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Getting around Bilbao

Public transport: 

Bilbao's public transport system is excellent, with a good bus network in addition to the metro and tram. Bilbobús (www.bilbao.net/bilbobus) routes cover all the districts in Bilbao with more than 30 lines. There are also six night buses.

Metro Bilbao (tel: (94) 425 4025; www.metrobilbao.net), with its stylish fosteritos has two metro lines. Line 1 (Etxebarri-Plentzia) links Bilbao stations to the right-bank districts. Line 2 (Etxebarri-Santurtzi) links Bilbao stations to the left-bank districts.

Tram lines, run by Euskotran (tel: 902 543 210; www.euskotran.es), have been gradually extended to cover an area linking Atxuri to Basurto. There is a central stretch across the district of Abandoibarra, with stops by some of Bilbao's architectural landmarks, such as the Arriaga Theatre, the Guggenheim Museum and the Euskalduna Palace.

Taxis: 

Radio Tele-Taxi (tel: (94) 410 2121 or 421 8750), Radio Taxi Bilbao (tel: (94) 444 8888) and Radio Taxi Nervion (tel: (94) 426 9026 or 422 2411) are reliable taxi companies in Bilbao.

Driving: 

Driving around Bilbao is as easy as any city in Spain. Expect pushy driving, but decent roads. The layout of the city is quite complicated but well signposted, and the Old Town is a pedestrian zone. There are underground car parks throughout the city, and pay-and-display street parking, but watch out for residents-only zones.

Car hire: 

Car hire in Bilbao is available from Avis (tel: (94) 427 5760; www.avis.com), Europcar (tel: (94) 471 0133 (airport); www.europcar.com) and Hertz (tel: (94) 415 3677; www.hertz-europe.com).

Bicycle hire: 

You can hire bicycles and scooters from Alquimoto (tel: (94) 401 2563; www.alquimoto.com). The Town Hall (tel: (94) 447 9206; www.bilbao.net) has a regular programme in the spring and autumn seasons for renting out bikes free of charge.

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