Any suggestions for car rental availability in Bilbao, and returning it in Barcelona?
We'll be finishing a RS Basque Country tour on Sat. May 20 and beginning a My-Way Tour in Barcelona on Thurs. May 25. Would like to travel the close to 600mi. distance in the intervening 5 days. We'd like to go west along the coast as far as Santillana del mar, and drive up to visit Picos de Europa before heading east through Navarre and Aragon to Calalunya and Barcelona. Would like some suggestions for places to stop on the way, and some idea of driving conditions in May.
Thanks for any help you can give us.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Hi, Lynne. www.autoeurope.com is a good starting point for car rental. I usually end up with Europcar, but they represent other major agents, as well. The main east-west highways should be no problem. Sorry, I don't have any advice for the mountain passes.
Compared to Rick's chapter covering Burgos (great Gothic cathedral) and the wine region around the small town of La Guardia, I don't think the Basque tour will cover/duplicate more than Pamplona and one winery stop. If you're not worried about maxing out on cathedrals, it can also be worthwhile to detour a bit westward to include Leon. Rick doesn't cover Zaragoza, but I know other forum contributors have enjoyed it.
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3282 posts
One of the highlights of northern Spain for me was staying at the Parador de Fuente De in the Picos de Europa and taking the cable car to the top of the peaks. The Parador is one of the lesser expensive ones in Spain and the ride in through the gorge, with a visit to the Picos' Museum, is spectacular. Here's a lnk to the official web page. I was able to get the best price through a promo on this page. And Santilillana del Mar is a great visit; I'd stop there for half a day and then overnight in the Picos.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Bilbao >> Santillana del mar (1) >> Picos de Europa (1) >> Burgos (1) >> Laguardia-Rioja (1) >> Zaragoza (1) >> Barcelona
Another route that would be nice ...
Bilbao >> Olite (1) >> Zaragoza (1) >> Teruel (1) >> Morella (1) >> Tarragona (1) >> Barcelona
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7893 posts
Although our drive from Seville to Granada was pleasant, with views of White Villages and Canola and Sunflower fields, our drive from Ronda to Gibraltar and back was tedious. The "superhighway" was in superb condition, better than many American roads are today ... but trucks in front of us slowed progress, even within the speed limit. I can't endorse such a long drive in five days, but you know what will please you. (I don't dispute that many sights are better seen with a car.)
They didn't charge us, but there were certain items that have to be in a rental car, like a vest for changing tires. Make sure they are all present at the rental pickup, because the return might check them.
Posted by
Washington DC
28102 posts
I found the old stone town of Potes in the Picos de Europa charming. Do check on expected weather conditions at upper elevations in May. I know that one public bus in the area doesn't start running until late June (or maybe it was late July.
All the other possibilities mentioned are worthwhile (except that I haven't seen and can't vouch for Morella). Good luck pruning the list!
I liked Teruel a lot--a town fill of mudejar arcitecture and Some art nouveau buildings, but it's pretty isolated and I don't think you have tIme for it on this trip.