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Seven essential apps that make life in Valencia easier for foreign residents

The Local (news@thelocal.com)
The Local ([email protected])
Seven essential apps that make life in Valencia easier for foreign residents
Here are some phone apps that will help you navigate life in Valencia more smoothly. Photo: Pedro Ramiro/Unsplashh

Valencia is one of the world's most liveable cities, but there are still several ways you can make living there easier. Here are seven apps that will improve your life as a foreign resident.

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Valencia is a fantastic city that flies under the radar a bit. Most tourists visit Madrid or Barcelona, or stick to expat hotspots further down the coast, but Valencia has incredible weather, food, architecture, and people.

It's not as frantic as the two bigger Spanish cities and has everything you could ever need.

It's also a popular place with foreign residents. In fact, the Mediterranean coastal city was recently named the best city for foreign residents in the entire world. 

READ ALSO: Spain’s Valencia named best city in the world for foreign residents

But like anywhere in the world, Valencia does have certain quirks and peculiarities and there are some tricks that can make your life a whole easier here.

Fortunately, The Local has broken down the 7 essential apps that make Valencia a little easier for foreign residents. 

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Valenbisi

Most major cities have their own bike rental system and Valencia is no different. In fact, the south-eastern city is great for cycling, as it's not too big and incredibly flat. The submerged Turia Gardens (in the old riverbed) that surround the Old Town and run through the city towards the Museum of Arts and Sciences, are particularly enjoyable.

Luckily, there’s no need to bring your own bike when you move here, which can often take up a lot of space in small apartments. Instead, you can use the brilliant Valenbisi system, where you’ll have a bike available to you 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, with stops spread all over the city.

The Valenbisi app enables you to find the nearest stations and how full they are in real-time, unlock the bike from the station and notify you of your routes.

Find out how to sign up for the subscription here.

AppValència

AppValència is the official app of the ayuntamiento, Valencia's town hall.

It's basically the go-to app for anything you'd want to do at the town hall, such as registering your residency in the padrón or paying taxes, as well as a whole host of other official administrative stuff. It also gives you live traffic updates, lets you check how many Valenbisi bikes are available close to your live location, order taxis, and sends you alerts on local holidays and police advice.

AppValència is available to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play, and you can read more about it here.

EMT Valencia

The EMT app is your go-to place for all things public transport in Valencia and is available in Valenciano, Spanish and English.

Using your location, EMT Valencia allows you to search and plan routes across the city using all modes of transport, view every bus, tram and metro station, get information on ticket prices, top-up your travel card, and even give live updates on delays, route changes and diversions.

It's available for download in the Apple and Google Play stores, and you can read more about it and scan a QR code here.

READ ALSO: 11 Valencia life hacks that will make you feel like a local

Phenix

Phenix is an anti-food waste app that allows you to save money, help the environment and support local businesses. This app basically lets you snap up food products that are going to be thrown out at bargain prices, in the form of a 'surprise basket'.

With over 150 local Valencian shops, restaurants, cafes, and butchers already signed up, there's even a great deal of variety to choose from.

It's simple to use: download the app here, activate your geolocation, choose the local stores that most appeal to you, pay securely through the app, and then go and pick up your basket at the store at the time slot given to you. 

READ ALSO: Do I need to learn Valencian if I live in Spain’s Valencia region?

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Yego Scooters

You might've seen Yego in other major cities around the world. These distinctive lime green electric scooters are an environmentally friendly way to travel around the city and avoid traffic at the same time.

Starting at around €0.30 a minute (which includes the fully-charged scooter, helmet, and insurance) they are also affordable, and allow you to ride around a green zone called the YEGO 'activity zone' which covers pretty much the entirety of central Valencia, including the Old Town.

The YEGO app allows you to both locate and book your scooter as well as unlock it and start the engine in just one tap. 

You can find out more about the YEGO activity zone here, and download the app here as well as via the Apple and Google Play stores.

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Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go is another app that allows you to get your hands on food that would otherwise be thrown out.

According to the Too Good To Go website, a staggering 5,600 tons of food are thrown away every week in the Valencia region, which means around 300,000 tons are wasted every year.

Not only is that bad for the environment, but it also means that you can take advantage of loads of perfectly good (and tasty) food that would otherwise be thrown out.

You can download the app here, and through the Apple App Store, Google Play y Huawei AppGallery. From there, you can browse the various local restaurants and businesses partnered with Too Good To Go, including Dulce de Leche and Lizarrán and arrange to pick up your food from a nearby location. 

TikEat

TikEat is an all-in-one restaurant review and reservations app that gives you a premium pass to eat in your city and helps you enjoy some of Valencia's best restaurants. 

The search portal allows you to find restaurants close to you, view the menu, see availability, make reservations, and can even give you directions. TikEat has everything you could need to have an excellent lunch or dinner in Valencia.

You can download the app here as well as through both the Apple and Google stores.

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