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Take the train to San Sebastian!
Several times through the day, high-speed TGV Duplex trains link Paris Gare Montparnasse with Hendaye on the Spanish border in just 4h36 with fares from €25. They have a cafe-bar & free WiFi. Euskotren metro trains then link Hendaye to San Sebastian every 30 minutes, journey 37 minutes, fare €2.75. The whole trip takes little more time than flying - yet it's far more comfortable, far better for the environment and a lot less hassle. The only catch? If you try to buy tickets from Paris to San Sebastian it won't work - you need to book from Paris to Hendaye, then buy a metro ticket to San Sebastian. This page will explain!
Times & tickets, Paris to San
Sebastian
Times & tickets, San Sebastian
to Paris
San
Sebastian to Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon & other destinations by train.
Paris ► San Sebastian
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Step 1, take a TGV Duplex high-speed train from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Hendaye in 4h36.
There are a range of departures every day, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi. Most TGVs on this route are now double-deck TGV Duplex with the new Océane interior, see the photos below. Book an upstairs seat for the best views.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy your ticket at www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own website, in €, no booking fee) or www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee, more about Raileurope) or www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee, more about Trainline).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, fares work like air fares so book early for the cheaper prices.
If you buy a 1st class ticket at www.sncf-connect.com or www.thetrainline.com you can choose your seat from a seat map.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Hendaye is the French border station, just across the border from Spain.
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Step 2, walk out of Hendaye station exit and turn right for the little Euskotren metro station 100m away in the corner of the forecourt.
Buy a ticket from the machines or staffed ticket office and go through the automatic gates onto the platform. The ticket machines have a touch screen with English language facility and they accept € coins.
Hop on the next air-conditioned metro train from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara, they leave every 30 minutes from early morning till late at night, journey time 37 minutes, fare just a few euros, no reservation necessary. There's plenty of room for luggage and these excellent modern metro trains have a toilet & on-board information screens.
There are only two platforms and all trains go to San Sebastian-Donostia. The station's full name is San Sebastian-Donostia Amara, usually just shown as San Sebastian-Donostia but the station nameboards simply say Amara. And on ticket machines it could be listed under A, D or S! The final destination of the train is usually Lasarte. You can check fares and times at www.euskotren.eus, though you hardly need to.
San Sebastian ► Paris
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Step 1, book a high-speed TGV Duplex from Hendaye to Paris Gare Montparnasse in around 4h36.
There are a range of departures every day, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi. Most TGVs on this route are now double-deck TGV Duplex with the new Océane interior, see the photos below. Book an upstairs seat for the best views.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy your ticket at www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own website, in €, no booking fee) or www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee, more about Raileurope) or www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee, more about Trainline).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, fares work like air fares so book early for the cheaper prices.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
If you buy a 1st class ticket at www.sncf-connect.com or www.thetrainline.com you can choose your seat from a seat map.
If booking an early train from Hendaye, check that there's a sufficiently early connection from San Sebastian, see step 2 below.
Hendaye is the French border station, just across the border from Spain.
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Step 2, now simply hop on the little Euskotren metro from San Sebastian-Donostia Amara station to Hendaye (Hendaia in Spanish). These run every 30 minutes, journey time around 37 minutes, no reservation necessary or possible, just turn up, buy a ticket from the machines or staffed office for around €2.75 and hop on the next train.
You can check times at www.euskotren.eus. On weekdays, the first train leaves Amara for Hendaye around 06:00, but later at weekends.
When you get to Hendaye you just walk out of the little Euskotren station and across the car park to the mainline SNCF French Railways station 100m away. Just make sure you allow plenty of time for the connection.
What's the journey like?
1. Paris to Hendaye by TGV
2. Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren
Travel tips
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Boarding the train: There's no check-in, you just board the train any time before it goes. They have installed ticket gates at Paris Montparnasse, so allow a minute or two to get through these, the gates may close 2 minutes before departure. You just scan your ticket barcode and the gates open.
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Luggage: You simply take your luggage onto the TGV with you and stick it on the racks above your seat or between the seats or at the car ends just inside the entrance doors. For practical purposes there are no luggage limits, if you can carry it, you can take it. Luggage on European trains. On the Euskotren, your bags just go on the floor next to you.
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Food & drink: The TGV has a cafe-bar, but feel free to bring your own food and drink if you like - even a bottle of wine, it's allowed on trains.
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Upper deck TGV seats are best! The TGVs on this route are double-deck TGV Duplex, of the new Océane sort. I recommend an upstairs seat (any seat number >60) for the best views. There are just 9 steps from the entrance up to the upper deck, wide, shallow, with handrails. There are toilets and luggage racks both upstairs and downstairs. Access through the train to the cafe-bar is at the upper level.
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Power sockets & WiFi: All seats on the TGV have power sockets, and many TGVs now have free WiFi. The mobile data signal is pretty good most of the way.
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Stopovers? The TGV takes you from Paris to Hendaye via St Pierre des Corps (just outside Tours), Bordeaux, Biarritz & St Jean de Luz. Bordeaux might be the place if you felt like a stopover on the way - just buy separate tickets Paris-Bordeaux and Bordeaux-Hendaye.
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Onwards to Bilbao? Trains link San Sebastian Amara station with Bilbao Matiko station every hour, fare around €6, see www.euskotren.eus. San Sebastian to Bilbao is listed as Amara to Matiko.
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Onwards to Madrid or Barcelona? Two direct trains a day link San Sebastian's Renfe station with Barcelona Sants and also with Madrid Chamartin. These Alvia trains are comfortable and air-conditioned, with cheap fares if you book in advance at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com - you print your own ticket.
Route map
Enjoying San Sebastian
Hotels in San Sebastian
If your budget will stretch, the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra is a classic. The place has character, and is perfectly located right on the sea front, a few minutes walk from the old town and 10 minutes walk from Amara station. Ask for a room with balcony overlooking the bay. For something rather cheaper but still with great reviews right in the old town, try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda.