Bilbao Ferry Port Information

About The Port

Bilbao is a port in Northern Spain that connects the continent with England and Ireland via Portsmouth and Rosslare respectively. There is a selection of up to 3 sailings weekly depending on the time of year. The Rosslare service lasts around 27 hours whereas the Portsmouth service lasts 28 and a half hours.

The port of Bilbao dates back to 1300 when it was granted the status of city and as a result, was given control of the maritime traffic coming in and out of the estuary. Throughout the 19th century, the port saw a boom in the iron, steel and shipbuilding industries. It continued to expand throughout the next couple of hundred years and is now Spain’s largest port. The ferry services to the UK began in 1993.

Both services are provided by Brittany Ferries and as a result, both use the same terminal for departures.

Directions For Getting There

If you are travelling by car, Bilbao ferry port is close to the small village of Zierbena so it is best to put this place into your SatNav if you cannot find the ferry port. The port is located around 20 minutes from Bilbao city centre. Bilbao itself is 1 hour 30 minutes from the French border, 3 hours from Zaragoza, 4 hours from Madrid and 6 hours from Barcelona. There are some short term and long term parking options in the area.

If you plan to arrive by train, there are direct rail connections with the main Spanish cities and the entire Iberian Peninsula. The station can be found on Plaza Circular 2. Two daily trains operate to and from Madrid with a journey time of around 6 hours.

There aren’t many options if you are arriving by bus/coach, although there may be more local options to get you close from Zierbena.

Port Contact Details

Terminal de Brittany Ferries, Puerto de Bilbao, Muelle A3, 48508, Zierbena, Biscay, Spain

Phone: (00 34) 902 222 265