Spain - Use San Sebastian as the hub?
 

I posted this yesterday but think I put it in the wrong category. Hope I get it right this time!
We plan to spend 5 days in the Basque area in early April. At first I thought we would spend a couple of days in San Sebastian, rent a car and drive around the area for 3 more days staying someplace different each night.

I am now having second thoughts about this. My boyfriend is getting on in years and this might be too much for him. Do you think staying in San Sebastian for 5 nights and taking day trips is a good idea? Would it be better to explore taking train or bus on day trips?

What is the driving like in that area? Would it feel rushed to rent a car and do day trips from San Sebastian? Which nearby towns do you recommend visiting?

Thanks, as always, for your help!

I think it would depend on how far you would like to day trip. You could also not rent a car at all, base in SS and use the bus for your day trips. The car gives you more flexiblity, but parking in SS is expensive and a hassle.

I would either spend all five nights in SS or split it 3/2.

I would recommend to stay in fabulous San Sebastián and do day-trips. You can go along the coastline towards vibrant Bilbao. Along this stretch you find great little villages such as Getraia, Mutriku, Lekeitio etc. Not at least excellent sea-food.

Along the coast towards France, I recommend to visit pictoresque little Donibane/San Juan or Hondarribia/Fuenterrabia close to the French border. Much smaller than San Sebastián, but well worth a visit.

You can also go inland to Tolosa or Hernani.

All these places would be within one hour from San Sebastián by the excellent public transportation in the area, mostly buses (Bilbao is 1h 15mins).

Thanks!!!!
I have really been obsessing about this. You have convinced me since you both agree. Stay in SS and take buses to visit nearby towns for the day.

We will be staying in Bilbao for 2 nights before we head to San Sebastian. Do you think I should cut that down to one night and have the extra time in SS?

Kimhe - thank you for your advise about which towns to go to. I have read about some of the towns you mention and will definatly head in that direction.

Bilbao is definitely worth two nights. I'm sure you know about the Guggenheim museum: http://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao

Apart from that, Bilbao has plenty to offer. Here are some suggestions from a local, both about things to do and where to eat:
http://mugalari.wordpress.com/2010/0...ar-the-basics/
http://mugalari.wordpress.com/2010/0...ably-never-go/

And if you are in Bilbao the 9th of April, you might be in for a real treat. Then the 26 year old dance genious Rocío Molina premieres her new show in Teatro Barakaldo just outside town. She recently won the Premio Nacional de Danza, the most prestigious award in Spanish dance.

Through the past few years she has been praised by Spanish critics for creating a new school in flamenco dance, and she has toured the most prestigious stages in Spain, US, UK, the rest of Europe and in the Middle East to full houses and raving reviews. Little more than a year ago New York Times presented her as "one of the finest soloists in the world today".

I would regrettably not have the chance to see the performance in Bilbao, but plan to be there when she stages it in Sevilla in May.

Here in Oro viejo/Old gold (2008): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_sV6R14Mrs

San Sebastian is absolutely worth spending 5 nights. You won't want to leave town but if you do the bus and train system is excellent and rentals are very expensive. If you want to experience a night in one of the beautiful, quiet towns like Lekeitio or Getaria, spend one night in Bilbao, one in Lekeitio and then head to San Sebastian and enjoy the 5 nights, they go fast. It does rain there a lot though.

The Pays Basque in France is a nice day trip and it's not far from San Sebastian: St-Jean de Luz and the villages in the foothills of the Pyreenes..Ascain, Ainhoa, Espellette, Sare..

HappyTrvlr, We have a night or two between San Sebastian and Paris-do you think St. Jean de Luz would be a good spot to visit on our way to Paris?

Kimhe:

Thanks for the articles - already printed with maps done. Getting really excited. I CANNOT believe you are mentioning Rocio Molina. I saw her dance in New York last winter and fell in love with her! So much so that I came home and watched her You Tube stuff over and over again. She is amazing and exciting. Regrettably, we will not be in Bilbao for her performance. By then it will be Madrid.

Egbert & Happy Trvlr: The problem I always have is wanting to cram too much into the time I allot for a trip. I was planning to spend a couple of days in SS and then a couple of days going to other towns.

You all have so many wonderful suggestions it is hard to figure which places to go to especially since we will not have a car. So, not able to go from one town to another on a single day. We were going to spend 3 days in Madrid but the more I look at Basque Country, the more I think I just might change my ticket and stay there.

I have some homework to do and look at all of the towns you mention before I change my ticket. Now we are leaving for Barcelona 3/29 and leaving Madrid for USA 4/13. It is a total of 14 nights but maybe I should leave Madrid for another trip.

Thanks to all of you for your enthusiasm and advice. Much appreciated.

Funny about Rocío Molina. Seen her seven times during the past three years...

Here the fabulous Guajira from Oro viejo little more than a week ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1UppjudfVs

Three places along the coast:

I always take first time vistors to San Sebastián to close by San Juan/Donibane for a great lunch at the waterfront. Frequent buses from central San Sebastián takes some 30 mins.
http://www.euroresidentes.com/eurore...s/san-juan.htm

Had the meal of my life in the harbour area in charming Getaria back in 1996. Expensive, but you'll never forget it: http://thepauperedchef.com/2007/12/elkano-in-getar.html

Maybe stay overnight in Getaria in Hotel Saiaz.
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/geta...hotela.en.html

Lekeitio closer to Bilbao is also well worth a visit. Mikel, who lives in Bilbao, strongly recommends Lekeitio:
http://mugalari.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/lekeitio/

Thank you so much! Last night I was rethinking this trip and need to discuss with my boyfriend since our tickets are all paid for. I hate to incur the expense of changing our tickets.

Kimhe, partly due to you telling me about the performance in Bilbao. We were supposed to be in San Sebastian by then but it might be worth coming back to Bilbao or just staying there a little longer in order to catch the performance. I will look up her dance schedule and decide from there. Don't even know if tickets will be available.

Am seriously thinking to scrap the whole Madrid thing and spend the extra 3 days in San Sebastian area. I looked up all of those towns last night and will look up the others you mention tonight. They look AMAZING and it will be a calmer experience this way.

I should have thought this out more carefully before I paid for the ticket. Oh well...live and learn.

Thanks again for all your help.

How long is your trip? Is it only 5 days? I have reread your post but maybe I missed it. We were in the basque country for one week and it wasn't nearly enough.

Tickets for Rocío Molina in Teatro Barakaldo are available on http://www.generaltickets.com/. I've used it several times and no problems. If you have problems with the language, I'm sure one of your hotels are happy to help you.

I have very high expectations for this work. She has announced that she is turning more back to her roots from her past two and very innovative productions, especially the latest. Perhaps more in line with Almario (Soul closet), her definitive breakthrough in 2007 when everyone spoke about a new school being created? Voted best flamenco dancer by Spanish critics both in 2008 and 2009. Probably she will surprise everone once again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUlWnXGUVLw

Here's another fabulous clip, from Barcelona last spring. Then one of the two most influential flamenco magazines described her as a "new Carmen Amaya". Amaya (1913-1963) is widely held to be the greatest flamenco dancer of all times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-jNDBUZ_So

But as you know, nothing beats seeing her live...

Is there a place one can find information on the bus system in San Sebastian to use for day trips as suggested by kimhe above ?? We will be in SS in late May for 4 days and would like to do some exploation of the smaller towns and countryside.

The tourist office at Boulevard, 8 will give all the information you need. The buses to the nearby towns mentioned above leaves from different places in central San Sebastián, many from nice Plaza Guipúzcoa or from Avda de la Libertad.

The bus to Bilbao leaves from the bus station, about one km south of the center towards the Anoeta sports stadium. PESA buses run every 30 mins (70 mins to Bilbao).
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/horariosBD/ctrl_horarios.php

Bus: www.alsa.es
train (in Basque country): www.euskotren.es

If you have 4 days in San Sebastian I would enjoy them and not try to see too many things out of town. If you must,I recommend a daytrip to Getaria for lunch at Elkano or Kaia, it's almost a must.

Micheline:
We have a total of 14 nights for the trip. Originally it was to be 6 days in Barcelona, 1 in Bilbao, 4 in SS, 2 for Madrid and 1 for Toldeo. It is all changing as a result of these great Fodor posts. Tomorrow I will change my ticket to be in Barcelona 6, Bilbao 2 and 6 for SS. Will make it so I can catch the performance kimhe informed me about and am TOTALLY PSYCHED!!!

kimhe: THANK YOU so much. I just looked at the link you sent and watching her dance just gives me such excitement and exhilaration. I just wrote to the theater to find out about buying tickets. Much of the reason I am changing things around is because you told me about Rocio Molina and the towns you and

EGBERT mentioned.

EGBERT: Thanks for the links to the transportation too.

One final Rocío Molina clip. From her latest and very experimental work. Among other things, inspired by Japanese Butoh dance. I saw this both in Madrid and Sevilla last year and loved it.
http://www.deflamenco.com/videos/ver...igo=FLA%7C3276