Return Transport from Portugalete to Irun

[Canuck Walker]

I am planning to start the Camino del Norte at Irun and walk as far as Portugalete this year, and then continue on next year. Therefore I will need return transportation between the 2 places (Portugalete is about 20 km beyond Bilbao). I have tried the Alsa bus system online app but they don't show service between the 2 places and I don't think there is train service either. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[grayland]

There is train service (not Renfe) back to Bilbao and beyond.

 

[Canuck]

I am planning to start the Camino del Norte at Irun and walk as far as Portugalete this year, and then continue on next year. Therefore I will need return transportation between the 2 places (Portugalete is about 20 km beyond Bilbao). I have tried the Alsa bus system online app but they don't show service between the 2 places and I don't think there is train service either. Anyone have any ideas?

First, let's clarify that Portugalete is only 4-5 km from Bilbao, not 20 as stated. Subway services are available.

Alsa offers services between Bilbao and Irun as follows:

https://www.alsa.es/portal/site/Alsa/template.PAGE/menuitem.a2b8c42c4264a03c66c766c7421000e5/?javax.portlet.tpst=28b12525bd34c9fec845c845421000e5&javax.portlet.prp_28b12525bd34c9fec845c845421000e5=_spageview=%2FSearchExpeditions.do&_kraview=1&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken


Have a safe trip.

 

[peregrina2000]

If you walk the marked Camino route, from Bilbao you will walk about 20 km according to mundicamino. (the direct shot along the river is shown on google maps as about 12). As I remember it, it is not a pretty route, lots of industrial decline, which led others to hop on the metro in Bilbao and get off in Portugalete to skip it all.

But if you're walking and want to get to Irun, as others have said the metro will take you back there, and then you will have easy access to bus or train. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Anemone del Camino]

First, let's clarify that Portugalete is only 4-5 km from Bilbao, not 20 as stated. Have a safe trip.

No it's not, it is around the 20km mark. Walked it. http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/etapa-de-bilbao-a-portugalete
http://www.gronze.com/guia-del-camino-del-norte/etapas/etapa-8-bilbao-portugalete

If is shorter is you walk through the industrial area along the river, but still 12km, and ugly, and not particularly safe if you decide to head out in the dark to get away from a horrible albergue.

 

[Canuck]

Walked it.

I walked it as well...along the river. It appeared to me as a short walk.
I stand corrected.
Back on topic.

 

[ranthr]

There is also a Renfetrain as well as the metro Portugalete- Bilbao. From Bilbao to Irun a bus is the quicker, but there is also the Euskotren which gives you a slower return.

 

[Castilian]

Santurce (aka Santurtzi) is next to Portugalete (a roughly 2 kilometers urban walk from the Albergue in Portugalete) and you can take a direct bus from Santurce to Irún with Alsa.

P.S.: If the bus schedule out of Santurce doesn't suit you and if you don't want to commute all the way from Portugalete to Bilbao, you could commute from Portugalete to Barakaldo and take an Alsa bus from Barakaldo to Irún. There are more bus frequencies from Barakaldo to Irún than from Santurce to Irún but there are much more frequencies from Bilbao than from either Barakaldo or Santurce.