What to actually do during 20 to 36 hours at sea: the pool, the arcade, whale watching with ORCA guides, eating well, and the two things that catch people out.

What to do in Santander after the ferry: La Magdalena, Sardinero beach, the maritime museum and Regma ice cream, plus a day trip through Cantabria to Santillana del Mar, Altamira and Comillas.

What actually determines the price of a ferry to Spain: passengers, vehicle and the compulsory cabin. Which of the four routes is structurally cheapest, and whether going via France really saves money.

When to visit Bilbao: month-by-month weather, the festival calendar including Aste Nagusia, and the ferry seasons that decide when you can actually get there by sea.

The Bilbao ferry terminal is at Zierbena, 21km from the city. Taxi, metro via Santurtzi, driving or cycling compared, with real times and what the nearest station actually involves.

Six road trips from Bilbao with real distances in miles: Gaztelugatxe, the Basque coast east to Lekeitio, San Sebastián, Rioja, Vitoria-Gasteiz and the Picos de Europa.

You do not need a car in Bilbao: the Barik card, the Foster-designed metro, the tram, the hillside lifts and the funicular, plus the 21km transfer from the ferry terminal.

The Artxanda funicular in Bilbao: real prices including the Barik card saving, opening hours, where it leaves from, what is at the top, and the rules before you queue.

Twelve things to do in Bilbao, from the Guggenheim and Casco Viejo to the Artxanda funicular and pintxos at Plaza Nueva, with a note on which cost nothing and which museums are free.

Are you planning to travel back from Spain to England? Taking the ferry is a comfortable and convenient way to

The Strait of Gibraltar is 14 kilometres wide at its narrowest. Real crossing distances and times, why Ceuta and Melilla are not Morocco, and the drive south from a UK ferry arrival.