Bilbao

Bilbao, with a population of about 350,000 (2018, and over a million in the metro area), is the largest city in Spain's Basque Country. Bilbao is perhaps the best place in the world to experience the ancient culture and language of the Basque people, which has stubbornly held its own over thousands of years and is now completely unlike any modern-day culture in Europe.

Understand
Milder and rainier than most other parts of Spain (temperatures here rarely fall below freezing in winter nor rise much above 25°C even in the height of summer), the greenery of this city on the banks of the Nervión is both a blessing and a curse: the climate here is as much a welcome relief from the heat of the dry plains in the south as a thorn in the side of those hoping for a day at the beach.

Tourist information

 * Bilbao Tourism website

By bus
All buses to other provinces leave from the TermiBus terminal aka Bilbao Intermodal. There are regular connections from Santander (75 minutes), San Sebastian (60 minutes), Vitoria-Gasteiz (60 minutes) and Madrid (arriving at Avenida de América bus station, 4–5 hours) among others. There are many ticket machines in a line behind the escalators so you may be able to avoid the long queue (line) at the ticket window. You need a ticket or Barik card to get to the -2 departure floor.

The bus companies connect Bilbao with many cities in Spain more cheaply and frequently than the rail companies.

For Vitoria-Gasteiz, take La Unión Alavesa buses.

For Castro Urdiales services are provided by RB

For Donostia (San Sebastian) services are provided by Pesa

By plane


To get to downtown Bilbao from the airport, take Bizkaibus A3247 from the arrivals hall. There is a ticket booth at the far right end of the floor. As of 2023, a ride to the city costs €3, however they do no longer sell the multiuse Barik Card (see Public Transport below) but the Barik cards are accepted on the bus. The bus will stop at Alameda Recalde (near the Guggenheim), Plaza Moyua and Gran Via (both in the city center) before terminating at Bilbao intermodal bus and San Mamés train & metro stations. The timetable for the reverse journey.

Taxis to downtown Bilbao from the airport cost about €25-30.

By train
Bilbao is connected to other major Spanish cities few times a day and also has regional connections within Bizkaia. Note that there are three different main stations within the city centre.

Renfe runs Alvia trains to Madrid and Barcelona and Intercity services to Vigo (Galicia). All Renfe trains leave from Abando station and only run on sparse schedules, so check ahead. As the high-speed network towards the region is still under construction as of 2023 allow plenty of time, e.g. the journey to Madrid takes over 5 hours, making same-day connections within Spain often impractical.

feve runs regional trains to Santander (3 daily), and León (1 daily). They are very slow, and make a stop in almost every single town they pass through but provide a unique way of seeing the North Spanish coast. From Santander you can continue to Oviedo (Asturias), and La Coruña (Galicia). This journey has three legs, but it is only possible to do 2 legs in any one day. trains leave from La Concordia station, which is next to Abando station but surprisingly not signposted from there.. These trains are now run by Renfe.

EuskoTren runs a (often) hourly local service to Amara station in Donostia (San Sebastian), with connection there for Hendaye (Hendaia in Basque) just over the Spanish-French border. It takes two hours to reach San Sebastian with trains leaving from Zazpikaleak (Casco Viejo ) station. Note. Station names are usually shown only in the Basque language on this network.

By boat
Brittany Ferries run a direct car ferry between Bilbao and Portsmouth, England. It is best to book early, since the ferry is often booked out in summer. Ferries land at Zierbena, at about 15 km of the centre of Bilbao.

By car
Distances to Bilbao: Madrid 395 km, Barcelona 615 km, A Coruna 570 km, Lisbon 900 km.

By car
Bilbao is difficult to drive in. Hilly one-way streets, and frequent construction projects, make it a nightmare for drivers in parts of the city. Having an automobile map helps a lot; without it allow at least 30 min extra to find the right exit from the city.

Public transport
If you are going to take more than a few journeys on public transit, a Barik card would be a good investment. It is convenient, and can save you a considerable amount compared to single tickets. It is valid on the Metro, bus, tram, Euskotren services and on local Renfe trains in Bizkaia (Bilbao metro area). It can be bought from machines at Metro/Euskotren stations and from other outlets displaying the Barik sign. The card costs €3.00, and at the time of purchase it can be charged up with whatever amount is desired. It is easy to add further credit in the machines in Metro stations or by using the Barik NFC phone app with a credit card in €5 increments. A Barik cardless phone app is being piloted at July 2023 but is not generally available.

Barik cards can be used by more than one person on buses - so you may see a family of four swiping their card four times. They are valid through the province of Bizkaia (eng Biscay) and work on a zonal basis for the Metro, EuskoTren & Bizkaibus. Local Buses & Trams are a flat fare. The Barik card is valid outside Bizkaia on the EuskoTren to San Sebastián and the Dbus buses there. It is also valid on the trams in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The card can only be reloaded at Euskotren stations outside Bizkaia or using Barik NFC phone app.

Whilst the Barik card is an example of excellent public transport integration. The same cannot be said about public transport information with no proper citywide map for all modes of transport. Google Maps seems not to have any bus information. Moovit is better.


 * MetroBilbao Convenient, Norman Foster designed Metro. Stations are indicated by this symbol: which is often on a very tall pole and is sometimes hidden by trees. Line three uses blue symbol of a part circle becoming a down facing arrow.  It is clean and efficient, and security guards are often in evidence to reassure the public. Effectively single line within Bilbao, splitting into two lines after San Inazio station.   runs from Etxebarri to Plentzia;   from Etxebarri to Santurtzi. Additionally there is  operated by Euskotren (but fully integrated with rest of metro) between Matiko & Kukullaga-Etxebarri connecting to the other two lines at Zazpikaleak(Casco Viejo).  Trains run every couple of minutes at peak hours, and the stations are mostly very close together, meaning a lot of stops if you are going on a long journey. Single journey tickets cost from €1.70-1.95, depending on how many zones your journey covers. If making more than a couple of journeys you are advised to get a Barik card, place your card over the reader in order to enter at the automatic gates, and do this again at the end of the journey when exiting. Barik fares are from €0.48 to €0.62.
 * Bilbobus City bus service usually red in colour. flat fare. Cheapest with Barik card. Touch in when getting on bus only.
 * Euskotren Tranbia A green tram from La Casilla to Bolurta. The single line runs along the river passing the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum and also serves the bus station (Bilbio Intermodal) at San Marmes & Albando. Single tickets cost €1.50 from machines at tram stops. Don't forget to validate the ticket on the validator next to the ticket machine before boarding. A cheaper option is to use a Barik card, touch in once per passenger before boarding: do not touch out at the end as it will have already debited your card with the flat fare.
 * Renfe Cercanias (Basque:Aldiriak) Suburban trains. Three lines C1, C2 & C3 run from Bilbao Abano station & one Renfe feve service C4 from La Concordia station (near Abano). The Barik card be used on these services. From Bilbao Abando station lines C1 & C2 head North via Barakaldo to Santurtzi (C1) and Muskiz (C2). Line C3 heads south to Orduna. Additionally line C4 heads south west to La Calzada. If using a Barik card you must touch in at your origin station and touch out at your destination.
 * EuskoTren Local train service leaving from Zazpikaleak(Casco Viejo ) station for Bermeo, Gernika(Guernica) and Donostia Amara (San Sebastian). Some good views but the train is slower than buses. Barik cards can be used in a similar way to the Metro.
 * BizkaiBus For buses which operate outside Bilbao city limits. They are generally green in colour with four digit service numbers. If using a Barik card you must touch in when getting on and touch out when getting off.

On foot
It takes about 30 minutes to walk along the river between the Guggenheim Museum and the Casco Viejo.

Other places of interest


















Do

 * In the summer see an open air concert at the Kiosko del Arenal El Arenal Parque (across from Plaza Arriaga). The stage was built in 1923, and renovated in 1985.
 * Beginning the first Saturday after August 15 and lasting for 9 days is Aste Nagusia / Semana Grande, the city's fiesta (holiday). An interesting time to come, but be prepared for lots of noise, music, street theater and events, with firework displays in the evening. Details from the tourist office in Teatro Arriaga.
 * Walk through the seven streets of the old town Casco Viejo.
 * Climb the Mallona stairs from Plaza Unamuno to Parque Etxebarria for the great views.
 * Walk along the river.
 * Walk through Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park, admiring the ponds and gardens, next to the Fine Arts Museum.
 * Take the Artxanda Funicular, again for the views.
 * Go kayaking or rent a boat from Bilbobentura (a company that rents out kayaks on the bank of the river nervion).
 * Football: Athletic de Bilbao play soccer in La Liga, Spain's top tier, and indeed (along with Barcelona and Real Madrid) have never been relegated from it. They're noted for only signing players native to the Basque Country (or at least players trained in that region). Their home ground is the San Mamés stadium (capacity 53,000) on the river bank 2 km northwest of city centre: it's opposite the Termibus station and has its own Metro and local rail station. Their women's team play in Liga F, their top tier, at Lezama 2 Stadium near Zurbaranbarri metro station.

Pintxos
The local custom is to call what are known in Spanish as tapas by the Basque name, pintxos, probably much more elaborated than their Spanish cousins due to the Basque love of gastronomy.

Friday and Saturday nights are most popular time for eating pintxos - as it is for going to bars.





Restaurants
Vegetarian & Vegan





Drink
Tap water is safe to drink, also from the outdoor taps if not clearly marked with signs saying No Potable (not potable). On weekend nights a lot of people gather in the bar area in eastern Casco Viejo, get their drinks from any of the bars and hang around on the streets before heading to nightclubs.

Craft Beer
 * Three spectacularly decorated bars (which are owned by the same people) are:
 * Three spectacularly decorated bars (which are owned by the same people) are:
 * Three spectacularly decorated bars (which are owned by the same people) are:
 * Three spectacularly decorated bars (which are owned by the same people) are:





Budget
There are many inexpensive pensions in the Casco Viejo.



Stay safe
With a rate of only 33.4 crimes per 1000 inhabitants, the Basque Country has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe.

Crime rates can, however, vary significantly between rural and urban areas, though urban areas are still not particularly dangerous. Avoid the San Francisco area, however. Violent crime is extremely rare, but the usual precautions will keep you out of trouble.

While some may advise you not to wear any Spanish symbols, the reality is that the vast majority of Bilbainos will not even notice, much as it is true that a small minority might be upset about them. As a statistical precaution it is also best to avoid referring to the Basque Country as Spain.

Inhabitants of the Basque Country are divided between those who support independence or autonomy from Spain and consider themselves primarily or entirely Basque and others who consider themselves primarily or entirely Spanish. Within these currents, there are further subdivisions of opinion ranging from supporters of the terrorist group ETA (officially disbanded in 2018) at one end to those who supported the fascist regime of General Franco at the other (though an overwhelming majority of people fall somewhere in between these extremes).

These political issues have dominated life in the Basque Country for generations and you will still find coverage of them in news media across the Basque Country every day. Also certain bars will have a distinctly Basque nationalist clientele (such bars will generally have posters and slogans on the walls) where pro-Spanish opinions will be unwelcome, but which are otherwise perfectly safe places to go and indeed interesting to anyone who would like to learn more about the Basque identity. If speaking to strangers, bear these divisions in mind and try not to cause offence.

Consulates

 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Connect
As of June 2022, Bilbao has 5G from all Spanish carriers.

Biscayan Towns

 * Balmaseda Charming town an hour from Bilbao
 * Guernica - Gernika—Basque stronghold town, bombed by the Nazis during the Spanish Civil War. Inspired Guernica by Picasso in the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid.
 * Mundaka Medieval port and famous surf spot.
 * Sopelana Town near the beach, can be reached directly from the city by MetroBilbao.
 * Portugalete Take the Transporter Bridge from Getxo to this charming town.
 * Plentzia Another town near the beach, can be reached directly from the city by MetroBilbao.
 * Getxo Very nice walk along the coast, from the bridge to Sopelana. More than 10 km long.
 * San Juan de Gaztelugatxe—Small chapel situated on a breathtaking island between Bakio and Bermeo.

Cities in other provinces

 * San Sebastian — Beautiful resort with bar counters full of tasty Pintxos (Tapas)
 * Santander — Resort City
 * Vitoria-Gasteiz – Capital of the Basque Autonomous Community, green city with a nice old town