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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
San Sebastián
Donostia
Stay 2–3 nights: eat pintxos in the Old Town, swim at La Concha, walk up Monte Igueldo. Skip if you want big-city museums or nightlife.
San Sebastián (Donostia in Basque) is a small, compact Basque city of about 187,000 people built around two beaches and one of Europe's densest concentrations of bars and restaurants. It is a food city first: the Old Town's pintxo bars are the main attraction, with La Concha beach and the Monte Igueldo viewpoint as the daytime anchors. Two to three nights covers it well; most travellers arrive by bus or train from Bilbao or France, and the city is walkable end to end.
- Country
- Spain
- Local name
- Donostia
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for beach weather; May and Sep–Oct for fewer crowds and comfortable walking
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (rain, many beach businesses closed); mid-August (peak crowds and highest room rates)
- 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, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €180+ 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 emergency services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- 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 at an Old Town bar | €2–4 |
| Menu del día at lunch | €15–25 |
| Glass of wine or small beer | €2–4 |
| D-Bus single ride | €1.85 |
| Beach umbrella and lounger, La Concha | €15 per day |
| Kayak hire, Ondarreta | About €7 per hour |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EAS · San Sebastián Airport (Hondarribia)
- About 20 km from the centre; i2 bus to Plaza Gipuzkoa roughly hourly, about 30 min, €2.65About 12 mi from the centre; i2 bus to Plaza Gipuzkoa roughly hourly, about 30 min, €2.65
- BIO · Bilbao Airport
- About 100 km away; PESA bus roughly hourly during the day, about 70 min, around €15About 62 mi away; PESA bus roughly hourly during the day, about 70 min, around €15
- BIQ · Biarritz Airport (France)
- About 50 km away; train via Hendaye then Euskotren, or a coach via Saint-Jean-de-LuzAbout 31 mi away; train via Hendaye then Euskotren, or a coach via Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Typical fares
- EAS airport → Plaza Gipuzkoa, i2 bus
- €2.65, about 30 min
- Bilbao → San Sebastián, PESA bus
- around €15, about 70 min
- Taxi across the centre
- €8–15
Get around
The centre is walkable: Old Town to La Concha is about 10 minutes on foot, and the two main train stations (RENFE and Amara) are 800 m apart. D-Bus city buses charge a flat €1.85 per ride; the MUGI card and the Barik card from Bilbao both work. Taxis only pick up at ranks or by phone, not by hailing on the street. Bikes can be hired, and the town hall bike scheme runs 10:00–21:00 with a €20 deposit.The centre is walkable: Old Town to La Concha is about 10 minutes on foot, and the two main train stations (RENFE and Amara) are 800 m apart. D-Bus city buses charge a flat €1.85 per ride; the MUGI card and the Barik card from Bilbao both work. Taxis only pick up at ranks or by phone, not by hailing on the street. Bikes can be hired, and the town hall bike scheme runs 10:00 AM–9:00 PM with a €20 deposit.
See and do
Known for
- La Concha beach
- Old Town pintxo bars
- Monte Igueldo funicular
- Zurriola surf beach
- Basque seafood and cider houses
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bilbao | PESA or La Burundesa bus from the bus station, about 1 h; Euskotren also runs the route | About 1.5 h |
| Hondarribia | Euskotren to Hendaia/Irun then local bus, or a direct bus from the centre | About 45–60 min |
| Zarauz | Euskotren or regional bus along the coast | About 40 min |
| Guernica | Euskotren to Bilbao area then bus, or a direct bus | About 2 h |
| Mundaka | Bus via Bilbao or Durango | About 2.5 h |
| Vitoria-Gasteiz | Bus from the bus station, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
Sleep
- Old Town (Parte Vieja)
- Pintxo bars, cathedral and Santa María del Coro on the doorstep; loud at night, few rooms, book early.
- Centro / Erdialdea
- Between the Old Town and the river; quiet at night, 5–10 min walk to both the bars and La Concha.
- Gros
- Across the Urumea by Zurriola surf beach; younger, cheaper, 10–15 min walk to the Old Town.
- Amara
- Around the bus and train stations; practical for early departures, 20–25 min walk to the beach.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | KaixoKAI-sho |
| Thank you | Eskerrik askoes-ke-reek AS-ko |
| Please | Mesedezme-se-DETH |
| The bill, please | Kontua, mesedezKON-too-a me-se-DETH |
| How much is it? | Zenbat da?THEN-bat da |
| Where is the toilet? | Non dago komuna?non DA-go ko-MOO-na |
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 outside summer: pack a shell, not just an umbrella.
- Old Town pintxo bars get packed 13:00–15:00 and 20:00–22:30; eat standing at the bar or go early.
- Some bars charge more for terrace tables; ask before sitting.
- Parking downtown is roughly €20/day and mostly underground; a car is a liability here.
- In 2026 no mainline trains cross the French border at Hendaye: change to Euskotren.
One of Spain's safer cities; the real risks are pickpockets in the packed Old Town bars, strong surf at Zurriola, and rain-slicked steps on the Monte Igueldo paths.
One and two days
No timed day plan for San Sebastián yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- La Concha beach
- Old Town pintxo bars
- Monte Igueldo funicular
- Zurriola surf beach
- Basque seafood and cider houses
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Donostia San Sebastián official site: www.donostia.eus/
- San Sebastián tourism: www.sansebastianturismoa.eus/en/
- Euskotren: www.euskotren.eus/en
- D-Bus city buses: www.dbus.eus/en/
- Aena — San Sebastián airport: www.aena.es/en/san-sebastian-airport.html
- Wikivoyage: San Sebastián, revision 5337280 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5337280
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
San SebastiánDonostia
Helbide honetara, mesedez
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in San Sebastián; most countries keep embassies in Madrid and consulates in Bilbao.
Basque is co-official here; Spanish works everywhere, and bar staff switch to English in the Old Town.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/san-sebastian). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.