Hello!
My husband and I (ages 67/68) with slightly problematic backs but otherwise healthy plan to return to France May 2023 with last trip being 2018 when we spent about 9 days split between the two banks of Paris close to Museums. We are heading to Côte d’Azur first and will end up in Arles at which point we would like to travel to San Sebastián and Bilbao before proceeding to Bordeaux and the vineyards before returning to Paris/CDG for flight home. My question is how to get to the Spanish Basque region? Return to Lyon and catch a flight to Bordeaux? Return to Paris and take a flight to Bilbao? Take a flight from Marseilles to Bilbao with a layover in Madrid? Or simply rent a car somewhere in Provence and drive to San Sebastián from Arles? We normally travel by train in Europe but the leap from southwestern France to southeastern France and the Basque Country via Paris seems like a big waste of travel time. Or is this too wide of a distance of France to see in one trip and should I just focus on Western France, as I have always wanted to see Lausanne and Annecy? My husband is a huge Hemingway fan and he has always wanted to visit San Sebastián and I have always wanted to see the architecture in Bilbao. We plan to spend 19 days exclusive of flights in and out of CDG from Minneapolis. I would appreciate any advice you experienced travelers might be able to provide us. Thank you!
Posted by
Chicago
7903 posts
The Basque region is not very well connected from the Provence Cote d'Azur area. I flew direct from Nice to Bordeaux (spent time there) and then took the train to the border town Hendaye. Then exiting the station at Hendaye to the right caught the Euskotren: https://www.euskotren.eus/en to San Sebastian/Donostia.
I would not take a connecting flight if you have the option to drive from Arles.
Posted by
Paris
6920 posts
It might be better to take the train from Arles to Bordeaux (long but direct), visit that area first, then proceed by train to San Sebastián (change in Hendaye) and onwards to Bilbao.
Then, try to fly home from Bilbao. If impossible: fly back to Paris from Bilbao the day before the flight to the US (and not in the evening - allow time for flight delays, rescheduling, etc.).
Driving from Arles to San Sebastián is not that annoying - even though you'd be on motorways, the landscape is quite good in many parts - but it still takes a while and would be tiresome.
You would need to drive back to Bordeaux (or at least to France) to return the car after the Basque Country.
Posted by
France Southwest
1846 posts
In France the closest airport (50 kms) to San Sebastian is Biarritz-Pays Basque Airport
At the end of May you could have a direct flight from Marseille, Nice or Lyon.
2023 flights schedules are not yet released but you never know.
Posted by
Paris
6920 posts
Volotea flies from Marseille to Biarritz, but not daily as far as I know. Unsure how it will be in 2023.
And in any case, by the time you take the train from Arles to Marseille airport, check in, fly, take bus to San Sebastián: a train from Arles would long have arrived in Bordeaux.