Bilbao Airport to Casco Viejo: Bus, Metro and the Final Walk
Company-authored guide. Sources and their check date appear below; no independent or first-hand review is claimed.
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Bilbao Airport's A3247 bus does not take you directly into Casco Viejo. It brings you to central stops and the intermodal bus station. For the old town, choose where to leave the bus and plan the metro connection or final walk to your accommodation.
Start at the airport's Arrivals-level stop
Aena's bus guide places the airport-to-Bilbao A3247 stop on the Arrivals level. There is a customer-service and ticket office there, where Barik cards can also be recharged. For the actual city stops, use the operator's direction-specific list rather than combining names from both directions.
On Bizkaibus's A3247 route page, select Vuelta for the airport-to-city journey. It lists Alameda Recalde 14, Gran Vía 46 (Sota), Gran Vía 74 and Bilbao Intermodal. The checked timetable gives daily airport departures every 15 minutes from 06:10 to 23:40, plus a final departure at 00:00. Recheck the travel date in the operator's timetable, especially around holidays. Use the time you can reach the stop after collecting bags, not simply the flight's landing time.
Moyúa on the bus page, Eliptikoa on the metro map
The Aena page mentions Plaza Moyúa, but the operator lists Moyua plaza under Ida, the journey towards the airport. Do not expect that same named stop when arriving in Bilbao. For a metro connection, compare the walk from Alameda Recalde 14 to the station entrance you intend to use. The current Metro Bilbao map calls the station at the former Moyúa square Eliptikoa; look for that name in the metro information.
From Eliptikoa, take line 1 towards Etxebarri or line 2 towards Basauri and get off at Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo. Abando is the intervening stop. If you stay on the airport bus to the intermodal station, San Mamés is another metro starting point, but it adds stops compared with leaving in the centre.
Choose by the actual accommodation entrance. For an address near the edge of the old town, a direct walk from a central bus stop might suit you better than descending into the metro and coming back up. With bags or limited mobility, check the station's lift access and service status before choosing the connection.
The airport bus has its own fare
The official Bizkaibus fare page lists the A3247 airport single at €5. It is a special airport price: do not take a cheaper figure from the ordinary zone table and assume it applies. The operator's airport-bus page says the ordinary ticket can be paid for by bank card at its airport booth.
For four adults buying standard airport singles, 4 × €5 = €20 for the bus. Metro Bilbao's fare table lists the one-zone single at €2. Both Eliptikoa and Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo are in zone 1. Four standard bus singles plus four one-zone metro singles therefore total €28. These are our arithmetic examples, not a group discount or a through ticket.
If you already use Barik, check the actual card product and transfer rules rather than paying ordinary singles automatically. Bizkaibus requires validation on entry and exit when using Barik. Discounted products, children and existing passes can change the total; the €28 example deliberately uses standard adult singles.
Casco Viejo station is still not the hotel door
Save the route from your chosen station exit to the accommodation. Ask the host for the recommended entrance and, if using a car, the nearest permitted vehicle drop-off. Do not promise that a taxi or transfer can stop at every old-town doorway. The final walk should be part of either comparison.
For a late arrival, verify both legs: catching the last airport bus does not establish that a suitable metro connection remains. If the bus, metro or walk does not fit, compare a road pickup to the same agreed destination. We do not quote a universal taxi fare or guaranteed journey time.
| Journey | Start with | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Casco Viejo near the metro | A3247 to Alameda Recalde 14, walk to Eliptikoa, then metro to Zazpikaleak | Eliptikoa signage, direction and hotel exit |
| Address suited to a central-stop walk | A3247 plus the actual walking route | Bags, entrance and total walking distance |
| Late arrival or difficult last leg | Verified public connection or road pickup | Availability, capacity and permitted drop-off |
Get offers to the right old-town drop-off
If the changes or final walk are awkward for your party, get transfer offers on GetTransfer.com. Enter Bilbao Airport (BIO), your flight, accommodation address, passengers and bags. Ask the carrier to confirm the permitted drop-off, total price, meeting point and waiting terms before booking. Compare that offer with the full bus-and-metro cost; a request alone does not confirm availability or access to your hotel door.
GetTransfer Editorial · Company-authored guide. Sources checked on 8 October 2026. Recheck airport-bus and metro service before travelling. The four-adult totals are our arithmetic examples.