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Hertz car rental at Bilbao Airport
Bilbao Airport gives you a direct start outside the busiest city streets, which is useful when your plans include both central Bilbao and the wider Basque Country. From the airport in Loiu, you can drive towards the Nervion riverside, Getxo, Barakaldo, coastal towns, or motorway routes leading towards San Sebastian, Rioja, and northern Spain.
With Hertz car rental at Bilbao Airport, you can pick up your vehicle before entering the city and decide whether to head straight for your hotel, stop near the Guggenheim, or continue beyond Bilbao on the A-8 or AP-8. This works well if your trip includes business areas, beach towns, museum visits, or regional drives.
If you choose to get Hertz car hire at Bilbao Airport, check your route and parking before you leave the airport area. Central Bilbao has paid parking, busy junctions, low-emission rules, and compact streets, so it is easier to drive in with a clear destination rather than adjust your plan once you reach the centre.
With your Hertz car rental at Bilbao Airport, you can reach several key spots in a short drive.
- Bilbao city centre is about 8 miles, around 15 to 25 minutes by car
- Guggenheim Museum is about 8 miles, around 15 to 25 minutes by car
- Casco Viejo is about 8 miles, around 20 to 30 minutes by car
- Bilbao Exhibition Centre is about 7 miles, around 15 to 20 minutes by car
- Getxo and the coast are about 9 to 12 miles, around 20 to 30 minutes by car
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Location Information
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Driving & Quick Guide
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Travel Guide
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FAQs about car hire
Pick-up locations information
Driving in and around Bilbao Airport
Bilbao Airport is around 8 miles from the city centre, so you can move from the terminal to central Bilbao quite quickly. The N-633 provides the main link from the airport, connecting with roads such as the BI-631 and N-637/BI-30 for journeys around Bilbao and the wider Bizkaia region.
Once in the city, a rental car also makes it easier to combine Bilbao’s main sights with coastal towns, viewpoints and countryside stops beyond the centre.
A quick guide to Bilbao Airport and beyond
Bilbao is compact enough for city sightseeing but also well placed for exploring more of the Basque Country by car. A little planning around parking and central driving restrictions can make your trip easier.
Plan Parking Around Central Bilbao
For visits to the Guggenheim Museum, Abando or the Old Town, consider using a public garage rather than searching for street parking in busy central areas.
Check the Low Emission Zone
Parts of central Bilbao fall within a Low Emission Zone, so check the rules that apply to your rental vehicle before entering restricted streets.
Make Time for the Coast
From Bilbao, a rental car gives you the flexibility to continue towards coastal destinations such as Getxo and other towns along the Bay of Biscay.
What cars can I hire at Bilbao Airport?
The right vehicle for Bilbao depends on whether you are staying in the city, driving along the coast, or planning a longer route through northern Spain. Smaller cars are easier in city garages, while larger vehicles can help with family luggage or scenic road trips.
Vehicle availability can vary by booking date and travel period, but Hertz may offer options such as:
- Compact and economy cars: A good choice for city hotels, light luggage, short Bilbao routes, and parking in central garages.
- Sedans: Suitable for couples, solo travellers and business visitors driving between the airport, Bilbao centre, Barakaldo, Getxo and nearby towns.
- SUVs: Useful for families, extra bags, coastal roads, hilly routes, and longer drives towards San Sebastian, Rioja or Cantabria.
- MPVs: A comfortable option for small groups carrying passengers, luggage, shopping bags or day-trip essentials.
- Vans: Better suited to larger groups, work needs, sports equipment or itineraries with multiple suitcases.
- Premium vehicles: A comfort-focused option for business travel, special trips, coastal drives or longer motorway journeys.
Electric car rental at Bilbao Airport
Choosing an electric car at Bilbao Airport can be a practical way to explore the city and wider Basque Country with lower tailpipe emissions and a quieter drive. Hertz offers electric and hybrid vehicles at selected locations, subject to availability, giving travellers an alternative to conventional petrol or diesel cars.
Renting an EV can be particularly useful for journeys around Bilbao, while also fitting well with the city’s growing focus on lower-emission urban travel.
Value Added Services (VAS) – Enhance your rental experience
When renting a car at Bilbao Airport, you can choose optional Hertz extras that may help with protection, roadside support and family travel needs.
Available VAS products include:
- SuperCover: Helps add broader protection to the rental, which can be useful for city drives, airport transfers and longer routes.
- Theft Protection: Covers part of the risk linked to vehicle theft, based on the terms included in your rental agreement.
- Hertz Premium Emergency Roadside Service: Offers extra help for selected roadside issues during the hire period.
- Infant seats: A helpful option for babies who need rear-facing seating during airport transfers or longer drives.
- Child seats: Designed for younger children who still need a properly fitted travel seat.
- High-back booster seats: Supports older children who have outgrown a child seat but still need better seat-belt positioning.
- Collision Damage Waiver (CDW): Helps reduce the amount you may need to pay for eligible vehicle damage, depending on rental conditions and exclusions.
Explore places within 30 miles of Bilbao Airport
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
8 miles from Bilbao Airport by road (approx)
2487 parking spots available (approx)
43 active charging points nearby (approx)
Open daily, 10 AM to 8 PM
Set beside the Nervión River, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is known as much for Frank Gehry’s striking titanium, glass and limestone architecture as for its modern and contemporary art exhibitions. It has become one of Bilbao’s most recognisable landmarks.
Azkuna Zentroa
- 8-9 miles from Bilbao Airport by road (approx)
- 1313 parking spots available (approx)
- 23 active charging points nearby (approx)
- Open daily, 8 AM to 9 PM
Azkuna Zentroa is Bilbao’s contemporary culture centre, housed inside the city’s former wine warehouse. Reimagined as a cultural and leisure space, it hosts exhibitions, cinema, performances and other creative programmes within a building that blends historic architecture with modern design.
Basilica of Begoña
- 8-9 miles from Bilbao Airport by road (approx)
- 308 parking spots available (approx)
- 6 active charging points nearby (approx)
- Open daily, 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM and 5 PM to 8 PM
Overlooking Bilbao from the Begoña district, the Basilica of Begoña is a mainly Gothic church dedicated to the Virgin of Begoña, the patron saint of Bizkaia. Known locally as the “Amatxu”, it remains an important religious and cultural landmark for the city.
Hertz Car Hire FAQs – Bilbao Airport
Can I rent a car from Hertz at Bilbao Airport?
Can I rent a one-way car from Bilbao Airport?
Can I modify or cancel my Bilbao Airport reservation?
Are there any special requirements to rent a car from Hertz at Bilbao Airport?
Can I return my Hertz rental car to a different location than where I picked it up?
Benefits from day one.
- Up to 10% off the base rate on rentals in select countries
Up to 10% discount applies to base rates in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Benelux. 5% applies for the rest of the world. The discount applies to the base rate quoted (excluding taxes and any other charges). It does not apply to affiliated rates or rates that are already discounted.
- Add your spouse as a second driver without an extra fee
- Earn points redeemable toward free rental days and upgrades
Points are earned on per day time and mileage charges only. Free rental days cover base rate (time and mileage) only. Taxes, optional extras and any other fees are excluded. One-car-class upgrade applies to Compact, Intermediate, Standard & Full-size rentals with a maximum upgrade to a Premium. Additional terms and exclusions apply
- Skip the counter and go straight to your car
You can skip the counter once your membership is activated after your first rental. Available at select locations only.
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