Bilbaohttp://www.bilbao.net/nuevobilbao/jsp/bilbao/homeModulos.jsp?idioma=I&color=rojo is the capital of Vizcaya in the Basque Country. The city is situated on the banks of the Nervión, a tidal river. The climate in Bilbao is milder than in most other parts of the peninsula, rarely falling below freezing in winter, or rising above 35ºC in summer. There is also more rain, which is a mixed blessing. The green hills of Bilbao are a welcome relief after an extended stay in the dry plains in the south, but planning a day at the beach is more risky. The population of Bilbao proper is just over 372,000, but within the metropolitan area there are over 1,000,000 inhabitants.

Get in

By bus

All buses to other provinces leave from the TermiBus terminal. There are regular connections to Santander (75 minutes) San Sebastian (60 minutes) and Madrid (arriving at Avenida de Las Americas bus station, 4-5 hours) among others.

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

The company linking Bilbao to Santander is ALSAhttp://www.alsa.es (tel: +34 902422242), and in theory you can get info about buses from Santander to Bilbao at http://www.santandereabus.com/. Be prepared for long waiting lines of half an hour as there are only two ticket offices. It's usually better to buy the ticket the day before or print your ticket on the company's website. Instead of printing, you can also use the text message they send to your mobile as proof of purchase.

For Vitoria-Gasteiz, take La Unión Alavesa buses.

By plane

Bilbao Airport (IATA: BIO) is served by Lufthansa, Spanair, Air France, Air Berlin, TuiFly, AerLingus, Iberia, Air Europa, Vueling and several other airlines. Easy Jet flies from London Stansted to Bilbao airport. You can also fly with Ryanair to Santander.

To get to downtown from the airport, take Bizkaibus from the arrivals sidewalk: there is no arrivals hall. The bus leaves every half hour at :15 and :45 past the hour from the airport to Bilbao bus terminal. The reverse journey is at :25 and :55 past the hour from the bus terminal to the airport, stopping at Plaza Moyua on the way. A single ticket costs less than €2.

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

By train

RENFE-- runs intercity trains to Madrid, Barcelona, Vigo (Galicia). All Renfe trains leave from Abando Station.

FEVE -- runs regional trains to Santander (3 daily), and Leon (1 Daily). They are very slow, and make a stop in almost every single town they pass through. 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. FEVE trains leave from Santander Station (next to Abando Station)

EuskoTren -- runs a local service to San Sebastian, with connection there for Irun (on the Spanish-French border). It takes two hours to reach San Sebastian. Trains leave from Atxuri Station.

By boat

A direct car ferry is available between Bilbao and Portsmouth, England. It is best to book early, since the ferry is often booked out in summer. By taking the P&O ferryhttp://www.poferries.com/ to Bilbao and immediately returning, a mini-cruise can be had which allows approximately two and a half hours in Bilbao.

Get around

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 30min extra to find the right exit from the city.

Public transport

If you are going to take more than one or two journeys on public transit, a CreditTrans card would be a good investment. It can save you up to 50% over buying single tickets. It is valid on all the municipal transit systems in Bilbao, and most (soon to be all) of the provincial transit systems in Vizcaya. It is a pay per ride card available at all Metro and Tram stations in denominations of €5, €10, and €15. It is also available at many newspaper stands. Individual tickets cost from €1.15 upward.

• MetroBilbao http://www.metrobilbao.net/ Convenient, Norman Foster designed Metro. Single line within Bilbao, splitting into two lines after San Inazio station. Line one runs from Etxebarri to Plentzia; line two from Etxebarri to Santurtzi. Trains run every couple of minutes at peak hours. Tickets cost from €1.40-1.60, depending on how many zones your journey covers, or a daily card is available for €4.

• Bilbobus City bus service.

• EuskoTran http://www.euskotren.es/euskotran/index.html A green tram from Atxuri Station to Basurto. The single line runs along the river passing the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum. Single tickets cost €1.15, and are sold from machines at tram stops. Don't forget to validate the ticket before boarding.

• EuskoTren http://www.euskotren.es/ Local train service leaving from Atxuri Station for Bermeo, Guernica/Gernika and San Sebastian (Donostia). Some good views but the train is slower than buses.

• BizkaiBus For buses which operate outside Bilbao city limits. BizkaiBus runs a service between the bus terminal and the airport, with a stop in Plaza Moyua (ask in Hotel Carlton).

• Artxanda Funicular Spectacular views of Bilbao.

By foot

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

By taxi

Taxi Bilbao: Tel: +34 944 448 888. This single number is used by all taxi operators in Bilbao. Your cab should appear within five minutes.

Get out

Vizcayan 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.
• Sopelana Town near the beach.
• Portugalete Take the Transporter Bridge from Getxo to this charming town.
• Plentzia Another town near the beach.
• 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 Bilbao and Bermeo.

Cities in other provinces

• San Sebastian -- Beautiful resort with bar counters full of tasty Pintxos (Tapas)
• Santander -- Resort City

de:Bilbao es:Bilbao fi:Bilbao fr:Bilbao it:Bilbao nl:Bilbao pl:Bilbao wts:Category:Bilbao

WikiPedia:Bilbao