I'm wondering about the landscape from San Sebastian to Madrid. I don't know anything about the countryside and am wondering if I'd enjoy taking the train from San Sebastian instead of flying.

Any opinions on this matter?

I did this train trip in October thinking it would be interesting............next time I will go back to flying! Not really interesting at all and too long........ 5hrs-they do show a movie but no-one seemed to watch it!Even when you add the time to/from airports, flying was more pleasant.

It's fine if you want to drive and take a few days to make the trip, otherwise we fly.

Thanks for the replies. I guess I will fly also.

There is also an overnight train I believe - saves time and hotel cost. www.renfe.es or www.raileurope.com - RailEurope now taps into the RENFE or Spanish railways web site with same prices, including discounts, but tacks on 4 euros or so to each ticket - could find some nifty discounts online perhaps. (Many folks have found difficulties with www.renfe.es so why I also give www.raileurope.com

Good grief, you'd have to be crazy to fly. These two places are in the same country, not on different continents.

Flying such a short distance is for business travellers in a mad rush, the rest of us take out time, stay on the ground and go stress-free, centre to centre by train with a glass of wine and a good book, seeing Spain at ground level.

The 08:42 train arrives Madrid 14:00, or there's a 16:39 train that arrives Madrid 22:00. That's centre to centre with zero check-in time, and no need to struggle out to remote airports. Both a clean, modern air-conditioned 'Alvia' trains.

Book at www.renfe.com.

Fares start at just 21 euros 'web' fare in Turista, or 33 euros in Preferente (1st class).

I guess that I am crazy per Man_in_seat_61.
I've taken the train AND flown and from personal experience can write that flying is much easier. The airport into San Sebastian is by no means remote. The entire door to door experience took me about 3 hours - leaving hotel to arriving new hotel. This is twice as quick as taking the train. Note - if you add an additional hour of transport time you alternatively could fly into Bilbao as the rates are often very good. There's a bus at the airport (timed to catch arriving flights) that goes nonstop to San Sebastian.

I'm with CathyM, having covered this route at least a dozen time in the last couple of years, flying most of the time, driving only when we have a few days to spare. It would be different if they had the AVE on this route, but that's not going to happen until the tracks for the Y train are ready.

As stated before, I've now done both train and plane and will go back to flying! The ride on the frequent airport bus to the center-cheap-and interesting. On the way back I always stop in Hondarribia - a few minutes away from the lovely little airport.

Has anyone flown from Paris to San Sebastian?

I've flown Paris to Bilbao then taken the airport bus directly to San Sebastian. Very easy and I love the Bilbao airport.

As far as I know there are no direct flights from Paris to the San Sebastian airport. It's still a regional airport, no international flights. Iberia is the only carrier serving the airport. You can fly from Paris to Biarritz and transfer from there.

do you go to Europe to see a few cities and airports or to also see the lay of the land in between?

Thanks for the responses about Paris to SS. Vueling has flights that go thru Barcelona, but time wise is same as taking train. I do agree that I love taking trains on vacation. We took train from Madrid to SS last spring and I really enjoyed going thru towns and countryside. Usually after you have gotten to airport, checked in an hour before and then done the same on the other end, your train trip was about the same time, but more pleasant. We will probably take TGV to Hendaye and then short trip over border to SS.

"We will probably take TGV to Hendaye and then short trip over border to SS."

You have three options, TOPO, Taxi or bus. I would opt for a taxi if you have luggage, but you should pick up the taxi in Irun, not Hendaye.