If you’re planning to visit San Sebastian, there are a number of airports near the city that make it accessible from all over Europe.
Most people will choose to fly to Bilbao Airport, but there are other options to get to San Sebastian. And not all of them are in the same country!
Given the city is just 21 km away from the French border, Biarritz Airport is a good option to fly to in order to visit.
The airport is just 45 km away (which is actually closer than Bilbao at 100 km), and has a number of International flights per day.
In this article we’ll run through the best options to get to San Sebastian from Biarritz Airport.
Biarritz Airport to San Sebastian by bus
The easiest and cheapest way to get from Biarritz Airport to San Sebastian is by bus.
There are three companies that offer a direct bus service from the airport:
The journey takes from 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes depending on the company you travel with and the time you take the bus.
ALSA has the quickest bus, but they only operate two buses per day.
The bus stop is located just outside the terminal building and you can buy tickets directly on the bus (it’s worth having the cash to cover the trip just in case) or in advance online via. the bus company’s website (links above).
Price: Prices depend on the bus company you end up travelling with. ALSA (€10), Flixbus (€8) and BlaBlaCar (€4)
Departures: Departure times are: 08:40 (BlaBlaCar), 10:55 (Flixbus), 11:35 (ALSA), 12:55 (BlaBlaCar), 13:00 (Flixbus), 14:50 (ALSA), 18:10 (BlaBlaCar), 18:20 (BlaBlaCar), 19:25 (Flixbus), 21:50 (BlaBlaCar), 23:00 (Flixbus)
For the latest up to date information check out the page on the Biarritz Airport official website.
All buses drop you off in the centre of San Sebastian at the main bus station.
If your flight arrival time doesn’t line up with the bus departure times, another option is to get the TxikTxak bus to Hendaye Train Station (bus T3). This bus has more frequent departures and you can get the local Euskotren to San Sebastian from Hendaye (departing every half an hour).
The journey overall will take longer (around a couple of hours depending on timings), but it may be better than waiting for the next direct bus.
Biarritz Airport to San Sebastian by taxi
Whilst the bus is the cheapest way to make the journey from Biarritz Airport to San Sebastian, not everyone is prepared to wait around.
In that case, the easiest way to get to Donostia is by taxi.
There’s a taxi rank outside the main arrivals terminal where you can quickly and easily get a cab.
Price: The taxi ride isn’t cheap. It’s a journey with toll roads, so It’ll cost you around €130-€170 and will take around 40 minutes.
If you prefer to book a taxi in advance, you can arrange it with one of the companies suggested on the Biarritz Airport website.
Biarritz Airport to San Sebastian by car
If you’re planning to hire a for your stay, then hiring a car from Biarritz Airport to make your way to San Sebastian makes sense.
Most of the major car hire companies (Sixt, Hertz, Europcar etc.) offer car rentals from Biarritz Airport and have pick up locations on site.
Once you have your hire car, you can take the A63 and AP-8 motorway directly to San Sebastian.
Obviously, you’ll pass the border from France to Spain as you switch from the A63 to the AP-8. There’s no border control or no need to show passports. However, the motorways are toll roads and will cost around €6.
The journey takes around 40 minutes.
