Flight Deals from San Francisco to Bilbao from $489

The route from San Francisco to Bilbao is about 5,680 miles. There is no scheduled nonstop service on this route, so it requires a connection.

Methodology

Flight times and distances come from our flight-schedule database, which combines published airline timetables, U.S. government schedule data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), and observed flight operations from the EUROCONTROL/OpenSky Open Performance Data Initiative (OPDI). The typical flight time is the median scheduled block time across all carriers on the route, computed the same way in both directions so the difference reflects prevailing winds rather than any change in method. Distance is the great-circle distance between the two airports, so the actual flown track is typically 2-5% longer.

There are no non-stop flights from San Francisco to Bilbao. The shortest connecting routing is United Airlines via Frankfurt, with a 10h 50m flight to Frankfurt, an 1h 20m layover, and a 2h 10m hop to Bilbao on Lufthansa — about 14h 20m total. United via Zurich (14h 25m) and Aer Lingus via Dublin (14h 55m) are close behind.

Methodology

Airlines and weekly frequencies are compiled from our flight-schedule database, which combines published airline timetables, U.S. government schedule data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), and observed flight operations from the EUROCONTROL/OpenSky Open Performance Data Initiative (OPDI). We count each operating carrier's scheduled weekly departures and the days it flies; where there is no nonstop service, connecting carriers are identified by linking scheduled nonstop segments through common hub airports. Where a median fare is shown for a carrier, it reflects the real fares Priceline users found on this route in the last 72 hours.

Bilbao Airport offers several ground transportation options to the city center, with the A3247 BizkaiBus being the most used and fastest public option, running every 15–20 minutes and taking about 25 minutes for around €3. Taxis are readily available with a daily fleet of 57 vehicles, costing roughly €27–30 and reaching the center in about 15 minutes outside rush hour. Ride-sharing services also operate from the airport, and rental cars are available though generally unnecessary for navigating the compact city. The bus is the preferred choice for most travelers due to its low cost and frequent service.

References

• Bilbao Airport. Information and how to get there | spain.infospain.info
• Bilbao airport | Airports in the Basque Country | Tourism Euskadieuskadi.eus
• Travel Tips for Bilbao, Spain: Opening Hours, Airport Connections & More | Lufthansalufthansa.com · Published Jun 14, 2026
• Bilbao Airporten.wikipedia.org · Published Aug 19, 2026
• Bus from Bilbao (Airport) to Biarritz - Affordable bus ticketsflixbus.com
• Bus Bilbao Airport (BIO) to San Sebastian: Find cheap tickets | CheckMyBuscheckmybus.com · Published Aug 18, 2026
• BizkaiBusen.wikipedia.org · Published Sep 20, 2025
• ...rome2rio.com

There are no nonstop red-eye flights from San Francisco to Bilbao, but overnight connecting itineraries do operate. Air France runs an overnight leg departing San Francisco at 15:05 that arrives at Paris CDG at 10:55 the next morning before connecting onward to Bilbao, and Aer Lingus operates an overnight leg departing at 17:35 that arrives at Dublin at 11:45 the next morning with a connection to Bilbao.

Methodology

Red-eye flights are identified from scheduled local departure and arrival times and block times in our flight-schedule database — built from published airline timetables and official schedule data, including U.S. Department of Transportation records for domestic routes. A flight counts as a red-eye when it departs in the afternoon or evening (3 p.m. or later local time) or in the early hours before 4 a.m., and is in the air at some point between midnight and 4 a.m. local time at both its departure airport and its arrival airport. An evening flight that lands before midnight at its destination is never counted, nor is a morning departure or a daytime long-haul that reaches the next calendar date only because of time zones. Each red-eye is labelled with its timing (for example, overnight and landing the next morning, or late-night and landing after midnight). For connecting itineraries the same rule is applied to the longer leg, from one representative day's flight search.

There is no nonstop service from San Francisco to Bilbao; the common one-stop routings are on United and Lufthansa via Frankfurt, United via Zurich, Aer Lingus via Dublin, Lufthansa via Munich, Air France via Paris, and KLM via Amsterdam. United operates the quickest connections at about 14h 20m via Frankfurt and 14h 25m via Zurich, while Aer Lingus also offers a relatively short routing via Dublin at 14h 55m. Lufthansa serves the route via both Frankfurt and Munich, and Air France and KLM round out the main connecting carriers through their respective hubs.

Methodology

Airlines and weekly frequencies come from our flight-schedule database, which combines published airline timetables, U.S. government schedule data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), and observed flight operations from the EUROCONTROL/OpenSky Open Performance Data Initiative (OPDI). We count each operating carrier's scheduled weekly departures and the days it flies; where there is no nonstop service, connecting carriers are identified by linking scheduled nonstop segments through common hub airports. Where a typical fare is shown for a carrier, it is the median of the real fares Priceline users found on this route in the last 72 hours.

Bilbao has one commercial airport, Bilbao Airport, located about 12 kilometres north of the city centre. It serves the city and the wider Basque region with flights from major European hubs.

BART is the fastest and most popular way to reach San Francisco International Airport from downtown, with trains running directly from the city center to the SFO station in about 30 minutes for a modest fare. Ride-share services like Uber and Lyft offer convenient door-to-door pickup from anywhere in the city, while taxis are readily available for a similar but typically higher cost. Shared shuttle vans serve downtown hotels at a mid-range price, and SamTrans buses provide the cheapest option with 24/7 service on Route 292. Driving yourself is possible via US-101 or I-280, with on-site parking garages near the terminals costing more than public transit.

References

• SFO Airport to Downtown San Francisco: Complete Guide 2025radicalstorage.com · Published Mar 19, 2025
• Ground Transportation | San Francisco International Airportflysfo.com
• Public Transit | San Francisco International Airportflysfo.com
• AirTrain (San Francisco International Airport)en.wikipedia.org · Published May 12, 2026
• Transportation Basics: How to Get Around San Francisco | San Francisco Travelsftravel.com · Published Aug 24, 2022
• A Guide to San Francisco Airport (SFO) | Chasechase.com
• How to get from San Francisco Airport (SFO) to San Francisco, CA | Uberuber.com · Published Sep 8, 2026
• SFO Airport Shuttle & Car Service | GO Airport Shuttlegowithus.com · Published Jun 29, 2026

There are no hotels located directly inside or connected to Bilbao Airport; the terminal closes overnight, so travelers needing a bed must use nearby hotels. The Holiday Inn Express Bilbao Airport is a mid-range option about 0.6 miles away with a complimentary airport shuttle, and Hotel New Bilbao Airport is another mid-range choice about 0.7 miles away, also with a complimentary shuttle. Both provide free airport transfers for guests arriving on flights from San Francisco.

References

• 빌바오 공항 호텔: 홀리데이 인 익스프레스 호텔 빌바오ihg.com
• Find Bilbao Hotels Near Bilbao Airport- Bilbao Airport Hotels- Hotel Search by Hotel & Travel Index: Travel Weeklytravelweekly.com · Published Apr 7, 2026
• Bilboa Airport Guide (BIO) - Sleeping in Airportssleepinginairports.net · Published Aug 23, 2018
• Hotel New Bilbao Airport, 3*, Derio, with Very Good guest reviews | Latest 2026 Rates | J2Skiau.j2ski.com · Published Feb 2, 2026
• 2 Hotels Near BIO Bilbao (BIO) Airport | IHGihg.com
• Backpacker Hostels near Bilbao Airport (BIO), Bilbao 2026 (from €4 🤑)hostelz.com
• Bilbao Airport (BIO): Everything You Need to Knowpassaportenobolso.com · Published Jun 10, 2024

Bilbao Airport offers free unlimited Wi-Fi throughout the terminal, with ATMs available in the departure and arrival halls on Floor 3 and in the arrival hall on Floor 1. There is a small children's play area in the arrivals hall on Floor 1, and duty-free shopping is available airside on Floor 3. Staffed information desks are located in the baggage reclaim hall on Floor 1 and the check-in hall on Floor 3, and a Safebag luggage-wrapping machine is available in the check-in hall on Floor 3. Drinking water fountains are available throughout the terminal, and phone charging is available landside in the main hall and airside at the Tap Station.

References

• Bilboa Airport Guide (BIO) - Sleeping in Airportssleepinginairports.net · Published Aug 23, 2018
• Bilbao Airport - World Travel Guideworldtravelguide.net · Published Jan 13, 2021
• Página principal | Aeropuerto de Bilbao | Aenaaena.es

At San Francisco International Airport, travelers with disabilities can request wheelchair assistance through their airline, and dedicated slower-paced security lanes, a sensory room, quiet terminal program, and free Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyards are available. At Bilbao Airport, assisted travel for reduced mobility is provided, with adapted lifts, ramps, telephones, and accessible restrooms throughout the terminal, and a children's play area with an obstacle-free floor surface is available. For Bilbao, travelers should request assistance through their airline at least 48 hours before travel.

References

• Accessibility | San Francisco International Airportflysfo.com
• sfo - Disabled access at San Francisco international airport? - Travel Stack Exchangetravel.stackexchange.com · Published Dec 16, 2014
• COVID-19 HEALTH ORDER UPDATEmedia.api.sf.gov · Published Mar 18, 2026
• Bilbao Airport (BIO) | Accessible tourismaccesible.visitbiscay.eus · Published May 24, 2022
• Bilbao Airport (BIO) - Turismovisitbiscay.eus · Published May 31, 2023
• Bilbao Airport - World Travel Guideworldtravelguide.net · Published Jan 13, 2021

There is no nonstop service from San Francisco to Bilbao, so travelers connect through European hubs. Lufthansa operates the most connecting flights, using Airbus A350-900s via Munich and Boeing 747-8s via Frankfurt. United, Air France, Aer Lingus, and KLM also serve the route with one-stop itineraries on aircraft including Boeing 777s, 787-9s, A330s, and a 787-10.

Methodology

Aircraft types come from our flight-schedule database, which combines published airline timetables, U.S. government schedule data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), and observed flight operations from the EUROCONTROL/OpenSky Open Performance Data Initiative (OPDI). For U.S. routes the type is grounded in the tail number that actually operated the flight; elsewhere it comes from the airline's filed equipment code. Where the source does not commit to a specific variant we name the aircraft family (for example Airbus A320 family) rather than guess, and where no reliable type is on file the aircraft is omitted rather than estimated. Types describe typical scheduled equipment and can vary with seasonal or day-of-week assignments and last-minute swaps.

Flights from San Francisco to Bilbao connect rather than fly non-stop, with Star Alliance carriers United and Lufthansa offering the quickest one-stop routings via Frankfurt, Zurich, or Munich, plus SkyTeam members Air France (via Paris) and KLM (via Amsterdam). Aer Lingus (via Dublin) serves the route as well but belongs to no alliance, and Edelweiss Air, Lufthansa City Airlines, and AirBaltic also appear on connecting itineraries without alliance membership.

Methodology

Airlines and weekly frequencies are compiled from our flight-schedule database, which combines published airline timetables, U.S. government schedule data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), and observed flight operations from the EUROCONTROL/OpenSky Open Performance Data Initiative (OPDI). We count each operating carrier's scheduled weekly departures and the days it flies; where there is no nonstop service, connecting carriers are identified by linking scheduled nonstop segments through common hub airports. Where a median fare is shown for a carrier, it reflects the real fares Priceline users found on this route in the last 72 hours.

When departing from San Francisco International Airport, the best lounge options depend on your terminal and access credentials. The Alaska Lounge in Terminal 1 near Gate B6 offers pay-at-the-door access for $60 and welcomes Alaska Airlines First Class passengers, oneworld Emerald/Sapphire members, and Alaska Lounge or American Airlines Admirals Club members. The American Airlines Admirals Club near Gate B13 provides showers and access for $79 to passengers on American or oneworld flights, along with Admirals Club members and eligible Citi/AAdvantage Executive cardholders. The Club SFO near Gate B4 is a standout Priority Pass and LoungeKey lounge with a stylish space, showers for $25, quiet rooms, and a nature-inspired design, accessible to any passenger for $45 at the door or via membership. In Terminal 3, the Centurion Lounge near Gate F2 offers excellent food and wine for American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders, while United Club locations near Gates E4 and F11 welcome United Business/First Class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members, with day passes at $59. For international departures, the Air France-KLM Lounge, Golden Gate Lounge, British Airways Lounge, Emirates Lounge, and United Polaris Lounge (with shower suites and dedicated rest zones) serve eligible premium and alliance passengers across the International Terminal.

References

• San Francisco Airport Guide (SFO) - Sleeping in Airportssleepinginairports.net · Published Oct 1, 2018
• The Club SFO Review: Priority Pass Lounge in SFO Terminal 1 - Roameroame.travel · Published Oct 27, 2024
• The Club SFO SFO AIRPORT Terminal 1 San Francisco CA Intl | Priority Passmy.prioritypass.com
• Priority Pass SFO: What You Need to Know - NerdWalletnerdwallet.com · Published Jan 12, 2021
• San Francisco Amex Centurion Lounge [SFO] – Location, Hoursupgradedpoints.com · Published Jul 28, 2026
• The Club SFO | San Francisco Airport Lounge | The Clubtheclubairportlounges.com
• San Francisco International Airport SFO Lounges - SFO Airport Guide and lounges. | Priority Passmy.prioritypass.com

Same-day changes and standby on this route depend on the airline and fare class; flexible, business, and first-class tickets generally allow them, while basic economy rarely does.