San Sebastián: Getting there & around

The main Renfe train station connects to Paris, Madrid and Barcelona. For a more frequent service to Paris you will have to take the 'El Topo' ('the Mole') line to the French border town of Hendaye. A similar private line connects regional centres in western Spain. Flights to Madrid, as well as occasional flights to major European cities, leave from the city's airport (22km/13.6mi out of town, near Hondarribia). By car, the A8 autopista heads to Bilbao in the west and into France (where it becomes the A63) to the east. You can avoid the toll on the virtually parallel N634. The main route south is the A1, which runs to Madrid via Vitoria. San Sebastian is well served by bus lines, with connections to Madrid, Pamplona, Bilbao, Durango and other regional centres in both Spain and France running throughout the week.

Several major car-hire companies compete for custom in San Sebastián. You can rent bicycles and mountain bikes, or use the bus network, based south of the Parte Vieja, between Plaza de Pío XII and the river. Bus No 28 connects the bus station with the city centre.