32 hours in Bilbao
Jun 13th, 2005, 05:22 AM
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32 hours in Bilbao
Just got back from a lovely quick productive trip to bilbao.
Was lucky and got the hotel jardines de albia, on bancotel for 50 euros/night plus tax. second time i have been there.
We had breakfast around the corner for 2 euros.
From the airport we took a taxi , about 20 euros, but decided on the airport bus on way home.
We had lunch reservations at the guggenheim, which is a MUST if you will be there at lunch time and want an indoor sit-down meal. You can reserve at their website. Very prompt in answering.
There is NO WAY you can eat there, (very small) without a reservation.
The food was well presented and tasty. The fixed menu was 13.50 euros. Drinks/tax separate.
They have a snack bar for quick sandwiches and then outdoor tables , also, with no reservations, for lighter fare.
We walked around the entire ensanche area..(tour from tourist office at guggenheim is available at 10.00 am. on the weekends for 3 or 5 euros). There is another walking tour from the old part of town also on the weekends. The tourist office can give you updates on times and prices.
We also bought concert tickets at the new concert hall for the same evening.
after dinner took the tram to the old section of town and had a few tapas around in various bars.
Next day was a lazy strolling day as we only had half a day left. The barcelo nervion hotel is also very well located, and the sheraton is also in great spot for guggenheim and the new shopping mall across the street, and the concert hall. these three hotels would be my first choice for a cultural weekend in biblao.
you can buy a travel card from the tram machine or tourist office and put 5 euros on it, which gives you and your group ( punch once for each person) 5 euros of travelling around on all the transport.
The tram was the most convenient one for our route.. and we even walked back from the old town to the jardines de albia. you could also walk back to the barcelo nervion. the sheraton is a little further.
you can rent bikes at our hotel, and also down on river walk. it is a very pleasant area to stroll around.
we used what was left on our transport card to go to airport on the bus, and since i didn't have enough left for all of us, you can just pay the difference of what is missing directly to the driver. The airport bus is about 1 euro. takes 15 minutes to get there or so.
This was a whirlwind trip for some students but it certainly can give you a good feeling for the area. It is worth the detour if you are near there or can get a cheap flight (www.vueling.com) from other parts of spain.
Was lucky and got the hotel jardines de albia, on bancotel for 50 euros/night plus tax. second time i have been there.
We had breakfast around the corner for 2 euros.
From the airport we took a taxi , about 20 euros, but decided on the airport bus on way home.
We had lunch reservations at the guggenheim, which is a MUST if you will be there at lunch time and want an indoor sit-down meal. You can reserve at their website. Very prompt in answering.
There is NO WAY you can eat there, (very small) without a reservation.
The food was well presented and tasty. The fixed menu was 13.50 euros. Drinks/tax separate.
They have a snack bar for quick sandwiches and then outdoor tables , also, with no reservations, for lighter fare.
We walked around the entire ensanche area..(tour from tourist office at guggenheim is available at 10.00 am. on the weekends for 3 or 5 euros). There is another walking tour from the old part of town also on the weekends. The tourist office can give you updates on times and prices.
We also bought concert tickets at the new concert hall for the same evening.
after dinner took the tram to the old section of town and had a few tapas around in various bars.
Next day was a lazy strolling day as we only had half a day left. The barcelo nervion hotel is also very well located, and the sheraton is also in great spot for guggenheim and the new shopping mall across the street, and the concert hall. these three hotels would be my first choice for a cultural weekend in biblao.
you can buy a travel card from the tram machine or tourist office and put 5 euros on it, which gives you and your group ( punch once for each person) 5 euros of travelling around on all the transport.
The tram was the most convenient one for our route.. and we even walked back from the old town to the jardines de albia. you could also walk back to the barcelo nervion. the sheraton is a little further.
you can rent bikes at our hotel, and also down on river walk. it is a very pleasant area to stroll around.
we used what was left on our transport card to go to airport on the bus, and since i didn't have enough left for all of us, you can just pay the difference of what is missing directly to the driver. The airport bus is about 1 euro. takes 15 minutes to get there or so.
This was a whirlwind trip for some students but it certainly can give you a good feeling for the area. It is worth the detour if you are near there or can get a cheap flight (www.vueling.com) from other parts of spain.
Jun 13th, 2005, 06:37 AM
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Hi Lin,
well explained !
How was the concert? I suspect it was the last BOS season concert, with Brittenīs "War Requiem". My mum missed it because she was coming down to Madrid for the weekend, but she had been looking forward to it.
You are quite right about lunch at the Guggenheim. Reservations absolutely needed !
Bye, Cova
well explained !
How was the concert? I suspect it was the last BOS season concert, with Brittenīs "War Requiem". My mum missed it because she was coming down to Madrid for the weekend, but she had been looking forward to it.
You are quite right about lunch at the Guggenheim. Reservations absolutely needed !
Bye, Cova
Jun 13th, 2005, 07:11 AM
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We had thought we would eat lunch at the Guggenheim, and screwed up by arriving there about 3:35 pm - - too late (and of course, we had no reservations, or we would have known this).
Although I have sung the praises of the Basque country PDF from www.maribelsguides.com - - neither of these facts are indicated there. I suppose that I could have found this out by visiting www.guggenheim-bilbao.es - - but even there, the info is obscurely available only through a separate link to http://www.martinberasategui.com (he is the chef for the "Grupo Berasategui", a growing restaurant "empire" in the area) - - and of course, you have to know to even be on the lookout for it.
Not really complaining... but certainly re-affirming that the advice listed above is on the mark...
We did eat a light snack/meal from the coffee bar, which is openly continuously during museum hours (I think). For one-third the price, I suppose.
Best wishes,
Rex
Although I have sung the praises of the Basque country PDF from www.maribelsguides.com - - neither of these facts are indicated there. I suppose that I could have found this out by visiting www.guggenheim-bilbao.es - - but even there, the info is obscurely available only through a separate link to http://www.martinberasategui.com (he is the chef for the "Grupo Berasategui", a growing restaurant "empire" in the area) - - and of course, you have to know to even be on the lookout for it.
Not really complaining... but certainly re-affirming that the advice listed above is on the mark...
We did eat a light snack/meal from the coffee bar, which is openly continuously during museum hours (I think). For one-third the price, I suppose.
Best wishes,
Rex
Jun 13th, 2005, 07:14 AM
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Oh... and one other thing... Maribel DOES offer the advice that a similarly nice lunch can be had at the Museo des Bellas Artes (combined admission ticket to both museums, by the way) and she DOES advise that reservations ARE very much required there.
We decided that we had not made time to go there, so I cannot comment.
We decided that we had not made time to go there, so I cannot comment.
Jun 13th, 2005, 10:09 AM
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the concert was fine.. liked second half better than first. can't find the program right now.. but I was unfamiliar with the first composer and it was a bit more experimental. The second half was pure classics.. and it was a nice ending to a tiring afternoon.
The concert hall itself is interesting enough just to sit in it and enjoy the striking architecture and specially designed ceiling and acoustic panels.
I have not listed any other names of restuarants since we just stopped around and had decent snacks everywhere. in fact.. a grungy place acrss and up a street from the guggenheim actually had the best bargain breakfast/tortilla/fresh orange juice and coffee for 2.90 euros.
Bilbao was fun for this amount of time. I can only see spending more there ( unles you have friends there!!)if you have a car to get out into the lovely countryside and visit the casas rurales and restaurants up in the hills.
The concert hall itself is interesting enough just to sit in it and enjoy the striking architecture and specially designed ceiling and acoustic panels.
I have not listed any other names of restuarants since we just stopped around and had decent snacks everywhere. in fact.. a grungy place acrss and up a street from the guggenheim actually had the best bargain breakfast/tortilla/fresh orange juice and coffee for 2.90 euros.
Bilbao was fun for this amount of time. I can only see spending more there ( unles you have friends there!!)if you have a car to get out into the lovely countryside and visit the casas rurales and restaurants up in the hills.
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