The point of taking the ferry rather than flying is that you arrive with your own car, your own luggage and no onward booking to make. Bilbao sits in the middle of the Basque Country, and within two hours’ drive you can reach surf beaches, Rioja vineyards, medieval hill towns or a national park.
Six routes worth the drive, with real distances, and a note on which direction each one actually takes you. Get that wrong and you lose half a day.
Before you set off: you start 13 miles outside Bilbao
The Brittany Ferries terminal is at Zierbena on the Abra bay, not in the city. From the ramp you join the N-644 and then the A-8, and you are on the motorway network within minutes.
That is actually convenient for a road trip: if you are not stopping in Bilbao, you never need to enter it. Head east on the A-8 for the Basque coast and San Sebastián, west on the A-8 for Cantabria and the Picos, or south on the AP-68 for Rioja. If you are stopping first, see getting from the port to the city centre.
1. Gaztelugatxe, 22 miles east
The closest of the six and the most photographed. A tiny island joined to the mainland by a stone causeway with 241 steps up to the hermitage at the top. Game of Thrones viewers will recognise it as Dragonstone.
About 45 minutes from the port. Entry is timed and free but must be booked in advance in high season, and the steps are genuinely steep. Easily combined with Bermeo and Mundaka on the same day.
2. The Basque coast east: Mundaka, Gernika and Lekeitio
Head east from Bilbao along the coast, not west, and you get the Urdaibai estuary and a string of working fishing harbours.
- Mundaka, 22 miles: a famous left-hand river-mouth wave, and one of the best surf breaks in Europe
- Gernika, 22 miles: the town bombed in 1937 and immortalised by Picasso, with the Peace Museum and the Tree of Gernika
- Lekeitio, 37 miles: two beaches, an island you can walk to at low tide, and far fewer visitors
All three fit into one unhurried day, and the Urdaibai estuary between them is a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
3. San Sebastián, 62 miles east
About an hour on the AP-8. Donostia in Basque, and the most elegant city on this coast: the shell-shaped bay at La Concha, Monte Urgull behind the old town, and a pintxo scene that outdoes even Bilbao’s.
If you liked the pintxo bars in Bilbao’s Casco Viejo, this is the same idea turned up. Carry on another 12 miles and you are at the French border.
4. La Rioja, 68 miles south
South on the AP-68, over the Sierra de Cantabria, and the landscape changes completely: from green Atlantic coast to dry vine country in under 90 minutes.
- Laguardia: a walled hill town with cellars dug underneath the streets
- Haro: the wine capital, with the historic bodegas clustered by the railway station
- Frank Gehry’s Marqués de Riscal hotel at Elciego, by the same architect as the Guggenheim
Obvious point but worth saying: if you are tasting, someone has to drive. This is one trip where an overnight makes more sense than a day return.
5. Vitoria-Gasteiz, 41 miles south
The official capital of the Basque Country and the one most visitors skip, which is exactly the reason to go. About an hour south, with a medieval almond-shaped old town, a cathedral you can tour mid-restoration, and more green space per head than almost any city in Spain.
Quieter and cheaper than Bilbao or San Sebastián, and an easy stop on the way to Rioja.
6. Picos de Europa, 155 miles west
West, not east. The Picos straddle Cantabria, Asturias and León, so you take the A-8 along the coast away from France. Around three hours to Potes, the usual base on the eastern side.
Limestone peaks over 2,500 metres, the Cares Gorge walk, and the Fuente Dé cable car. This is a two or three day trip rather than a day out.
Planning tip: the Picos are considerably closer to Santander than to Bilbao. If the mountains are the main reason for your trip, sail to Santander instead. The Plymouth to Santander crossing is also the shortest of the four at 20 hours 30 minutes, so you arrive fresher for the drive.
Practical notes for driving in northern Spain
- Fuel is generally cheaper than in the UK, which is part of why the French driving route is less of a saving than it looks once you add tolls.
- Tolls: the AP-8 and AP-68 are toll roads. Card works everywhere, but carry some cash as a backup.
- Mobile coverage drops out in the Picos and in the inland valleys. Download your maps before you leave the coast.
- Driving on the right starts the moment you leave the ramp, in traffic, with everyone else who just came off the same boat. Plan your first two junctions before you disembark.
- Parking in Bilbao: use an underground car park rather than the street. Or skip it entirely, since you do not need a car in the city.
Getting the car there in the first place
Two direct sailings reach Bilbao: Portsmouth to Bilbao on the Galicia, 33 to 36 hours with two nights on board, and Rosslare to Bilbao on the Santoña, the only direct crossing from Ireland.
Bringing a vehicle adds a substantial amount to the fare, so it is worth understanding how the price is built before you book. Travelling with a dog? The rules changed in April 2026 and are covered in our guide to sailing with a dog.
For timing, when to visit Bilbao covers the weather month by month. Northern Spain is green because it rains, and a mountain road trip in November is a different proposition to one in June.
