Want an interesting place to spend first night in Spain from Barcelona to San Sebastian

If you are arriving on a transatlantic flight the drivers here will probably suggest not getting in a car and driving

To me, driving an hour after the transatlantic flight wouldn’t be a problem and I think it is doeable. My concern would be if your plane arrived late and it took more than a minimal amount of time to get your bags and the rental car. The would result in your driving even more tired, on roads you’re not used to, or familiar with, possibly near dusk, and trying to find your hotel and parking in whichever town you decide to drive to. On a positive note, the A-2 is an interstate.

A town that’s 56 miles from Barcelona, in the direction you want to go, is Tarrega. Closer in to Barcelona is Igualada. It too is very small. Larger but 82 miles away is Lleida and it probably has more to do. I’ve never been to any of the towns I mentioned.

Edited: the towns Jessica mentioned are worth a stop, but too far to drive from BCN after a long flight. Alquezar is 123 miles from BCN.

Well, there's (in order from BCN to SS) Alquezar, voted one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, Jaca, Sos del Rey Catolico, Olite and Puente la Reina. I would probably choose Alquezar so that I could stop at Castillo Loarre on the way the next morning, and maybe one other town...

Instead of hoping in a car right after a long transatlantic flight, why not let someone else do the driving? By that, I mean taking the AVE high speed train direct to Zaragoza, which is a city halfway in between Barcelona and San Sebastian. The train ride will take about 1:30hr, the perfect time to relax and unwind after an exhausting flight.

Zaragoza itself has more than 2,000 years of history including Roman ruins of the city walls and amphitheater, as well as the Aljafería, an 11th-century Moorish palace. It also has the famous pilgrimage site of Nuestra Señora del Pilar Basilica, housing the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary. The Pilar Basilica is my vote for the most beautiful exterior of any church in Spain. I would say that Zaragoza is the least touristy of the 5 major cities of Spain.

From Zaragoza, you can then rent a car and drive to San Sebastian (2:40 hr). In between Zaragoza and San Sebastian, I would also stop at the medieval town and Royal Palace of Olite, the seat of the Kings of Navarre. For me, one of the most impressive medieval palaces in Europe.

Driving into the setting sun after 8+ hours on an airplane....... What is there to worry about, hhmmm

Carlos has a great idea, and we have used that strategy a few times when we have rented cars. We take a train out of the large busy town, to a smaller town (still big enough to have car rental) do a bit of sight seeing, stay overnight and pick up a car in the am.

Thanks to all of the replies. I have leased a car for the 3 week road trip and have to pick it up on the day we arrive. I too am concerned about fatigue after our long flight and want to avoid driving into a big city on our first day. Hoping to find a nice place to stay our first night that is not too long of a drive from the airport.

Cardona. It is about an hour from the airport. There is a nice parador. And the next day you can visit the Salt Mountain there, it is quite an interesting place to visit.

I also second the places Jessica named, but not on the first day. If you want to go a little bit farther into the mountains, you could visit the Valle de Bohi, an Unesco heritage site.