It is very easy to reach San Sebastián by train. And it’s a journey well worth making for this small resort on the Basque coast of northern Spain enjoys an incomparable position overlooking the beautiful curved beach of the Bahía de la Concha. Relax in the Old Town (Casco Viejo), explore the wooded slopes of Monte Urgell and take time to feel the pulse of Basque life. It’s worth remembering that the city is known locally in Basque as Donostia.

San Sebastián / Donostia is on the Basque coast’s efficient rapid transit network. The Metro Donostialdea tram runs east to Irun and the French town of Hendaye, while the Euskotren network runs west to Bilbao and beyond. Spanish rail operator Renfe has local trains at least hourly to Irun on the French border.

Note that throughout 2019, there are only very limited main-line trains running east from San Sebastián to Irun and Hendaye; this is because major track work is taking place, which will eventually allow French TGVs to run right through from Paris to San Sebastián. So your best bet for transfers between the French border and San Sebastián is the tram. Despite that work on the line to the border, Renfe still has an excellent range of main-line services from San Sebastián. There are direct daytime trains to Madrid, Barcelona, Pamplona, Zaragoza, Burgos and Santiago de Compostela. For night owls, there is an overnight train to Lisbon.

San Sebastián’s prime position so close to the border with France makes it an excellent choice as a first overnight stop in Spain. It can easily be reached by train from London in a day, changing trains in Paris to reach Hendaye or Irun by late afternoon. From either of these stations, it is just a short onward hop on the tram to San Sebastián.