Suggestions - journey from San Sebastián to Porto

Be sure to stop in Bilbao, just a bit west of San Sebastián, for a visit to the Guggenheim museum. The building itself is as much a part of the experience as the art installations inside. The old town is also worth a visit and a meal.

Haven’t yet been north of Obidos in Portugal, though, so have no personal suggestions as you wind your way farther west and south.

By the way, we once picked up a car in Lisboa, drove as far north as Obidos, then headed for Evora and then east to Spain, eventually turning the car in in Malaga. Hertz hit us with an agreed-upon $600 separate-country return fee (this was back in 2002), but it was what we needed to do for our open-jaw trip, and turning in a car at the border and getting another one once we’d crossed wasn’t an option. And we had a lot to see along the way, so flying from point A to point B wasn’t in the cards, either, and would’ve cost us more in time, money, and inconvenience that paying the $600 fee

Thank you Cyn. Bilbao is def in the cards. We’re renting a car in Porto a week or so earlier, and then returning it back to Porto. Hopefully this will eliminate extra charges associated with auto rental!

I assume you are planning to loop back to Spain so you won't be hit with a $$$$ international drop-off charge for the car.

There are lots of places in the Basque country I liked (Bilbao most of all, but also Vitoria-Gasteiz, Hondarribia and the three small coastal towns of Zumaia/Getaria/Zarautz), but mid-fall may be quite cool and wet there. I'd suggest researching October/November weather not just in the Basque cities but also in other places near the coast. It's possible you'll decide to tilt inland due to the timing of your trip.

Beyond the Basque Country you might check out Burgos, Oviedo, Leon (plus Astorga to the west, with some modernist architecture) and the Galician cities/towns of A Coruna, Santiago de Compostela, Pontevedra and Betanzos. The little town of Tui, right on the border, is cute and not touristy.

I found the Picos de Europa area lovely, but I think it's a summer-only destination for most non-skiers. The old stone town of Potes is extremely atmospheric, but it might be dead at the time of your trip.

I didn't much care for the comparatively modern city of Santander (rebuilt after a major 1940s fire), but the nearby village of Santillana del Mar is beyond cute (all tourists all the time in the summer, though), and Comillas has several modernist buildings. The Altamira Cave in this area is surely worth seeing; check well ahead of time on reservation procedures. It'something I wasn't able to see because I was dependent on public transportation.

I haven't been to Zamora, but I've read positive comments about it.

I am less familiar with northern Portugal but can recommend Guimaraes.

It would be insane to try to cover all the places i've listed on a one-way trip from San Sebastian to Porto. They are places I saw during the course of a round-trip across northern Spain.

You need a guidebook with comprehensive coverage of northern Spain.

Here are a few nice stops/activities I would recommend heading west from San Sebastian:

-Drive along the Basque Coast - The drive from San Sebastián to Bilbao is very picturesque, with its hidden coves, seaside villages, and stunning cliffs. A highlight for me was San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, which is a 10th century Hermitage set atop a craggy islet, they filmed some scenes from Game of Thrones here.

-Bilbao (2-3 nights) - Bilbao is the more grounded brother to San Sebastián. With its contrasting old and new architecture and nice riverside area, I actually like Bilbao better than San Sebastián. The main draw is the Guggenheim, one of the leading contemporary art museums in the world.

-Santillana del Mar - Well preserved medieval town in the Cantabrian region. Known for its medieval towers, Renaissance villas and the Romanesque Santa Juliana Collegiate Church. One can spend the night here too.

-Altamira caves - UNESCO world heritage site located near Santillana del Mar with numerous Paleolithic cave paintings. The real caves are closed to the public but there is a pretty good replica cave and museum there too.

-Potes - (1-2 nights) an atmospheric medieval town located high up in the Cantabrian Mountains. Makes for a great place to explore the Picos de Europa National Park in depth.

-Picos de Europa National Park - Mountain range between Cantabria and Asturias offers some of Europe's most spectacular and breath taking mountain scenery, definitely worth a visit. Take the Fuente Dé cable car that lifts you up high into the peaks.

-Oviedo (2 nights) - The capital of Asturias. Known for its Gothic medieval old town, apparently Woody Allen's favorite city in Spain.

-Covadonga - known as the "cradle of Spain", a pilgrimage site dedicated to the Battle of Covadonga of 718 AD, which set off the Reconquista. There is also a Holy Cave, where lies Kings Pelagius and Alfonso I, the first kings of Asturias. From here, one can also do a nice hike to the Lakes of Covadonga, which takes about 3:30 hr each way, but are well worth it.

From Oviedo you can continue west to Galicia (stopping at Santiago de Compostela for a few nights) and then turn south towards Porto.

OK, Randolph M, you’ll avoid the surcharge for turning in your rental car in a separate country, just lots of costs for fuel. And I presume you’re doing a loop, not drive big back and forth over the same route, and probably have your route to San Sebastián all figured out. If it’s a rainy day in San Sebastián, like we got during our stay, a visit to their museum/aquarium is worthwhile. You may not be greeted warmly at the reception counter, but the exhibits are interesting, and it’ll be dry. Buen viaje!

Yes Cyn - we’ll drive out of Porto via the Douro River / Valley, spending a couple of days along the way, finally making our way up to San Seb from that angle. Planning a few days in S.S. area, then head west.

Thanks everyone - appreciate these good suggestions. Hoping for a bit more insight / comments from folks who have traveled these roads. Thanks!

Hi
I have travelled these roads extensively (but not recently), and you already have quite a few suggestions to weave a route together. I am wondering if / where you are planning to stop on the way from the Douro to S Sebastián?
Anyway, in 8 days I would do:
S Sebastián - Bilbao (3 nights) via the coast roads. Bilbao was very accurately described above.
Bilbao - Potes (2 nights) via highway, stopping at Santillana del mar on the way.
Potes - León (1 night), lovely mountain drive, and a few impressive sights in León
León - Guimarães or Braga (2 nights), either of which is a beautiful Portuguese town with lots of ambiance.
Then to Porto.

I would try to have refundable accommodation in Potes as the weather might well be terrible in Oct/Nov. I would then replace Potes with Burgos.

Driving conditions are excellent throughout even in the mountains or on the coastal roads.
Hope it helps!

Balso - thanks for the good info. FYI, we’re staying near Torre de Moncorvo (2 nights) as we drive from Porto to SS. Everyone has been so helpful, so, yes - you’re right - we have much info to help us put together a wonderful itinerary! I thought 8 days would be plenty of time to journey from SS to Porto, but am already wishing that we had built in a few extra days. P.S. Any thoughts or comments about visiting / stopping over in Santiago de Compostela? Thanks again. RM

Randolph,
Can't comment on Torre de Moncorvo as I do not know that corner of Portugal. From that place to San Sebastian is a fairly long drive, but doable in a day. Not much time for sightseeing stops. From Vitoria to San Sebastián do not be tempted by the toll-free A1 (heavy truck traffic, low speed limit): the toll AP-1 is much better.

As for Santiago, yes it is worth it, but there will be a bit more time spent on the road. You could go:
S Sebastián - Bilbao (2n)
Bilbao - Santillana del Mar (1n)
Santillana del Mar - Cudillero (1n). Cudillero is a beautiful fishing village. Hotel "La Casona de Pío" was excellent a few years ago and probably still is.
Cudillero - Santiago (3n)
Santiago - Porto

This skips over a lot of the highlights of Asturias and Galicia but will give you a taste of the region. I do believe, however, that Galicia is worth an entirely separate trip, preferably closer to summer.