A two-week loop from San Sebastián, a few minutes from the French border at Hendaye, along the Cantabrian coast to Galicia: the Basque Country, Bilbao, Cantabria, the Picos de Europa, Asturias and Santiago de Compostela. The return leg runs inland along the Camino de Santiago, through León and Burgos.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | San Sebastián | Start |
| Days 3 to 4 | Bilbao | 141 km · 2h20 |
| Day 5 | Santillana del Mar | 127 km · 1h40 |
| Day 6 | Potes | 79 km · 1h20 |
| Days 7 to 8 | Cangas de Onís | 81 km · 1h25 |
| Day 9 | Ribadeo | 202 km · 2h40 |
| Days 10 to 11 | Santiago de Compostela | 197 km · 2h50 |
| Day 12 | León | 326 km · 3h55 |
| Day 13 | Burgos | 196 km · 2h25 |
| Day 14 | Back to San Sebastián | 215 km · 2h30 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May to October; June and September avoid the worst of the crowds. In summer, the Lakes of Covadonga are reached by bus (from 1 June to 18 October in 2026) and the Cathedrals Beach must be booked from July to September. In winter the days are short, and the Fuente Dé cable car closes on very windy days and for maintenance in January.
🚗 141 km · 2h20 of driving from San Sebastián
Coastal N-634 and GI-638 via Zarautz, Getaria and Zumaia, then the BI-638 via Lekeitio and Gernika. Faster: the AP-8 toll motorway.
🚗 127 km · 1h40 of driving from Bilbao
A-8, a toll-free autovía along the Cantabrian coast, via Castro Urdiales and Santander.
🚗 79 km · 1h20 of driving from Santillana del Mar
Via Comillas, then the A-8 to Unquera and the N-621 through the Hermida gorge: roadworks and delays in summer 2026.
🚗 81 km · 1h25 of driving from Potes
N-621 to Panes, then the AS-114 along the foot of the Picos de Europa via Arenas de Cabrales.
🚗 202 km · 2h40 of driving from Cangas de Onís
Toll-free A-8 past Oviedo, with detours to Cudillero and Luarca; Galicia begins at the Ribadeo bridge.
🚗 197 km · 2h50 of driving from Ribadeo
A-8 to Mondoñedo, minor roads to Lugo, then the A-54 autovía to Santiago.
🚗 326 km · 3h55 of driving from Santiago de Compostela
Toll-free A-54 and A-6, a detour on the LU-633 to O Cebreiro, then Astorga and the AP-71 toll road (toll-free N-120 runs alongside).
🚗 196 km · 2h25 of driving from León
Toll-free A-60 and A-231 autovías, with a detour to Frómista on the Camino de Santiago.
🚗 215 km · 2h30 of driving from Burgos
Stop at the Picos de Europa: San Sebastián (1 night), Bilbao (1), Santillana del Mar (1), Potes (1) and Cangas de Onís (2), then head back towards France on the A-8. Galicia and the return via León and Burgos take another week.
| Car hire only, August | ≈ €39 a day |
|---|---|
| Car hire only, February | ≈ €15 a day |
| Car hire only, annual average | ≈ €20 a day (Kayak, Sept 2026) |
| Your own car | Many drivers come in their own car: the loop starts and ends in San Sebastián, near Hendaye on the French border. |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | A small or compact car: everything is paved, but village lanes and car parks are narrow. |
| Where to pick it up | At Bilbao airport, starting the loop in Bilbao: no one-way fee. |
| Age and card | Europcar: minimum age 19, young driver surcharge; credit card in the driver's name. |
| Spanish-registered car | It must carry the V-16 beacon since 1 January 2026; check when you pick it up. |
| Prices quoted | Kayak averages for Bilbao, collected in September 2026, excluding extra insurance. |
⚠️ Europcar refuses debit, prepaid, Electron and Maestro cards: no credit card in the driver's name, no car.
Any valid European Union licence is enough, with no International Driving Permit or formalities. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe: left-hand drive, overtaking on the left, no adjustment needed.
120 on autopistas and autovías, 90 on other roads, 30 in town on roads with a single lane each way, 50 otherwise.
0.3 g/l during the first two years after passing your test, and for professional drivers.
San Sebastián: online authorisation for any foreign number plate, 24 hours a day, €200 fine. Bilbao: ZBE app.
Vest inside the passenger compartment, or a €90 fine. The V-16 beacon is not required in foreign cars.
Non-residents: fine set on the spot, payable by card or in cash, otherwise the car is impounded.
Holding a phone: serious offence. Speed camera detectors are banned.
Since 1 October 2026: at least 20 km/h below the limit, and a full lane change in some cases.
Police tow trucks are very active in towns: use paid car parks.
Roadworks on the N-621 through the gorge: frequent delays towards Potes and Fuente Dé, set off early.
≈ €2.00 a litre for both unleaded 95 and diesel
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: Geoportal Gasolineras (Spanish ministry) →
⛽ 1,564 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €220 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Median of stations in the nine provinces crossed, Spanish Ministry of Energy, 24 September 2026. National average: €1.97.
| AP-8 Bilbao-San Sebastián | €13.81 by car (2026 rate) |
|---|---|
| AP-1 and AP-8 Vitoria-San Sebastián, on the way back | €16.87 by car; N-I free for cars |
| A-8 from Bilbao to Galicia, A-6, A-231 | Free (autovías) |
| AP-71 Astorga-León | Tolled; toll-free N-120 runs alongside |
| Lakes of Covadonga, from 1 June to 18 October 2026 | Bus €9 per adult, parking €3 a day |
| Arenas-Poncebos bus (Cares trail) | €1.55 per journey |
| Fuente Dé cable car | €30 return from July to September, €20 the rest of the year |
| Bulnes funicular | €22.16 return |
| CO-4 road to the Lakes of Covadonga | Closed to cars from 1 June to 18 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| CO-4, other dates in 2026 | Holy Week, weekends in May, long weekends in October, November and December |
| Poncebos and the Cares trail | Bus from Arenas from 1 June to 12 October, limited parking |
| Cathedrals Beach | Free booking required at Easter and from 1 July to 30 September |
| San Juan de Gaztelugatxe | Booking required on some days, calendar on tiketa.eus |
| Fuente Dé cable car | Closed in strong winds; maintenance from 12 to 23 January 2026 |
| Hermida gorge (N-621) | Roadworks in summer 2026, delays towards Potes |
| Altamira Museum | Closed on Mondays, 1 and 6 January and 1 May |
Allow 10 to 14 days for this loop of 9 stages and 13 nights from San Sebastián: the Basque Country, Cantabria, the Picos de Europa, Asturias, Galicia, then back via León and Burgos. With 7 days, stop at the Picos de Europa before heading back on the A-8. Galicia alone needs three or four more days.
In your own car: about €200 of fuel at September 2026 prices for some 1,600 km (€2 a litre), up to €31 of tolls in the Basque Country (nothing on the national roads), plus the Fuente Dé cable car (€30) and the lakes bus (€9). If you hire, add about €510 in August (€39 a day) or €195 in February.
Yes. In San Sebastián, any foreign number plate must apply online for authorisation before entering the low-emission zone in the centre (1.2 km², monitored by cameras 24 hours a day); the car must have been registered in 2006 or later. Without authorisation: €200 fine. In Bilbao, foreign cars register on the ZBE Bilbao app.
Not in high season. In 2026, the CO-4 road is closed to cars from 1 June to 18 October, at Easter, on weekends in May and over some long weekends. Park in Cangas de Onís or in one of the four car parks along the road (€3 a day) and take the bus up: €9 per adult, to be booked online.
Mainly in the Basque Country: the AP-8 between Bilbao and San Sebastián costs €13.81 by car and the AP-1 from Vitoria €16.87, but the N-I remains free for cars. West of Bilbao, the A-8 is free all the way to Galicia, as are the A-6 and A-231. On this route, only the AP-71 between Astorga and León is tolled, with the N-120 running alongside.
No. Since 1 January 2026, it replaces the warning triangles in cars registered in Spain, and therefore in hire cars. A foreign-registered car remains legal with its two triangles and a high-visibility vest kept inside the passenger compartment; forgetting the vest costs €90.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/northern-spain · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
