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Voykit pocket guide · France
Biarritz
Give Biarritz 2–3 nights: surf and swim in the morning, walk the coast path at low tide, and use it as a base for Bayonne and the Basque villages.
Biarritz is a surf town that grew into a resort: a sheltered bay, a headland lighthouse, and a casino-and-palace seafront, all walkable in half an hour. It is small enough that two nights covers the town, and it works best as a base for the Basque coast — Bayonne is 15 minutes away, the Spanish border 30 minutes. Come for the sea and the food, not for a checklist of sights.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for swimming and surf; May, Jun and Sep for fewer crowds
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (peak crowds and prices), Nov–Mar (many seafront places shut)
- Stay
- 2–3 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 €60–95 excl. bed · Mid €95–160 excl. bed · High €160+ 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 number 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 seafront café | €2–4 |
| Pintxos or a plate of tapas | €3–6 each |
| Plate of seafood or a fish main | €16–28 |
| Menu du jour at lunch | €18–26 |
| Beer: draught / supermarket can | €5–8 / €1–2 |
| Surfboard and wetsuit rental, half day | €25–40 |
| Thalasso half-day pass | €17–40 |
| Museum or aquarium entry | €6–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BIQ · Biarritz Pays Basque Airport
- About 3 km (1.9 mi) from the centre; bus line C links the airport with the town and Bayonne, taxi about 10 minAbout 1.9 mi (3 km) from the centre; bus line C links the airport with the town and Bayonne, taxi about 10 min
Typical fares
- Airport → town centre, bus
- about €1.50, 15–20 min
- Biarritz station → centre, bus
- about €1–2, 15 min
- Train Biarritz → Bayonne
- about €3, 10 min
- Taxi airport → centre
- €15–25
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre, both main beaches and the headland are walkable in 20–30 minutes, but the town is hilly. Chronoplus buses cover Biarritz, Anglet and Bayonne on a flat fare, with a day pass and a 10-journey ticket sold at kiosks and tobacconists rather than on the bus. Trains from Biarritz station reach Bayonne in about 10 minutes and the Spanish border at Hendaye in about 30.
See and do
Known for
- Grand Plage and the Côte des Basques surf break
- Hôtel du Palais, built for Empress Eugénie
- Rocher de la Vierge and the lighthouse
- Basque coast food: pintxos, seafood, gâteau basque
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bayonne | Train from Biarritz station, about 10 min, or Chronoplus bus | About 30 min |
| Hendaye and the Spanish border | Train along the coast, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port | Train from Bayonne, about 1 h 10 min | About 1 h 45 min |
| Sare and the Basque villages | Car or the Petit Train de la Rhune area buses; no direct train | About 45 min by car |
| Bidarray | Car via the Nive valley, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Lescun | Car via Pau and the Aspe valley, about 2 h 30 min | About 3 h |
Sleep
- Grand Plage and the casino seafront
- Steps from the beach and the thalasso centres; the most expensive beds in town.
- Côte des Basques and Boulevard du Prince de Galles
- Surf hostels and board rentals; a 10–15 min walk up from the centre.
- Port Vieux and the old port
- Quiet, sheltered swimming beach and seafood restaurants; central but calm.
- Biarritz station (La Négresse)
- Cheapest beds, 3 km (1.9 mi) inland; bus line 2 or C into town.Cheapest beds, 1.9 mi (3 km) inland; bus line 2 or C into town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the beach? | Où est la plage ?oo ay la PLAHJ |
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
- The Atlantic is cold and the surf break at Côte des Basques is for experienced surfers at low tide: swim between the flags at Grand Plage or Port Vieux.
- Parking near the beaches fills by mid-morning in July and August; the town is easier without a car.
- Many seafront restaurants and hotels close from November to March: check before booking a winter trip.
- Biarritz station is 3 km from the centre, not in it — allow 15 minutes by bus or taxi.
Biarritz is a safe, well-lit resort town; the real risks are the cold Atlantic, rip currents at the surf beach, and pickpockets around the casino and Grand Plage in August.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Biarritz yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Grand Plage and the Côte des Basques surf break
- Hôtel du Palais, built for Empress Eugénie
- Rocher de la Vierge and the lighthouse
- Basque coast food: pintxos, seafood, gâteau basque
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Biarritz town hall (official site): biarritz.fr
- Biarritz Pays Basque Airport: www.biarritz.aeroport.fr
- SNCF Connect (timetables and fares): www.sncf.com/en
- Wikivoyage: Biarritz, revision 5332381 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5332381
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Biarritz
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Biarritz; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish embassies are in Paris. The nearest consulates are in Bordeaux and Toulouse.
Tipping: service is included by law; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/biarritz). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.