Northern Spain, Tapas & Coastal Towns
 

We were looking for a good itinerary for our first visit to Spain and liked this one as it includes beach time. Is driving a good option in Spain? The itinerary includes Barcelona, San Sebastian, Basque, Bilbao and Madrid in 15 days. Hotel ideas? Time of year? We were thinking late May into early June to avoid the worst of the tourist season. Any ideas on hotels, car rental, websites, etc. would be more than welcome.

Does it make sense to base in San Sebastian on the beach and make day trips to Basque and Bilbao? Just to avoid the trouble of checking in and out of multiple hotels. Thanks.

Driving in Spain is fine, but it's a bit of a haul from Barcelona to San Sebastián.

Before we moved to Europe, we always rented from AutoEurope, a broker.

Can't help with hotels. Last time we were in San Sebastián (last year), we rented an apartment for a week,did not have a car, and took buses to Bilbao and elsewhere. Every town and city in Europe has an official website, so that's where I'd start my research. For accommodations: booking.com

Have no idea what you mean when you refer to "Basque." The whole territory is part of Basque country. As far as I know, there is no specific place called "Basque." It's a region and an ethnicity.

Overall sounds good - 15 nights, 3 places would seem a nice pace. And yes, I would stay in San Sebastian and explore from there - we stayed at the "grand dame" hotel - Londres and Ingleterra (something like that) and it was pleasant and right on the boardwalk area. It might be nice to have a car to explore that part of your trip but if you get one, you might want to look for a hotel / accommodation with parking - it is difficult in the main part of the city. Be aware it rains frequently in that part of the world and may limit your beach time.

"Basque" is the Basque Country and both SAn Sebastian and Bilbao are cities that are on it. San Sebastian may be a good base, as is also Bilbao, but take into account that this is a very rainy area and beach may not be an option for some of the time.