I have ten days to get from Madrid to Bordeaux (by car) and would appreciate suggestions/comments on an itinerary. I was thinking about doing this:

Madrid (3 nights)
Salamanca (via Avila) (1 night)
Somewhere in Cantabria (2 nights)(suggestions where?)
Bilbao/San Sebastian (2 nights somewhere between?)
Navarra somewhere (Pamplona maybe?) (1 night)

and then somewhere in the French Pyrenees for a night ...

Can anyone tell me if I'm on the right track, or if there is something I can't miss along the way ...

I will be traveling with my four-year old son, so that is a consideration.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Wow ! That´s one hell of an itenerary ! I´m sure other board members will chip in here ... but think about going to Guernica when you´re up around Bilbao ... ( Will you have a car ? ) . San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is impressive as hell .. 300 steps to the top of a rock in the sea .. So if yiu have a problem with heights forget it . I guarantee it will be a visit you´ll never forget .
As far as the French Pyrenees are concerned , i´d recommend the city of Pau ... I stayed there for a week . It has the Boulevard des Pyrenees .. beautiful view of the mountains . A world class rugby team . And easy train journeys to Biarritz and Lourdes .

I just remebered that also there is the French Basque city of Bayonne ( Capital of the French Basque country ) . The "Jamón" .. from Bayonne is world famous "

Steve

Hi Steve.

Thank you for the recommendations.

Would you recommend that we stay two nights in Bilbao, San Sebastian, or somewhere else in the region (Guernica?) Or move from place to place and stay in both (or other) cities?

I'm not wed to any particular itinerary ... I only have ten days and would like to see as much as possible, without torturing my son by spending too much time in the car and moving around. He's a good little traveler, but he's only four.

We will be traveling by car ...

Bilbao is a small city .. More well known for the spectacular Guggenheim museum .. The building is incredible ! The art ( unless you like modern art ) is less fantastic .
San Sebastian ( Donostia in the Basque language ) is totally my favourite town in Spain . It has the sophistication of a city yet , right there is a great beach with surfers etc ... The famous " Concha" beach is always busy . Take some swim wear with you or you´ll feel jealous of everone swimming in the sea .
you could either spend 2 nights in Bilbao or San Sebastian , and use your car to travel out .
OK you have a 4 year old so San Juan de Gaztelugatxe may seem daunting ( 300 steps ) but I saw many kids doing the walk . It´s soooooo impressive !
In Bilbao please take your son to Portugualete ( reached by Metro easily ) . There is a cable car suspended from a framework built from the same guy who built the Eiffel tower in Paris ( Sr Eiffel of course !! ) . It´s a spectacular ride across the river .
Steve

Thanks again Steve.

I think we will spend two nights in San Sebastian and spend the day passing through Bilbao. I have been wanting to visit the Guggenheim since it opened, and this is my first chance, so we of course will pay a visit there.

I will follow your suggestions and at least attempt San Juan de Gaztelugatxe ... we can always turn around, but its more likely that I would be intimidated by the height than my son Portugualete sounds wonderful as well.

So little time and so much to enjoy. Thank you again for the suggestions.

Anne

Just a point I should mention . There is a café and a restaurant at the Guggenheim . The restaurant is considered one of the best in Northern Spain . I reserved a table for lunch and managed to leave about €120 lighter in my wallet.. just for one person ! . The meal was magnificent however .

I would definitely stay in San Sebastian over Bilbao, don't like the latter at all, sorry, and I've been there several times. I know Steve says it grows on you, but it hasn't on me.

From Salamanca I would head up the A6 to Oviedo which I always enjoy, then along the coast. If you like beaches, or the little one does, Ribadesella and Llanes with its walk of the blowholes are nice, and a lot of people like Santander.

In France I also used to like Biarritz, but haven't been there for ages, and can vouch for Pau too, although it will take you a bit out of your way. As an aside, it's where the Wright brothers spent a lot of time developing the worlds first powered flying plane.

Have a good trip wherever you end up.

I'm not sure if I should if I should start a new thread, but I'll post here for the time being since it relates to this topic. My friends and I are discussing a trip to Spain next summer that includes Madrid and the Basque Country. We are discussing options of renting a car to drive from Madrid to the north (probably San Sebastian) and then around the Basque Country. A few pros and cons:

CONS
1. We will be a larger group, anywhere from five to eight people so we would need a larger vehicle to hold all of us and our accompanying luggage.
2. This larger vehicle could potentially be quite expensive.
3. I've heard that parking in San Sebastian is quite difficult.

PROS
1. A rental car gives us a lot more flexibility for visiting more places, especially those that are off the beaten path.
2. Renting a car might be easier than making reservations for a larger group for several public transportation journeys.

Any comments about driving versus public transportation in the Basque Country are appreciated!