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.
Having thought about it, I think you’re both right. I like Bilbao more than San Sebastian but that’s after many visits. For a long weekend thingie, the charms of San Sebastian are more immediate and accessible and, yes, wandering the bars at night is a must. Perfect break might be based in SS with day trips to Bilbao and Biarritz/Bayonne?
We flew to Bilbao and hired a car. It just meant that we paid for daily parking in San Sebastián most days so not worth it. It’s a very walkable place. Look for buses and trains for day trips.
I walked around Seville and thoroughly enjoyed it. I see so much more walking.
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.
San Sebastian/Donostia is absolutely lovely. We went to a wedding there 15 years ago (wow, where’s the time gone) and stayed in the old town. Wonderful place to wander around, the bars are plentiful and the tapas is a work of art in itself. Did a walk up Mount Urgell to see the statue of the pointy Jesus (Sagrado Corazón, I believe) only to find a bus would have taken us up there. Like @Vincent we took the ferry from Portsmouth, which is a great way to travel if you’ve got a spare 36 hours. After our four nights in SS/D we took the train across Spain to Tarragona, which is our favourite of Spanish cities. Great holiday.
Tarragona looks lovely but one for another trip I think.
Got stranded by Easyjet in Bilbao for a couple of days in 2023. Not the best circumstances, with no allowing for pre-planning. I’m a wanderer around architecture by habit. I echo Loders’ comment above about the Guggenheim – better outside than in – and I’m no fuffy duddy philistine when it comes to modern art. As well as the old town, find the markets and the FEVE railway station and, if time allows, get downstream to the Vizcaya Bridge.
The bridge is indeed stunning