The last train back from Xàtiva leaves at 22:06, and on Saturdays the last one from Gandia beach goes at 19:40. Spanish timetables use the 24-hour clock, so 19:40 is 7.40pm. Renfe Cercanías is Valencia’s regional commuter rail network, with six lines from the city that reach Sagunto in 31 minutes, Xàtiva in 56 and Gandia in 65, for 1.80 to 5.80 euros a single. Most of these trains start at the North Station, but the C3 to Buñol starts 3 km away at Sant Isidre.
Which day trips from Valencia can you do by train? Sagunto, Cullera, Xàtiva, Gandia and Buñol all work as day trips on Renfe Cercanías. Sagunto is 31 minutes from Valencia North Station, Xàtiva 56 minutes and Gandia 65. Trains back run until 22:58 from Sagunto and 22:06 from Xàtiva, on Saturdays too, and a single costs 1.80 to 5.80 euros.
The times below are Renfe’s November service. Sundays run almost exactly like Saturdays.
Which Valencia station your train leaves from
Valencia has four rail stations that matter here, and two of them are easy to confuse. Cercanías lines C1, C2, C5 and C6 start at the North Station, the Estació del Nord, 85 metres from Xàtiva metro on lines 3, 5 and 9. The C3 to Buñol and Requena starts at Valencia-Sant Isidre, next to Sant Isidre metro on lines 1, 2 and 7.
The high-speed terminal, Valencia-Joaquín Sorolla, has no Cercanías trains at all. And on the way back from Sagunto or Castelló, C6 trains call at Valencia-Cabanyal before the North Station: the 22:58 from Sagunt reaches Cabanyal at 23:25 and the North Station at 23:48. The North Station building itself is a free modernista sight to walk through before you board, and the metro from the airport stops at Xàtiva, as explained in getting from Valencia airport to the city centre.
How to buy a Cercanías ticket as a visitor
A Cercanías single from Valencia costs 1.80 euros for one zone and rises to 2.05, 2.65, 3.70, 4.35 and 5.80 euros for six, according to Renfe’s fare table. You do not need to know your zone: the vending machine works it out once you pick the destination station.
The quickest way through the purchase, in order:
- At the machine or the ticket office, choose the destination station, for example Xàtiva or Sagunt, and the price for its zones appears.
- Choose “sencillo” for one way or “ida y vuelta” for a same-day return.
- Start the journey within 2 hours, or skip the ticket altogether and tap a contactless card at the gate, in and out.
Three things catch foreign visitors out. First, “ida y vuelta” is a return ticket: it costs 3.60 to 11.60 euros and is only valid for coming back the same day. Second, any ticket bought at the machine or the ticket office has to be used within 2 hours, so buying the evening return in the morning does not work with a single. Third, contactless bank cards and phones work at the gates, but Renfe charges the maximum fare of the whole network if you do not tap out at your destination.
With the same card, Renfe takes 40 percent off the single from your fifth trip in a calendar month, counted across every Cercanías network in Spain. A short stay rarely reaches that, so for one or two day trips the machine return is the simplest choice. The city’s tourist pass is a separate calculation, covered in whether the Valencia Tourist Card is worth it.
When the last train home leaves from each day trip
The last train back matters more than the journey time when you plan a day out from Valencia. Sagunto, Cullera and Gandia keep trains until after 22:00 on Saturdays, while Gandia beach shuts its last service at 19:40. The table starts with the deadline and ends with what each town is good for.
| Destination | Last train back, weekdays | Last train back, Saturday | Journey | Trains Mon-Fri / Sat | Line | From | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sagunto (Sagunt) | 22:58 | 22:58 | 31-41 min | 44 / 20 | C6 | North Station | free castle and Roman theatre |
| Cullera | 22:53 | 22:53 | 39-42 min | 41 / 20 | C1 | North Station | beach and castle |
| Gandia | 22:30 | 22:30 | 65-75 min | 36 / 18 | C1 | North Station | Borgia palace, 8 euros |
| Buñol | 22:23 | 22:23 | 52-53 min | 25 / 13 | C3 | Sant Isidre | inland town of the Tomatina |
| Castelló de la Plana | 22:15 | 22:15 | 61-95 min | 43 / 19 | C6 | North Station | city and link to Benicàssim |
| Xàtiva | 22:06 | 22:06 | 56-68 min | 43 / 33 | C2 | North Station | castle at 6 euros, two museums |
| Benicàssim | 21:52 | 21:52 | 79-112 min | 9 / 6 | C6, change in Castelló | North Station | northern beach |
| Requena | 21:42 | 21:42 | 113-120 min | 7 / 6 | C3, change in Buñol | Sant Isidre | wine town, long waits in Buñol |
| Platja i Grau de Gandia | 21:25 | 19:40 | 71-72 min | 3 / 2 | C1 | North Station | beach, very few trains |
| Segorbe | 19:46 | 21:10 | 89-112 min | 4 / 3 | C6 and C5, change in Puçol | North Station | inland old town, exact train only |
Saturday service on the C1 and C6 is roughly half the weekday one, with gaps of 70 to 80 minutes between trains to Sagunto and Cullera. Xàtiva holds up best, with 33 Saturday trains against 43 on weekdays.
What each town is worth the trip for
Each of the main day trips fills a morning or a full day, and the deciding details are the entry fee and the closing day. Sagunto’s monuments are free and shut on Mondays, Xàtiva’s castle costs 6 euros and also shuts on Mondays, and the Borgia palace in Gandia opens Monday to Saturday. Separate guides to each town go deeper.
Sagunto
The castle, the Roman theatre and the history museum in Sagunto are free. Sagunto’s tourist office lists Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 between 15 October and 29 March and until 20:00 from 1 April to 14 October, Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 14:00, closed Mondays. Free one-hour guided tours of the castle start at 10:30 and 12:00 without booking. The uphill walk from the station and the bus to Port de Sagunt beach are covered in the Sagunto day trip from Valencia.
Xàtiva
The castle ticket costs 6 euros, or 4 euros for ages 8 to 16, and also covers the Almodí and Fine Arts museums in the old town. Opening runs Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00, closing at 18:00 from November to February and at 21:00 from May to August. You walk up, or on Sundays and holidays from October to May take the shuttle bus from Plaza Espanyoleto for 1.15 euros. The full plan, from reading the departures board to the 1.9 km climb, is in the Xàtiva day trip from Valencia guide.
Gandia
The Palau Ducal dels Borja, the Borgia family palace, stands about 500 metres in a straight line from Gandia station, and the self-guided visit takes around 35 minutes. General entry costs 8 euros, ages 6 to 17 pay 4 euros, and the palace knocks 10 percent off if you show a same-day Renfe ticket. From November to March it opens Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:00, Sundays mornings only. The Salón de Coronas, the neo-Gothic chapel and the oratory are closed for restoration.
Cullera, Buñol and Castelló
Cullera pairs a town beach with a hilltop castle 39 minutes from the North Station. Buñol, the town of the Tomatina, is the quickest inland trip at 52 minutes from Sant Isidre. Castelló de la Plana is mostly useful as the change for Benicàssim, 79 to 112 minutes from Valencia in total.
Which day trips need a specific train
Three destinations on the Cercanías map are possible without a car only if you pick the exact train in advance. Gandia beach, Segorbe and Requena have so few services, or such long connections, that turning up at a random time can leave you on a platform for over an hour.
Gandia beach. Platja i Grau de Gandia gets 3 weekday trains and 2 on Saturdays, and they run via Xeraco without calling at Gandia town. On a Saturday the 7:36 from the North Station arrives at 8:47, and the only useful return leaves at 19:40 and gets in at 20:49. On weekdays a second pair runs, out at 14:06 and back at 21:25.
Segorbe. The C5 needs a change in Puçol and has 4 weekday trains and 3 on Saturdays. On weekdays the first leaves the North Station at 6:40 and the last one back leaves Segorbe at 19:46; on Saturdays the 21:10 back waits 63 minutes in Puçol and reaches Valencia-Cabanyal at 23:25.
Requena. The C3 runs to Buñol, where you change for Requena: 7 connections on weekdays and 6 on Saturdays. On Saturdays the first leaves Sant Isidre at 9:23 and arrives at 11:23, and afternoon returns wait 73 to 78 minutes in Buñol. Only the last, at 21:42, connects in 3 minutes, back in Sant Isidre at 23:04.
Where to go for half a day without leaving the city
EMT buses 24 and 25 reach l’Albufera lagoon and the Devesa de El Saler for a 2.00-euro single, no train needed. A boat trip on l’Albufera and an afternoon on El Saler beach fit into the same line.
For the city beaches, routes by metro and bus are in Valencia’s beaches without a car. If you are tempted to hire a car for any of these trips instead, check the rules of Valencia’s low emission zone first.
Frequently asked questions about day trips from Valencia by train
Is there a train from Valencia to Sagunto?
Yes. The Renfe Cercanías C6 leaves Valencia North Station 44 times on weekdays and 20 times on Saturdays and reaches Sagunt station in 31 to 41 minutes. The castle, the Roman theatre and the history museum are free and shut on Mondays, and the last train back leaves Sagunt at 22:58.
Do I need to book Cercanías tickets in advance?
No. Renfe sells Cercanías singles and same-day returns at the station ticket office and at the vending machines, and a ticket has to be used within 2 hours of buying it. Contactless bank cards also work at the gates, provided you tap in at the start and tap out at the end.
Which Valencia station has trains to Buñol?
Valencia-Sant Isidre, on the west side of the city, next to the Sant Isidre metro stop on lines 1, 2 and 7. Of the 25 weekday C3 trains to Buñol, 24 start there and only the 6:10 leaves the North Station. Requena needs a change of train in Buñol.
Can I reach Gandia beach by train from Valencia?
Only on a handful of trains. Most C1 services stop at Gandia town station, and just 3 weekday trains and 2 Saturday trains continue to Platja i Grau de Gandia. On Saturdays the beach train leaves the North Station at 7:36 and the last one back leaves the beach at 19:40.
Do trains run on Sundays the same as on Saturdays?
Almost exactly. Renfe runs a Sunday timetable on the Valencia Cercanías lines that matches Saturday’s within one or two trains: Sagunto gets 21 Sunday trains against 20 on Saturday, and Xàtiva and Gandia have the same 33 and 18. The last trains back leave at the same times, 22:58 from Sagunto.
Plan the day around the last train, not the first: from Sagunto that is 22:58, from Gandia beach on Saturdays 19:40.