Bilbao City Guide

Public transport

Operator. The public transport network of Bilbao and the province of Bizkaia is run by several independent operators, all of them joined together in the Consorcio de Transportes de Bizkaia (CTB). Metro Bilbao runs the two subway lines, Euskotren the tram along the Ría as well as the regional trains from Atxuri station, among other destinations toward Bermeo, Bizkaibus the intercity buses including the airport line A3247, and Bilbobus the city bus lines within Bilbao. The shared Barik chip card is valid with all the operators named above, plus the Artxanda funicular, the Ascensor de Ereaga in Getxo, the Funicular de Larreineta, the Puente Colgante transporter bridge, and several parking garages.

Network. Two metro lines, a riverside tram and buses, plus a funicular and a transporter bridge.

Modes of transport. Subway (Metro Bilbao) · Tram (Euskotren Tranbia) · Regional train (Euskotren, from Atxuri station) · City bus (Bilbobus) · Regional bus (Bizkaibus) · Funicular (Funicular de Artxanda) · Transporter bridge (Puente Colgante)

Operating hours. On weekdays the metro runs from around 6 am to 11 pm, outside those hours demand is too low for subway service according to Metro Bilbao. On Fridays, Saturdays, and the eve of public holidays, however, the metro runs all night without a break in service. Airport bus A3247 already runs from 5 am from the city center to the airport and until 11.40 pm from the airport back to the center, every 15 minutes in both directions.

Night service. There is no separately named night bus or night metro line, instead the regular metro simply stays in service all night without a break on Fridays, Saturdays, and the eve of public holidays. On all other weekdays service ends at 11 pm, with the first train the next day around 6 am.

Buying tickets. Tickets and the anonymous Barik card are sold at the vending machines in every metro station, by cash or credit/debit card. For a personalized Barik card, for example with a youth or family discount, you need to visit one of the eleven Oficinas de Atención a Clientes of the CTB in Bizkaia, for which ID and a current photo are required. Season tickets such as Bidai or Gazte can additionally be topped up at the affiliated network of kiosks and tobacco shops, as well as via the CTB website and app. At the airport, a dedicated Bizkaibus counter in the arrivals area sells single tickets for line A3247, also by bank card.

App and payment. Since July 8, 2026, the official Barik Mobile app of the Consorcio de Transportes de Bizkaia has been available for both Android and iOS. It stores the Barik card digitally on the smartphone, allows topping up the balance, and shows the current balance, with no need for a physical card. At the vending machines in the metro stations you can pay either by cash or by credit or debit card, and card payment is also accepted at the sales counter of the A3247 airport bus.

Which ticket. Metro Bilbao sells single tickets without a Barik card (Ocasional) for 2.00 Euro in Zone 1, 2.20 Euro in Zone 2, and 2.25 Euro in Zone 3, and up to ten people can share one anonymous Barik card loaded with credit. Anyone who buys a Barik card (3 Euro, with a minimum top-up of 2 Euro in cash or 5 Euro by credit card, so 5 or 8 Euro in total on first purchase, top-uppable up to a maximum of 90 Euro) pays only 0.61 Euro per ride as Creditrans credit in Zone 1, 0.71 Euro in Zone 2, and 0.78 Euro in Zone 3. Mathematically, the card fee in Zone 1 is offset from the third ride onward, after that Barik is consistently cheaper than single tickets. Metro Bilbao does not offer a day or multi-day ticket for tourists, the remaining season tickets (Bidai 50/70/Oro, Gazte 70/Oro) are tied to residency in Bizkaia.

Fare zones. Zone 1 stretches from Bolueta to San Ignazio and covers practically the entire city center of Bilbao, so tourists almost always pay the lowest zone price there. Zone 2 applies to Etxebarri, Basauri, and the route as far as Berango, among others, and Zone 3 to the coast between Larrabasterra and Plentzia.

Tip. The Puente de Vizcaya transporter bridge is World Heritage and runs every few minutes.

Links

• Metro Bilbao – All fares
• Metro Bilbao – Frequently asked questions (zones, Barik, operating hours)
• Metro Bilbao – Barik card
• Consorcio de Transportes de Bizkaia
• Bizkaibus – Airport bus A3247
• Euskotren – Bilbao tram
• Bilbao Intermodal / Termibus
• Network map

Getting there

Main station

Location. Centrally located, with a large stained-glass window in the concourse.

Long-distance trains. Long-distance rail service in Bilbao runs through Renfe at Abando Indalecio Prieto station on Plaza Circular, right in the middle of the city. Renfe runs the station as an intermodal hub with Larga Distancia, Media Distancia, and connections to the Cercanías lines C1, C2, and C3. The main long-distance routes are Bilbao to Madrid Chamartín Clara Campoamor and Bilbao to Barcelona Sants, both served by Alvia trains. Further Renfe destinations from Bilbao include Burgos, Logroño, Zaragoza, Lleida, and Tarragona, which lie along the same routes toward central Spain and the Mediterranean. The journey to Madrid takes around five hours, a high-speed link to Bilbao is not yet in operation.

Opening hours. Bilbao-Abando is open daily from 4.45 am to 24.00, only at night does the hall close. The first long-distance train toward Madrid departs at 6.45 am. Travelers out late should keep in mind that it closes at midnight.

Airports

Local quirks

• Pintxos, not tapas. In the Basque Country the bites sit on the bar counter and are paid for one by one. You move from bar to bar.
• One card for almost everything in Bizkaia. According to Metro Bilbao, the Barik card is valid not only for the metro, tram, and bus, but also for the Artxanda funicular, the Ascensor de Ereaga in Getxo, the Funicular de Larreineta, the Puente Colgante transporter bridge, several parking garages, and the Bizimeta bike-share system in Uribe Kosta.
• Zone 1 covers almost the whole visit. The cheapest fare zone, Zone 1, stretches from Bolueta to San Ignazio and thus covers practically the entire city center. Anyone staying within the center automatically pays the lowest zone price on every ride.

Good to know

Currency

EUR €

Emergency number

112

Plug type

C · F

Time zone

Europe/Madrid

Driving

right

Speed limits. built-up areas 20/30/50 km/h (tiered), outside towns 90 km/h, motorway 120 km/h

Since May 2021, a three-tier system has applied within built-up areas instead of a single uniform value. 20 km/h on streets with a single level for the roadway and sidewalk, 30 km/h on streets with one lane per direction, and 50 km/h only from two lanes per direction upward. As a result, most inner-city streets are now limited to 30 km/h, which surprises visitors from countries with a uniform 50 km/h. A dense network of fixed and mobile speed cameras enforces this consistently, and fines on rental cars often arrive by mail only weeks later.

Tipping. Not expected. A few coins or five percent for good service is plenty.

Tolls. Some motorways are tolled, recognisable by AP in the name. Routes marked A are free.

Access restrictions. Cities above 50,000 inhabitants must set up low emission zones. Madrid and Barcelona enforce by camera, and foreign vehicles must register online in advance.