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Advice with travel planning needed :)

My family and I are flying into and departing Barcelona in a short few weeks(from Los Angeles)- late June to mid-July!
We will be traveling with 3 kids: ages 12, 10, 7, and have 18 days to plan for.

Not sure what the best itinerary would be...We would like spend time a few days in Barcelona, go to Pamplona to see the running of the bulls(1 day), visit San Sebastian(for 4-5 days...open to longer), Bilbao, and would love to drive and visit St. Jean-de Luz or another French town close to the border, Pyrenees... Is there any other "must see" towns, cities to visit in Northern Spain??

Suggestions for the best route and mode of travel from Barcelona to these cities??

Thank you!!!

Posted by
7175 posts

Arrive Barcelona - 5 nights
Train to Pamplona - 2 nights
(Pick up car)
Drive to LaGuardia - 2 nights
Drive to Bilbao - 2 nights
Drive to San Sebastián - 4 nights
(Day to St Jean de Luz / Biarritz)
Drive to Zaragoza - 2 nights
(Drop off car)
Train to Barcelona - 1 night
Depart Barcelona

Posted by
28083 posts

If you don't already have lodgings booked in Pamplona it may be too late to find something. I don't know how far afield you might need to go to find beds. Maybe Logrono or Olite?

It can be really hot in Zaragoza in the summer. I'm not sure about Pamplona; it may not be as bad. Be sure you have air conditioned accommodations in those two cities and in Barcelona. You might get by without a/c in the Basque Country, where there might be the odd temperature spike but it's unlikely to stay hot for long.

Four nights is a rather long time in San Sebastian unless that is to be a beach break (in which case be aware that the Basque Country is not always sunny even in mid-summer). Possible side-trips include Hondarribia to the east and three coastal towns to the west, Zarautz, Getaria and Zumaia. I also liked Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of the inland part of the Basque Country and not terribly far from Laguardia. It has a large historic district on a hill that is called the "medieval almond" because of its shape on the map. However, you may get enough medieval architecture in Bilbao, San Sebastian and Laguardia.

Consult ViaMichelin on driving routes. Green highlighting means "scenic". It's possible to do a good bit of the drive from the Basque Country (Sp. or Fr.) to Barcelona through France. You'd give up Zaragoza but have a shot at the Pyrenees. I haven't roadtripped through that area but can recommend the narrow-gauge Yellow Train (run by SNCF) that runs from Villefranche-de-Conflent to Latour de Carol.