Bilbao, Spain — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Airlines operating flights to Bilbao from the UK include easyJet, Vueling Airlines, Spanair, Air France and bmi.
Bilbao Airport
Tel: (94) 486 9663 or 902 404 704.
Website: www.aena.es
Bilbao Airport is located some 12km (7.5 miles) away from the city, in the Loiu district, and is one of Spain's busiest airports.
Airport facilities
Airport facilities include a restaurant, several cafes, shops, banks, currency exchange facilities and ATMs. There are two VIP lounges. There is also a tourist information office at the departure terminal and a travel agency.
Transport to the city
The bus that links Bilbao and the airport is Bizkaibus A3247, a yellow urban bus running between the bus stop outside of the arrivals terminal and Termibús, the main bus terminal in Bilbao. Buses depart every 30 minutes from early in the morning until late in the evening. There are taxis at the airport at all times - the journey into the city center takes around 15 minutes and costs around €20. Car hire is also available.
Getting There By Road
Bilbao traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years old. Speed limits are 120kph (74mph) on motorways and 50kph (31mph) within towns, unless otherwise stated. A valid driving license and third-party insurance are required to drive in Spain. National licenses from EU countries are accepted, although drivers are advised to obtain an International Driving Permit. A Green Card is strongly recommended for all visitors and is compulsory for those from outside the EU. * The speed limit on motorways in Spain has temporarily been reduced to 110kph (68mph). The new limit will remain in effect until the end of June 2011 at the earliest. The slowdown is intended to save energy in response to the surge in oil prices sparked by the unrest in Libya and elsewhere in the Arab world.
Emergency breakdown services
Real Automóvil Club de España (tel: 902 300 505).
Routes to the city
A network of motorways and highways converges on Bilbao. The city can be reached by the A8, which is connected to Donostia-San Sebastian and the French border at Irun, and by the A68, which connects with Barcelona and the A7 along the Mediterranean coast. Bilbao is connected to Burgos by the A68 and to Valladolid by the Autovía de Castilla (Castile Freeway). From there the Autovia del Norte (Northern Freeway) leads to Madrid. Bilbao is connected to Santander by the Autovía del Cantábrico (Cantabrian Freeway).
Driving times to the city
From Santander - 1 hour; Burgos - 1 hour 30 minutes; Valladolid - 2 hours 30 minutes; Madrid - 4 hours.
Coach services
Bilbao's main bus station is the bus terminal Termibús, next to the exchange station of San Mamés. Termibús connects with the San Mamés metro station, the tramway and the Renfe short-distance rail lines. Alsa (tel: (91) 327 0540; www.alsa.es) operates routes to most of the cities in Spain, as well as routes between Bilbao and cities in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, UK and Switzerland. PESA (tel: 902 101 210; www.pesa.net) operates the bus connection between Bilbao and San Sebastian, while La Union (tel: (94) 427 1111; www.autobuseslaunion.es) operates the routes from Vitoria, Pamplona and Logroño. Bizkaibus (tel: 902 22 22 65; www.bizkaia.net) is a bus road network connecting Bilbao to all the districts in Vizcaya.
Getting There By Rail
Bilbao is well connected by rail to other cities in Spain.
Rail Services
Bilbao has three railway stations, operated by three different companies: Abando Station, Concordia Station and Atxuri Station. All are within the city and are walking distance from old and new towns.
Rail Operators
Renfe (tel: 902 109 420 or 902 320 320; www.renfe.es), Spain's national railway company, offers services from Abando Station to a range of destinations including Alicante, Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga and Valladolid-Salamanca. Feve (Ferrocarriles Españoles de Vía Estrecha), otherwise known as the Spanish Narrow Gauge Railway, (tel: (94) 425 06 15; www.feve.es), operates from Concordia Station to Santander and León.
Feve owns the longest narrow gauge line in Europe, stretching over 1,200km (745 miles). Euskotren (tel: (94) 433 9500 or 902 543 210; www.euskotren.es), run by the Basque government, offers services from Atxuri Station, connecting with Donostia-San Sebastian and the coast of Biscay, via Gernika and Bermeo.
Connections
From Barcelona – 9 hours 30 minutes; from Madrid – 7 to 9 hours; Lisbon –15 hours; Paris - 16 hours; Milan - 25 hours; Frankfurt - 22 hours.
Getting Around in Bilbao, Spain
Public Transport
Bilbao's public transport system is excellent, with a good bus network in addition to the metro and tram. Bilbobús (www.bilbao.net/bilbobus) routes cover all the districts in Bilbao with more than 30 lines. There are also six night buses. Metro Bilbao (tel: (94) 425 4025; www.metrobilbao.net), with its stylish fosteritos has two metro lines. Line 1 (Etxebarri-Plentzia) links Bilbao stations to the right-bank districts. Line 2 (Etxebarri-Santurtzi) links Bilbao stations to the left-bank districts. Tram lines, run by Euskotran (tel: 902 543 210; www.euskotran.es), have been gradually extended to cover an area linking Atxuri to Basurto. There is a central stretch across the district of Abandoibarra, with stops by some of Bilbao's architectural landmarks, such as the Arriaga Theater, the Guggenheim Museum and the Euskalduna Palace.
Taxis
Radio Tele-Taxi (tel: (94) 410 2121 or 421 8750), Radio Taxi Bilbao (tel: (94) 444 8888) and Radio Taxi Nervion (tel: (94) 426 9026 or 422 2411) are reliable taxi companies in Bilbao.
Driving in the City
Driving around Bilbao is as easy as any city in Spain. Expect pushy driving, but decent roads. The layout of the city is quite complicated but well signposted, and the Old Town is a pedestrian zone. There are underground car parks throughout the city, and pay-and-display street parking, but watch out for residents-only zones.
Car Hire
Car hire in Bilbao is available from Avis (tel: (94) 427 5760; www.avis.com), Europcar (tel: (94) 471 0133 (airport); www.europcar.com) and Hertz (tel: (94) 415 3677; www.hertz-europe.com).
Bicycle Hire
You can hire bicycles and scooters from Alquimoto (tel: (94) 401 2563; www.alquimoto.com). The Town Hall (tel: (94) 447 9206; www.bilbao.net) has a regular program in the spring and autumn seasons for renting out bikes free of charge.
