Getting Here

Getting Here

Bilbao's airport at Sondika, 12 km (7 mi) outside the city, has frequent international flights. There are smaller airports at Santander, Hondarribia (serving San Sebastián), Vitoria, Logroño, and Pamplona.

Santander and Bilbao are linked year-round to Plymouth, England, by twice-weekly car ferries run by Brittany Ferries. Book at least six weeks in advance in summer. A 24-hour, twice-weekly ferry between Bilbao and Portsmouth is operated by Ferries Golfo de Vizcaya. For ferries to Vigo and west, Vapores Suardiaz runs carriers during the summer.

Daily bus service connects the major cities to Madrid, Zaragoza, and Barcelona (and with a layover or transfer to Spain's other destinations). From Madrid, call the bus company Continental Auto for details, or go to the station at Calle Alenza 20. Even better, reserve online at www.alsa.es. Bus service between cities and smaller towns is comprehensive, but few have central bus stations; most have numerous bus lines leaving from various points in town.

Santander, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Pamplona, Vitoria, and Logroño are served by direct trains from Madrid's Chamartín or Puerta de Atocha stations and, with a transfer or two, virtually every major city in Spain. Trains are not the ideal way to travel here, but many cities are connected by RENFE trains. Also, the regional company FEVE runs a delightful narrow-gauge train that winds through stunning landscapes. From San Sebastián, lines west to Bilbao and east to Hendaye depart from Estación de Amara; most long-distance trains use Estación del Norte.