Fallas in Valencia: how to get there when the centre is closed
The main days of Fallas in Valencia fall on 15-19 March. During those days the city looks like a Michael Bay film set: the crash of firecrackers, smoke, fire and crowds of onlookers. The airport works as usual, and the road into the city is the same as ever. The trouble starts at your hotel or flat in the centre: in the last days of the festival the centre is closed to cars, and not everyone is let in.
What the festival is about
The fallas are huge figures made of wood and papier-mâché, built by falla artists and set up on the streets and squares of Valencia. Most of them depict famous people and the events of the year, with humour and satire. The children's fallas go up on 15 March, the big ones on the 16th, and on the evening of 19 March, from 20:00 to 23:00, they are burned one after another: this is the cremà. UNESCO has added Fallas to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
When and where the centre is closed
The organisers have not yet published the programme for Fallas 2027, so the best guide is last year. In 2026 the city council announced the rules on 16 March: from 15:00 that day until 4:00 on 20 March, traffic was banned across the whole inner zone. Its boundary runs along the right bank of the old Turia riverbed and the wide avenues around the old town.
In 2026 the vehicles allowed into the zone were city buses, taxis, service vehicles and emergency vehicles. Residents could drive in if they showed a document proving they live at the address, and the council advised them to drive in between 6:30 and 11:00. It is a bit like a party at Gatsby's: strictly guest list only, except that instead of an invitation they check your proof of address. During the Ofrenda, the parades and the night-time fireworks, the closures spread to several more streets.
Cars with a VTC licence, and so transfers, are not on that list. So the driver will drop you at the edge of the closed zone, and from there the walking part of your trip begins.
What to include when you book
The more precise the address, the easier it is for the driver to choose which side of the closed zone to approach from. Give the street number, and in the app chat write the name of your hotel or the nearest square. If you know which street on the edge of the zone is closest to you, add that too.
With a suitcase you will walk more slowly than usual through the festival crowds: the streets are packed with people, brass bands and fallas that everyone stops to look at or photograph. Allow extra time for the walk, especially if you land between 16 and 19 March.
On a normal day, a transfer from Valencia airport to the city centre takes ~21 min and costs from €28 per car. The price is fixed when you book and does not change, even if the closures force the driver to take a detour.
If you are flying in for Fallas via Barcelona, book a car to Valencia straight from Barcelona airport or, if you are already in the city, from Barcelona. The driver will drop you at the edge of the closed zone in just the same way.
The metro during the festival
In 2026 the Valencia metro ran non-stop for 168 hours, from Friday 13 March to the night of 19-20 March. A whole week without closing: for the festival, Valencia more or less cancelled the night. Lines 3 and 5 run from the airport to the centre, and the journey takes about 20 minutes. But from 14 to 19 March, Xàtiva and Colón stations were closed from 12:30 to 14:30: at 14:00 the mascletà starts in the town hall square, and huge crowds head there.
We explain how the airport metro works on normal days and what a ticket costs in our article on how to get from Valencia airport.
Staying outside the centre
If you would rather sleep further away from the fireworks and not drag a suitcase through closed-off streets, look at the coast south of Valencia. The C1 commuter train runs from València Nord station to Cullera and Gandia, but from the airport it is easier to go straight to where you are staying: to Cullera, to Gandia or to Denia, where there is no train at all.
If you land at night
Valencia airport is open around the clock, and at night the road into the city is the same as during the day. The closures in the centre, however, stay in place through the night during the festival, until 4:00 on 20 March. The driver tracks the flight number and arrives in time for the actual landing. There is no surcharge for a delayed flight or for night-time.
Frequently asked questions
Will the car take me all the way to my hotel in central Valencia during Fallas?
If your hotel is inside the closed zone, expect the car to stop at the edge of it: in the city council's 2026 rules, VTC cars are not among the vehicles allowed into the zone.
When is the centre of Valencia closed to traffic for Fallas?
In 2026 traffic in the inner zone was banned from 15:00 on 16 March until 4:00 on 20 March. The council has not yet announced the rules for 2027: in 2026 they were published on 16 March, the first day of the closures.
Is Valencia airport open during Fallas?
Yes, the airport is open around the clock, including the festival days. The road into the city is the same; only the approach to an address in the centre changes.
Should I take the metro or a transfer from Valencia airport during Fallas?
If you are travelling light and staying near a station, the metro is more convenient: in 2026 it ran around the clock during the festival. If you have suitcases or children with you, a transfer will take you to the edge of the closed zone, and you will know the price in advance. Bear in mind that Xàtiva and Colón stations close from 12:30 to 14:30 on mascletà days.
Where should I stay for Fallas in Valencia if I want to avoid the night-time noise?
On the coast south of Valencia, for example in Cullera or Gandia. The C1 commuter train runs there from Valencia, but in both towns the station is a long way from the beach.
You book in the Let's GO app or on the website: enter the pick-up address and the destination, and the price appears straight away, before you confirm.
Photos: Distritofallas, Ponscor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Noapme, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0