Getting around Bilbao is easy: the centre is compact enough to walk, and for everything else one rechargeable card, the Barik, works on the metro, the tram, city and regional buses and the Euskotren trains. Buy one on your first day, load a few euros and you will pay much less per ride than with single tickets.
The Barik card
Barik is the shared travel card of Bizkaia, run by the transport consortium CTB. The anonymous version is what visitors need: you buy it from the ticket machines in metro and Euskotren stations, at Bilbobus and Bizkaibus kiosks or at shops showing the Barik logo. According to CTB, the card itself costs 3 euros and needs a first top-up of at least 5 euros; you then recharge it at the same machines and shops, online or through the Barik apps.
- Tap in, and on rail also tap out. On the metro, Euskotren and Bizkaibus the fare depends on distance or zones, so you validate when you get on and again when you get off. On Bilbobus you tap once when boarding.
- One card, several people. CTB says up to 10 people can travel together on one anonymous Barik, as long as everyone validates one after another at the same point. A personalised Barik can only be used by its holder.
- Fares change. CTB publishes a new fare table each year (the 2026 Barik fares apply from 21 February), and Barik trips are cheaper than single tickets. Look up current prices on the CTB website rather than trusting old blog figures.
- Bilbao Bizkaia Card. If you plan a lot of museums, the city's tourist card bundles free use of most public transport with museum and attraction perks for 24, 48 or 72 hours. Compare it with Barik on the official site.
Metro Bilbao
The metro, with its glass "fosterito" entrances designed by Norman Foster, is the backbone of the city. Lines 1 and 2 share the central stretch (Abando, Moyua, Indautxu, San Mamés) and then split along each bank of the river towards the sea: line 1 runs out to the beaches of Getxo and Plentzia, line 2 to Portugalete and Santurtzi. Line 3, operated by Euskotren, runs from Matiko through Uribarri and the old town (Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo) to Zurbaranbarri, Txurdinaga, Otxarkoaga and Kukullaga in Etxebarri.
Useful trips: Areeta or Portugalete for the Bizkaia Bridge, the UNESCO-listed transporter bridge; Algorta for the old fishing quarter of Getxo; Plentzia for the beach. On Friday nights and the eves of public holidays the metro runs well past midnight, and on some nights (typically Saturdays, more often in summer and every night during Aste Nagusia) it runs right through at reduced frequency. Night hours change with the season, so check the current timetable on Metro Bilbao.
The tram
Bilbao's single tram line, run by Euskotren, follows the river and is the easiest way to link the sights: it has stops named Guggenheim, Euskalduna, San Mamés, Abando, Arriaga and Ribera (the last two by the old town), and runs from La Casilla to Atxuri and on to Bolueta. It is slow but pleasant. See our Guggenheim guide and San Mamés guide.
Buses: Bilbobus and Bizkaibus
- Bilbobus (red) covers the city's neighbourhoods. Tap your Barik once when boarding.
- Bizkaibus (green and yellow) connects Bilbao with the rest of the province, including the airport (line A3247, which stops in the centre and at the main bus station) and the coast. Validate on boarding and again when you get off. It is the usual way to reach Bakio and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe: see our Gaztelugatxe guide and Bilbao airport guide. Timetables are on the Bizkaibus site.
Euskotren trains
Euskotren's narrow-gauge trains run through Matiko and the old town (Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo) station. Two lines matter for visitors:
- E4 to Gernika, Mundaka and Bermeo, through the Urdaibai biosphere reserve. Allow roughly an hour to Gernika and around an hour and a half to Bermeo; trains run about every half hour on weekdays and hourly at weekends.
- E1 to San Sebastián (Donostia), a scenic but slow ride of roughly two and a half to three hours. The bus is faster: compare options in getting to San Sebastián.
Check times on Euskotren before you go, especially at weekends.
Taxis, bikes and walking
You can hail a taxi showing a green light, find one at a rank at the main stations and squares, or call a radio-taxi company. Fares are metered under official tariffs, and some trips (such as airport runs) carry supplements. Bilbao is very walkable: the river path from the Guggenheim to the old town takes around 20 to 25 minutes, and the Artxanda funicular lifts you to the viewpoint in a few minutes. Before a pintxo night, read our Bilbao pintxo route; for the bigger picture, our Bilbao travel guide.
Staying connected
Live departure times, Bizkaibus timetables, the Barik app and maps all need mobile data, and you will use them constantly when hopping between metro, tram and coast. A data eSIM for Spain, installed before you travel, gives you local data from the moment you land without removing your own SIM, so your usual number stays active. See how to install it and how much data you need.