“We had a fantastic stay in Esther and Vicente's flat! We loved the city of Valencia which we would never have thought to go to if we hadn't been offered this swap. What a gem of a place! Initially we were a little apprehensive about a city break with a 6-year-old (and 14-year-old) but we needn't have been as the flat is a perfect location - it is a short walk to a great many family-friendly activities - the river park, the museum of arts and science which has stand-on boats children can hire, and the amazing aquarium, among other things. It was very easy to get around the city by bike or bus once we had worked how how to buy electronic tickets through the EMT app. The flat is also in walking distance of the old city which is beautiful, and even closer to the trendy bohemian area of Russafa which is full of great independent shops, cafes, restaurants, especially great for vegetarians and vegans which we were pleased about. There were also a selection of beaches, we liked the wilder one a little of the beaten track which is only a 10-15 minutes from the flat. Well in advance Esther sent us a brilliant document full of suggestions about where to go in and around the city. We were very grateful for the local knowledge as we'd never have found some of our favourite places there without it. The apartment building is a small, attractive period block with lift (the flat is on the 3rd floor) in a leafy avenue just off the main road, so very convenient without being too busy. The only drawback was that it does not have air-conditioning and it was very hot there in the August heat - 35-40 degrees every day, and not much less at night (hence 4 our of 5 stars for comfort). However, Esther and Vicente were very responsive and immediately sourced large fans for us and offered to pay for them which was much appreciated. I assume these will be available for future guests and they made the heat bearable. There is already a ceiling fan in the master bedroom which is very effective. It is also possible to get a lovely through breeze as there are huge windows at the front and back of the apartment. The bedding, towels etc we're all first class, and the large selection of children's toys and bikes left for us were great. As guests in our house, Esther, Vicente and their two daughters could not have been better! They looked after our house and our cat beautifully and we came home to a very clean house with a freshly made tortilla in the fridge, bottle of wine, new record for our collection, and lovely note. They were also very responsive when we had little questions about their flat and getting around Valencia. This was a very positive first swapping experience for us and I can highly recommend Esther, Vicente and family as guests and their flat in the wonderful city of Valencia for a holiday! ”
