With a landing around 5pm on 5 April, keep the evening light. From the airport, take Metrovalencia line 3 or 5 to Xàtiva; the ride is about 25 minutes, then allow for waiting, bags and the short walk to accommodation nearby. Check in and take a breather before heading out. A taxi is another option if the children are tired or you have bulky luggage.
From the Xàtiva station area, Plaça de l’Ajuntament is an easy walk. Continue on foot to Plaça de la Reina and Valencia Cathedral, keeping the cathedral interior optional because opening times can vary. The route is compact, and you can shorten it whenever the children have had enough.
Finish at Horchatería Santa Catalina for horchata and fartons, allowing roughly €5–10 per person. Keep dinner simple with something from a nearby bakery or supermarket back at your accommodation; budget around €25–45 for the family. That leaves the holiday’s one paella meal for Thursday by the beach.
Have a simple breakfast near your accommodation, then walk about 10–15 minutes from Xàtiva station to Mercado Central. Browse for fruit, bread and picnic extras; around €20–25 should cover a modest lunch for the family. Check the market’s current opening days and hours before you go.
For the trip to the City of Arts and Sciences, take an EMT bus from the centre towards the complex rather than making the children walk the whole way. Allow roughly 20–30 minutes, depending on the stop and traffic, and check the live route before setting out. Eat your picnic outside before the afternoon activities.
At Museu de les Ciències, one adult goes in with the ten-year-old for about two hours; the other takes the six-year-old to Parque Gulliver. This is the agreed split—not both children doing both outings. Check the museum’s current Tuesday hours, admission and family-ticket options in advance, and agree on a clear meeting point and time at Gulliver.
The playground is a short walk away in the Turia Gardens, so the adult with the younger child can leave room for climbing and sliding without watching the clock too closely. Once the museum visit is over, meet up at the park.
Pick up pizza, sandwiches or similar from a takeaway near the City of Arts and Sciences, allowing roughly €7–12 per person. Take an EMT bus back towards Xàtiva station; check the return route and service on the day. With breakfast, market lunch, snacks and dinner, allow about €65–95 for the family, excluding museum admission.
Keep the rainy day mostly indoors at L’Oceanogràfic. Allow around three hours at a child-friendly pace, stopping for breaks and letting the children choose which exhibits to spend time with. Check tickets and opening details before you go; admission is the main expense today.
From the Xàtiva station area, take Metro line 10 from Alacant to Ciutat Arts i Ciències-Justícia, then walk about 10–15 minutes to the aquarium. Allow roughly 25–35 minutes door to door, and check the route closer to your travel date.
If everyone still has energy, continue to CaixaForum València inside the City of Arts and Sciences complex for about an hour. Check the current exhibitions and admission details in advance; it’s an easy indoor change of pace, but fine to skip if the aquarium has filled the morning.
For lunch, go to Aqua Multiespacio for a covered food-court meal, roughly €10–18 per person depending on what you choose. It’s a practical, low-fuss option in the rain, with food choices for different tastes.
After lunch, take public transport or a taxi back to your accommodation and leave the afternoon free to rest. That’s the plan, not a fallback: there’s no need to fit in an outdoor stroll if the weather is poor or the children are tired. Keep dinner simple near where you’re staying; Thursday remains the day for paella.
Pick up bread, fruit, yoghurt and beach snacks at Consum, then take EMT bus 32 from the centre towards the waterfront; allow roughly 30–40 minutes from near Xàtiva station, depending on the stop and traffic. Check the live route before setting off, as service and journey times can vary. At Platja de la Malva-rosa, leave plenty of time for sand, games and a promenade stroll. April can be breezy and the sea chilly, so pack layers and treat swimming as optional.
Walk along the waterfront to La Pepica for your one paella meal of the holiday. Prices depend on the dish and portion, so check the current menu before ordering; a rough allowance of €20–35 per person is sensible, but confirm the restaurant’s prices for your visit. To keep the family’s food spend for the day near €100, share paella and sides where portions allow and keep breakfast and snacks simple.
After lunch, continue to Platja del Cabanyal for more time on the shore. It’s an easy way to stretch out the beach day, but take a bus or taxi if the children are tired rather than making them walk farther.
Wander around Marina de València for 45–60 minutes, then take public transport back towards Xàtiva station; check the return options on the day, or use a taxi if everyone has had enough. Keep the evening meal simple with anything left from the supermarket shop, and bring an extra layer for the breeze off the water.
Have a relaxed breakfast, then pop into Mercado Central for fruit, pastries or snacks for the journey. It’s a handy way to keep food costs down: allow roughly €3–8 per person for a simple breakfast or snack, depending on what you choose. The market is a short walk from Plaça Redona, so you can fit in a brief wander without turning the morning into a sightseeing dash.
Head back to your accommodation, collect the bags and leave at 11am. Walk to Xàtiva metro station and take Metrovalencia line 3 or 5 towards the airport; both run directly to Valencia Airport. Allow around 25–35 minutes from the station to the airport, including time to reach the platform and wait for a train. Check the service on the day and your airline’s recommended airport arrival time; if that schedule doesn’t leave enough margin, take a taxi instead.
At the airport, buy food only if you need it. A simple café bite might be around €6–12 per person, depending on what you order. Bringing the snacks bought earlier is an easy way to keep the family’s departure-day food spending modest.
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