Spain

Unfortunately, I don't think what you propose is feasible, either in the time allowed or as a "one-base" trip. At nearly 400 miles, the distance is significant, and even driving from town to town, staying at multiple hotels along the way, one week would be rushed. The dis-joined rail network is truly slow—the one-way trip across the three separate rail systems takes some 15 hours, not including connection times. And those trains only run a couple of times a day.

It could be a really nice trip over two weeks of hotel-hopping, but that's a significantly different plan.

You may want to remove your email address from your post.

I suggest researching where and what you want to see and checking railroad schedules to see if the train goes to those places. That research should help you determine possible places to base yourself.

I can’t help with the trains since I generally have a rental car. Along the north coast I
enjoyed Zumaia, Getaria, Santillana Del Mar, and Ribadeo, but there are a number of nice towns I haven’t been to.

I can’t imagine covering this large territory in one week or from one base. Impossible. Once we entered from Galicia from Portugal , we stayed in Baiona, Santiago de Compostela, Leon, Ribadisilla, Santillana del Mar, Comillas.

Unfortunately this is one part of Europe where public transportation is not good. Especially trains, but even if you include buses your options will be very limited. Of course you can spend a week in one place, maybe do a few day trips, and just relax but I'm not sure about traveling daily to different locations. I would suggest instead of Bilbao you base in San Sebastian - itself a beautiful city with beautiful vistas. From there you could do day trips to Hondarribia and Hendaye, France and also to Bilbao as well as a few other places. But I think buses are better, that's what I took in that region. Also consider splitting the week into two bases - you don't need to move every night or two, but two bases in a week, with 3-4 days each would give you more options.

I don't think our poster is expecting to cover northern Spain from the Basque Country to Galicia by slow train from one base. That would, indeed, be impossible. I believe he (?) just meant they want to pick a place somewhere in that part of Spain and see as much as they can.

I agree with Isabel that San Sebastian would be a practical option. I prefer Bilbao as a city (much less touristy, much larger historic district), but I think the side-trip options may be better from San Sebastian. Those could include Hondarribia, Zarautz/Getaria/Zumaia, Bilbao (might be worth two trips), Vitoria-Gasteiz, St Jean-de-Luz (France), and Bayonne (France). I wasn't terribly fond of Biarritz (also France), but it is also doable. I've read that Lekeitio (Spain) is nice but haven't been there.

It might be useful to know that bus service between San Sebastian and Bilbao is quite frequent, but it's worth traveling once on the very slow train between the two. The scenery is good, and you feel like you're in a tourist-free zone as you travel through that part of the Basque Country.

Alternatively, you could put together a week-long stay in one place in Galicia and have a very nice time, but I feel as if there's more variety to be had by basing in San Sebastian. Santiago de Compostela would be the most interesting base in Galicia, but I'm not sure how the transportation would work out from that single base. I also stayed in Pontevedra and A Coruna and did some of my day-tripping from each of the three cities.

If I understand correctly, you want to choose an area between Bilbao and Galicia where you can have a base and explore the surroundings for 1 week without a car.

Bilbao itself and San Sebastián spring to mind, but since you say "between Bilbao and Galicia", perhaps you have been to the Basque country already?

West of Bilbao, the assignment becomes challenging:

• I cannot think of a single suitable place in Cantabria

• in Asturias, Avilés would work well for 5-6 days perhaps (Cudillero, Oviedo, Gijón are all within easy reach by train, and you can head as far east as Lastres and west as Luarca if you plan it well), but getting there is a challenge in the first place unless you can use the local airport, and a full week would be a bit much (unless bus connections are good; I do not know about them).

• in Galicia, Pontevedra would be OK too, it has a lot of bus connections to various points of the coast, plus the railway to Santiago and A Coruña. Santiago itself is further from the coast, so perhaps a bit worse as a hub.

Thank you for all your replies guys🤗 and after much deliberation, we shall take the car from Plymouth to Santander, but leave it in the hotel and still use the slow trains for visits to other places.

We will use a hotel for 2 weeks, so any hotel choices-from experience please-would be greatly appreciated from our resident sleuths🕵️🕵️‍♀️

We like harbours, fishing villages, walking. tapas bars. Not into nightlife, pool would be nice as a wish only. Management does like shopping-bless her🥰

Thanks to you lovely and knowledgeable human beings😇

If you take the ferry to Santander, then you are only a short drive away from Asturias, so that option works.
And if you go, it might be worth taking the car at least once, to head over to the Picos de Europa (Cangas de Onís, lagos de Covadonga).

Otherwise, Santander is pleasant in itself, but not for more than 3-4 days I'd say - there are few good day trip options, let alone by public transport.

So given we are using the car just to get to Hotel, is San Sebastián the best base for 2 weeks guys please, if so hotel suggestions please-given our criteria likes, please

Alan

Would you consider one week on Bilbao and one week in San Sebastián? It would give a bit more variety.
Otherwise San Sebastián is a very nice place to be for two weeks.