Cathedrals & Temples
Santa Maria Cathedral Vitoria
A Gothic cathedral whose 'open for restoration' tour inspired Ken Follett, letting you climb scaffolding through 800 years of construction.
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Road trip route · Spain
Madrid to Bilbao drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 4 hr 29 min
- Distance
- 396 km
- Fuel (est.)
- €43
- Tolls (est.)
- €10
The Madrid to Bilbao drive
The drive from Madrid to Bilbao covers 246 miles (396 km) and takes about 4 hr 29 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
About 59% of it is on the A-1, and most of the rest on the AP-1 and the AP-68. On the way you go past Alcobendas, Burgos and Miranda de Ebro, and you'll be near Aranda de Duero roughly 1 h 50 min in.
This is a mountain drive. It reaches about 1,337 m and climbs around 1,421 m in total, so check the high roads are open before you set off.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around €43 one-way plus roughly €10 in motorway tolls. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 246 miles this is longer than 69% of the 144 routes covered here.
The road, kilometre by kilometre
Towns within a few kilometres of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping.
- StartMadrid
- 19 kmAlcobendas13 min in
- 163 kmAranda de Duero1 h 50 min ingood place to stop
- 241 kmBurgos2 h 43 min in
- 321 kmMiranda de Ebro3 h 37 min in
- 381 kmLaudio / Llodio4 h 17 min in
- 396 kmBilbao
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- A-1235 km · 59%
- AP-176 km · 19%
- AP-6868 km · 17%
Best stops between Madrid and Bilbao
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Landmarks
Pedraza
Perfectly preserved walled village entered through a single medieval gate, with a porticoed Plaza Mayor and a castle once owned by painter Ignacio Zuloaga. In early July it switches off electric light for the candle-lit Noche de las Velas.
Legendary Restaurants
Asador Etxebarri
Bittor Arginzoniz's grill house on the square of tiny Axpe, where everything from caviar to butter is cooked over bespoke wood fires: perennially ranked among the world's very best restaurants. Book months ahead; the valley drive alone rewards.
Cathedrals & Temples
Catedral de Burgos
A jewel of Spanish Gothic architecture and the only cathedral in Spain designated as a standalone UNESCO site.
Waterfalls
Salto del Nervión
Spain's tallest waterfall at 222 meters, dramatically plunging into the Delika Canyon on the Basque Country border.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
Spain
- Motorway
- 120 km/h · 50 in town
- Tolls
- Autopistas de peaje (AP roads)
- Must carry
- warning triangle, hi-vis vest
Low-emission zones: ZBE (Zonas de Bajas Emisiones) - national rollout.
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Madrid to Bilbao FAQs
How long is the drive from Madrid to Bilbao?
Driving from Madrid to Bilbao takes about 4 hr 29 min nonstop, covering 246 miles (396 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Madrid to Bilbao?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly €43 one-way. Expect around €10 in motorway tolls. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Madrid to Bilbao in one day?
Yes, at about 4 hr 29 min of driving, Madrid to Bilbao is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from Madrid to Bilbao?
The fastest route uses the A-1 (about 235 km), the AP-1 (about 76 km), the AP-68 (about 68 km). It passes Alcobendas, Aranda de Duero, Burgos, Miranda de Ebro.
Where should I stop on the way from Madrid to Bilbao?
If you stop every couple of hours, Aranda de Duero comes up about 2 h in. All are just off the main road.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 16 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between Madrid and Bilbao?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Santa Maria Cathedral Vitoria, Pedraza, Asador Etxebarri: see the full list of 5 stops on this page.
More drives from Madrid & Bilbao
Bilbao → San SebastiánMadrid → BarcelonaMadrid → GranadaMadrid → LisbonMadrid → MalagaMadrid → SevilleMadrid → Valencia
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free Spain road trip planner, browse every destination we cover, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in Spain guide.