Five days in the van from Asti to the Basque coast: Hondarribia, San Sebastián, the Zumaia Flysch, Gaztelugatxe, Bilbao and the Urkiola mountains. Two long motorway legs, out and back, with three short driving days in between.
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Detailed itinerary
Five days in the van, from Asti to the Basque coast. Two long legs, outbound and back, frame three short days of driving: the cliffs of Guipúzcoa and Vizcaya, Bilbao, then the mountains inland. The van is compact, about the size of a car, which helps with parking close to the villages and on the narrow coastal roads.
Day 1, Asti to Hondarribia
About 980 km and 9 hours 45 minutes at the wheel, all on motorways across the south of France. In a single day there is no alternative. Once across the border at Irun we reach Hondarribia in the late afternoon, for a walk through the Barrio de la Marina with its coloured houses and wooden balconies, and for sunset at the Higuer lighthouse. In the evening, hot pintxos and a glass of txakoli.
We sleep in the marina car park, or at Parking Jaizubia, which has video surveillance, electricity, and water fill and waste.
Day 2, the Guipúzcoa coast
About 75 km and 1 hour 30 minutes of driving. We climb Monte Jaizkibel by the scenic road, drop down to Pasaia Donibane and cross the ría on the local little boat, then stroll along La Concha bay in San Sebastián. We follow the N-634 with a stop at the Roka Puta viewpoint and reach Zumaia, for the Flysch cliffs, Itzurun beach and the hermitage of San Telmo. Lunch is pintxos in the Parte Vieja, or grilled fish for dinner in Getaria or Zumaia.
We sleep in the car park of the Zumaia industrial estate: no barrier, ten minutes on foot from the centre along a flat cycle path. There is a drinking-water tap at the entrance of the station tunnel.
Day 3, the Vizcaya coast and Bilbao
About 115 km and 2 hours 15 minutes of driving. At Lekeitio we walk out to the island of San Nicolás, reachable only at low tide. Then the Urdaibai reserve, Mundaka and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe: the stone steps above the sea need a free time-slot booking, made online. In Bermeo's old harbour we try marmitako, the fishermen's soup of tuna, potatoes and sweet peppers. We get to Bilbao in time to see the Guggenheim in the evening.
The night is at Caravan Park Kobetamendi, on a hill above the city, with grass pitches, surveillance, water fill and waste, and electricity. A city bus stops outside and runs into the centre.
Day 4, the interior: Urkiola and Elorrio
About 65 km and 1 hour 10 minutes of driving. In the morning we wander through the Casco Viejo in Bilbao. In the afternoon we go up to the Urkiola pass, where the sanctuary sits under the limestone crests, and walk to the Mirador de las Tres Cruces or toward the slopes of Anboto. Then Elorrio, with its old town and the medieval necropolis of Argiñeta. For dinner, txuleta, grilled beef rib, in one of the village taverns.
The Elorrio motorhome area has ten pitches on asphalt, lighting, a picnic area and a playground. Water and electricity run on tokens (fichas) sold at the Tourist Office or at the Municipal Police.
Day 5, back to Asti
About 950 km and 9 hours 30 minutes of driving, all motorway again, from the French border to Asti. We stop every two hours. For lunch, at an equipped rest area in France, a buckwheat galette or a bit of cheese.
Good to know
The season is spring or summer. We are looking for travel companions willing to split the actual costs, in a van or another compact vehicle. You need a vehicle in good order and some stamina at the wheel: days 1 and 5 are close to a thousand kilometres, starting at dawn.
A few practical notes from our research. Many water points in the Basque Country have a small threaded fitting, half an inch: we bring a set of adapters. In Elorrio we arrive before 22:00, because the Municipal Police, open until then, sells the tokens if the Tourist Office is closed. Opening times and parking rules need checking before leaving.
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This website is not a travel agency, a tour operator or an organiser of package holidays, and it sells nothing. What you find here is a personal travel proposal, shared in order to find travel companions and share the costs.
All the information published here — itinerary, distances, driving times, costs, ferries, tolls, campsites, opening dates — is purely indicative. Distances and times come from a routing engine on OpenStreetMap data and refer to the date of writing; prices, timetables and road openings change continuously. Always check official sources before leaving.
Whoever takes part travels under their own sole responsibility, with their own documents, insurance cover and vehicle in order. Bookings — ferries, campsites, tolls — are each participant’s own business: nothing is booked or arranged on your behalf.
Before departure, check the travel advice of your Ministry of Foreign Affairs for every country crossed. The author accepts no liability for accidents, damage, costs or inconvenience arising from the use of the information published here.
