Walter Ponce
Last month we drove across the top of Spain, from Catalonia to the Basque Country and back down through Rioja. Six days, six cities and some of the best eating of the year: Catalan grills in Girona, tapas in Zaragoza’s El Tubo, pintxos in San Sebastián and Bilbao, and the mushroom pintxo of Logroño.
Here is the route, how long each drive takes, and what to do at every stop.
The route at a glance
| Day | Stop | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Girona | Onyar river houses, old town, dinner at a masia |
| 2 | Zaragoza → Pamplona | Basilica del Pilar, tapas in El Tubo; evening in Pamplona |
| 3 | Pamplona → San Sebastián | Plaza del Castillo; first pintxos night |
| 4 | San Sebastián | La Concha, the Parte Vieja, sunset on the coast |
| 5 | Bilbao | Guggenheim, the Nervión river, Casco Viejo |
| 6 | Logroño → home | Calle Laurel pintxos crawl |
Driving times (approximate): Barcelona–Girona 1h15 · Girona–Zaragoza 3h30 · Zaragoza–Pamplona 2h · Pamplona–San Sebastián 1h · San Sebastián–Bilbao 1h15 · Bilbao–Logroño 1h45.
Day 1: Girona
Start with the classic view of Girona: the colourful houses hanging over the Onyar river, best seen from the bridges. Then climb into the old town: the cathedral steps, the Jewish quarter (El Call) and the walls.
For dinner we went up to Tomàquet, a farmhouse restaurant with a terrace and Catalan grills.
Day 2: Zaragoza, then Pamplona
Zaragoza is the perfect lunch stop on the long drive west. The Basilica del Pilar, with its tiled domes and towers on the Ebro river, is one of the most impressive churches in Spain, and entry is free.
Then go for tapas in El Tubo, the maze of narrow streets full of bars just behind the Plaza del Pilar. We stopped at a classic bar with walls of wine bottles and a counter full of tapas.
Two hours north, Pamplona makes a good overnight stop. The town is famous for the San Fermín festival and the running of the bulls in early July; outside the festival it is calm and elegant.
Day 3: Pamplona to San Sebastián
Walk the old town in the morning: the Plaza del Castillo, the main square lined with cafés, and the Baroque town hall, where the San Fermín festival starts.
An hour later you are in San Sebastián. Our first lunch in the city was at Borda Berri, in the Parte Vieja.
Day 4: San Sebastián
The highlight of the trip. La Concha beach, the old town, the coastal walk and the best pintxos in Spain. Full guide: San Sebastián in two days. Dinner was at Gandarias.
Day 5: Bilbao
The Guggenheim by Frank Gehry, the riverside promenade, and pintxos in the Casco Viejo. More in Bilbao in a day.
Day 6: Logroño and the Calle Laurel
On the way home, stop in Logroño, the capital of Rioja, for lunch on the Calle Laurel, a street of tiny bars where each one is famous for a single pintxo. Don’t miss the garlic mushroom stack at Bar Soriano. Full guide: the Calle Laurel pintxo crawl.
More to see along the way
The route above is built around food and cities, but each stop has more if you can give it an extra half day.
- Girona: the Arab Baths (a Romanesque bathhouse in the old town), the walk along the medieval walls, and the cathedral, which has one of the widest Gothic naves in the world. Several old-town streets were used as a filming location for Game of Thrones.
- Zaragoza: the Aljafería, an 11th-century Islamic palace later used by the Aragonese kings. Inside the Basilica del Pilar, look up for the frescoes by Goya, who was born near Zaragoza.
- Pamplona: the old city walls and the Ciudadela, a star-shaped fortress that is now a park. Café Iruña on the Plaza del Castillo is the historic café linked to Hemingway.
- Basque coast: between San Sebastián and Bilbao, the fishing towns of Getaria and Zarautz are an easy detour off the motorway.
- Rioja: the wine town of Haro, with several big historic wineries close together, and the hilltop village of Laguardia in Rioja Alavesa. Most wineries need a booking for visits.
When to go
- May, June and September are the best months: long days, warm but not hot, and the coast is open without the August crowds.
- July and August are high season on the Basque coast. Hotels in San Sebastián fill up and prices rise; book early.
- Autumn is harvest time in Rioja (usually September and October), a good moment for winery visits.
- Winter is quiet and cheaper, but the Basque Country is green for a reason: expect rain.
Where to sleep
Plan on one night in Girona, one in Pamplona, two in San Sebastián and one in Bilbao or Logroño. In each city, staying in or next to the old town means you can walk to dinner and leave the car in a car park. In San Sebastián, the centre and Gros are calmer than the Parte Vieja. For the last night, Logroño puts you right on the Calle Laurel.
Tips for the road trip
- Tolls: most of the motorways in this part of Spain are now toll-free, but some sections in the Basque Country and Navarre still charge.
- Parking: use public car parks in the cities. Old towns are mostly pedestrian.
- Timing: Spanish lunch is 2–4pm and dinner from 9pm. Pintxo bars are busiest from 8pm.
- San Fermín: if you go in early July (6–14 July), Pamplona’s hotels are full and prices high. Book well ahead or come after the festival, as we did.
- Car hire: picking up and dropping off in the same city avoids one-way fees. Barcelona is a convenient start and end point.
- Fuel and breaks: the stretch between Girona and Zaragoza is the longest. Plan a coffee stop around Lleida.
- Low-emission zones: several Spanish cities now have low-emission zones in the centre. Check the rules for your hire car before driving into an old town.
- Language: you will see Catalan in Girona and Basque (Euskara) on signs in the Basque Country. Place names often appear in both forms, such as Donostia for San Sebastián.
FAQ
How many days do you need for a northern Spain road trip? Six days is enough for this route, with two nights in San Sebastián. Add days for the Rioja wineries or the Basque coast.
What is the best order for San Sebastián and Bilbao? Either works, as they are an hour apart. We did San Sebastián first and Bilbao on the way to Rioja.
Is Zaragoza worth a stop? Yes, for the Basilica del Pilar and lunch in El Tubo. It breaks up the long drive from Catalonia.
When is the best time for this road trip? May, June and September. The weather is good, the days are long and the Basque coast is less crowded than in July and August.
Do you need to book pintxo bars? No, pintxo bars work on a walk-in basis at the counter. Sit-down restaurants and dining rooms, especially in San Sebastián, are worth booking.
Can you do this route without a car? Partly. Trains and buses connect the main cities, but a car makes the stops at Zaragoza and Logroño and visits to the Rioja wineries much easier.
