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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Bilbao
Give Bilbao 2 nights: one full day for the Guggenheim and the river walk, one for the Casco Viejo and a day trip; more only if you add the coast.
Bilbao is the largest city in Spain's Basque Country and the easiest place to see Basque language and culture up close. It is a compact, rainy-green river city: the Guggenheim anchors one end of the centre, the old town the other, and a 30-minute walk along the Nervión connects them. Most travellers use it as a 2-night city stop, then push on to San Sebastián or the coast.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Dec (wettest), Aug (busiest and priciest)
- 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, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €80–140 excl. bed · High €140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · National police 091 · Local police 092
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–2.50 |
| Pintxo with a drink | €2.50–4.50 |
| Menu del día at lunch | €12–20 |
| Guggenheim adult ticket | €18 online (check) |
| Metro single ride | €1.70–1.95 (check) |
| Tram single ticket | €1.50 (check) |
| Taxi airport to centre | €25–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BIO · Bilbao Airport
- Bizkaibus A3247 to the centre, about 20–30 min; taxi about €25–30
Typical fares
- Airport → centre, Bizkaibus A3247
- about €4.50, 20–30 min (check)
- Metro single ride
- €1.70–1.95 (check)
- Taxi airport → centre
- €25–30
Get around
The centre is walkable: Guggenheim to Casco Viejo is about 30 min along the river. Metro, tram, Bilbobus and the Artxanda funicular cover the rest. A Barik card (€3, reloadable) is cheaper than single tickets and works on metro, tram, bus, Euskotren and local Renfe trains in Bizkaia.
See and do
Known for
- Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
- Casco Viejo (old town)
- Pintxos and txakoli
- Basque language and culture
- Mercado de la Ribera
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| San Sebastián | Euskotren from Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo, about 2 h 40 min; or Pesa bus from Bilbao Intermodal, about 1 h 15 min | 1.5–3 h |
| Guernica (Gernika) | Euskotren from Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo, about 50 min | About 1 h |
| Mundaka | Euskotren to Bermeo, then Bizkaibus, or Euskotren to Mundaka where served | 1.5–2 h |
| Balmaseda | Renfe Cercanías C4 from Concordia station, about 50 min | About 1 h |
| Vitoria-Gasteiz | La Unión Alavesa bus from Bilbao Intermodal, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
| Hondarribia | Bus or train to San Sebastián, then local bus or the little boat across the bay | 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- Abando / Indautxu
- Central, flat, metro and tram nearby; 10–15 min walk to the Guggenheim. Best for a short first trip.
- Casco Viejo (Zazpikaleak)
- Old town: pintxo bars, cathedral, metro and Euskotren station. Noisier at night.
- Deusto / San Ignacio
- Quieter, cheaper, 15–20 min by metro or tram from the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Kaixokai-sho |
| Thank you | Eskerrik askoes-ke-reek as-ko |
| Please | Mesedezmeh-seh-des |
| The bill, please | Kontua, mesedezkon-too-a meh-seh-des |
| Where is the toilet? | Non dago komuna?non da-go ko-moo-na |
| Do you speak English? | Ingelesez hitz egiten duzu?in-geh-leh-ses its eh-gee-ten doo-soo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- It rains often: pack a light waterproof rather than an umbrella for the wind.
- Bilbao has a low-emissions zone; check whether your rental car is allowed before driving in.
- Some pintxo bars charge by the toothpick or plate: keep them or ask for the count.
- The Guggenheim is closed on Mondays outside July and August.
Bilbao is a safe city by Western European standards; the main annoyances are pickpockets in the Casco Viejo and around the Guggenheim, and slick pavements in the rain. Keep bags zipped and watch your step on wet stone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bilbao yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
- Casco Viejo (old town)
- Pintxos and txakoli
- Basque language and culture
- Mercado de la Ribera
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bilbao City Council: www.bilbao.eus/
- Bilbao Tourism: www.bilbaoturismo.net/BilbaoTurismo/en/tourists
- Guggenheim Museum Bilbao: www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/en/
- Metro Bilbao: www.metrobilbao.eus/
- Euskotren: www.euskotren.eus/en
- Renfe: www.renfe.com/es/en
- Aena — Bilbao Airport: www.aena-aeropuertos.es
- Wikivoyage: Bilbao, revision 5339196 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5339196
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bilbao
Helbide honetara, mesedez
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Bilbao; most countries are represented in Madrid, with consulates in Madrid or Barcelona. US citizens: US Embassy Madrid (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bilbao). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.