Valencia, Spain November 2019
The Airline and the Airport
Gatwick Airport North Terminal was fully accessible in the departure area, with lifts and disabled toilets. However, when I used a disabled toilet, I found the hand basin was slightly too high for a wheelchair user.
When I went through the airport security they were very aware of my disabilities and I was escorted to skip the queue. The alarm went off as I had gone through with my symbol cane, so I had to be searched, uh-oh!
An airport bus was provided to drive us directly to the plane for boarding. There were the usual steps up to the plane where I was then able to access my reserved seat near the rear of the airplane. After a fairly smooth two hour flight, we landed safely in Valencia.
We then exited the plane via steps and followed a walkway directing us to the passport control area. This was all very accessible and flat for disabled people. There were also disabled toilets within the baggage claim area, which were very clean and accessible. There were plenty of lifts and escalators at the airport which were easily accessed.
We went down in the lift to the Metro to buy a ticket for travelling on the Metro. Unfortunately there was a long queue at the ticket machines. The good thing was though there was a staff member helping people with the ticket machines enabling them to purchase the correct ticket. The staff member at the ticket machine informed my Dad that he would only need to purchase one ticket for myself as my Dad would travel as my companion as I was disabled. We did not know this previously so this was a good advice from the staff member.
We went through the ticket machine barriers using the wide disabled barrier which was much easier. We then went into the lift which took us down onto the platform to wait for the Metro. The lift was disabled friendly and accessible for wheelchair users.
The Metro was thirteen stops to our hotel; approximately a half hour journey. There was a screen on board the Metro informing of each stop so it was easy to know when to disembark. The Metro was very modern in design with no gap between the train and the platform when disembarking, unlike London Tube trains, MIND THE GAP.
On arrival at our stop for the hotel, there was a lift for disabled passengers which took us up to the exit. However, we did not realise that there was actually another lift that took you right up to street level, so instead we used the stairs. On the way up the stairs the grab rail ended when I still had five steps to go. This was quite a struggle as my Dad was behind me carrying our cases. Fortunately, there was a kind man who could see that I was in distress; he offered me his arm and guided me up the remaining steps to the top. I thanked him for his kindness ijn Spanish. From here, it was only ten minutes’ walk to reach our designated hotel which was SH Valencia Palace.
At the Hotel
We checked into SH Valencia Palace, which was a five star luxury hotel. It is located within Valencia city centre but out of the entertainment district in a quieter area of the city centre. Upon entering the hotel there were two entry systems. The usual revolving hotel doors where people get stuck and the more accessible disabled access entrance which was a larger door way. Staffs were available most of the time to open the doors, but not always, and the doors were not sensor friendly. There were four lifts in reception which granted access for guests up to all of seven floors within the hotel.
Our room was on the second floor and was wheelchair accessible, equipped with a wet room, grab rails and a shower seat. The toilet was also disabled friendly, with grab rails.
The only negative about the bathroom was that the floor was marble therefore could potentially become slippery when wet. Inside of the shower area had a better surface on the floor which was non-slip, therefore much more disabled friendly. Unfortunately there was nowhere to put your shower gel or shampoo. The shower did have grab rails in it, however, I felt that they were not positioned correctly and that another rail to assist me would be better when showering for my safety.
The hotel room itself was fairly spacious with enough space between the furnishings for a wheelchair. There was a safe and a mini-bar which were both about one- metre in height from the floor, therefore quite accessible for wheel chair users. The room had the usual amenities such as air conditioning, a coffee and tea making facilities and a TV.
SH Valencia Palace had a very nice bar area which was located next to the reception. This was very accessible when exiting the lift as it was a flat reception area into the bar area. Outside the bar there was a luxurious lounge area that had a disabled toilet.
The hotel provided breakfast on a daily basis. The breakfast area was located downstairs from the bar lounge area which meant using stairs but the hotel provided a stair-lift to enable access for wheelchair users. The handrail on the stairs did not have a good grip and I didn’t feel that this provided me with adequate safety. The whole of the floor area in the hotel was made from marble. Although very beautiful and authentic, these could potentially become slippery and cause injury.
Getting Around
Valencia is quite a compact city which involves a lot of walking to various attractions. From the hotel to the heart of the city centre took about thirty minutes to walk. The pavements were wide with dropped curbs for crossing the roads more safely. The traditional marble paving was also present throughout the city, so again caution should be taken if they are wet as they become slippery. The city centre also had zebra crossings for pedestrians which were very safe to use. However, there are a lot of cyclists in Valencia so extra awareness when crossing the roads should be taken.
The city has alternative forms of transportation which are The Metro, trams and buses. There are standard taxi’s which were easily flagged down around the city centre. I checked on my tablet for disability accessible taxis and these were possible to book also. Taxis’ were actually quite reasonable in price, therefore I would recommend this as an alternative mode to transport when visiting Valencia for a short time, as will allow a quicker destination arrival time.
Attractions
Valencia Cathedral is a Gothic Cathedral, consecrated in 1238 and built in between the 13th and 15th century. Despite the age of this attraction, I was surprised that it had very good disabled access. There were adaptations for wheelchairs which were ramps instead of steps and there was a concession price for disabled people wishing to enter the cathedral. Valencia Cathedral offered a ‘Talking Tour’ with the use of headphones.
Mercado Central / Central Market is one of Valencia’s most famous markets and was fully built in1928. It offered a traditional Spanish fruit and veg market which sold a variety of delicious fresh olives, nuts, cheeses, fish citrus fruits and juices. There was also the opportunity to purchase Spanish wines and beers at very good prices.
We visited the beach via the Metro which was approximately ten stops from the hotel. This is the main attraction of Valencia, which had a concrete promenade all the way along the beachfront which was nice to stroll along, taking in the sea views. It was perfect for wheelchair users as it was nice and flat. There were lots of palm trees along the coast line and promenade which gave it a real Mediterranean feel.
After a day at the coast, we went back to the hotel for a rest and to freshen up before getting a taxi to the entertainment heart of Valencia. Here, we had one of the Spanish traditional Paella dishes for dinner. Paella actually originated from Valencia. Unfortunately the toilets at the restaurant were upstairs; however, the staff were really helpful and allowed me to use their staff toilet which was situated on the ground floor. There was no accessible entrance to the restaurant due to it having steps at the entrance.
Valencia used to have a river flowing through its town but now it has been changed into a beautiful parkway. There are a few nice coffee shops along the parkway. The one that I used had an accessible disabled toilet. The cafes all had outdoor seating.
The L’Oceanografic Aquarium was located just outside of the city centre which was about an hour’s walk. The walk was flat and accessible, therefore not a problem.
On arrival at the aquarium we did have to queue for tickets which took about ten minutes. It is possible to purchase concessionary tickets if you are disabled which is obviously cheaper. The aquarium was fully accessible with ramps and disabled toilets. The café / restaurant was also accessible with a flat walkway and easy to move around between the tables and chairs.
This attraction provided plenty of benches dotted around which enabled seating to view the tanks and different species of fish. These benches were welcomed after walking around a lot during the day. Like customary aquariums, it was quite dark as this atmosphere translates to under water experience for the tropical fish and sea creatures.
After our day at the aquarium, we went back to the hotel and had a rest in the lounge area before our flight home. We had already checked out so our room was no longer in our use.
We got a taxi from the airport to the station where we boarded the Metro to take us to the airport. The main terminal is fully accessible with lifts, escalators and disabled toilet facilities. Soon it was time to head to our gate but we had to board a bus to take us to the gate. We then boarded the plane via steep stairs which were not easy to climb. This was the 9.30pm Easyjet flight, departing from Valencia to London.
Not meaning to put you off a trip to Valencia, but the flight home was the roughest flight I have ever experienced! This is part of the travel experience though!