I'll be spending a week in Bilbao and will have a car for a few days. I plan to drive out to San Sebastian amongst other places. Can anyone tell me how easy or otherwise it is to park in San Sebastian and the area surrounding Bilbao? Also any tips for driving in Spain as it will be my first time doing this. Many thanks.

Enjoy the trip. I've never had trouble finding street parking in either city, summer or otherwise. You may end up a few blocks from where you want to be, but you should fare well. San Sebastian's old quarter is pedestrian, so plan ahead to walk a ways. Parking across the Nervión from Bilbao's old quarter is probably going to be your best bet. Just cross at the bridge in front of the Arriaga theater...

Another option you may want to consider is getting a hotel room in a place with a private parking lot...either at a reduced or free rate for clients. Aranzazu is located close to most major sites in downtown Bilbao, and the parking, as I recall, is free to clients.

Thanks for your help and reassurance. I had been reading that driving and parking in Bilbao is a nightmare but I am telling myself that it can't be any worse that driving in London!

In San Sebastian sometimes you can find free park in the Paseo Nuevo street. It is just in the old city and in front of the sea. Each time I go to San Sebastian I look frist in this street and if I don´t find anything then I look for a place elsewhere paying the O.T.A. (the fee that must be paid for parking in the streets and it is delimited by a blue line on the road).

Bye.

HI BRICAMB

DRIVING & PARKING IS A SNAP IN BOTH BILBAO & SAN SEBASTIAN. WHEN DRIVING TO SAN SEBASTIAN KNOW THAT IT IS A TOLL HIGHWAY. A BEAUTIFUL DRIVE, ABOUT AN HOUR.
GOOD LUCK, CHIANCLIPPER

On my road map, it looks like you can take the motorway from Bilbao to San Sebastion or the coastal road. I suppose the coastal road would be more scenic.

I took the toll highway from Santander (passes through Bilbao) to San Sebastian as we were in a hurry. Fast, good shape, but expensive (it was approx. $7 in tolls each way and is apparently the most expensive highway in Spain per kilometer).

In San Sebastian, I parked in an underground lot close to the Hotel Maria Cristina. I didn't want to leave the rental car on the street. It was about $6 for the day.

Driving in Spain was pretty easy and even Madrid was not a whole bunch worse than, say, Boston. Since you are from England, careful about drifting over to that "wrong" side of the road, though.