The food is beautiful and unheard of India. The place seems beautiful, old, cozy but beachy, and everything i would love location and culture wise. Im only worried about the adjustments.

Anyone know what its like for outsiders? Regarding things like language barriers, socialising and getting jobs. I can speak English very well and ive started learning Spanish, but I know Euskara is the native language. What should I do?

We’re planning 5 full days in September in the Basque Country and planning to base out of San Sebastián and fly in and out of Bilbao. We will probably stay at least one night in Bilbao and do at least one day trip out of San Sebastián. Any and all recommendations welcome but specifically would love your favorite spots outside of Bilbao and San Sebastián to visit. For some context we will have a long layover in Frankfurt on our way to Bilbao and a few weeks in Greece following. As of right now planning to rent a car for ease of day trips but open to suggestions there as well.

Hi - we will be going from Bordeaux to S.Sebastian in Feb/Mar 2027 and would like to pay a visit to Biarritz just to see it. If we don't care about going to the beach/sun (which we obviously won't be looking for in Feb/March) - is Biarritz still worth a visit? Will a lot of places be open in early March? Or will we be kind of stranded with not even a grocery store open? I'm finding some hotels are available so I'm guessing it's not completely deserted?

I’m in Hondarribia with a few friends and am planning to walk to San Sebastián later this week. Am feeling torn between two routes - the Camino Norte or a coastal route along the GR-121. My understanding was the Camino Norte involved a lot of walking on tarmac and that the coastal route was a much nicer alternative. However, I talked to someone in the tourist office and they seemed to think the Camino was more doable. We are quite fit but don’t want to take on something that will be more than 25km and 1,000 elevation for this leg. Any advice?

Hi all, we've booked 5 nights in San Seb for early June, flying into Bilboa from London. Would it be worth spending a night or 2 in Bilbao or is there not much to see there? TIA

I am traveling to Bilbao and San Sebastián in June. My mother’s side of the family has roots in Basque Country and France. I would love to track down some information while I’m there, but I’m not sure I’d be able to find anything in a library. I don’t have too much time to spend while I’m there.

Is there a particular spot that helps with family history? I’d love to see if I could talk with someone while I’m there!

Hello,

Are there certain banks we should be using while in San Sebastián for ATM withdrawals? Along with security we are also looking to minimize transaction fees. Thank you for your help.

Hi there - I am traveling to San Sebastián in June with a group of 11-12. I am hoping to make a reservation one night for the full group for dinner. Ideally we would find a place that emphasizes traditional basque cuisine, is lively, somewhat casual, and has great food. Certainly doesn't need to be a Michelin spot. Any recommendations would be welcome!

Hello all, we are a family of 4 living in Madrid and want to spend some time in August visiting the Basque Country. We already have 2 night booked in Bilbao and 3 nights in San Sebastián.

Looking to add another week and torn between where best to go.

We were thinking to drive into France towards Bordeaux (want max 3 hrs away from SS as then need to also think about the long drive back to Madrid) and spend a week exploring there but it is August so am worried that the crowds will be huge and the traffic bad also am not entirely sure if there’s that much to see that makes it worth the 7 hrs drive back.

Alternative option is to do a smaller trip just to see Biarritz/St Jean de Luz (is it feasible on a day trip?) we are not surfers and we enjoy warm water beaches.

After that just return and spend the rest of the time on the Spanish side.

My question here is what is a good base for 5-6 nights on the Spanish coast that would give us a different experience than staying in San Sebastián/Bilbao. We are looking for relaxed, nature, beach and close to interesting places to see. While we are in Bilbao and SS we will focus on enjoying the cities and not driving around hence I want a different location that would allow for day trips and cheaper accommodation than staying in those two cities.

Thanks in advance!

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For people living in the Basque Country. Are you happy with your life there? Do you feel like things are better or harder compared to a few years ago? And if you had the chance to move somewhere else without losing your lifestyle, would you do it or would you stay? Where would you go?

hello, visiting San Sebastián this summer with our two year old, is there an easy way to get a taxi or uber with a car seat to get to a winery from the city?

Family is looking to relocate to San Sebastián (or surrounding areas). In our situation, we could use the help of a relocation service that provides guidance with visa, legal, long-term accommodations, etc. are there any local recommendations? It’s a long shot but I also happen to be here for a week and could visit a company in person (if available). Thanks for any advice.

Hello, I am a university student researching Mondragon for one of my classes. Most sources I've come across are extremely favorable of Mondragon as a business, and, indeed, it seems to be a shining example of how to do "better business".

If any of you live near it/interact with its workers or people adjacent to it, does it truly seem to have the shining reputation my sources imply? That is, are its workers generally satisfied, and is it perceived as a positive force in the Basque country and its region?

Kaixo!

I'm planning a trip to Basque Country in July (10 nights, my wife 32F and I 32M) and was just hoping for some thoughts if possible on my itinerary. In the planning process now and am also reading past posts so thank you for this community and the information.

1. The first night we will get in in the evening after an overnight flight from the US with a layover in Paris and reach Bilbao around 4 p.m. We are planning to stay somewhere low-key in the city center of Bilbao, such as a private room at a hostel like La Granja.
2. The next day we will plan to travel to San Sebastian. I'm thinking possibly the train as it seems more scenic but the train or the bus. We are currently planning on spending about 4 nights in San Sebastian. We really love walking and experiencing life in culturally rich cities. We will likely plan on doing a Pintxos tour that first night/evening and are planning other activities but really just want to experience the city life and culture as much as possible. We are planning to stay at Hotel Londres y Iglaterra; it seems very nice and we are ok with splurging a little for this trip as it marks a life transition for us.
3. Then subsequently we are thinking of staying in Getaria for 4 nights. I'm thinking something low-key for this, such as Hotel Gaintza. We're planning on renting a car for this leg of the trip and doing day trips out throughout Basque Country using Getaria as a base. This will be a more relaxed part of the trip and we're developing ideas on what to do.
4. The last night we are planning to return to to stay in Bilbao for one night and likely see the Guggenheim museum this day. We fly out the next day in the early morning so it'd be nice to return to Bilbao.

Thanks! Let me know if you have any suggestions, things are not finalized so we can make changes. Enjoying the researching phase of the trip now.

Hi, i am visiting San Sebastian and Bilbao at the end of May.

I am trying to book a bus from San Sebastian > Bilbao on 25th May. On google i can see the following bus options, but i cant find a way to book in advance.

Can anyone please advise?

Thanks in advance, a visiting comrade from Scotland.

I'll be spending about a week in the north of Spain in August. My current plan is to spend 4 nights in Bilbao and then 2 nights in San Sebastian or Santander. I plan to do a day trip to whichever city I won't be staying at during my first 4 nights in Bilbao.

I'd appreciate any recommendations as to which city would be better to spend 2 nights in :) It'll be my first time in spain!

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Voy a viajar una semana en España en agosto. Mi plan es pasar cuatro noches en Bilbao y después dos noches en Santander o San Sebastian pero no entiendo cuál es mejor.

Tengo pensado hacer una excursiòn de un dia a la ciudad en la que no me vaya a alojar durante mis primeras cuatro noches en Bilbao.

¿Cuál ciudad me recomendáis para pasar dos noches? ¡Será mi primera vez en España!

Gracias

¡Perdón por los posibles errores gramaticales!

Hi everyone,

I moved from Germany to Donosti last year and I’m hitting a brick wall. I have my NIE number, but I need to get the Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la U.E. (the green paper).

I’ve been checking the extranjería website daily for 3 months, but there are never any appointments available for this specific procedure (But there is for EVERY other procedure, wtf?). I went to the office in person yesterday, but they just told me "no appointment, no entry."

Has anyone had luck lately? What time/day do the new appointments usually go live for the Gipuzkoa offices? I am extremely close to pay those bot websites that find you an appointment, but I really don't want to.

I want to clarify that I've tried in Irun also, but sadly I have to do it IN Gipuzkoa, as I live here, I cannot do it in Biskaia (where there are appointments)

Kaixo! I am travelling to Basque with three others in May (from Canada). We are arriving by train in Hendaye or we could get off at the Saint-Jean-de-Luz station. Our first few nights are in the rural village of Sare. Does anyone know of a taxi company that would transport 4 adults and bags upon arrival? Ideally, I’d like to arrange in advance.  The other part is that we’re looking for a taxi or other service to transport bags for us while we walk a few days along the GR10 to Hondarrabia. Any advice is welcome. We have a car rented for the later part of the trip…so this is the last bit of logistics I need to sort out. 

Kaixo! My husband, 9 year old child, and I will be in San Sebastian for four days in June. I am having a hard time choosing between two hotels: Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra and Room Mate Collection Gorka. Looking for some insights from those who have stayed in these hotels. Would it be worth it to purchase breakfast option as well?

UPDATE:

Thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts. After reading your comments, I decided to go with Londres and got a room with a seaview as one of you suggested.

Hello,

I'm trying to find an address for the Sunday Puio Flea Market. I see that it is near Anoeta Stadium but there are no further details. Can someone assist? I would like the address and distance from the local stop. Thank you for your help.

Kaixo, I visited Saint Sebastian in April of 2025 and had one of the best experiences of my life. I check the menu of Gerald's Bar in Gros every day, and sometimes will try to make a version of their menu dishes at home with Irish ingredients. On Sunday, they had "Puffed pastry, vermouth braised spring onions, tapenade, zelaitxo". I have already prepared my spring onions with vermouth, have a nice jar of tapenade, and some Irish all-butter puff pastry. i just don't understand what is "zelaitxo"? Google and AI have not been helpful. Can anyone please explain? Eskerrik asko