Base to explore Northern Spain- Basque Country, Gallicia

I think a little more information would be helpful - what are you interested in seeing/doing? Are you flying back out of Bilbao as well? Are you renting a car (not necessary - bus and train transport is good). Do you want to get to Santiago de Compostela? Do you want to stick to the coast? Etc...

I have no idea if this is ok to post; and you didn't ask this, but my son's very dear friend (they met in Los Angeles; she and her hubby are both American) just opened Kuki Cookie Bakery in Bilbao; and it is a hit! So stop by her bakery for some cookies while you are there. They are gluten free, but everyone loves them. Her husband just got a job transfer to Bilbao; so she needed to figure out what she was going to do; she opened a bakery and success!

Our son recently visited and really enjoyed Billbao, Barcelona and Formentera!

The Basque Country and Galicia are quite far apart. You've got enough time to see a fair amount of both areas (though I spent at least 8 days in each of them), but to do that you'll be blasting past some very worthwhile places. Do you plan to drive? I'm not recommending that (never done it myself), because you'd need a very large vehicle to accommodate six adults and their luggage, but it could affect the recommendations you receive.

What are your interests?

I preferred Bilbao to San Sebastian, because the former is much less touristy and also less expensive. However, some others would vote the other way. San Sebastian is very pretty, which I guess is at the root of the problem.

Thanks for the help. I have reserved a large van to accommodate with plans to use car parks in the outskirts and local transport; will also fly out of Bilbao; mainly thinking of Galician sea villages not Santiago Compostela which may have have to be another time; we are mainly interested in food, culture and some history

Would recommend San Sebastien, definitely good pinxtos, and hosts a bunch of Michelin-starred restaurants if you have the budget for that (lots of pricey tasting menus, and you will need reservations pretty far in advance). Bilbao, of course, has the Guggenheim, and a beautiful river walk with tour boats. Old Town is great, lots of places to eat. We went to Guernika for a day from Bilbao, short trip on the train, very worthwhile. Rioja wine region can also be a day trip - I think there are tours out of Bilbao, but with a car you'd be all set.

Pintxos and tapas are not the same thing, although they may seem similar to the eyes of foreign visitors.

@Mikel, apologies! Was just typing along in my response there. Fixed.

Thanks for all the help. Additional question

Any advice on rental car in Bilboa, Spain for six adults and luggage Choices between Volkswagen Caddy max – seven seater, Mercedes V class van – seven seater and Opal Vivaro – nine seater. I am concerned about van height and other dimensions of the van in the narrow underground parking spaces. Any advice or experience?

Fortunately you should be able to park in outdoor lots almost everywhere except larger cities. Most small towns have free parking lots. Once you know where you’re going to visit, look up parking lots on Google maps and bookmark them. With street and satellite views you can get a good idea of what they are like and you’ll save time since a navigation system will take you straight to them.

As you already know many parking garages have narrow spaces and can be hard to maneuver in even with a compact-sized vehicle. Many older parking garages in Spain were not built for today’s larger vehicles and almost impossible to maneuver in. I recommend sticking with outdoor lots unless you know for certain a garage is newer and check it out before trying to enter it.

Van height will not be a problem for underground parking for the type of vans you are describing.