Getting Around San Sebastián: An Overview
San Sebastián (Donostia) is a compact city, and much of what a visitor wants to see can be covered on foot. For longer hops, the city and its surroundings are served by a mix of trains, buses, a tram-style rail network, taxis, and a public bike scheme. The notes below cover the practical options.
Walking
The source material is direct on this point: you can see Donostia on foot and by taxi. The city is small enough that walking is a realistic way to cover the centre, and the two main train stations are only about a 15-minute walk apart, on opposite sides of the Urumea river. Comfortable shoes are the main requirement.
Rail: Two Stations, Two Networks
San Sebastián has two main train stations, and it helps to know which one you need before you set out:
- Donostia / San Sebastián station (on De Francia Ibilbidea, at the east end of Puente de Maria Cristina) is managed by Adif and served by RENFE. This is where you find national and long-distance services (Alvia, MD and AVE) to Madrid, Barcelona and Irun, as well as local Cercanías C1 trains between Irun and Brinkola.
- Amara Station (Amara-Donostia, on Eso Plaza) is served by Euskotren, the Basque regional rail operator. Euskotren runs Line E1 to Bilbao and Line E2 between Hendaia (Hendaye, in France) and Lasarte-Oria.
The two stations are on opposite sides of the Urumea river, roughly a 15-minute walk apart, so allow time if you are connecting between them.
If you are arriving from France, note that no mainline trains cross the border, so you change at Hendaye onto an Euskotren service. Connections are frequent and run until late, with the last train towards San Sebastián leaving Hendaye at 22:33. Be careful when booking from France, as there is a French town also named Saint Sébastien. From Irun, the best option to reach San Sebastián is to change onto a RENFE Cercanías train.
From major Spanish cities outside the Basque Country, the train is generally quicker than the bus and, if booked in advance, often the cheapest option. RENFE runs direct intercity (Alvia) services from Vitoria-Gasteiz, Burgos, Valladolid and Madrid, and from Iruña/Pamplona, Zaragoza, Tarragona and Barcelona. There is also a daily conventional-coach service (Arco) towards Santiago de Compostela and A Coruña, which suits pilgrims looking to skip a portion of the route.
Within the Basque Country, buses are usually quicker than trains, but Euskotren does run some scenic routes from the surrounding area and from Bilbao, with onward connections by Cercanías from Santander and León. These are a leisurely alternative if you have time to spare.
Buses and Public Transport
The city bus network, D-Bus, runs a number of routes across San Sebastián. Single journeys to any destination on the network cost a flat rate of €1.85.
For longer stays, the MUGI card is the useful option. It is available from various locations throughout the area, and there is an associated app you can use to recharge it. If you have come from Bilbao, the Barik card can also be used. It is also possible to buy and top up a tourist card; you touch it against the electronic card reader as you get on the bus, once per passenger.
For travel beyond the city, the Basque Country is generally easier to get around by bus than by train. Buses arrive and depart at the San Sebastián bus station at Plaza de Pio XII in Amara Nuevo. Operators serving the city include Pesa, La Burundesa, Continental Autos, ATCRB and Roncalesa (for connections with Pamplona). Buses are the only way to reach some areas of the region, and often run more frequently and more cheaply than trains. Popular destinations include Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao and Pamplona, while longer-range services run overnight to Madrid, Barcelona and even Milan.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are a practical way to get around, but there is an important rule: taxis only pick up passengers at designated taxi stops or when booked by phone. They are not permitted to take passengers who hail them on the street, so plan to use a rank or call ahead rather than flagging one down.
Bicycles
Bicycle lanes run throughout the downtown area, and in summer bicycles can be hired from strategically placed locations around the city (at certain times they are free).
Beyond private hire companies, the town hall runs a bike service across the city that is also open to tourists. To use it, get a bike card at the Tourist Information Center on Boulevard, 8. The card requires a €20 deposit, with usage priced at €15 for one day, €20 for four days, or €25 per week. The card should be returned the day after purchase so you can recover the €20 deposit. With the card you can use any of the bikes around the city for a maximum of four hours non-stop; leaving 30 minutes between uses allows you to cycle for a further four hours non-stop. The service runs from 10:00 to 21:00, and there are several bike-service spots around the city, so bikes can be picked up and dropped off at different points.
Getting In from the Airport
San Sebastián is served by several airports, and the best option depends on where you are flying into.
- San Sebastián airport is a small airport next to Hondarribia, close to the town centre. Bus i2 (€2.65) departs from Plaza Gipuzkoa nearly once an hour, takes about 30 minutes, and makes a maximum of four stops (typically fewer). Be aware that the departures area has limited facilities: a single cafe on the ground floor plus a restaurant on the second floor, a single small souvenir shop with no duty free, and no Wi-Fi network.
- Biarritz airport (in the Continental Basque Country, France) has bus and train connections to San Sebastián. By train, take a French SNCF service to Hendaye, then change to the nearby Euskotren station (located just outside the SNCF station) and take an Euskotren to San Sebastián. Each train ride is between 30 and 40 minutes, and the total train trip costs less than €10. A coach service also runs between Biarritz airport and Hendaye train station via Saint-Jean-de-Luz (where you change buses); the coach ride is under an hour and costs about €4.
- Bilbao airport has good bus connections, roughly one an hour during the day. The trip takes about 70 minutes and costs around €15, operated by PESA. Tickets from Bilbao to San Sebastián can be bought on board the bus, but for the trip from San Sebastián to Bilbao, tickets must be purchased from the PESA office around the corner from the bus station.
- Vitoria-Gasteiz airport has good bus connections. A bus from the airport takes you to the central bus station, from where you can take a bus (Pesa or La Burundesa) to San Sebastián for around €7.50.
Arriving by Car
If you are driving, be aware that parking downtown is costly (roughly €20 per day), most parking spots are underground, and finding your way to them can be nerve-wracking. Left turns are rarer than rights and can be unpredictable, so having a driving map is essential. The biggest underground parking lots are in the city centre, and the easiest way to find a place without wasting time is to follow the road that goes by the river and follow the signs. There are some free parking lots in the west of the city; on the tourist maps by SanSebastianTurismo available in some guesthouses, that area is marked with a blue dotted line as a "Controlled parking zone".