Our Review of Valencia Airport (VLC)

Our Review of Valencia Airport (VLC)

All the information featured on this page was compiled and written by David Enrich, a renowned expert in aviation and airport guides, since 1999.

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this Guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Pros and Cons of Valencia Airport (VLC)

Pros

• Compact and Easy to Navigate: The single terminal design means short walking distances and quick connections, making it ideal for all types of travelers.
• Excellent Public Transport: Direct metro and bus connections to the city center and nearby towns make transfers fast and affordable.
• Modern Facilities: The airport is clean, well-maintained, and offers free Wi-Fi, good signage, and a range of shops and restaurants.
• Efficient Check-in and Security: Generally, queues are short and processes are smooth, especially compared to larger international airports.
• Good Range of Destinations: Offers a solid mix of domestic and European flights, with many low-cost carriers and frequent connections.

Cons

• Limited International Long-Haul Flights: Most flights are short- or medium-haul; for intercontinental travel, a transfer is usually required.
• Small Selection of Shops and Restaurants: While adequate, the variety is limited compared to larger airports.
• Parking Can Be Pricey: On-site parking, especially close to the terminal, can be expensive during peak times.
• Crowds During Peak Season: In summer and during local festivals, the terminal can become crowded, leading to longer waits.
• Limited Nighttime Services: Some facilities (shops, restaurants, transport) have reduced hours or close at night, which can be inconvenient for late or early flights.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

Quick Overview

Valencia Airport (Aeropuerto de Valencia – VLC) is located just 8 km west of Valencia city center, in the town of Manises. It’s the main gateway to Spain’s third-largest city and the beautiful Costa del Azahar, serving over 8 million passengers annually with both domestic and international flights.

Terminal & Layout

Single Terminal: All arrivals and departures are handled in one modern, compact terminal, making navigation easy and fast.

Levels:

• Ground Floor: Arrivals, baggage claim, car rentals, access to public transport.
• First Floor: Departures, check-in, security, shops, restaurants, and boarding gates.

Transport Connections

• Metro: Lines 3 and 5 connect the airport to the city center in about 25 minutes. The station is on the ground floor.
• Bus: Line 150 to Valencia city center and surrounding towns.
• Taxi: 24/7 service outside arrivals; €20–€25 to downtown.
• Car Rental: Major companies like Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, and Goldcar have desks in arrivals.

Shops & Restaurants

• Duty-Free (Aelia): Perfume, cosmetics, liquor, and local products.
• Relay: Books, snacks, and travel essentials.
• Dining: Medas Taste (Spanish cuisine), La Pausa (Mediterranean), Burger King, Starbucks, and more.

VIP & Services

• Sala Joan Olivert VIP Lounge: Snacks, drinks, Wi-Fi, and comfortable seating (fee or business class access).
• Free Wi-Fi: Throughout the terminal.
• ATMs & Currency Exchange: Available in arrivals and departures.
• Children’s Play Area: Near boarding gates.

Parking

• P1 General Parking: Closest to the terminal, ideal for short stays.
• Long-Stay Parking: Best value for trips over 4 days.
• Express Parking: Free for the first 15 minutes, perfect for pick-up/drop-off.

Popular Flights & Airlines

• Domestic: Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca (Iberia, Air Europa, Vueling, Ryanair)
• International: London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Zurich (Ryanair, easyJet, Vueling, KLM, Swiss)

Final Tips

• Accessibility: The terminal is fully accessible with ramps, elevators, and adapted restrooms.
• Security: Allow at least 1 hour for domestic and 2 hours for international flights.
• Lost & Found/Info Desk: Located near baggage claim and check-in.

Summary
Valencia Airport is modern, efficient, and user-friendly, offering excellent connections to the city and region. Its compact size, range of services, and easy transport links make it a stress-free entry point to Valencia and the Mediterranean coast.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

• On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
• Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
• Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
• Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
• Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation

Some Stats

Airlines with more flight operations (last 3 months)

Airlines with best on-time performance at Valencia Airport (last 3 months)

Routes with more flights from Valencia Airport (last month)