How do I get to Irun from Bilbao?

[jemitch65]

Hello fellow peregrinos:

I will be travelling from Boston to Madrid with a connection to Bilbao to walk the Camino del Norte in June/July 2015. Can anyone give me advice on how I will get from the Bilbao Airport to Irun? As always, thank you so much for your advice and comments. This is a great forum and I salute this entire online community. Thank you. John

 

[whariwharangi]

Executive Summary: Take hourly PESA bus from Bilbao (Loiu) Airport to Donostia/San Sebastian outdoor bus station at Plaza Pio XII. Take ALSA or Ekaildebus bus from San Sebastian bus station to Irun Renfe Station, or, walk 700 meters to Euskotren Amara station, and take the Euskotren to Irun Colon Station.

Bilbao Airport (Loiu)(BIO)
http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-Bilbao/en/Home.html

PESA
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/public_home/ctrl_home.php

ALSA
https://www.alsa.es/

Euskotren
http://www.euskotren.es/

Ekialdebus
http://www.ekialdebus.net/inicio/?lang=es

Map San Sebastian - 41 is Renfe station 42 is Euskotren Amara station 43 is Bus station
http://www.sansebastianturismo.com/images/ssturismo/pdf/city-map-donostia-san-sebastian.pdf

Here are transportation facilities in Bilbao. Information was written on how to get to SJPdP via Irun.

1600 Bilbao

1601 This section discusses transportation Services in Bilbao.

Index 1600
1602 Bilbao
1603 Bilbao Airport
1604 Getting Around in Bilbao
1605 Bilbao Bus Station
1606 Bilbao Train Station
1607 Bilbao Train Service
1608 Destinations from Bilbao
1660 Bilbao to Saint Jean Pied de Port via Bayonne

1602 Bilbao

Bilbao
http://www.bilbao.net/cs/Satellite?pagename=Bilbaonet/Page/BIO_preHome

Bizkaia
http://www.bizkaia.net/Home/ca_index.asp

1603 Bilbao Airport

Bilbao Airport (Loiu)(BIO)
http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-Bilbao/en/Home.html

1604 Getting Around in Bilbao

PESA connects direct from Bilbao Airport (Loiu) to Donostia/San Sebastian bus station.
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/public_home/ctrl_home.php

Bizkaia bus service connects from Airport to Termibus bus station. The schedule is found on the Termibus website.

Termibus is co-located with San Mames station.

Bilbao Metro, Cercanius, and Euskotren connect San Mames to Abando station.

Bizkaia bus provides urban bus service in Bilbao Metropolitan Area including Bilbao Airport.
http://www.bizkaia.net/home2/Temas/DetalleTema.asp?Tem_Codigo=195&idioma=CA&bnetmobile=0&dpto_biz=&codpath_biz=|195

Bilbobus provides urban bus service to Bilbao.
http://www.bilbao.net/cs/Satellite?cid=1279132680834&language=en&pagename=Bilbaonet/Page/BIO_detallePagina

Bilbao has three commuter train networks. Metro, Cercanius and Euskotren.

Bilbao Metro
http://www.metrobilbao.net/

Bilbao Renfe Cercanius
http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/cercanias/bilbao/index.html

Euskotren
http://www.euskotren.es/

1605 Bilbao Bus Station

Termibus Bus Station
http://www.termibus.es/index.php?idi=es

1606 Bilbao Train Station

The Renfe station is Estación de Abando Indalecio Prieto.

The Renfe FEVE station is Abando Concordia and is located adjacent to the Renfe Station.

Bilbao has three Cercanius light rail routes that intersect at Abando.

Euskotren Transvia Tram and Bilbao Metro have stops at Abando.

Bizkiabus and Bilbobus have stops at Abando.

Bilbao Abando Indalecio Prieto Renfe Station
http://www.adif.es/es_ES/infraestructuras/estaciones/13200/informacion_000034.shtml

Bilbao Abando Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilbao-Abando

1607 Bilbao Train Service

Renfe
http://www.renfe.com/

Renfe FEVE (Bilbao to Santander and Bilbao to Leon)
http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/feve/index.html

Euskotren (Bilbao to Hendaye)
http://www.euskotren.es/

1608 Destinations from Bilbao

Euskotren to Hendaye;

Bus to Bayonne, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Burgos, Logroño, et Alia;

FEVE train to Leon and Santander; and,

Renfe train to anywhere Spain.

1660 Bilbao to SJPdP via Bayonne

1661 This section discusses transportation from Bilbao to SJPdP via Bayonne.

Index 1660

1662 Bilbao Airport to Bilbao Termibus
1663 Bilbao to Bayonne Bus Option
1664 Bilbao to Hendaye Euskotren Option
1665 Bilbao Airport to San Sebastian Bus Station
1666 Bilbao to Irun Bus Option
1667 Irun and Hendaye to Bayonne
1668 Bayonne to SJPdP

1662 Bilbao Airport to Bilbao Termibus

Bizkaia buses #A3247 travels from Bilbao airport to Bilbao Termibus where it terminates. Termibus is located in same area as San Mames station.

1663 Bilbao to Bayonne Bus Option

There are PESA buses twice daily (except Sunday) from Bilbao Termibus to Place de Basques Bayonne.

Chronoplus bus #5, 8, B, or N departs from Place de Basques to Gare de Bayonne.

PESA
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/public_home/ctrl_home.php

1664 Bilbao to Hendaye Euskotren Option

Take Metro from San Mames to Etxebarri Station or take Euskotren Transvia tram to Atxuri Station.

Euskotren commuter trains travel from Atxuri Station and Etxebarri Station to Hendaia station, co-located with SNCF Gare d'Hendaye France, where Euskotren tracks terminate. A transfer is required at San Sebastian Euskotren Amara station.

Euskotren
http://www.euskotren.es/

1665 Bilbao Airport to San Sebastian Bus Station

PESA connects Bilbao Airport (Loiu) to San Sebastian bus station hourly.
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/public_home/ctrl_home.php

1666 Bilbao to Irun Bus Option

See Bilbao Termibus for schedule of buses to San Sebastian bus station.

Termibus Bus Station
http://www.termibus.es/index.php?idi=es

The San Sebastian bus station is an outdoor bus stop located at Plaza de Pio XII beside the Hotel Amara Plaza.

Bus companies providing service in San Sebastian:
http://www.donostiasansebastian.com/autobuses.html

Ekialdebus provides interurban bus service from San Sebastian including service to Irun and San Sebastian Airport.
http://www.ekialdebus.net/inicio/?lang=es

1667 Irun and Hendaye to Bayonne

SNCF TGV and Intercites trains travel from Irun Renfe Station to Gare de Bayonne.

SNCF TGV, Intercites, and TER trains travel from Gare d'Hendaye to Gare de Bayonne.

Trains continue to destinations such as Bordeaux and Toulouse.

ATCRB buses travel from Gare d'Hendaye to Place de Basques Bayonne.

Chronoplus bus #5, 8, B, or N departs from Place de Basques to Gare de Bayonne.

SNCF
http://www.sncf.com/en/passengers

Transdev ATCRB
http://www.transports-atcrb.com/

1668 Bayonne to SJPdP

SNCF TER trains #62 travel from Gare de Bayonne to SJPdP where it terminates.

SNCF TER Aquitaine
http://www.ter-sncf.com/Regions/Aquitaine/fr/Default.aspx

 

[Deleted member 3000]

www.alsa.es has the bus schedule.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

 

[jemitch65]

Executive Summary: Take hourly PESA bus from Bilbao (Loiu) Airport to Donostia/San Sebastian outdoor bus station at Plaza Pio XII. Take ALSA or Ekaildebus bus from San Sebastian bus station to Irun Renfe Station, or, walk 700 meters to Euskotren Amara station, and take the Euskotren to Irun Colon Station.

Bilbao Airport (Loiu)(BIO)
http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-Bilbao/en/Home.html

PESA
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/public_home/ctrl_home.php

ALSA
https://www.alsa.es/

Euskotren
http://www.euskotren.es/

Ekialdebus
http://www.ekialdebus.net/inicio/?lang=es

Map San Sebastian - 41 is Renfe station 42 is Euskotren Amara station 43 is Bus station
http://www.sansebastianturismo.com/images/ssturismo/pdf/city-map-donostia-san-sebastian.pdf

Here are transportation facilities in Bilbao. Information was written on how to get to SJPdP via Irun.

1600 Bilbao

1601 This section discusses transportation Services in Bilbao.

Index 1600
1602 Bilbao
1603 Bilbao Airport
1604 Getting Around in Bilbao
1605 Bilbao Bus Station
1606 Bilbao Train Station
1607 Bilbao Train Service
1608 Destinations from Bilbao
1660 Bilbao to Saint Jean Pied de Port via Bayonne

1602 Bilbao

Bilbao
http://www.bilbao.net/cs/Satellite?pagename=Bilbaonet/Page/BIO_preHome

Bizkaia
http://www.bizkaia.net/Home/ca_index.asp

1603 Bilbao Airport

Bilbao Airport (Loiu)(BIO)
http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-Bilbao/en/Home.html

1604 Getting Around in Bilbao

PESA connects direct from Bilbao Airport (Loiu) to Donostia/San Sebastian bus station.
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/public_home/ctrl_home.php

Bizkaia bus service connects from Airport to Termibus bus station. The schedule is found on the Termibus website.

Termibus is co-located with San Mames station.

Bilbao Metro, Cercanius, and Euskotren connect San Mames to Abando station.

Bizkaia bus provides urban bus service in Bilbao Metropolitan Area including Bilbao Airport.
http://www.bizkaia.net/home2/Temas/DetalleTema.asp?Tem_Codigo=195&idioma=CA&bnetmobile=0&dpto_biz=&codpath_biz=|195

Bilbobus provides urban bus service to Bilbao.
http://www.bilbao.net/cs/Satellite?cid=1279132680834&language=en&pagename=Bilbaonet/Page/BIO_detallePagina

Bilbao has three commuter train networks. Metro, Cercanius and Euskotren.

Bilbao Metro
http://www.metrobilbao.net/

Bilbao Renfe Cercanius
http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/cercanias/bilbao/index.html

Euskotren
http://www.euskotren.es/

1605 Bilbao Bus Station

Termibus Bus Station
http://www.termibus.es/index.php?idi=es

1606 Bilbao Train Station

The Renfe station is Estación de Abando Indalecio Prieto.

The Renfe FEVE station is Abando Concordia and is located adjacent to the Renfe Station.

Bilbao has three Cercanius light rail routes that intersect at Abando.

Euskotren Transvia Tram and Bilbao Metro have stops at Abando.

Bizkiabus and Bilbobus have stops at Abando.

Bilbao Abando Indalecio Prieto Renfe Station
http://www.adif.es/es_ES/infraestructuras/estaciones/13200/informacion_000034.shtml

Bilbao Abando Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilbao-Abando

1607 Bilbao Train Service

Renfe
http://www.renfe.com/

Renfe FEVE (Bilbao to Santander and Bilbao to Leon)
http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/feve/index.html

Euskotren (Bilbao to Hendaye)
http://www.euskotren.es/

1608 Destinations from Bilbao

Euskotren to Hendaye;

Bus to Bayonne, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Burgos, Logroño, et Alia;

FEVE train to Leon and Santander; and,

Renfe train to anywhere Spain.

1660 Bilbao to SJPdP via Bayonne

1661 This section discusses transportation from Bilbao to SJPdP via Bayonne.

Index 1660

1662 Bilbao Airport to Bilbao Termibus
1663 Bilbao to Bayonne Bus Option
1664 Bilbao to Hendaye Euskotren Option
1665 Bilbao Airport to San Sebastian Bus Station
1666 Bilbao to Irun Bus Option
1667 Irun and Hendaye to Bayonne
1668 Bayonne to SJPdP

1662 Bilbao Airport to Bilbao Termibus

Bizkaia buses #A3247 travels from Bilbao airport to Bilbao Termibus where it terminates. Termibus is located in same area as San Mames station.

1663 Bilbao to Bayonne Bus Option

There are PESA buses twice daily (except Sunday) from Bilbao Termibus to Place de Basques Bayonne.

Chronoplus bus #5, 8, B, or N departs from Place de Basques to Gare de Bayonne.

PESA
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/public_home/ctrl_home.php

1664 Bilbao to Hendaye Euskotren Option

Take Metro from San Mames to Etxebarri Station or take Euskotren Transvia tram to Atxuri Station.

Euskotren commuter trains travel from Atxuri Station and Etxebarri Station to Hendaia station, co-located with SNCF Gare d'Hendaye France, where Euskotren tracks terminate. A transfer is required at San Sebastian Euskotren Amara station.

Euskotren
http://www.euskotren.es/

1665 Bilbao Airport to San Sebastian Bus Station

PESA connects Bilbao Airport (Loiu) to San Sebastian bus station hourly.
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/public_home/ctrl_home.php

1666 Bilbao to Irun Bus Option

See Bilbao Termibus for schedule of buses to San Sebastian bus station.

Termibus Bus Station
http://www.termibus.es/index.php?idi=es

The San Sebastian bus station is an outdoor bus stop located at Plaza de Pio XII beside the Hotel Amara Plaza.

Bus companies providing service in San Sebastian:
http://www.donostiasansebastian.com/autobuses.html

Ekialdebus provides interurban bus service from San Sebastian including service to Irun and San Sebastian Airport.
http://www.ekialdebus.net/inicio/?lang=es

1667 Irun and Hendaye to Bayonne

SNCF TGV and Intercites trains travel from Irun Renfe Station to Gare de Bayonne.

SNCF TGV, Intercites, and TER trains travel from Gare d'Hendaye to Gare de Bayonne.

Trains continue to destinations such as Bordeaux and Toulouse.

ATCRB buses travel from Gare d'Hendaye to Place de Basques Bayonne.

Chronoplus bus #5, 8, B, or N departs from Place de Basques to Gare de Bayonne.

SNCF
http://www.sncf.com/en/passengers

Transdev ATCRB
http://www.transports-atcrb.com/

1668 Bayonne to SJPdP

SNCF TER trains #62 travel from Gare de Bayonne to SJPdP where it terminates.

SNCF TER Aquitaine
http://www.ter-sncf.com/Regions/Aquitaine/fr/Default.aspx

Hello Whari. Thank you so much for the response and the links. This will help me out immensely. John

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, John,

If you are going to travel straight through Bilbao without stopping, you could take the airport bus into town, and the last stop is the Bilbao bus station. I took the airport bus into town last summer and it's quick and efficient, and only a couple of euros. Of course you could hop a cap too.

Buses to Irun are very frequent, as falcon's screen shot shows.

And the route to the albergue from the Irun station is marked with arrows. If my memory is right, the bus station in Irun is right at the train station. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[jemitch65]

View attachment 15071

Thank you Falcon for sending me the bus schedule. I can't wait for June. John

 

[jemitch65]

Hi, John,

If you are going to travel straight through Bilbao without stopping, you could take the airport bus into town, and the last stop is the Bilbao bus station. I took the airport bus into town last summer and it's quick and efficient, and only a couple of euros. Of course you could hop a cap too.

Buses to Irun are very frequent, as falcon's screen shot shows.

And the route to the albergue from the Irun station is marked with arrows. If my memory is right, the bus station in Irun is right at the train station. Buen camino, Laurie

Hi Laurie. Thank you for the note. The bus sounds like my choice from the airport and the price sounds great at a couple of Euros. John

 

[waveprof]

Euskatren or bus

Euskatren is slow (3 hours?) until it gets to Donostia/San Sebastian, but it is one of the prettiest train rides on earth. Then it gets you to Irun/the border in about 20 minutes

 

[waveprof]

Hello fellow peregrinos:

I will be travelling from Boston to Madrid with a connection to Bilbao to walk the Camino del Norte in June/July 2015. Can anyone give me advice on how I will get from the Bilbao Airport to Irun? As always, thank you so much for your advice and comments. This is a great forum and I salute this entire online community. Thank you. John

BTW a little piece of advice if you are going to Irun to start the norte........stay on the euskatren (or take a bus) across the "border" to Hendaye. It's a beautiful town. Get a basque cake there (the best in all of the basque region). And start walking from there. It only adds 2-3 km to your entire journey, and gives you a sense of a border crossing to begin. Plus Hendaye rocks.

 

[jemitch65]

BTW a little piece of advice if you are going to Irun to start the norte........stay on the euskatren (or take a bus) across the "border" to Hendaye. It's a beautiful town. Get a basque cake there (the best in all of the basque region). And start walking from there. It only adds 2-3 km to your entire journey, and gives you a sense of a border crossing to begin. Plus Hendaye rocks.

Thank you Antonio. I never thought of that and it sounds intriguing. When I walked the Camino Frances, I enjoyed the border crossing at the Fountain de Roland. One questions though, can you get a pilgrims passport in Hendaye? Thank you. John

 

[waveprof]

Thank you Antonio. I never thought of that and it sounds intriguing. When I walked the Camino Frances, I enjoyed the border crossing at the Fountain de Roland. One questions though, can you get a pilgrims passport in Hendaye? Thank you. John

I don't know about a pilgrims passport (it's possible). Even if not, you could still stop off in Irun to get one.

 

[waveprof]

Thank you Antonio. I never thought of that and it sounds intriguing. When I walked the Camino Frances, I enjoyed the border crossing at the Fountain de Roland. One questions though, can you get a pilgrims passport in Hendaye? Thank you. John

This is the place with the best-in-Euskal Herria basque cakes.....

It's right across from the train station, but the cute downtown is up a hill

 

[peregrina2000]

Thank you Antonio. I never thought of that and it sounds intriguing. When I walked the Camino Frances, I enjoyed the border crossing at the Fountain de Roland. One questions though, can you get a pilgrims passport in Hendaye? Thank you. John

John, since I see you're from the US, you can get the credential before you leave from the American Pilgrims on the Camino. APOC is the main US pilgrim group, and they are very fast and efficient. All info here:
http://www.americanpilgrims.com/camino/credential_req.html

No charge, but they ask for a donation. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[OzAnnie]

Hi John
I see time is on your side. Why don't you get your pilgrim passport from this forum. Ivar sends them worldwide.

Although it is the most mentioned starting point when walking the Norte. (Ie Irun); I met a lot of pilgrims during October ,who started further along the way. , including Bilbao.

Happy planning. You'll love the Norte. Buen Camino.

 

[jemitch65]

Hi John
I see time is on your side. Why don't you get your pilgrim passport from this forum. Ivar sends them worldwide.

Although it is the most mentioned starting point when walking the Norte. (Ie Irun); I met a lot of pilgrims during October ,who started further along the way. , including Bilbao.

Happy planning. You'll love the Norte. Buen Camino.

Thank you. I did see Ivar's post on the forum for the pilgrim passport. I will definitely get it here and save myself one less thing when I get to Irun.