Bilbao / The verdict
Bilbao airport to the city: which way?
Take the Bizkaibus A3247: the operator lists a EUR 5 ticket and departures every 15 minutes from 6:10 to 23:40, and reports call it easy to find. A taxi makes sense outside bus hours.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team.
The Bilbao story
Bilbao is the comeback story that actually worked: an industrial port that bet on architecture and food and won. The Guggenheim is the headline, Gehry's titanium curves wrapping a cathedral-like atrium, but the real pleasure is the package: a handsome, walkable city where the pintxos bar is a way of life and even the 1909 warehouse the Azkuna Zentroa occupies got Starcked into 43 different columns. Ride the Artxanda funicular at dusk for the whole bowl of the city, the river curve and the museum in one frame.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: Bizkaibus A3247 (runner-up: Taxi)
Take the Bizkaibus A3247: the operator lists a EUR 5 ticket and departures every 15 minutes from 6:10 to 23:40, and reports call it easy to find. A taxi makes sense outside bus hours.
Go if
- You want the cheapest option: the operator's fare page lists the A3247 ticket at EUR 5.
- You land between 6:10 and 23:40, when the airport-to-city bus runs every 15 minutes.
- You stay near Alameda Recalde, Plaza Moyua, the Gran Via or Termibus, which the bus serves.
Skip if
- You land after the 23:40 departure or before 6:10, when the bus is not running.
- You fly out before the first 5:00 city departure reaches the airport, or want to skip finding the right stop on the way back.
- You are several people traveling together and prefer a door-to-door ride over the bus fare times the group.
The options
Bizkaibus A3247 Go
Most arrivals between 6:10 and 23:40, solo travelers, anyone staying near the Gran Via or Termibus.
Good
- The operator lists airport-to-Bilbao departures every 15 minutes from 6:10 to 23:40.
- The occasional ticket costs EUR 5 on the operator's fare page; two reports paid 4.50 euros by card.
- Stops cover Alameda Recalde, Plaza Moyua, Gran Via 79 and Termibus, and the airport has a Bizkaibus ticket office on the arrivals floor.
- Reports describe the stop as easy to find by following the bus signs outside arrivals.
Watch out
- No airport-to-city bus runs before 6:10 or after 23:40.
- On the way back, one traveler found the airport bus sign at a city stop the bus did not serve.
Taxi It depends
Arrivals outside bus hours and groups who want a door-to-door ride.
Good
- It covers the hours when the A3247 is not running.
- The regional tariff guide approximates EUR 28 by day and EUR 33 at night and weekends to Bilbao.
- One forum reply puts the early-morning drive between the city and the airport at 15 to 20 minutes.
Watch out
- For a solo traveler it costs several times the bus fare.
- The tariff figure is an approximation rather than a flat fare, so the meter decides.
| Criterion | Bizkaibus A3247 | Taxi |
|---|---|---|
| Official price | EUR 5 single ticket | About EUR 28 day, EUR 33 night by regional tariff guide |
| When it runs | Every 15 minutes, 6:10 to 23:40 to the city | Whenever a taxi is at the rank |
| Where it drops you | Alameda Recalde, Plaza Moyua, Gran Via 79, Termibus | Any address in the city |
| Needs a booking | No | No |
What it costs
- Bizkaibus A3247 occasional single: €5 (occasional ticket price for airport trips on line A3247). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Taxi airport to Bilbao, daytime tariff guide: €28 (approximate regional tariff figure; about EUR 33 at night and weekends; meter governs. Official page could not be loaded on 2026-10-13; price as last confirmed). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 5 traveler reports (Feb 2025 to Jul 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 1 was negative.
What people like
- Reports call the A3247 easy to find and use, with the ticket payable by card (2 of 5 reports).
- A forum reply says the small single-terminal airport is easy to handle and the first bus leaves the city at 5am (1 of 5 reports).
What people complain about
- On the way back, one traveler found the airport bus sign at a stop the bus did not serve (1 of 5 reports).
How to do it right
- Exit arrivals and follow the bus signs to the A3247 stop; Aena lists a Bizkaibus ticket office on the arrivals floor.
- Buy the EUR 5 ticket at the office or pay on board; two reports paid 4.50 euros by card.
- Ride to Alameda Recalde, Plaza Moyua or Gran Via 79 for central stays, or stay on to Termibus for onward coaches.
- Going back, the operator lists city-to-airport departures every 15 minutes from 5:00 to 22:00; confirm the stop locally, since one traveler found a misleading sign.
- Outside bus hours, use the taxi rank and expect the meter to land near the regional tariff guide's EUR 28 by day or EUR 33 at night.
The trap to avoid
Trusting the first airport bus sign you see in the city on the way back. One traveler found the sign posted at a stop the bus did not serve, and even the driver said it was not the airport stop. Check the stop with the driver or at the tourist office before your flight day.
Why this verdict
For most arrivals the bus wins. Aena lists Bizkaibus line A3247 leaving the airport every 15 minutes from 6:10 to 23:40, with stops at Alameda Recalde, Plaza Moyua and Gran Via 79 before it ends at Termibus, and the operator’s fare page lists an occasional ticket at EUR 5. The airport has a Bizkaibus ticket office on the arrivals floor. Reports back up the easy part: one traveler followed the bus signs straight to the stop outside arrivals, another paid 4.50 euros by card on board and rode with a crowd to the Gran Via, and a video walks through the same transfer.
The weak spot is the return trip, not the arrival. One traveler heading back found the airport bus sign posted at a city stop the bus did not serve, and other passengers with luggage were just as confused until the driver sorted it out. Confirm your stop before the day you fly.
The case for a taxi is the schedule. Before 6:10 or after 23:40 there is no city-bound bus, and the regional tariff guide approximates EUR 28 by day and EUR 33 at night and weekends to Bilbao. For a solo traveler that is several times the bus fare. For a group splitting the meter, or anyone landing late, the rank is the practical choice. A forum reply from a local guide adds that the small single-terminal airport is easy to handle and that the early-morning drive takes 15 to 20 minutes on empty roads.
Timing and tickets
City-to-airport buses run every 15 minutes from 5:00 to 22:00, per Aena, so a very early flight may still need a taxi. Buy the EUR 5 ticket at the arrivals office or pay on board, and check current times on the operator’s site before you travel.
Book or check times
Questions
How much is the bus from Bilbao airport to the city?
The operator's fare page lists EUR 5 for an occasional ticket on line A3247 to or from the airport. Two reports paid 4.50 euros by card.
What time does the airport bus run?
Aena lists airport-to-Bilbao departures every 15 minutes from 6:10 to 23:40, and Bilbao-to-airport departures every 15 minutes from 5:00 to 22:00.
Where does the airport bus stop in Bilbao?
Aena lists stops at Gran Via 79, Plaza Moyua and Alameda Recalde 11, with the line ending at Termibus.
How much is a taxi from Bilbao airport to the center?
The regional tariff guide approximates EUR 28 in daytime and EUR 33 at night and weekends to Bilbao, metered rather than flat.
How early can I get to the airport by bus?
The first city-to-airport bus leaves at 5:00. A forum reply puts the early-morning drive at 15 to 20 minutes on empty roads.