My tip“Rule of thumb for the trip: set off in the morning, as French restaurants serve lunch only from 12:00–14:00 and dinner from 19:00, and many shops and small museums close on Sundays, Mondays or at midday. Reminder for the trip to France: carry your passport (and the visa or Spanish residence card) for each person.”
Hendaye is the first French town after the Bidasoa river, and all the day trips to the French Basque Country start from it. The Euskotren “Topo” train reaches its station from central San Sebastián in about 35 minutes, and from there TER trains run to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Biarritz and Bayonne.
What to see
Documents: France and Spain are both in Schengen and there are no fixed checks, but French police carry out random checks at the Biriatou crossing, on the Hendaye bridges and on trains. Carry your passport with a valid Schengen visa or Spanish residence card (TIE) for each person, including children. Rental car: make sure the contract allows you to enter France. Fuel is usually cheaper on the Spanish side, so fill up the tank before crossing. Speed limits on French roads are 80 km/h on secondary roads and 130 on motorways, and there are many speed cameras.
Easy to reach
The A63 motorway after the border is tolled (a bank card at the gates); the national roads are free and slower. Parking in French town centres is paid by machine or app.
Address
Bd du Général de Gaulle, 64700 Hendaye
Its location on our map is being checked