Bulls in Pamplona
 

How packed is the city during the San Fermin Festival? What else is there to do in and around Pamplona? My son is deciding where he wants to go for his graduation present (in 2011). Since it is so far off I haven't looked at any books yet, but I would like to get an idea of what is possible.

Thanks.

The city receives an average influx of somewhere around 100,000 visitors a day during the 9 day fiesta. Most of the visitors are from Spain and France with several thousand arriving daily from outside the area and around the world. The city itself has a population of around 190,000, not including the neighboring communities.

Pamplona is the capital of Navarra, one of the wealthiest areas of Spain. Navarra is a major food and wine producer. Pamplona is the area’s major business center. The University of Navarra has a top rated medical school and research center.

The Fiesta de San Fermín is a major religious festival in Navarra and very family oriented. The encierro, the running of the bulls, coincides with the fiesta. It's an important part of the overall festival, but there is so much more to do once the bulls run in the morning. You can check www.sanfermin.com, www.iberiantraveler.com and www.pamplona.es/ for additional information on the fiesta and the city.

One book you can read is Ray Mouton’s “Pamplona, Running the bulls, bars and barrios”. It should be available at Amazon.com. It’s probably the best book in regards to the fiesta in Pamplona.

It's extremely packed.

Your son could spend the majority of his time in San Sebastian and take the train or bus to Pamplona for a day or two of the festival. That is what I did when I was 21!

San Sebastian-Donostia is very busy during July. Finding a place to stay can be a challenge.

The bus is crowded with people traveling to and from the fiesta in Pamplona. The train takes a bit over 3 hours and only runs a couple of times a day.

Thank you all. We will start our research soon.