travelling to the pyrenees and Basque country

Time of year?

@acraven

We are planning to make a trip at the beginning of June

For a longer scenic drive, you could catch the N-260 at Ripoll and take it all the way to Jaca (about halfway) for a few nights, stopping along the way at the Vall de Boí, to see its early Romanesque churches, which are designated UNESCO Heritage Sites.

Jaca is the old medieval capital of the Kingdom of Aragon and is dominated by a huge 16th-century star fortress. From Jaca, you can do a day trip to the Castillo de Loarre (about 1 hr), which is one of the oldest castles in Spain.

From Jaca you can then take the A-21/A-15 all the way to San Sebastian.

Regarding returning to Barcelona from San Sebastian, I think making an overnight stop in Zaragoza is a great idea.

Zaragoza has more than 2,000 years of history including Roman ruins of the city walls, forum, and amphitheater, as well as the Aljafería; an 11th-century Moorish palace. It's also the home of the famous pilgrimage site of Nuestra Señora del Pilar Basilica, housing the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary of Pilar. The best part, Zaragoza is relatively undiscovered as far as major Spanish cities go.

Between San Sebastian and Zaragoza, make sure to check out the medieval town of Olite. The Royal Palace of Olite was the seat of the Kings of Navarre. For me, it's one of the more impressive medieval palaces still standing in Europe.

Thank you. We should have a few people knowledgeable about driving in the Pyrenees, and the date will help them.

I'm one of those who preferred Bilbao to San Sebastian. It's less touristy, has a larger historic district and more museums. Foodies and those looking for a super-lively tapas scene might be happier in San Sebastian. I hate changing hotels, so I'm not going to suggest that you split your time. I did so, but I had more nights to divvy up. I just want to note that you can easily spend more than a full day in Bilbao if you like art., and there's a lot of walking around to do even if you don't.

Vitoria-Gasteiz is also very interesting. The historic district is on a hill, but there are outdoor escalators to assist you when you want to change levels, so it doesn't have to be strenuous. There are a couple of art museums outside the historic district and a playing-card museum inside it. As of 2016 the public-transit card used in Bilbao also worked in Vitoria-Gasteiz. That was a pleasant surprise but handy.

I didn't find Pamplona special at all. There's a small historic district, and a cool life-size running-of-the-bulls sculpture, but it seems to me that there are many more interesting places in Spain.

I'm a public-transportation traveler and haven't visited the Spanish Pyrenees, but I spent several days in the Cerdanya Valley. The large town of Puigcerda (virtually on the French border) is very colorful. There are some old towns nearby that are worth 1 to 3 hours of walking around just for their atmosphere: Llivia to the north on N-154 (actually surrounded by French territory) is the largest. Bolvir, Bellver de Cerdanya and Martinet are to the south along N-260 and smaller. Note, though, that this valley can be miserably hot in the summer, and you may be unlucky in that regard. At least you'll have a car (air conditioned, I trust) to retreat to.

I also thought La Seu de Urgell had an especially pretty historic area. There's also an important cathedral.

To expand on what Carlos said, the N-260 (N=nacional) is a 2-lane, well maintained road. It will go through all the small towns. At Jaca you’d pick up the N-240, also a 2-lane road, until you can get onto the A-21 (A=autovia/interstate). The N roads are more scenic, but take longer to get to your destination. There is a short stretch between the A-21 and A-15, the AP-15 (AP=autopista), that is a toll road.

There are a number of lesser sites near that route that don’t take long to see, but worth visiting, e.g., Sos del Rey Catolico.

Thank you all for your replies.
So we will take your recommendations and stay the second night in the Pyrenees in Jaca. Where would you suggest to stay the first night? Is Vielha a good idea or would you suggest somewhere else?