I learn so much from this forum and look forward to getting your suggestions about my airport question. This spring I will fly into the airport at Donostia-San Sebastian and need to get from there to Bayonne for the start of the RS Basque tour. Online research yields pretty slow options with a lot of walking or transfers. I'm willing to choose a less inexpensive option if it is available. Any suggestions about ways to get to Bayonne that are relatively quick and easy?
Posted by
Wengen
2502 posts
If you look at a map you will see that the San Sebastian airport is actually in Hondarribia, right at the French border, near the twin towns of Irun-Hendaye. What I would do in your place is just take a taxi to Hendaye station (would take about 10 min.) and take a train from there.
Trains from Hendaye - Bayonne run regularly, at least once an hour (see scnf-connect.com). Tickets are 8,40, and I would just buy that there at the station. Don't know what the taxi would cost, but the Airport website has links to the taxi company so maybe mail them.
Posted by
Bilbao
745 posts
There´s also a bus from Hondarribia (where the airport actually is) to Bayonne (also Baiona), that takes one hour and thirty minutes, as it stops in many places along the way.
Posted by
OP
Seattle area
49 posts
Thank you Wengen and Mike - your advice is very helpful.
Posted by
Carmel, CA, USA
2456 posts
I had just about this same situation a few years ago, when I also took the RS Basque tour. I had driven through Spain, ending in Hondarribia, I could actually see the Donastia/San Sebastian airport from my hotel room, and walked the path after I dropped off my rental car. After researching this transfer to Bayonne, including some alternatives which involved 2 or 3 connections (including to your hotel once in Bayonne), with baggage, I chose to splurge some on a door-to-door taxi, right to my hotel. The cost was more, but reasonable, and it saved me considerable time and energy, leaving me fresh to explore Bayonne minutes after checking in. I’ve found that given the overall cost of an international trip, sometimes the extra cost of transit like this is well worth it.