Hi! My wife and I will be in San Sebastian and we want to spend a day nearby in France but we’re unsure as to an itinerary for the day. We’re tempted to rent a car and go on our own but when we look at the typical itineraries of private tours, they seem to be either a day in coastal towns or a day in countryside villages. Any help on planing a day would be appreciated.
Posted by
Minnesota
705 posts
You can easily get to French Basque destinations by bus or train (Bayonne, Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz). The rome2rio website will give you various options. Travel times, depending on the destination and the mode of transport, seem to be about 35-90 minutes. Be sure to pick the correct San Sebastián when searching!
The Rick Steves guidebook for the Basque Country gives lots of helpful information about navigating this area.
Posted by
OP
17 posts
I think we would head inland from Saint Jean-de-Luz and not bother with Biarritz. So, that's why we think a car makes sense. I think we would prefer visiting the countryside instead. Any towns worth a stop would be appreciated.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
8212 posts
San Sebastián to Bayonne is only an hour’s drive. Once in France there seem to be traffic circles every half miles or so over to Bayonne. With a rental car you could easily stop in a couple of the coastal towns before heading inland to wherever it is you want to visit. What I like about a rental car in your case is you could stop in a few towns along the coast and inland as a day trip.
While I’m sure there is regular bus service to the coastal locations, there may not be to whichever inland location you choose. As a day trip you need to factor in time waiting for bus connections into the overall plan.
The unknowns are the time of year you’re traveling as it could affect bus schedules and the number of daylight hours. The day of the week for your day trip could also bus schedules. For example, there may be fewer buses running on weekends.
As one who always gets a rental car and travels when there are more daylight hours, you can reasonably expect to be able visit about three smaller towns on a day trip. That allows for driving time as well as returning before sunset. I prefer not to drive on unfamiliar, winding, rural roads at night.
Posted by
Denver
882 posts
Many villages are worth a stop! Look at Sare, Ainhoa, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Espelette. While I found Saint Jean de Luz charming, I prefer the French Basque countryside. The mountains create a beautiful backdrop to the verdant valleys. If you want to go up higher into the Pyrenees, there are route that will take you up there (I can't suggest specific routes, because we haven't done that). Plenty of hiking trails, too, if you're interested in that.
Posted by
new york
1069 posts
On your first thread, on the Spain forum, I gave you the name of a very well-respected driver/guide who can take you on a day trip to Pays Basque from San Sebastián. It would be rough to see a lot in one day (from San Sebastián) if you use public transport; I'd skip Biarritz, in any case.
This would be a private tour so you would have input into the day's plan:
Posted by
Michigan
565 posts
We took a cider house tour back in 2015 arranged by the TI in San Sebastián. It was really wonderful to just ride on a comfortable bus about an hour away from the coast and be in the mountains. We visited a cheese farmer who made the renowned Idiazabal cheese, and saw sheep with bells on them up in the pastures, reminiscent of Switzerland. Then we went to a cider house and sampled many different ciders and had a traditional Basque meal seated with others at long tables. It was one of the best parts of our family’s trip. I imagine you could find some cider house tours either from San Sebastián or in the French Basque country. I would highly recommend that as part of your experience.
Our family stayed in Saint-Jean-de-Luz before we traveled to San Sebastián. We were there in late June, and it was beautiful and relaxing. We did not have a car, so we relied on a bus to get to San Sebastián from there.
It’s a beautiful region. We would love to go back there sometime.
Laurie
Posted by
442 posts
I have to agree with the above poster regarding Tours by Basques.
We did a private transfer and tour with them from Bilbao to San Sebastian. We didn't want to drive as being from Australia we aren't used the driving on the other side of the road, plus we wanted to relax and enjoy.
We spent lots of time planning the trip and where and what we would visit on our day. The end result was absolutely fantastic and I cannot fault this tour company in any way.
He surprised us with sites that I had no idea existed as well as smoothing the way for those that I knew about.
Here is a link to my blog of that day. Obviously it is not France, but it will give you an idea of how Tours by Basques do things.
https://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog-entry/djh1959/15/1711175859
Posted by
OP
17 posts
Thanks all for the advice.
Posted by
15 posts
Agree with others who remark that the train service from SS into France is better than adequate. If I had to choose just a single day jaunt to do from SS, it would have to be either St. Jean de Luz (FR) or Hondarribia (ES). Biarritz is glorious but the train station is nowhere near the part of town you want to visit.