How to travel from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian

Thu, Jan 08
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Renfe (13)
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Alsa
Renfe (13)
Alsa Supra
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1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian

Omio recommends booking the bus as it is the most popular option from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the train with prices starting from €5. For those with little time consider booking a bus which can get you there in 1h 18m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.0 - 0.1kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a train costs an average of €5, and a bus costs an average of €8.

Distance: 47 miles (77 km)

Compare bus with

Most popular
Bus
Train

€8

Average price

€5

Average price

Cheapest

1h 48m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 18m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

3h 44m

Average total duration

3h 14m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.2kg

CO2 emissions

0.0 - 0.1kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest
Alsa

Most popular bus company

Renfe (13)

Most popular train company

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian

How to get from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

bus

The best way to travel from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

AlsaNormal
11:00AM1h20
Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses
12:20PMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$121One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

AlsaNormal
11:00AM1h20
Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses
12:20PMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$121One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

AlsaNormal
07:30PM1h10
Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses
08:40PMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$121One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Renfe ALVIA00437+Renfe Intercity04257
03:02PM4h44
Bilbao-Abando
07:46PMDonostia-San Sebastián
$311One-way
1 transfer
Renfe ALVIA04186 · 04087
06:53AM5h57
Bilbao-Abando
12:50PMDonostia-San Sebastián
$401One-way
1 transfer
Renfe Intercity00283 · 04257
11:58AM7h48
Bilbao-Abando
07:46PMDonostia-San Sebastián
$331One-way
1 transfer
AlsaNormal
09:00AM1h20
Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses
10:20AMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$121One-way
0 transfers
AlsaNormal
01:40PM1h20
Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses
03:00PMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$121One-way
0 transfers
AlsaSupra Economy
11:30AM1h20
Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses
12:50PMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$221One-way
0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

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How to Travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian

The journey from Bilbao to San Sebastian is popular with travelers in Spain. Direct journeys between Bilbao to San Sebastian are available by train and bus. Located approximately 100 kilometers apart, it is easiest to travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian by bus. Buses take just over an hour to arrive in San Sebastian, while trains take nearly 4 hours and require a transfer in Miranda de Ebro.

Buses from Bilbao to San Sebastian | Return trips from San Sebastian to Bilbao

Bilbao to San Sebastian Travel Comparison

Average Price

Travel Time

Cheapest Time to Book

€7

1:10 h

1 Day Ahead

€27

3:49 h

1 Week Ahead



What is the best way to travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian?

Cheapest way to travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian

Taking the bus is the cheapest way to travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian. Alsa is the main bus company in Spain and operates all the buses from Bilbao to San Sebastian. Alsa's buses depart from Bilbao's bus station and take just over an hour to arrive at San Sebastian's Donostia bus station. Buses from Bilbao to San Sebastian depart 9 times per day with the first bus departing Bilbao at 5:15 a.m.

Fastest way to travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian

Taking the bus is the fastest way to travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian. Buses are approximately 2½ faster than traveling from Bilbao to San Sebastian by train. Traveling from Bilabo to San Sebastian by train also requires a transfer in Miranda de Ebro. All buses take under 2 hours to travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian. Trains remain a popular option for people who prefer to travel in the comfort of a train with 5 Renfe trains making the trip every day.

Most popular way to travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian

Taking the bus is the most popular way to travel from Bilbao to San Sebastian. Not only is the bus direct and significantly faster than taking the train, but traveling by bus is also €20 cheaper on average. ALSA buses also depart Bilbao more frequently than trains– 9 buses depart per day compared to 5 trains.

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FAQs: Travel from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian

Travel to Donostia-San Sebastian easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian.

FAQs

There are 2 ways to get from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian: train or bus.

The cheapest way to go to Donostia-San Sebastian from Bilbao is by taking a train, which costs on average $7 (€6).

This is compared to other ways of getting from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian:

A train is $2 (€2) less than a bus for this route with tickets for a bus from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian costing on average $9 (€8).

The quickest way to travel between Bilbao and Donostia-San Sebastian is by bus, which takes on average 1 h 10 min   compared to other travel options that take longer:

Getting to Donostia-San Sebastian by train takes 2 h 40 min on average.

The Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian distance is around 48 miles (77 km).

The average frequency per day from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian is:

  • 12 buses a day.
  • Around 12 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your trip from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian as scheduled services by train or bus can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points when traveling from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian:

  • Most travelers board their bus from Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses and arrive in Donostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses.

Omio works with many trusted partners that can help you travel the best way from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian:

  • You can travel by bus between Bilbao and Donostia-San Sebastian with Alsa, Alsa Supra, FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus or Lurraldebus Transportes Pesa S. A. And you can find Alsa Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian tickets for $9 (€8) on Omio.
  • You can travel from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian by train with Euskotren. You can find cheap tickets on Omio for $7 (€6) with Euskotren from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian.

Yes, there are direct services available from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian with the following travel companies:

  • 12 direct buses per day with Alsa, Alsa Supra, FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus or Lurraldebus Transportes Pesa S. A.
  • Direct train available with Euskotren 11 direct trains per day.

Direct services tend to save you time and add more convenience in getting you to Donostia-San Sebastian as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking your tickets from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian.

Omio customers who travel from Bilbao to Donostia-San Sebastian often also extend their vacation to go to Madrid, Barcelona, Pamplona or Paris. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Donostia-San Sebastian and these popular destinations at a great price.
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