How to Get to Bilbao from San Sebastian

There are several ways to get from San Sebastian to Bilbao, the most common are by plane, train and bus, however, they are not the only ones. You can choose to travel by car or maybe for more comfort you prefer an excursion and go straight to the best things to do and see in Bilbao and its surroundings, such as the visit to the House of Targaryen from Game of Thrones, or the entrance to the Guggenheim Museum.

In this post I will discuss all the options available to go from San Sebastian to Bilbao with prices, duration and comparison so you can decide which is the alternative that suits you. Let's get started!

Want to avoid the crowds of San Sebastian and visit another highlight of the Basque Country? Sign up for one of the best day trips from San Sebastian: the visit to Bilbao.

During this type of excursion you travel from San Sebastian to Bilbao, where you enjoy a walking tour of the city. You visit various sites of interest, including the 10th century hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, and learn about Basque mythology and history from an experienced guide. And if you enjoyed Game of Thrones, you should know that winter is here, as this hermitage is home to one of the castles from the kingdom of the series.

At the next stop, recharge your batteries with a hearty lunch sampling some of Bilbao' s best pintxos in the old town. Next, the small group explores the impressive Bilbao Museum of Contemporary Art, which will take your breath away as you wander through its halls of art and architecture.

If you decide to visit Bilbao in 1 day and want to make the most of your time, this type of excursion is the way to go.

Details of interest

• Price: from 234 € per person.
• Duration: 9 - 10 hours.
• What this option may include: transport service to and from your accommodation. Private transport in a minivan. Entrance to the Guggenheim Museum. Entrance to the islet of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Typical lunch. Local guide service in your language.
• Pros: it is an all-inclusive tour of Bilbao's most famous sites, you travel in small groups, and this type of tour usually includes a lunch of pintxos, the area's signature food. Finally, don't forget the convenience of a private transfer with an expert on board.
• Cons: Perfect for a quick tour of the capital of Biscay, however, for those who wish to explore the city in detail, it may be advisable to choose one of the following options in this article to customise your itinerary.

Arrive in Bilbao comfortable, relaxed and in style. Imagine avoiding the worry of where to park, where to catch a taxi, or the right bus to get to your places of interest. Now make it happen with a private transfer from San Sebastian to Bilbao, the service that takes all the stress out of getting around the Basque Country so you have the freedom to enjoy your trip from the very first minute.

With this type of service a driver will pick you up from your accommodation to take you to see the economic capital of Biscay and its surroundings in a minivan or modern car.

This type of transfer operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so it adapts to your schedule regardless of the time of year or the day of the week you feel like visiting the best towns in Bilbao from San Sebastian.

Interesting details

• Price: from 325 € per person.
• Duration: 8 - 9 hours.
• What this option may include: Transfer to and from your accommodation, including San Sebastian Airport (EAS). Bottled water. Driver service around the city.
• Pros: you can organise the itinerary as you wish, the driver will serve as a guide and driver to follow your plan.
• Cons: This type of plan offers essentially only transport service, entrance fees to sites of interest, food, internal guide or any other service is usually excluded.

The fastest route from Bilbao to San Sebastian by car is the AP-8 or Cantabrian motorway. It is a 100-kilometre route that can be done in approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Another option available is to take the Northern motorway or A-1. This route is 130 km long and takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete. You should know that in both cases tolls are included for approximately 15 €.

As for transport, you can choose the taxi service, there is a taxi rank at the exit of the airport and the waiting time depends on the flow of people on the day. Taxis between San Sebastian and Bilbao often cost around €180. You can also opt to hire a car.

Companies such as Basque Motor, SIXT, Europcar and Thrifty have a good reputation, however, there is an interesting variety of options available to suit all tastes.

This way you have a means of transport to get back to San Sebastian and a car for excursions from €40 per day!

Interesting details

• Price: from 40 €.
• Duration: 75 minutes.
• What this option may include: transfer by car from Donostia to Bilbao.
• Pros: it is a personalised service, both if you choose a taxi and even more if you rent a car, so you will have more control over the time and destinations visited.
• Cons: in the case of rentals, consider that you should set aside money for the deposit, fuel or at least have located the charging stations if you choose an electric car.

This is the easiest and cheapest way to get from San Sebastian to Bilbao. First of all you have to know that there are multiple alternatives and two routes:

Via Donostiako Autobus Geltokia to Bilboko Autobus Geltokia

The bus leaves from Donostia Geltokia station, just 1 km from La Concha beach and takes you directly to Bilbao via one of these operators:

• By Lurralde Bus, better known as Pesa, the journey takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, you just have to get on the Do01 or Do03 bus lines to get to Bilbao. They depart once an hour and you can get a ticket for this route from €9.
• By ALSA bus it takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to Bilbao and you can catch the bus at Donostia, Federico García Lorca station. Tickets are available from €7 and departures are every 3 hours.
• FlixBus offers you the possibility to get to Bilbao on any of their 5 daily routes which take 1 hour and 25 minutes. Tickets are available from €8. An interesting point is that you can take the bus on the following lines: N155, N156, N703, N716, N743, N1157, 711, 783 and 786 and connect with Bilbao.

Via Donostiako Autobus Geltokia to Ernesto Erkoreka Plaza

• By BizkaiBus you can take a bus line A3912 every hour. The journey to Bilbao takes 2 hours and 25 minutes. Tickets cost approximately €2.
• By Lurraldebus Euskotren you can get on a DB02 bus every hour and, best of all, the journey takes 50 minutes and you can get a ticket for this journey from 2 €.

As in the case of buses, there are several trains that cover this route with different prices, duration and frequency. Even so, this is one of the most practical options, let's take a look at the main alternatives:

• By SNCF at San Sebastian central station you take train 18012 which takes you to Miranda de Ebro, at that station you change trains to take train number 438 to Bilbao Abando. The journey takes 4 hours and 15 minutes, tickets cost from 35 € and have a daily frequency.
• By Euskotren from the central station Amara-Donostia or any of the stations on the E1 line, every hour you can take the train that will take you via MATIKO-BILBAO to the Old Town of the capital of Biscay. The journey takes 2 hours and 30 minutes and you can get a ticket from 5 €.
• RENFE trains, similar to its predecessor, every hour you can catch the train at Amara-Donostia station or any of the stations on the E1 line to take you to Miranda de Ebro where you change trains to Bilbao Abando. The journey takes at least 6 hours due to transit time. Tickets are available from €9.

Carla's Traveller Tip

A combination of transport such as train and bus often reduces travel time considerably, plus you can take advantage of offers with vouchers.

If you want to go from San Sebastian to Bilbao and you want to do it by car at the best price, the recommendation is to share your transport, it is the fastest and most comfortable option. You may be tempted to take a taxi or check train or bus timetables, but these options can be expensive and time-consuming.

Shared transfers from San Sebastian to Bilbao are a good alternative. Companies such as UBER or BlaBlaCar are the most commonly used for this type of service.

The journey will be relaxed and offers many of the same advantages as taxis, but for a small price. What's more, the service is available 24 hours a day, so you just need to book in advance. If you don't mind sharing your car and you only have one travel bag, this is the option for you!

Interesting details

• Price: from €7 per person.
• Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes approximately.
• What this option may include: shuttle service from a central point in San Sebastian to the main streets of Bilbao.
• Pros: you save connection time. Prices are competitive. The duration of the transfer is similar to that of the taxi service because passengers are connected by the application according to the proximity to the destination.
• Cons: The amount of luggage is usually limited to one travel bag per person. Since these are extra-urban transfers, you must book the service in advance.

Bilbao is 100 kilometres from San Sebastian. The average journey time is 1 hour and 5 minutes, however this varies depending on the type of transport you use.

The fastest way is by car or direct taxi, although there is a bus line, which offers an arrival time of 50 minutes.

The best time to visit Bilbao will depend on your tastes. Some people prefer to travel when the city receives more visitors because the locals and visitors together have a good vibe and some activities are best experienced in a group, while others prefer the low season.

So I leave it up to you to choose the best time of the year. Just take a few details into consideration to make your decision easier:

• Spring (March to May) brings good weather and lots of festivals. The average temperature is 16°C.
• The summer months (June to September) bring even more festivals, but also higher prices. June and September are the best months to travel, as this is when most tourists visit Bilbao. At that time the average temperature is 22° C.
• Autumn (October to November) can be great, as you walk through the city among the multicoloured trees, the atmosphere is pleasant and the temperature is cool, around 14° Celsius.
• In winter (December to February) the average temperature is 8°C and it's usually windy.