Bilbao: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Bilbao is a city of 347,342 people in Spain (Basque Country), 20 m (66 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Bilbao Airport (BIO), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Bilbao runs from about 9 h 2 min a day in late December to 15 h 27 min in late June (computed for 43.26° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Bilbao is served by 4 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Bilbao Airport (BIO), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,530 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Vitoria Airport (VIT, 45 km), Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport (SDR, 75 km), San Sebastián Airport (EAS, 92 km).
Flights to Bilbao: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Bilbao · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Madrid, 323 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Zaragoza, 245 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Toulouse, 355 km (France)
- Valladolid, 232 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Gijón, 223 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Bordeaux, 257 km (France) — buses · car rental · tours
- Gasteiz / Vitoria, 50 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Ciudad Lineal, 319 km
- Oviedo, 236 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Pamplona, 115 km — buses · car rental · tours
Common questions
Which airport serves Bilbao?
Bilbao Airport (BIO), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre, plus 3 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Bilbao?
About 347,342 people live in Bilbao (GeoNames).
What time zone is Bilbao in?
Europe/Madrid, currently UTC+2.
What currency is used in Bilbao?
The Euro (EUR). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Bilbao?
Madrid (323 km), Zaragoza (245 km), Toulouse (355 km), Valladolid (232 km), Gijón (223 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.