Getting Around Bilbao
Bilbao's business addresses follow the estuary. In the centre, the Guggenheim and the Euskalduna conference centre and concert hall stand along the Abandoibarra promenade; the Euskalduna auditorium seats up to 2,164. The fairs are downriver in Barakaldo, at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC), with 150,000 m² of exhibition space. The main docks of the port are further out again, at Santurtzi and Zierbena, about 15 km by road from the centre. A visit that takes in a stand, a supplier at the port and a dinner in town moves down the river and back.
Long-distance trains arrive at Abando Indalecio Prieto, on Plaza Circular, where Renfe's services from Madrid and Barcelona meet the local Cercanías lines. Include your train details and arrival time when booking so we can arrange your pickup at the station.
For a full fair day, you can book one chauffeur and one vehicle by the hour. You name where the day begins and ends and how many hours you need, and the day's plan goes in with the booking.
Bilbao's low-emission zone covers about 2 km² of Abando and Indautxu, and it applies Monday to Friday from 7 am to 8 pm. Send the full address with your booking; the confirmation then tells you where the car will stop.
Airport Transfers in Bilbao
Bilbao Airport is at Loiu, about 10 km north of the centre; the transfer is 15 to 25 minutes. The nearest alternative, San Sebastián Airport at Hondarribia, is about 115 km east and serves a short list of routes, among them Madrid and Barcelona.
The Artxanda tunnels, run by the provincial road authority, link central Bilbao with the N-637 through the Txorierri valley towards the airport. Journey times vary with traffic and weather.
Book with your flight number. For airport pickups, your chauffeur monitors your flight and adjusts the pickup if your arrival time changes. Your booking confirmation shows where to meet the chauffeur. Leaving Bilbao, allow for the drive to the airport when choosing your pickup time: 15 to 25 minutes from the centre, longer in heavy traffic, and about 10 km more from the BEC in Barakaldo. You set the pickup time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.
Long-Distance & Cross-Border Travel from Bilbao
A visit to Bilbao can be part of a wider trip through the Basque Country. San Sebastián is about 100 km east on the AP-8, Santander about 100 km west along the A-8 and Vitoria-Gasteiz about 65 km south. Further out, Logroño is about 135 km away and Burgos about 160 km south-west. One booking covers it: the chauffeur who collects you at your Bilbao hotel drives you to the address at the other end, whether that is a client in Vitoria, a meeting in Logroño or a second hotel on the coast.
France is within a day's reach. Biarritz is about 145 km east, past San Sebastián and Irun, and Bordeaux about 335 km, a journey of several hours by road. Each is booked like a run to Santander, with the same chauffeur and car from start to finish, with no change of vehicle at the border.
On the French side, temporary border checks have been notified to the European Commission. Have with you the documents that your nationality and route call for.
Groups & Congress Travel in Bilbao
Groups reach Bilbao by sea as well as by air. In 2025, for example, the Port of Bilbao received 95 cruise calls and 181,004 cruise passengers, according to the port authority, with ships berthing at the terminals in Getxo. A shore day like that can mean a group heading for the Guggenheim and back to the ship before sailing. On land, fair and congress groups arrive as exhibitors at the BEC and delegates at the Euskalduna.
An organiser can run the whole programme from one account; the transfers inside it are each booked and confirmed individually: the exhibitor team from Loiu to Barakaldo, the speaker coming in at Abando, the dinner guests heading to the old town. Where a group moves together, a Sprinter van carries up to 12 people with their bags, and bigger groups go by coach, with up to 56 seats.
Book early in March, in the years the BIEMH machine-tool fair is held; in May, with Expovacaciones and Food 4 Future; in late September and October, with BioSpain, BIME and Egurtek; and in August, for Aste Nagusia. Local vehicles and drivers are booked up early for those dates. If your plans go beyond a standard booking, write to support with the dates, addresses, number of passengers, flights and luggage, and the team will arrange it.
