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Bilboa hotel recommendations

nerodog

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
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Hi all..another trip I'm thinking about and looking for suggestions for a hotel base for 4 days before taking train to Spain. Looking at exploring Basque countryside. Thx
 
We were in Bilbao last August. We stayed at the Hesperia Hotel. It's across the river (estuary?) from the downtown business center- and there is a pedestrian bridge within a couple of blocks. The Guggenheim Museum is probably 1/2 mile away. This was in conjunction with a river cruise in Bordeaux. Next stop was San Sebastian. Great trip, but Bilbao was a good 'base', but not a highlight itself. Don't miss a side trip to Guernica.
Loved the Basque country, the people, the pinxtos, the txakoli wine. The 'tx or xt' sounds like 'ch'.

You didn't ask, but I liked San Sebastian a lot more. Bilbao is a spread-out industrial city. San Sebastian/Donostia (in Basque) is the place the Spanish royal family go when Madrid is too hot/cold for them. It's much more compact, and for 'foodies', it has the highest concentration of Michelin starred restaurants in the world.

Jim
 
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We were in Bilbao last August. We stayed at the Hesperia Hotel. It's across the river (estuary?) from the downtown business center- and there is a pedestrian bridge within a couple of blocks. The Guggenheim Museum is probably 1/2 mile away. This was in conjunction with a river cruise in Bordeaux. Next stop was San Sebastian. Great trip, but Bilbao was a good 'base', but not a highlight itself. Don't miss a side trip to Guernica.
Loved the Basque country, the people, the pinxtos, the txakoli wine. The 'tx or xt' sounds like 'ch'.

You didn't ask, but I liked San Sebastian a lot more. Bilbao is a spread-out industrial city. San Sebastian/Donostia (in Basque) is the place the Spanish royal family go when Madrid is too hot/cold for them. It's much more compact, and for 'foodies', it has the highest concentration of Michelin starred restaurants in the world.

Jim
Thank you..so helpful..I'm looking for flights and a base to travel by train to Madrid directly. San Seb.is on my list for sure !
 
I loved both Bilbao and San Sebastian. Definitely tour the museum in Guernica. Loved the time we spent there, now nearly 20 years ago. *sigh*
 
We stayed at Bilbao City Center by Abba Apartments and highly recommend it.
 
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