Studying abroad in Bilbao, Spain...Need some traveling advice!

For visiting Rome the fastest way will be to fly; check http://www.skyscanner.com/ for flights. The cheapest will be bus (look at http://eurolines.com/en/ for international buses) or train tickets bought in advance (look at http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/db_tips.htm for how to check train schedules). Train or bus will take eons, so they're not really practical for a 3 day trip. continued..

I'm trying to post about Granada, but the system won't let me (no idea why). So, on to your other questions. As for your hairdryer and flat iron: If they are dual voltage, you can take them. The appliance MUST say "110-220 volts" and "50-60 Hz". You will still need a plug adapter (sold many places, including by Rick: http://tinyurl.com/4dd4h. For Spain, you need the bottom one in the picture, with two round prongs. If your appliance isn't dual voltage, don't even bother taking it; you will fry the device, blow a fuse, start a fire, or some combination of these (not a joke). Buy a dual voltage one from Amazon or Magellan.com, or buy a cheap one there (better, as many report that the dual voltage devices don't get properly hot in Europe). For transit in Bilbao, look at Rick Steves Spain. It appears they have a metro as well as buses. Of course, walking will also work. This book will also give you a start on daytrips within the Basque Country (Bilbao's region). Being a Catholic country (and, until recently, a very Catholic one), I doubt there will be Protestant churches in Spain, except maybe in Madrid or Barcelona. Your own church would know best where to look to find one. For weather averages, you can check http://www.wunderground.com/history/. Spain's weather is very regional, so you're quite correct to specify Bilbao; there's no more uniformity to "Spanish weather" than there is to "American weather."

For unclear reasons, the following information will not post if I try to use hotlinks, and in one case, if I even try to use a URL at all. So, please excuse the weird formatting I have to use. Re Granada: For train schedules, look at the link I posted above. To buy tickets for trains within Spain, you would start with www.renfe.com But many have trouble using this site, and end up using www.petrabax.com/renfe They charge a bit more. RENFE is the national Spanish rail system, but some trains in the Basque region are operated by Euskotren: www.euskotren.es For buses within Spain, try
www dot Alsa dot es For you Granada trip, look at Skyscanner; I see that flights from Bilbao to Granada change in Barcelona. But since the train or bus will take a long time (opposite ends of the country), a flight may be best. Be aware that "budget" flights get MUCH more expensive closer to the date of the flight; book as early as you can for best prices. Similarly, the high speed AVE trains are lower priced if you book in advance and can accept non-refundable and non-changeable tickets; last minute tickets are very expensive, and popular runs can sell out.

Rome has so much great stuff, I and a lot of people recommend four whole days there, but you should have at least three. Three whole days may mean taking five days off- totally worth it to skip a day or two of class if need be. Most study abroad programs, especially the ones geared towards American students, have pretty good orientation periods, where they show you how to navigate public transportation. I haven't been to Bilbao, but I was surprised to read that they have a metro (subway) system. There will also be plenty of bus routes. I suggest you go ahead and get the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet for Spain, which will tell you a lot about Bilbao and give you some day trip ideas.

I haven't stayed in hostels, but my sister has. She uses http://www.hostelworld.com/ and http://www.hostelbookers.com/ not only to find them, but to check the reviews. Another good source of inexpensive places to stay is http://www.eurocheapo.com/ (scroll down to find the city list). In addition to lists of places to stay, they have neighborhood descriptions that can be very useful. For instance, here's the one for Rome: http://www.eurocheapo.com/rome/hoods/. However, I see that this website doesn't cover Granada. For student budgets (and student interests), the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum will have more information: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa (again, scroll down to Western Europe, and pick Spain or Italy to get started).

I couldn't resist looking on the Bahn website for trains from Bilbao to Rome. The "short" ones takes almost 28 hours, and requires 3 or 4 changes. So, with only 3 days, you have to fly. For Bilbao to Granada, it's over 12 hours with 2 changes, so it's doable, if you have two days to kill on transit alone (you leave in the morning and arrive in time for Spanish dinner, i.e. before 10 PM). Again, though, I think flying will be a much better way to go.

I saw your on "House Hunters International" on HGTV; but missed the ending. Which apartment did you decide on? What a great adventure for you and your family!

If you Google "Bilbao evangelical church," the first result is the Iglesia Evangélica Bautista de Vizcaya. They have an English service once a month in addition to their Spanish-language services.

You have picked an excellent base for your European adventure. Bilbao is loaded with history as an old seafaring port and centre of international trade and early industrialization, robustly revived by the arrival of the Guggenheim as a prod to tourism and commercial activity. It nestles in the deep valley of an old river with steep hills. The municipal transportation is good, including the new subway, rail connections to Madrid, inter-city buses to San Sebastian and Biarritz across the border, and even an old funicular. The new airport is an easy bus ride from the centre, including a bridge that seems to go through the top of the Guggenheim. Basque culture is alive and kicking (and, sadly, occasionally kicking back). The city suffered terribly under Franco and hasn't forgotten. It is also a hotbed of authentic tapas (known locally as pintxos. The municipal tourist office organizes walking tours which a newcomer should take at the start of her stay. I have left the most important point, for your interests, to last. Bilbao has a long-established beaux-arts museum, somewhat overshadowed by the fabulous Guggenheim, but holding a worthwhile collection. Maybe the works are secondary output from name artists but there is plenty of look at and study. http://www.museobilbao.com/in/ Also http://www2.bilbao.net/bilbaoturismo/index_ingles.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilbao One last thought: Students in Europe often receive discounts. Your host school should be able to provide advice, including what documentation is required.
PS: Hair dryer will work, but only on low. Buy hair straightener there. Take a few plug adapters, cheap on the Internet, not transformers. Take your own face washcloth.

Relax, what you will find - quickly - is that you are not the only person studying in Bilbao. You will quickly link up with like minded students and most likely will find a group to travel with which will make all of this much simpler. Plus, the school should have a very thorough orientation program. When you arrive, hit the TI and pick up all the brochures for local tours and activities. Take min amount of clothing with you as you will find you will want to buy local clothing because of style difference between Texas and there. Leave the hair dryer and iron at home and purchase locally. Two reason - even if dual voltage it may not perform as well as it did at home. Second - and more important - you don't have to worry about keeping track of a plug adapter. And after you return home, you will have it for future trips to Europe.

Day trips: Portugalete for the suspension ferry and seafood. The funicular for the view. Algorta for the windmill, smuggler port, and cliff walk. Butron for the castle. Las Arenas for the beach. Guernica for the emplomatic stump and market. San Sebastián for the grub. Burgos because you can. Bilbao was pretty much left alone by Franco - - been there, done it, had a blast - - main problem was hiding bb gun from the Guardia Civil - - and not letting mom know when the suckers confiscated it for a few weeks. Guernica caught hell.

Guernica makes a good day trip. You can visit the Museum of Basque History, set in a park which also has two sculptures memorializing the fascist destruction of the city. One is by Henry Moore; the other, by Eduardo Chillida. Down the hill from that park is the Museo de la Paz, with a recording of a survivors account of the bombing and an experiential exhibit. Very worth visiting.

This pageYour text to link here... has several Baptist & Evangelical churches in Bilbao.

I could not follow the link, because there is no link posted. Could you please try and send me that link again? Thanks for the help!

I'll try this again Baptist & Evangelical Churches For some reason the link function is not working. Copy & paste to browser: http://www.deusto.es/servlet/Satellite/Page/1234969219601/_ingl/%231117441330501%231117441330667%231117441330724%231117441330745%231234969219601/UniversidadDeusto/Page/PaginaCollTemplate

Pamplona is also a nice day-trip from Bilbao.