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Voykit pocket guide · France
Bayonne
Baiona
Give Bayonne 2 nights as a base: old town on foot in a day, then use it as the rail and bus hub for Biarritz, the Basque coast and Spain.
Bayonne is the working Basque town that Biarritz gets the credit for: half-timbered quays on the Nive, a Gothic cathedral, ramparts, chocolate history and the best ham in France. It is also the transport hub of the BAB conurbation (Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne), so it works as a base rather than a stop. Two nights covers the old town properly and leaves a day for the coast or the mountains.
- Country
- France
- Local name
- Baiona
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Mid-July (Fêtes de Bayonne: packed and pricier), Aug (busiest and hottest)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a bar counter | €1.50–3 |
| Pint of beer | €5–8 |
| Jambon de Bayonne sandwich or plate | €5–12 |
| Lunch menu (formule) in the old town | €16–25 |
| Museum entry (Musée Basque, Bonnat-Helleu, chocolate museum) | €6.80–9 |
| Txik Txak single bus ticket | €1.20 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €8–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BIQ · Biarritz Pays Basque
- 5 km southwest of the centre; Txik Txak bus 4 runs downtown about every 20 min, 20 min, last around 22:30 (check)5 km southwest of the centre; Txik Txak bus 4 runs downtown about every 20 min, 20 min, last around 10:30 PM (check)3.1 mi southwest of the centre; Txik Txak bus 4 runs downtown about every 20 min, 20 min, last around 22:30 (check)3.1 mi southwest of the centre; Txik Txak bus 4 runs downtown about every 20 min, 20 min, last around 10:30 PM (check)
Typical fares
- BIQ airport → Bayonne centre, Txik Txak bus 4
- about €1.20, 20 min (check)
- Bayonne → Biarritz by bus
- about €1.20, 20–30 min (check)
- Bayonne → Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port by train
- about €8–10, 1 h 10 min (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable: station to cathedral is about 1 km across the Adour bridge. Txik Txak runs the BAB network; N1, N2 and N6 are free town-centre shuttles, other routes cost about €1.20 for 90 min including interchange (2026 estimate). Multi-journey and day passes are sold at the kiosk by the town hall and at tobacconists, not on the bus. Trains and buses cover Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye and Spain.The centre is walkable: station to cathedral is about 0.6 mi across the Adour bridge. Txik Txak runs the BAB network; N1, N2 and N6 are free town-centre shuttles, other routes cost about €1.20 for 90 min including interchange (2026 estimate). Multi-journey and day passes are sold at the kiosk by the town hall and at tobacconists, not on the bus. Trains and buses cover Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye and Spain.
See and do
Known for
- Cathédrale Sainte-Marie and its cloister
- Jambon de Bayonne (air-dried ham)
- Musée Basque
- Fêtes de Bayonne in mid-July
- Chocolate-making heritage
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Biarritz | Txik Txak bus from the centre, about 20–30 min | About 40 min |
| Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port | Train from Bayonne, about 1 h 10 min | About 1.5 h |
| Hendaye | Hourly local train, about 40 min via Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Biarritz | About 50 min |
| Sare | Bus or train to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, then onward bus or taxi | 1.5–2 h |
| Bidarray | Train towards Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, then walk or taxi | 1.5–2 h |
| Pau | Direct train, about 1 h 30 min | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Grand Bayonne (west of the Nive)
- Cathedral, Les Halles market, most hotels; walk to everything.
- Petit Bayonne (east of the Nive)
- Quays, tapas bars and the Musée Basque; quieter at night.
- Saint-Esprit (north of the Adour)
- Around the SNCF station and the bus stop; cheapest beds, 10–15 min walk to the old town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-zhoor |
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-syon seel voo pleh |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-yay par kart |
| Where is the station? | Où est la gare ?oo ay la gar |
| A slice of ham, please | Une tranche de jambon, s'il vous plaîtewn trahnsh duh zham-bon seel voo pleh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Several old-town sights close during the Fêtes de Bayonne in mid-July; check dates before booking.
- Château-Vieux, the Citadelle and Château Neuf are military or university sites: outside only.
- The intercity bus stop at Quai de Lesseps has no shelter and few facilities; it is a 10-min walk from the station.
- Beach swimming is at Biarritz or Anglet, not Bayonne: the Adour and Nive are tidal and not swimming rivers.
A calm, low-crime town; the real risks are pickpockets in the Fêtes de Bayonne crowds, tidal riverbanks, and bar tabs on the Petit Bayonne quays: ask the total before you sit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bayonne yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cathédrale Sainte-Marie and its cloister
- Jambon de Bayonne (air-dried ham)
- Musée Basque
- Fêtes de Bayonne in mid-July
- Chocolate-making heritage
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ville de Bayonne (official): www.bayonne.fr/
- Bayonne tourist office: www.visitbayonne.com/en/
- Txik Txak (BAB public transport): www.txiktxak.fr/
- Wikivoyage: Bayonne (France), revision 5321273 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5321273
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BayonneBaiona
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Bayonne; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish embassies are in Paris, with consulates-general in Bordeaux (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bayonne-france). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.