Bilbao Transport

For a major city, Bilbao is relatively small and compact, which makes it ideal for walking around. Wandering around the city on foot is one of the best ways to enjoy its atmosphere and most areas are easily reached via footpaths, including the Guggenheim, which lies along a lovely river promenade a mere 15 minutes on foot from the Old Quarter. The paseo, between 19:30 and 20:30, is the best time to stroll around. Much of the city seems to stop during this hour, making it a pleasant time to visit friends or take in the air. The Old Quarter and the riverside are the main areas for strolling. 

Bilbao has a beautiful, modern Metro service and a decent network of local buses if your legs get tired. Also, the city’s trams, which were shut down for a long time, are preparing to be reinstated as a welcome transport alternative for getting around the city centre.

By Metro

Bilbao is home to one of the nicest Metro systems in Europe. It is fast and efficient, and is well-designed to give an airy feel. There are two main lines, which service both sides of the river in the downtown area and run farther out to the beach and the bus station. Day passes are available for a very reasonable price. Metro Bilbao operates from early morning until midnight, from Sunday to Thursday. To accommodate Bilbao’s nightlife, the trains run until 02:00 on Friday nights and all night on Saturdays.

By train

Train travel is somewhat limited within the city itself, but there are a few lines serving the area. The Spanish Railway network operates three lines in metropolitan Bilbao and four commuter lines from the city to nearby enclaves. FEVE has a quaint narrow gauge train, which runs from the city out to Balmaseda, and the Basque railway network, EuskoTren, has three lines serving the towns of Lezama, Ermua and Bermeo. 

The RENFE train station (tel: +34 224 02 02), situated just off the Plaza de Espana on Plaza Circular 2, is the place to catch local trains within the Bilbao metropolitan area and long-distance trains to many parts of the country. Two trains per day go to Madrid, from where you can catch connections to the rest of Spain and Europe.

By bus

Bus travel in Bilbao is comprehensive and easy to use. There are 30 Bilbobus lines, 25 for normal-sized buses and five for microbuses, which serve parts of the downtown area that are inaccessible by the larger bus. The inner-city bus network has won awards for its efficiency and the quality of its service. Buses run from early in the morning until late at night.

Bilbao Taxis

Taxis are common in Bilbao and can normally be hailed from the street in the metropolitan area. If you are further afield in San Sebastian, then you may need to call a taxi (tel: +34 94 444 8888). 

The city also has taxi stands, where vehicles queue up and wait. There is an extra charge to go to the airport as well as a surcharge for your baggage, but tipping is optional.

Tourist services

There are no special tourist services in Bilbao, but visitors can easily access all of the city’s sights via the Metro and local bus services, with many of the attractions being within walking distance of one another.

From the airport

The airport has special buses which run directly into the city centre starting at 06:15 and finishing at midnight every day. The buses depart from outside the Arrivals Hall every 30 minutes and take about 15 minutes to reach the city. Taxis are also widely available from outside the Arrivals Hall for the trip into Bilbao. 

There are four major car hire companies with offices in the terminal. Should you rent a car, the most direct driving route into the city centre is through one of the two Artxanda tunnels, which lead to the Corredor del Txorrieri motorway. 

Once you are on the main motorway, there are plenty of signs leading the way to Bilbao. The drive should take around 20 minutes.