a lot during these days).
There is one big advantage to having a SUMA card instead of a TuiN card and that is the fact that the SUMA card can be used on all public transport. You can use it on the metro, the tram, the bus, and the local trains (called cercanias).
But, the disadvantage of the SUMA card is that you have to choose for which zone(s) you want to use your card. If you buy the SUMA 10 for 1 zone then you can’t use it to go to the airport, for example.
So unless you are planning to use different forms of public transport in Valencia, the TuiN card is still your best option for the Valencia metro and tram. The TuiN card offers the same prices as the SUMA but when you put credit on your TuiN card you can use it for any zone, and switch between zones as much as you want.
If you do choose to go for the SUMA card instead of the TuiN card, getting these cards works in similar ways, which I will describe next.
How to Get the TuiN Card
You can get the TuiN card either at one of the ticket offices inside the metro stations or at a ticket machine.
If you use a ticket office, just ask for a ‘TuiN Card with 10 Euro’ (or whichever amount you want).
Most people at the ticket office speak (some) English so you can just ask for this in English. But if you happen to catch someone who doesn’t speak English, Google Translate is your friend!
If you use a ticket machine, click on the flags on the home screen to change it to English. Then you can choose ‘Buy’ or ‘Recharge’. If you already have a metro card, insert it and choose ‘Recharge’. If you don’t have a metro card, choose ‘Buy’ and you’ll be charged € 1.10 extra once you finish your order to receive your TuiN or SUMA credit loaded onto a paper metro card.
After choosing ‘Buy’ or ‘Recharge’ you’ll see the screen pictured above. Click on ‘CARD Tuin’ to get Tuin credit, or choose ‘SUMA 10’ if you want to load SUMA credit on your card for a zone of your choice.
As you can see you can also choose ‘Airport’ but that means paying the previously mentioned higher price of €4.80 each way.
Note: If you are using an existing card, make sure there are no other metro or bus tickets loaded on the card anymore. This is because different travel plans cannot be combined on one card. If you do have some credit left and want to switch to TuiN or SUMA, just go to a ticket office and let them sort it out for you.
Comparing Prices: Tuin Card Valencia vs One Way Tickets & SUMA Card
To give you an idea of how much you would save by using the TuiN card, this is an overview of the standard Valencia metro tickets.
Note: MetroValencia is offering a temporary discount of 40% on both its SUMA and TuiN ticket prices. This discount is given on any credit you load onto a TuiN or SUMA card. Prices shown below are the normal prices. You will receive a 40% discount on those.
This is a temporary financial aid, which is currently set to end on June 30 2026.
1 zone
one-way ticket: € 1.50
TuiN: € 0.80 (to reload your card you have to add a minimum of €5)
SUMA: € 0.80 (you load the SUMA 10 on your card which costs €8 for 1 zone)
2 zones
one-way ticket: € 2.80
TuiN: € 1.20 (to reload your card you have to add a minimum of €5)
SUMA: € 1.20 (you load the SUMA 10 on your card which costs €12 for 2 zones)
3 zones
one-way ticket: € 4.80
TuiN: € 2 (to reload your card you have to add a minimum of €5)
SUMA: € 2 (you load the SUMA 10 on your card which costs €20 for 3 zones)
This shows another advantage of the TuiN card for using Valencia’s metro: you only have to add 5 euros. If you want to get the SUMA card for 3 zones it instantly costs you 20 euros. Of course that 20 euros gives you credit for 10 trips, but how often do you go to the airport? That balance might sit on your card for a very long time.
Tip: Are you under 31 and want to save even more on Valencia metro tickets? There is a ‘TuiN Jove’ that gives passengers under 31 an additional 15% discount. Allegedly you only have to show a document proving your age and have a passport-sized photo to apply for this. I haven’t tested it since I’m not young enough anymore… 🙁
Tips For Using the Metro in Valencia
1. Use the Metro Valencia App
I’d recommend using the Metro Valencia App to check metro times.
Not all metros run very frequently and the metro doesn’t run all night. So the app will keep you from waiting too long at the metro station and from missing that last metro home.
The official Metro Valencia App can be downloaded in the App Store here or in the Google Play Store here.
Alternatively, Google Maps is also generally good at showing metro times.
2. You Can Recharge Your TuiN Card Online
Apart from recharging your TuiN card at a ticket machine or ticket office inside any metro station, you can also recharge your card online.
To be able to do this you do however have to create an account online and register your card.
To recharge your SUMA card online you have to download the RecargaSUMA app.
3. Kids Under 10 Travel For Free!
No matter what metro ticket you choose, up to two kids per adult are always allowed to travel for free, as long as they are under the age of 10.
4. A Tip For Traveling With a Suitcase
To enter the metro platforms you have to go through electric gates which you open with your metro card. If you are traveling with a suitcase, use the gates with the disabled signs. They are wider plus they open and close slower, which means less risk that your luggage gets stuck!
Is the Metro in Valencia Worth Using at All?
As I said, I don’t use the metro all that much.
If you are looking for transportation from Valencia airport to the city center the metro is definitely your best option. But if you are staying in the center of Valencia you will hardly need the metro.
So if you ask me how to get from Valencia airport to the city center I’d definitely say by metro. After that, you might use the tram to get to the beach and the metro once or twice to get to locations further away from the center.
But getting around the city itself you’d most likely do on foot or by bicycle.
Also Read: What to See & Do on a Short Trip to Valencia
Alternative to Valencia Metro Tickets: the Valencia Tourist Card
Love rooftop bars? Check out some rooftop bars in Valencia
Are you planning a short visit to Valencia and want to see and do as much as possible? Then the Valencia Tourist Card might be an option.
The Valencia Tourist Card gives you unlimited access to the bus, metro, and tram, including your trip from and to the airport.
Apart from that, it gives you free entry to municipal museums such as La Lonja de la Seda (a must-visit!) and several others.
And the card gives you discounts on many of the main tourist attractions in Valencia such as the City of Arts & Sciences, the Hop-on Hop-off Bus, several guided tours, and more.
You can buy 3 versions of the Valencia Tourist Card: one for 24, 48, or 72 hours, depending on the length of your stay.
Special Thanks to Metro Valencia!
Now, anyone who has lived in Spain, and probably also most people who have only visited Spain, knows that Spain isn’t the most efficient country…
Also Read: Fun, Surprising & Shocking Facts About Spain
It took me over a month of research and interviews with four different MetroValencia officials to get all of this information!
Even to many of the MetroValencia staff some of the metro rates, tickets, and best travel options seem unclear. But, they were all incredibly helpful and that deserves a special thank you!
So, whether you are visiting Valencia or living here, I hope my explanation of the Valencia metro and the different ticket options was useful.
For More Information About Valencia, Also Read:
- Where to Stay in Valencia – the Best Neighborhoods & Hotels
- What to Do in Valencia on a Short Visit
- What to See and Do in Valencia With Kids
- Celebrating Las Fallas in Valencia – What You Need to Know
- Taking a Paella Cooking Class in Valencia – Recipe Included
- Where to Eat Paella in Valencia – 7 of the Best Restaurants
- Authentic Chinese Food in Valencia: A Tour of Valencia’s Chinatown
- The Best Rooftop Bars in Valencia
- Interview With an Expat About Moving to and Living in Valencia
- Popular Neighborhoods to Live in Valencia
- Interview With 4 Retirees About Retiring in Valencia
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Hi,
Thanks for all the info. As we are staying for like 10 days I was calculating that maybe a monthly Suma will be worth it. As we like to use public transport – it’s not much about the cost but about the constant worry that we might run out of money on the 10 trip tickets.
My question is – is Rosas (close to airport) station big enough to buy a plastic card?
Second one – can you buy a monthly Suma ticket without any problems from a machine on any station?
Hi Aron,
Rosas station does have a small ticket office but I’m not sure how often there’s actually someone there…
They might have one of the newer ticket machines where you can buy a plastic card instead of a paper one but no, you can’t buy a monthly ticket from any of the machines.
As for running out with the Suma 10 card, a few things to note:
1) You could instead go for a TuiN card which you can instantly load with a higher amount.
2) Every time you tap your card to access the metro you’ll see a small screen displaying how many trips you have left, so you’ll always know when you’re running low. And at every metro station you’ll notice at least one tall, skinny machine close to the ticket machines. If you stick your card in one of those machines they’ll display the number of trips you have left.
3) You don’t have to wait until you’ve used up 10 trips to add an additional 10 trips. I often add 10 new trips when I still have 3 or 4 left. I’ve never tried, but you might even be able to take your card out of the machine after paying for 10 trips, reinsert it and add 10 more instantly.
I hope this helps. Enjoy Valencia! 🙂
Hi,
Thanks for the answer.
Where can you buy monthly ticket? Can you do it only in the offices? Can you buy it at the airport somehow/somewhere? Can you buy it as a non-resident?
Hi Aron,
I just contacted Metro Valencia to double check and they told me that yes, you can buy a monthly ticket as a non-resident. At the airport, at the entrance to the metro there’s a ticket office where you can buy your tickets.
Hi, Sanne! Thanks for this article!!! I keep seeing on the Metro website, Zones A, B, C, and D, but the map only shows A, B, and +. Now I understand that the map page isn’t as updated as the fares page is.
We traveled to Valencia two years ago but used the tourist pass for the five days we were there. We are coming back for a week in February of 25 to check it out again, with the plan of living there for a year (at least) beginning in 26. We will probably do the monthly SUMA card for that week, but only because we want to be able to go pretty much anywhere for that week and check out areas of town, be it by bus or tube or tram. At least, we now know our options, thanks to your article. Thanks, again!
Thanks Timmy! I appreciate you taking the time to write this and am happy you found my article helpful 🙂 Enjoy your next visit to Valencia. It’s a great idea to explore as many different parts of the city as you can before you decide where you want to live!
Hi Sanne,
How do you actually use one suma 10 Card for two people? Do you have to swipe it two times when entering the bus? Thanks!
Hi Sven,
Yes exactly, you swipe it for each person when you enter the bus. So if you’re 2 people you swipe it twice, and you’ll see it deduct 1 from your remaining balance each time you swipe it.
Thank you so much for this clear article, I have been using SUMA 10 for my first week but may now change to Tuin. But I have a question about SUMA – in more remote stations like L’Eliana there are no barriers. Do you need to swipe the SUMA card on the machines on the platforms on arrival as well as departure, or are you using up an extra journey unnecessary by doing that? (I’ve been swiping both ends!)
Hi Roy,
Good question. I contacted Metrovalencia to double check this.
Their answer: when there’s no barrier, the only type of card you do have to swipe again on departures is the TuiN card. And yes, unfortunately, if you’ve been swiping the SUMA card at both ends they confirmed that this takes an extra journey from your SUMA balance.
Thank you, I really appreaciate the effort of putting all this useful information together! It looks as if we’d end up with a TuiN card for travelling from and to the airport and a SUMA 10 (maybe monthly, have to calculate…) for the inner zone as we will likely use the bus, too.
Quick question though as I maybe don’t fully understand the concept of various “zones” on the Suma card. Let’s say I have a AB+ Suma card 10 for 20,-€. What if I travelled only within zone A? The deduction on the card would be ten rides for 0,80€ each = 8,- Euros, correct? Would 12,- Euros remain on the card, but are they then somehow not “associated” to a (upcoming) ride? Or will any ride using an AB+ card cost you 2,- Euros?
Or is this overthinking and the only consequence of the zones concept is the amount you have to load on the card but you could still use it as a flexible currency for rides in whatever zones. Confusing… or maybe it’s just me! 🙂
Hi Sven,
No you’re not overthinking it 🙂 That’s exactly the problem with the SUMA card. If you buy one for zone AB+ because occasionally you travel that distance, now when you use that card while traveling just within zone A you still pay the standard AB+ zone fare, which is 2 Euros.
That’s why some people have multiple SUMA cards for different zones, or use TuiN for the metro and a Bonobus card for the bus. So yeah, annoying, confusing and what’s best for you depends on your personal situation. I hope this explains it a bit though!
Yes, it does, thank you so much Sanne!
Hi,
Thank you for helping me understand Valencia metro!
We are a group of 5 travelling for a weekend to valencia. I assume, we would only be using metro to and fro airport as we are staying in the city centre. which would be the best card for us to buy when we get to valencia airport? Tuin or SUMA??
Thank you
Hi Star,
In your case you could get either because:
– If you want to use the SUMA from the airport you need to get the option for 3 zones (Suma AB+) and buy a package of 10 rides. That costs 20 euros (minus the current 50% discount). For you this is perfect because you’re 5 people who will all do 2 metro rides so you’ll use that up exactly.
– If you buy a TuiN card you can load it with a minimum of 5 Euros credit. But, each ride from and to the airport is 2 Euros, you need 5×2 rides so that’s still the exact same 20 Euros (note: with the discount now it’s 10 Euros so make sure to only put 10 Euros on the card as long as the discount is available).
Note: when buying the metro card you’ll pay an additional 1 euro for a paper card or 2 euro for a plastic card.
I would still choose a Tuin card though. If you’re staying in the center, you, or anyone in your group might decide to take the metro to the beach, or for a short distance around the city. You only have to put 5 Euros extra credit on the Tuin card whereas to use your SUMA card again you’d have to add a full package of 10 rides again costing you 20 Euros (10 currently after the discount) because you’re card is still loaded with the more expensive SUMA AB+ zone and you can’t add credit for a cheaper Suma zone on the same card.
I hope this helps. Enjoy Valencia!
Thank you for your help and guidance. We had a good holiday in Valencia and used the Tuin card for travel.
Excellent article, managed to change to the Suma Card on one of the machines at the train station last time I was in Valencia. Since I am on vacation almost once a year in Valencia I bought one of those plastic cards back in 2019. Do you know if they expire? It seems that last time I topped up with the Suma app I discovered that it seems that the card expires in may of 2024 – so maybe they “just” have a lifetime of 5 years. Hmm…
Hi Jack,
I just contacted Metrovalencia to check. They say cards do not expire. I’ve seen an expiration date mentioned as well so it’s a little confusing but if they say it doesn’t, definitely don’t throw out the card and try to use it even if you get back after May 2024.
We are not able to carry our luggage up or down stairs, are there escalators at Xativa and at the Airport both to and from platforms and to the street level? Thank you
Hi Ros,
Yes, the metro station at the airport can be reached using an escalator and at Xativa station there’s an escalator up from the platform an then an elevator taking you to street level.
Great information. Since I will be in a part where is no metro, I will be using SUMA 10. Does with SUMA 10 the 90/150 minute journey limit apply on buses too? Or if I use bus and metro to my destination?
Hi Dusan, thanks!
And yes, I checked Valencia’s transportation website and, loosely translated, it states:
When using SUMA 10 the free transfer time is 90 minutes from the first time you check in if it’s a journey within one zone. If you travel in 2, 3 or 4 zones, it’s 110, 130 or 140 minutes, respectively.
So as far as I understand that means it’s the same whether you use the metro, the bus, or both.
Thanks! Now I’m a little confused about the number of allowed transfers. Is number of transfers limited within one journey?
Does the ticket need to be validated again on another bus, metro or tram within same journey?
Hi Dusan,
I know, it’s quite a confusing system and there’s a lot of incomplete information online about using public transportation in Valencia.
Valencia’s government website GVA.es states that the number of transfers is unlimited, as long as you stay within the zone(s) you have a Suma card for, and the allowed time limit.
And yes, you do need to tap your card again when you go on another bus or tram and when you go through any of the gates at metro stations (that one is easy, you simply can’t get through any of the gates without tapping your card so there won’t be any confusion there).
Impossible for a tourist to register the metro card online. Keeps asking for passport details but doesn’t accept freeform text of passport number.
Very poor indeed
Hi John, unfortunately I’m not surprised that you experienced that.
However, I just logged into my Metro Valencia account to check whether I used my Spanish NIE, and it doesn’t seem to have my NIE-number on file, which makes me think I registered without it.
So just to make sure, did you use this website to register: https://www.metrovalencia.es/en/ There click on ‘Personal Zone’ and then register a new account.
Again, you’re probably right because I’ve definitely experienced difficulties trying to use my passport number in Spanish systems, but in case you went through a different page or app, try that.
Otherwise, yes it is annoying, it means you’ll have to check your balance and top up at a metro station.
Sounds like an unnecessarily complicated system! London’s Oyster card and Sydney’s Opal card both much easier to use. Lot’s of information in this article, brave try at explaining the options but it’s not clear how to buy or top up either of the cards. The article would benefit from editing to come up with a simplified succinct explanation.
Hi John,
Oh I wish we had the same easy system as London’s Oyster card here in Valencia! 🙁
How to buy and top up the TuiN card in the end is quite simple though: you either go to one of the machines you’ll find at every metro station or you go to a ticket counter at one of the bigger metro stations, including the station at the airport. You choose TuiN card and you pay, or you choose SUMA and your preferred zone and you pay. For topping up you can use the same machines or counters. If you choose the machines, you insert your card and then choose to top up.
And as I write in the article, the more durable plastic cards can be bought from the ticket counters or at the more modern machines (see picture in the article). The standard ticket machines give you a thick paper card which will last long enough for a visit, but if you plan to stay in Valencia you’re better off buying a plastic card.
I hope this clarifies things but let me know if you have any questions.
I agree its a very confusing system, especially for tourists. We also didn’t pick up from the article that ‘metro’ includes trams too (and can be used by TuiN card). In one place it says that the TuiN Card can only be used on metro which we took it as not including trams! After many questions to many station staff we found this is not the case and we only found English speaking staff by exception, not everyone speaks English as the article seems to suggest. Nevertheless a very useful article, thanks Sanne.
Hi Moin,
Thanks for writing this and sorry that wasn’t clear. It’s all part of the Metro Valencia, so even the ones above ground that we would call trams are part of the same metro system and yes, therefore the TuiN works for them as well.
Thanks so much for this! I have been struggling to understand all the different options but this is much clearer now – I am visiting with a friend next month and I think the TUIN card will be best for us. However, I have been looking on the Metro Valencia website and noticed a line that says “TuiN and TuiN Jove cards must be pre-registered on our website and picked up at the Espais de Xàtiva, Colón, Benimaclet or Alacant.” Does this mean we cannot purchase and charge a TUIN card at the airport to use for the duration of our stay? Thank you.
Hi Megan, I had a search on the Metro Valencia site and I think the pages you ended up on were pages about the TuiN Jove and the Personalized Tuin (and perhaps not perfectly translated into English). The Tuin Jove needs to be registered because you have to show you are young enough for it, and the Personalized Tuin means it’s registered with your personal details. But you should be able to buy an anonymous (standard) TuiN card at any station, and definitely at the airport.
I just checked at my local metro stop (which is only a small station) and I can buy TuiN cards from the machine there, so you definitely will be able to buy one at the airport.
That’s great – Thank you.
We are under 30 so would qualify for the Tuin Jove but we are only in Valencia for a few days. I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle of registering given that it is only a short trip…
I also have a better understanding of the standard Tuin card. The Tuin Jove is a little confusing with the 15% discount being calculated when charging the card rather then per journey.
Could I also just clarify how the temporary 50% discount works with the Tuin card?
Does this just get added to your balance? For example, if you loaded your card with €10, the actual balance would be €15?
Or would you select the option to load your card with €10 but only get charged €5?
Thank you again!
Hi Megan,
Yeah, to be honest if you’re only in Valencia for a few days I really don’t think trying to apply for the Tuin Jove is worth the hassle.
The 50% discount works like your second example: you load the card with 10 Euros but only pay 5.
Thanks very much for all the great info. I’ve been searching various sites on how best to travel by metro from the airport to the city centre. Looks like a TuiN card is my best option. Excellent value too.
Hi. I want to get from the airport to the Aiora neighborhood, is the Suma card one zone OK?
We are staying in Valencia for 2 weeks, with accommodation in the Aiora area. We are 2 adults and 2 children under 7 years old. We want to visit the tourist attractions of Valencia. In our case, which is the most advantageous means of transport? Do you advise us to use only the metro? What is the best transport card in this case?
Hi Lucia,
No, that’s the annoying thing about the Suma card in Valencia: Ayora is in zona A, while the airport is in zone C. And once you’ve reached Ayora, you’ll generally only be traveling around zone A and therefore buying a Suma card for zone ABC is a waste.
Therefore, if you think you’ll only use the metro and tram, get the TUIN card. If you think you’ll use the bus as well then you could consider buying the Suma 10 for zone A, and a separate ticket from the airport to Ayora. Or you can use the TUIN card for the metro and get a Bonobus at a local kiosk to use the buses.
From Ayora the metro into the center of Valencia is very convenient, so I think you’ll mainly end up using the metro. But check google maps for routes from where you are staying to places you want to visit. If the bus often comes up as a better option, then I would personally get a Tuin card and a Bonobus card. But the SUMA for zone A is an option as well then (plus the separate tickets from the airport).
Very detailed article! I have been using the Tuin card,like you said it makes it all a bit less complicated. I just bought the Suma card, can this be used on the cercanias?
Hi Gloria,
Yes, you can use the Suma card on the cercanias. Just don’t forget that you’re buying the Suma card for a specific zone. So make sure that where you want to go on the cercanias falls within that zone.
Just arrived to spend a few days in Valencia and this is a great guide to using the Metro! Thanks for the time and effort you’ve put in to do this.
Thanks Jim, I appreciate that! 🙂
Have a great time in Valencia!
Just saw this article on the new pricing. Thought of you as this is the best article I’ve seen on the transit in València. Thank you again!
Valenciasecreta.com/precios-transporte-valencia-septiembre
Hi David,
Thank you, I appreciate that! 🙂
Thanks for the information 🙂
Question: I want to recharge the TuiN card online but I don’t know how.
The link tells to recharge but first login, but I can’t login.
So I downloaded the app and registered the card but there is still no option to recharge.
Very strange…
Hm yes that is strange. Because the idea is exactly that: you can only recharge online once you have registered the card. So once you have done that it should work. Have you received a confirmation email that maybe has a link you need to click on first? Delete the app and reinstall? In all honestly, I’m not too surprised you are having issues and would guess it’s probably them and not you 😉
Unfortunately your only option if it doesn’t work is to go to a metro station, recharge there and if it’s not too busy you could try to talk to someone there about why it doesn’t work through the app.
Very useful article. After reading it I opted for the Tuin card when I arrived in Spain. It’s been very useful and cheap. However I would advise that you only top up the card at the machines in the station if you are not Spanish. I added Credit to my card through the app. And it was never applied even they took my money. I can see the invoice confirming I bought the credit. It seems it doesn’t apply it unless you have a very detailed profile added.
Hi Nicky,
So sorry to hear that happened!
But I agree and I appreciate you sharing your experience. Only after I’d lived in Valencia for several years I started using the app.
Before that I mostly went to a ticket office inside the metro station where they, most of the time, also speak some English.
Thanks Sanne . It was a small amount of money so no harm done and with all the money I saved using the tuin card I cannot complain. Thanks again for the great article. One thing I didnt realise until I was in Valencia for a while is the the card also covers the Trams. This was very useful when we went to the Beach.
Thank you for sharing this!
Do you need to validate it when exiting metro? I read on the machine that you need to validate it both when entry and exit if you use a tuin card. Also on the official website: You have to validate it at the beginning and end of the journey (on the tram it is only validated at the beginning), as well as in the transfers between metro and tram, or vice versa. But I did not see any person did when exiting.
Yes, to get out of the metro station you need to go through gates. These gates open by tapping your Tuin card, so that way you validate your check out.
Thanks a lot for the info Sanne! That’s truly a lifesaver. One more if I may (and I didn’t see this info on the Metrovalencia website or maybe I wasn’t looking close enough): If I have a Tuin card that runs out, I see that on the internet there’s no option to change the “titulo de transporte” and it only gives me the option to recharge the tuin. Would you know if I could do that (change the ticket basically) at one of the kiosks?
That’s a good question! I would try it at one of the machines inside the metro stations first (I’ve switched from Bonometro to Tuin but never tried anything else) and if it doesn’t work or you can’t figure it out, just go to the ticket office. They can definitely change it for you there. Their Spanish is often limited so you might want to write down what you want and Google translate it if you don’t speak any Spanish.
Do you know if there is any window of time that you could let’s say hop on a tram while getting out of the metro and still be charged just one trip rather than twice? (one per each, tram and metro)
Hi Stefan,
According to the information on the Metro Valencia website it depends on how far you are traveling:
If you are staying within 1 or 2 zones, you have 90 minutes from the moment you first check in.
If you are traveling in 3 zones you get 120 minutes and 4 zones is 150 minutes.
I hope this helps 🙂
Thanks for putting this article out, Sanne. Very detailed, well-planned and great helpful images!
All the options are quite confusing. Personally, I am more interested in the convenience of having one (not multiple) durable plastic, rechargeable card that I can use on the bus, metro and bikes and having the flexibility to go anywhere (including to the end of the metro lines) than I am in saving money. I mostly walk and have my own bike so it doesn’t amount to alot for me. Unfortunately, the TuiN card doesn’t work for me because I do sometimes use the bus and don’t want to juggle two cards.
Question: I have the plastic Mobilis card which I routinely top up in 10€ increments. I know I can use it for the metro and bus. Can I use it to go outside zone A? Can I use it to go to zones C and D and return? Can I use it without restriction on the metro and tram lines? Can I use it to go to and from the airport? Or do I need to load a certain type of credit on the Mobilis card to do some of these things?
I know, it is quite confusing!
So the mobilis card essentially is just a card. What you can do with it depends on what type of credit you put on it. If you load it with 10 Euros it sounds like you chose the TuiN option. But you can check at one of the machines at metro stations how much and what type of credit you have.
If you didn’t put TuiN credit onto it you probably selected a specific zone. Then, you can only use it for that zone. So let’s say you chose zone A, then no, you cannot go to zone C or to the airport. That’s why I like the TuiN: with that you can at least go anywhere on the metro and tram lines. The only downside is that then you can’t load the Bonobus on it, so you’ll need a different card for the bus (or pay the bus driver on the bus, which is more expensive but might be ok for you if you only sporadically take a bus).
So no, unfortunately Valencia doesn’t offer one rechargeable card that you can use for everything (= going anywhere on the metro, take any bus and have Valenbisi). I have no idea why not because technically it shouldn’t be complicated to do.
Thanks for this amazing information. One question. If you do not have enough money on your card by accident then what happens?
Also – I think if you want to top up your card online then it’s all in Spanish unfortunately.
That is a very good question and I have wondered that as well… There is almost always a ticket office right next to the gates that may not open if you don’t have enough money on your TuiN card so they will help you out. But, because I do worry about what happens I check how much money I have left before I check in if I’m not sure. There are these special poles to check your card so that you won’t have to wait at a ticket machine.
I don’t recharge online because I don’t want to register my card but if it’s only in Spanish then maybe have your browser translate it to English? I’m assuming it’s pretty intuitive anyway (although with Spanish website that’s not always the case 😉 )
Hi, thanks for the very detailed info. What’s unclear though is how would -say – two – persons use a single TuiN card and get through the gate. The first person gets through then the gate presumably closes. What do you do? Reach back and hand the card over to the next person? And what if there are even more using the same card?
Greetings,
Peter
Hi Peter,
Yes, that’s exactly how sharing a TuiN card works: tap your card, walk through the gate, wait for it to close again and then pass the card on to the person behind you. You can do that with up to 60 people.
Thank you, much appreciated. However I couldn’t find actual information on the savings to be had on the metro if retired using your provided link.
Hi Belinda,
I know, it’s not easy to get clear information from Metro Valencia.
The FAQ section on their website says this:
– I am retired. What travel card is best for me?
If you are over 65 years old, you can take advantage of the benefits offered by the Seniors card to access unlimited journeys for 30 days. If you only wish to take one journey, you can obtain a 50% discount on the fare of a single ticket (with a minimum cost of a single ticket for 1 zone) if you charge it onto a personalized Seniors card.
What I would do is go to the Colon metro station (I’ve been sent here before because it’s seen as one of the main stations and staff there seem to know the most). Ask the ticket counter there to help you get the retiree discount.
I hope that works and if so, please do share any useful information you get about special retiree cards or discounts 🙂
Thank you for this info! To me the most valuable piece of info is that you can use one card for multiple people… I did not know that!
Looking at the fares comparison – even if I don’t use the metro in town at all, it will still be cheapest to buy a TuiN card to travel from and to the airport together with my partner – just €11 for the card loaded with €10 for travel, instead of 4 x 3,70 = 14,80.
Love the fact that the paper cards are reusable in Spain – unlike the single-use tickets in the Netherlands.
Hahaha that made me laugh out loud!! Thanks Mike, it took me SO MUCH TIME to work all of this out so I am very happy that it’s useful! 🙂
Oh my word! Salvation! I can’t thank you enough for making sense of this for me. It always seemed to me that the Valencia transport system was arranged by a couple of groups of people who never actually talked to each other and were probably drunk as well!
Now I understand, it, it’s is actually a very generous travel system but until this article, probably Valencia’s best kept secret.
Excellent information. Thank you. I would stamp this on my arm if I could.
Thanks Albert!! I hope it will help a lot of people make sense of Valencia’s metro system 🙂