How to travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian
If you are staying in Bilbao as your base and want to take a day trip to San Sebastian, it’s less than an hours drive by car or about one hour and twenty minutes by bus. Having a car rental will give you more flexibility to see more things along the way, but if your time is more limited, then going by bus is the way to go.
If you are visiting Basque Country then visiting both Bilbao and San Sebastian is a must, the hard part is deciding how much time you want to spend in either cities.
What is the best option?
Timewise the bus service from Bilbao to San Sebastian is fast and inexpensive. You can take the train but this is actually quite slow and takes over 4 1/2 hours and the price is comparable.
Bus stations at Bilbao and San Sebastian
The main bust station in Bilbao is called the Bilbao Intermodal (also comes up as Bilboko Autobus Geltokia on google map). Centrally located in the downtown area, you can easily catch the metro, tram or take a taxi directly to your hotel or anywhere you choose in the historic district.
The main bus station in San Sebastian / Donostia (comes up as Donostiako Autobus Geltokia on google map). This is located just slightly off the Antiguo or the Old town next to the Urumea River which divides the east and west sides of the city. You can also get around easily by bus, trams or taxi while in town.
Traveling from Bilbao
First get to the main bus station called Bilbao Intermodal, which is at the Santimami/San Mamés metro station. Once there go to the self ticketing stations in which the more popular bus company to use with their own kiosk is the Alsa bus line and offers more daily service to and from Bilbao to San Sebastian.
You can also purchase tickets directly from the ticket booth which takes more time but then you don’t have to try to use the kiosks which can be confusing.
Storing luggage or bringing it onboard
If you need to store luggage for the day, head out to the storage lockers which are also self serve and relatively easy to find. You can also bring it and store underneath the bus carriage, just make sure you place your suitcase to where the driver is assigning it to be stored since he might make some other stops after the trip to San Sebastian.
Can you travel from Bilbao Airport to San Sebastian?
Yes, there is a bus service at the airport that goes every hour. When exiting the Bilbao airport turn right and head to the bus stop. The ride will cost you from 10 to 14 Euro depending on the time you leave.
Arriving San Sebastian
The trip takes less than an hour and twenty minutes traveling through scenic countryside with peek a boo views of the coastline along the way. Once you get to San Sebastian, you’ll start seeing the Old Town and the Urumea river which separates both areas of the city which will give you an indicator that the bus station is close by.
Don’t forget to get all your belongings and luggageSan Sebastian in one day – Visit Spain and Mediterranean if you have it underneath the bus carriage.
San Sebastian station is very small and compact and very busy so always be alert when you exit the bus area and go outside. Their are taxi services and bus / tram across the river if you are staying on the west end of the city. It is relatively compact and you can walk unless you have a lot of luggage with you.
Visiting San Sebastian
There’s so much to see and do in San Sebastian and if you are a foodie, you’ll definitely love the food scene here and try out many of the delicious Pintxos bars in town or even reserve a spot in one of the popular Michelin star restaurants in the city.
To get you started check out my posts below on doing a day trip or better yet a two day highlight tour of the city.
Take a guided tour around San Sebastian
If you only have a day to visit the city, think about signing up for these easy guided tours to do all the leg work and all you have to do is show up and enjoy.
Sunset boat cruise drinking cava
Traditional Cider House tour with lunch
Visit to Bilbao and Gaztelgatxe Day trip
Conclusion
Hope that answered your question about transport between both cities, it definitely is easier to travel by bus which is faster and cheaper overall. Enjoy your stay in San Sebastian!
Thanks for checking out Visit Spain and Mediterranean and this post. We hope you check out all the other posts to explore all around the country for inspiration.
