San Mames away guide

For an away game at San Mames, fly into Bilbao Airport, which has direct flights from Manchester and several London airports, then take the Bizkaibus A3247 to the Intermodal bus station right next to the ground, around 20 minutes (Bilbao Airport). Away fans sit in the south-east corner upper tier, entering at Gate 19 (Athletic Club).

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

Bilbao is one of the easier away trips: it has direct UK flights, so no hub detour is needed. Manchester flies non-stop with easyJet, and London is served direct from Gatwick, Stansted and Luton by Vueling, British Airways and Wizz Air (FlightsFrom, The Getaway Lounge). The one alternative worth weighing is the cheap seat into Santander, where Ryanair flies from Stansted, then an ALSA coach into Bilbao in around 1h20, often the lowest fare if the direct flights are dear (Ryanair, ALSA). All costs and times below are estimates and vary with fixture and booking date.

Getting there from the airport

The Bizkaibus A3247 line runs from the arrivals terminal to Bilbao Intermodal (the main bus station, formerly Termibus), stopping at Gran Via and Plaza Moyua in the centre on the way (Bilbao Airport).

Bilbao Intermodal is right beside San Mames, so the A3247 drops you close to the stadium. The journey into the centre takes around 20 minutes, a little longer to the Intermodal terminus (Athletic Club).

The airport bus runs roughly every 15 to 20 minutes. A single fare is around 4.50 EUR from the driver, and cheaper with a Barik travel card (Bilbao Airport).

Getting there from the centre and station

San Mames is walkable from the middle of Bilbao. It sits less than 2km from the centre: roughly a 20 to 25 minute walk from the Casco Viejo (Old Town) along the riverbank, or about 10 minutes from Abando train station (Stadiumseeker).

If you would rather not walk, Metro Bilbao serves the stadium directly at San Mames station on Line 1 and Line 2. The station exits right by the ground, and the tram also stops nearby (Wikipedia). The match ticket does not cover local transport, so buy a single or top up a Barik card.

Athletic Club asks fans to arrive on foot or by public transport where possible, to reduce congestion around the stadium on matchday (Athletic Club).

Inside the stadium and allocation

The visiting section is in the south-east corner, in the upper tier. For the Arsenal European tie the away allocation was 2,554 tickets (Football Ground Guide).

On matchday the club reserves specific approach streets for away fans: Avenida Sabino Arana (between Plaza de Sagrado Corazon and Calle Felipe Serrate) and Calle Felipe Serrate (between Sabino Arana and Gate 19), which lead to the away entrance at Gate 19 (Athletic Club).

For a recent 18:45 kick-off the gates opened at 17:15, 90 minutes before kick-off (Athletic Club). The upper-corner position means you have to work to make yourselves heard, but the ground is a genuine cauldron: San Mames set a football attendance record of 52,114 for Athletic v Rangers on 17 April 2025 (Wikipedia).

Only small bags are allowed, up to around 30x30x15cm, and larger bags, backpacks and suitcases are refused. Also prohibited: professional cameras, outside food and drink, glass, cans, fireworks, flares, smoke devices and weapons. Banners and flags are fine, but without poles (Stadiumseeker).

Where to stay

Base yourself in or near the Casco Viejo (Old Town) or around Abando and Gran Via. Both put you within a short walk or one metro stop of San Mames, and both sit at the heart of the pintxos scene (Stadiumseeker). Anywhere on the Metro Line 1 or 2 corridor gets you to the ground door to door in a few minutes.

Where to drink

• Calle Poza (Poza Kalea): the main pre and post-match hub, where Athletic supporters gather for beers and pintxos, and it leads towards San Mames from the centre (La Liga Expert).
• Plaza Nueva: the arcaded square in the Old Town lined with a dozen bars, the natural gathering point for visiting fans before heading to the ground (Football Ground Guide).
• Cafe Bar Bilbao (Plaza Nueva): historic, tiled and busy, good for a first drink and a pintxo (doeatbetter).
• Bar El Globo (near the Casco Viejo): lively and traditional, known for its pintxos and popular with locals and visitors (Mondomulia).
• Xukela (Calle Santa Maria, Casco Viejo): a small, characterful bar with inventive pintxos, good for a quieter round (Mondomulia).

Order a zurito (small beer) at around 1.50 to 2 EUR, or a caña. Expect closer to 4 EUR for a pint-sized measure in a neighbourhood bar, and 5 EUR or more at fan meeting points on a big night (The European Bar Guide). Nowhere in the centre is off-limits, but keep colours low-key on the streets right around San Mames when rival fans are packed in.

Where to eat

• Mercado de la Ribera (Casco Viejo): the huge covered market with bar counters upstairs, cheap and excellent for a stand-up bite (Lonely Planet).
• Gure Toki (Plaza Nueva): award-winning, boundary-pushing pintxos, a step up from the standard counter (doeatbetter).
• Victor Montes (Plaza Nueva): a Bilbao landmark open since 1911, sit-down dining and a famous counter, strong on bacalao (doeatbetter).
• Taverna Txiriboga (Calle Santa Maria): specialists in croquetas, ham, chicken, cod and mushroom (doeatbetter).
• Cafe Bar Bilbao (Plaza Nueva): reliable classic pintxos in a handsome old room (doeatbetter).

Local dishes to try: bacalao pil-pil (cod in an emulsified garlic and olive oil sauce), bacalao a la vizcaina, txipirones (baby squid), and gilda pintxos of anchovy, olive and guindilla pepper. Wash it down with txakoli, the local sparkling white (Mondomulia).

What to do

• Guggenheim Museum: Frank Gehry's titanium landmark, worth it for the building alone even if you skip the galleries (Lonely Planet).
• Casco Viejo and Las Siete Calles: the Old Town's seven original streets, the pintxos heartland (Lonely Planet).
• Plaza Nueva: the arcaded 19th-century square at the centre of the eating and drinking (Lonely Planet).
• Mercado de la Ribera: one of Europe's largest covered markets, an Art Deco building on the river (Lonely Planet).
• Artxanda Funicular: a three-minute ride to a hilltop with panoramic views over the city and the ground (Lonely Planet).
• Santiago Cathedral: gothic cathedral with cloisters in the middle of the Old Town (Lonely Planet).
• The riverside walk: follow the Nervion from the Old Town past the Guggenheim, an easy stroll that takes in most of the sights and leads towards San Mames (Stadiumseeker).

Common questions

How do you get from Bilbao Airport to San Mames?

Take the Bizkaibus A3247 line from outside arrivals. It runs to Bilbao Intermodal, which sits right beside San Mames, stopping at Gran Via and Plaza Moyua in the centre on the way (Bilbao Airport). The bus goes every 15 to 20 minutes and takes around 20 minutes, with a single fare of about 4.50 EUR from the driver, cheaper with a Barik card.

Which airport do you fly to for Athletic Club?

Bilbao Airport (BIO), around 12km north of the city. There is no need for a hub: it has direct UK flights, with Manchester served by easyJet and London by Vueling, British Airways and Wizz Air from Gatwick, Stansted and Luton (FlightsFrom, The Getaway Lounge).

Where do away fans sit at San Mames?

In the south-east corner of the stadium, in the upper tier (Football Ground Guide). On matchday the club routes visiting fans along reserved streets, Avenida Sabino Arana and Calle Felipe Serrate, to the away entrance at Gate 19 (Athletic Club).

What is the away allocation?

It varies by fixture. For the 2025 European tie against Arsenal the away allocation was 2,554 tickets (Football Ground Guide). Domestic La Liga allocations are typically smaller, so treat that figure as an upper end for a big European night rather than a fixed number.

What time should you arrive?

Gates open around 90 minutes before kick-off: for a recent 18:45 start they opened at 17:15 (Athletic Club). Get to the away streets in good time, as the reserved approach to Gate 19 funnels everyone through the same entrance and queues build close to kick-off.

Can you drink in the ground?

There is a concourse bar service inside, but outside food and drink is not allowed in, and glass and cans are prohibited (Stadiumseeker). Most fans do their drinking beforehand around Plaza Nueva or Calle Poza, then head to the ground for kick-off.

How much is a beer?

A zurito (small beer) is around 1.50 to 2 EUR, and a larger measure closer to 4 EUR in a neighbourhood bar (The European Bar Guide). At fan meeting points on a big night a 40cl beer can be 5 EUR, and a one-litre katxi around 10 EUR. Cheaper than most UK grounds either way.

Is Bilbao safe?

Yes, broadly. Bilbao is a comfortable, walkable city and violent crime is rare, but treat it like any port city and keep an eye on your belongings in busy bars and squares, where pickpockets work the crowds (Things To Do In Bilbao). The usual advice applies: do not get visibly drunk and careless, and keep colours discreet around the ground.

Which areas are away-friendly?

The Old Town, and Plaza Nueva in particular, is the natural gathering point for visiting fans, with a dozen bars in one arcaded square (Football Ground Guide). Calle Poza is the closer hub to the ground and mixes home and away support (La Liga Expert). Both are relaxed, but keep it low-key on the streets right by San Mames.

Does the match ticket include free transport?

No. Unlike some German and Italian grounds, the San Mames ticket does not cover local metro, tram or bus travel (Bilbao Airport). Buy a single or top up a Barik card. Given the stadium is walkable from the centre, many fans just walk anyway.

How far is the stadium from the city centre?

Less than 2km. It is roughly a 20 to 25 minute walk from the Casco Viejo along the riverbank, or about 10 minutes on foot from Abando train station (Stadiumseeker). By metro it is a couple of stops on Line 1 or Line 2 to San Mames station, which exits right at the ground.

Where should you stay?

Base yourself in the Casco Viejo or around Abando and Gran Via (Stadiumseeker). Both are central, walkable to San Mames or one metro stop away, and sit in the middle of the pintxos scene, so you are never far from a bar, the market or the ground.

Can you walk to San Mames from the centre?

Yes, easily. It is under 2km from the middle of Bilbao, a flat 20 to 25 minute riverside walk from the Casco Viejo, or about 10 minutes from Abando station (Stadiumseeker). If you would rather ride, Metro Lines 1 and 2 stop right outside at San Mames station.