any suggestion/recommendation on budget/inexpensive but good quality hotels in san sebastian? also, is it ok to base yourself in san sebastian then go down to pamplona for running of the bulls for a day? appreciate the response. ben

Go to the bus station and buy your ticket for the day you plan to leave for Pamplona. You can buy it earlier than the day you will leave. Just be sure to tell them the day of your departure. English is spoken usually. Look for the Roncalisa bus company. There is a 7:15 am bus, a 9:00 am bus and others. Be sure to pick up a schedule if you plan on roundtrip. Each way is about 1 hour ride, easy trip. Our experience is to get to the station early with our ticket in hand because there will be crowds. You can easily walk to the bus station from the city if you prefer. We've done it five years in a row so there should be no problem except for crowds both in San Sebastian (Donosti) an Pamplona. Be careful of the drunks in Pamplona.

About 3 yeas ago we stayed at the Park Hotel. I can't tell you an address but it is right across from the then-being-built convention centre. The Park is a family run hotel, not expensive, with friendly people on staff. There is a public underground car park quite close to the hotel which we used for the nights we were there. If you can find a map of San Sebastien you may be able to approximately locate the hotel.

Ben,<BR><BR>Check this web with 1* and 2* hotels.<BR>http://www.paisvasco.net/turismorecept/index.html<BR><BR>Also recommended Pension Alemana and Pension Aldamar. If you are going to take the bus to Pamplona, you´d better get a hotel/pension near the bus station - Plaza de Pio XII, Amara.<BR><BR>If you need more info about San Sebastian, ask me!!.<BR><BR>Cristina

thanks a lot thomas, norma and cristina. <BR><BR>cristina,<BR>which hotels you mentioned are centrally located between the train and bus stations? <BR>ben

The closest hotels to Bus Station are Hotel Amara Plaza 4* (right on the station) and Hotel Anoeta 3*. I do not know what´s your budget but they both will problably be around 90-100$ in july. On the train Station there is also a hotel, Hotel Terminus. There are also several hostels and pensions like Pensi&oacute;n Amara and Pensi&oacute;n Maite. Anyways, San Sebastian is not a big city and there is a regular bus service from the city center to the bus station (every 5-7 mins)so if you are going to stay a few days you´d better be lodged in the centeroulevard-, Calle San Martin , Calle Urbieta where there is a wider offer of hotels/hostels and pensions. <BR><BR>I think all of the hotels and pensions metioned are in http://www.paisvasco.net/turismorecept/index.html, check also <BR>http://www.hotelsearch.com/cgi-bin/hotelsearch/search?language=1&municipality=san+sebastian&Munic ipalityOrName=municipality<BR><BR>It depends on your budget and the location you prefer.<BR><BR>Let me know if you need more info,<BR><BR>Cristina