I’m planning a short trip to Bilbao, mainly to see The Guggenheim and the Fine Arts Museum. I thought no more than three full days in the city with travel either side. I had also considered getting a train to San Sebastián too but I’m not sure there’s enough there for me to make it worthwhile.
Your thoughts and experiences welcome…..
A short trip to Bilbao
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Bump…..
Bilbao is a great city but 3 days is plenty. The Guggenheim is an absolutely fabulous building but in my ten or so visits I’ve been disappointed each time with the artwork/exhibitions inside.
If you are in any way a foodie, San Sebastian is a must. Book a pintxos (tapas) tour with a local guide – heaps and heaps of fun.
I love the Basque region and its people but beware the weather is more often (warmish) West of Scotland than “we’re off to sunny, sunny Spain”.
Bellas Artes Museum has “better” art than the Guggenheim. The Old Town in Bilbao, Siete Calles, is a must and to be honest the pintxos there are as good as San Sebastian. (Sebastian is much smaller, great beach and scenery but really worth a visit – a 5 euro bus ride away).
A “thumbs up” for the Bellas Artes Museum.
Mrs Pajp and I did Bilbao and San Sebastián a year or two ago, as part of a Bilbao-San Sebastián-Biarritz-Bordeaux trip.
If you can, I would try to make it to San Sebastián if you can do it within the time available. I had hoped to go by train on each leg of our four-stop trip, imaging a lovely coastal line, but (as I recall) there isn’t one and you have to go inland and back out again. We ended up going by Flixbus between each destination, which was OK except for the last leg to Bordeaux – a tad long (and boring).
Personally I would flip centres: stay in Donostia (San Sebastián) and day trip to Bilbao, for the sites you have already earmarked. A car is good, as the scenery is often unusual, given the weird topography. Uncertain how you are getting there. We flew to Biarritz and drove over the border, with the hills between somewhat unusual. (OK, we got lost, but that was part the fun.) That way you can spend time in Barritz as well, which is a lovely seaside destination.
Agreed. San Sebastián is brilliant but it’s at its best wandering around the bars at night grazing and drinking. Bilbao is a great day trip
(I may have done it wrong but the Guggenheim is really the day trip). But it is jaw dropping beautiful and Puppy is the most delightful piece of art in the whole wide world.
Thanks all. I’m intending to fly to Bilbao, unlikely I’d hire a car although I will look at Biarritz as I have plenty of time to plan. I have heeded LoW’s warning about the weather so will look at going April/May time. Surprising that the bus is significantly quicker than the train between cities.
Any other tips and recommendations welcomed.
Awesome place. The mem and I took the ferry from Portsmouth, and it was the easiest trip to Europe ever – and dignified, too. Lovely cruise for 30 hours over the bay of Biscay, 2 nights in a fair enough cabin, then Bilbao was a beautiful, arty, walkable city with magnificent grub. Good trains to the rest of Spain. I’s like to go again, though given above, may go to San Sebastian first.
I did think about the ferry as I can easily get a train to Portsmouth. When I looked a while back, it was quite cheap too.
It’s the way to go, IMHO. Walk on to the boat – no queue when we were foot passengers as everyone else was going by car. Same getting off. and jump into a cab at Bilbao harbour to midtown (the train station is ideal). Unless you can work out how to get to the tube the other side of the bay, of course; I couldn’t be arsed.