International Conference Digital Business Trends Bilbao 15-16 June

Some people have asked us a couple of questions about transportation and where to stay in Bilbao during the Nonick conference. We took the liberty of selecting a couple of hotels in every price range.

But first things first: let’s start with the airports in the Basque Country. Bilbao Airport – the one designed by Santiago Calatrava – is not located in the city, but in the Loiu district, approximately 12 kilometres north of Bilbao. All the major airlines in Europe fly regularly to Bilbao (Air Berlin, Air Europe, Air France, Brussels Airlines, Iberia, Lufthansa, Spanair, TAP Portugal, Vueling, …).

Once landed in Bilbao, travelling the 12 kilometres isn’t a real obstacle. For a fee of less than 2 euros, there are buses to Bilbao every twenty minutes and the trip takes around fifteen or twenty minutes, depending on the traffic. The bus stops at Plaza Moyua (centre) and Termibús, the bus terminal of Bilbao. At the Termibús there is a subway and tram station and there are taxis to take you to your hotel.

For those who don’t wish to wait twenty minutes, or just aren’t fans of public transport, a taxi service can also fulfil your need. The price of a taxi to downtown Bilbao is around 30 euros. Both buses and taxis are located in front of the airport.

For people flying with Ryanair, Santander is the nearest airport. Although often described as a Bilbao airport, it’s actually located in Cantabria at approximately 100 kilometres of Bilbao. Luckily, Alsa runs a good bus service from the airport to Bilbao; bus tickets cost 10 euros, or only 6 euros if you book in advance via their website. The airports of San Sebastian and Vitoria only cover domestic flights. You can also use the airport of Biarritz (150 kms. away from Bilbao).

Hotels
Once you have arrived in Bilbao, you will need a place to stay.
* Five stars: Hotel Carlton, Domine, López De Haro, Meliá
* Four stars: Zenit Bilbao, Hesperia Bilbao
* Three stars: Abba Parque Hotel, NH Hotel de Deusto
* Two stars: Sirimiri, Bilbi

EITB and Nonick conference

The conference will be held at EITB headquarters, Calle Capuchinos de Basurto 2. The metro, which covers most areas of Bilbao, has a stop at San Mamés (Termibús), from where it’s a three minute walk to EITB.

Sightseeing

Of course Bilbao, and the Basque Country in general, has more to offer than just the nonick conference. It would be an absolute waste not to spend some time outside the walls of EITB.

Anyone talking about Bilbao automatically associates it with the Guggenheim. Currently, the museum is hosting a major solo exhibition devoted to the art of Anish Kapoor, one of the most influential sculptors working today. However, aside from the Guggenheim, there are plenty of other attractions such as the Fine Arts Museum and the wonderful Casco Viejo with its small streets, authentic mansions, Plaza Nueva, small shops plus a surplus of bars and restaurants.

For quality shopping, the Gran Via is the place to be. The Plaza Moyua, Abando and the neighbouring streets play host some important names in fashion. For more information, visit the Bilbao Tourism website.