Basque Country trip for family of 6
 

My husband and I are taking our 4 adult children to explore Paris and the Basque region of Spain. We are spending 4 nights in Paris and then plan to spend 5 nights in San Sebastian as our home base, taking day trips from there. We will finish in Barcelona for 3 nights before flying home. My question is whether we should add an extra night to San Sebastian and take a day trip to Bilbao or is it worth it to spend one night in Bilbao and fly straight from there to Barcelona? I appreciate any suggestions on this as well as day trip must dos from San Sebastian.

www.maribelsguides.com has online guides for both the Basque areas of Spain and France. Barcelona too. They were invaluable to us when traveling in the interesting and beautiful Basque areas.

Thank you for the tip...I'll be sure to check it out!

San Sebastian is my favourite place on the planet, but I would suggest you spend one night in wonderful, vibrant and very different grand sister city Bilbao: http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...ilbao-tourism/

<day trip must dos from San Sebastian>

Three suggestions:

1) Small fishing village Getaria just west of San Sebastian, home town of Juan Sebastian Elcano, the first who completed a circumnavigation of the earth. Several fabulous restaurants down in the small harbour. Had one of the best meals of my life here. Something like this: http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2007/...-in-getar.html
About Getaria: http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...taria-tourism/

2) Picturesque Donibane/San Juan just 5 km east of San Sebastian. I use to take first time vistors to the area to a lunch here. Several fine waterfront restaurants. The bus leaves from Plaza de Guipúzcoa in central San Sebastián about once an hour and takes some 30 mins. You can also walk there along the stunningly beautiful coast in a couple of hours: http://www.euroresidentes.com/eurore...s/san-juan.htm

Restaurante Txulotxo: http://www.restaurantetxulotxo.com/index.html
All six restaurants in Donibane: http://www.etxekar.net/donigastronomia.html#

3) Tolosa, the historic capital of Guipúzcoa, is just inland from San Sebastian? http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...olosa-tourism/

Here's a fabulous video intro to the food culture in Tolosa; the best steaks in the world and the famous Tolosa beans:
Tolosa steaks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOaLtnbKOos
Tolosa beans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAoT3fPIACc

Bilbao is always a very pleasant, unexpected surprise to everyone. It surpasses San Sebastian in many aspects...being one of them the absence of "tourist traps"...still untouched by massive tourism and full of authentic flavor.

Kaixo! And hopefully it will remain so for the seeable future!

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions! It looks like we will have plenty to explore! One question I have is it easier to travel from San Sebastian to Barcelona or Bilbao to Barcelona or is it about the same. This may determine whether or not we spend the night in Bilbao or just do a day trip. I'm thinking with our limited days, we will most likely fly.

More frequent and more affordable flights from Bilbao (quite big international airport) to Barcelona.