Car rentals in Bilbao

Part of our guide to car hire in Spain.

Reviewed by the eCarBookers Editorial Team. Last updated 25 October 2026.

Driving and Parking in Bilbao: What You Need to Know

• Getting here: The A-8 motorway serves Bilbao from the east and the coast, and the AP-68 toll motorway leads south towards Vitoria-Gasteiz and the Ebro valley. Bilbao Airport (BIO) lies north of the city at Loiu, listed at about 9 to 11 km from the centre and within 20 minutes by car in normal conditions.
• City centre driving: The city centre is compact, and the streets around the river, the Casco Viejo and the Guggenheim are easier on foot or by metro than by car. Park once and walk, rather than moving the car between sights.
• Low emission zone: Bilbao's low emission zone (ZBE) covers the Abando district, bounded by the river, the Puente de la Salve, the Alameda de Recalde and Calle Autonomía. Cameras read number plates Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 20:00, and weekends and holidays are not enforced. Vehicles without a DGT environmental label are barred, which in practice means petrol cars registered before about 2000 and diesel cars registered before 2006. A recent hire car carries a label. The fine for unauthorised entry is listed at 200 euros, reduced to 100 euros if paid promptly. The outer ring roads and the peripheral districts lie outside the zone.
• Car parks: The Plaza Euskadi car park on Calle Mazarredo, in the Abandoibarra area beside the Iberdrola Tower, is listed with a 2.1 m height limit and round-the-clock opening. The Arenal car park (Parkia) serves the Casco Viejo, the Pío Baroja car park (Copark) lies on the Plaza Pío Baroja, and the Madariaga car park is the nearest listed option to the Guggenheim Museum. Only the Plaza Euskadi height is confirmed, so check the barrier before entering with a roof box or a larger people carrier.
• Tolls: The AP-68 is a toll road, and the section from the A-8 junction towards Vitoria-Gasteiz carries a toll. The A-8 is the main route for the Basque coast and Santander. One guide lists tolls of around 15 euros for a round trip on the AP-8 beyond San Sebastián towards Biarritz, so keep a card to hand and check the barrier signs.
• Airport road: From the airport the road to the city runs through Loiu, and the same BI-631 continues past Mungia towards the coast, which makes the airport a convenient point to start the Gaztelugatxe and Bermeo drive.
• Best time to drive: Weekday mornings and evenings are the busiest on the approaches to the city. Allow extra time for the coast roads on summer weekends, and for the Aste Nagusia week in late August.

Top Places to Visit from Bilbao by Car

• San Juan de Gaztelugatxe — about 35 km north-east, roughly 45 minutes by car. Take the BI-631 towards Loiu, pass Mungia without entering the town, then follow the BI-2101 towards Bakio. The car parks are reached by the BI-3101, with 22 spaces at Urizarreta and 57 at Lurgorri, and they often fill between 10:00 and 16:00. On controlled-access days a free ticket must be booked online in advance, and visits are capped at 1,462 people a day. The coast road to Bermeo and Mundaka is slow and winding, so choose two or three villages rather than four. The visitor information advises against 24 June, 31 July, 29 August, 31 August and 30 December, which are local celebration days, and the car park barriers at the entrance set a 2 m height limit, which rules out motorhomes. If the car parks are full, Bakio and Bermeo are the listed alternatives, with a bus or a walk for the last stretch.
• Vitoria-Gasteiz — about 65 to 70 km south, roughly 50 to 55 minutes by the A-8, the AP-68 toll motorway and the N-622. The old town and the medieval quarter are walkable, so leave the car in a car park on the edge of the centre.
• San Sebastián — about 100 km east along the coast, in roughly 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes on the A-8 corridor. Guides advise parking on the outskirts and walking or taking local transport into the centre, because central car parks fill and cost more in summer.
• Santander — about 100 to 120 km west on the A-8, in roughly 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. A short bus or taxi ride links the Magdalena Peninsula, the centre and El Sardinero beach, so one parking space can serve the whole day.
• Laguardia and the Rioja Alavesa — about 1 hour 15 minutes to the south on one guide, with the AP-68 running about 3 km from Elciego, which lies 7 km south-west of Laguardia. The wine villages have limited public transport, and a car lets you plan the day around the cellar visits you have booked.

When is the Best Time to Hire a Car in Bilbao?

Peak season: July and August are the busiest months, with the warmest and driest weather and the highest prices. BBK Live takes place in early July on Mount Kobetas, and the Aste Nagusia street festival runs for nine days in late August. The coast roads and the car parks at Gaztelugatxe fill early on summer weekends, so start the drive in the morning.

Shoulder season: April to May and September to October are the best months for value and for the longer drives, with milder temperatures, thinner crowds after August and easier parking at the viewpoints.

Low season: November to March is the wettest and quietest period, with temperatures of about 6 to 13°C. Rain can fall in any month, so leave extra time for the mountain and coast roads, and plan the longer drives for daylight.

Advance booking: Book several weeks ahead for July and August, and earlier for automatic cars or larger vehicles. Free cancellation means booking early carries no penalty.

How Payment Works for Car Hire in Bilbao

A rental prepayment confirms your booking online with Instant Confirmation, and you pay the balance directly to the supplier on arrival, when you collect the car. The price and vehicle class shown at booking are the terms you receive at the desk, and cancellation is free. The supplier may place an excess hold on the main driver's credit card, so check that the card in the driver's name has enough available limit.

Car Hire Pick-Up Locations in Bilbao

Green Motion supplies car hire in Bilbao through eCarBookers. Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the car rental desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Zero-excess cover is an option you can select from the supplier at the desk, and you should always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys. Photograph the vehicle thoroughly at collection and again at return, so that you hold a dated record of its condition.

• Bilbao Airport (BIO) — your booking voucher shows where and when the car is collected and returned, and it is the definitive source for the meeting point.