Biarritz
Biarritz is a large beachside town on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in south-west France. It is known for the Hôtel du Palais, built for the Empress Eugénie around 1855, its casinos, and its surfing culture.
Get in
[edit]
Biarritz is adjacent to Bayonne and Anglet and 11 miles (18 km) from the border with Spain.
By car
[edit]Biarritz is about 7½ hours from Paris, at about 480 miles (775 km). Biarritz is easily accessed via the D911 road, off the N10. These routes are close to the A63 - a road connecting Belin-Béliet to Bayonne to the border of Spain. In a general idea, heading towards Bayonne, and then directing on the local by-roads to Biarritz is the most straightforward route. The following are general roads to follow to reach Biarritz:
By train
[edit]Biarritz train station is 3 km (2 mi) from the town centre. The local bus company runs the number 2 bus to the beach front for €1. For information on trains to and from Biarritz, visit the SNCF website.
- Paris → Biarritz
- About 5 hours via TGV, trains running direct several times a day. There is also a Paris-Biarritz night train service.
Prices are between 55 and €70 for the TGV full-fare, with night train fares starting at €15 one way.
By bus
[edit]Buses arrive on square d'Ixelles, in the centre of Biarritz. There are buses from Bayonne, Anglet, Pau, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye. Spanish bus company PESA run a twice-daily service (leaving from outside the Biarritz Tourist Office) that follows the coast to San Sebastian and Bilbao in Spain.
By plane
[edit]- 1 Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne International Airport (BIQ IATA) (3 km (1.9 mi) from the town centre), ☏ +33 5 59 43 83 83.
Direct flights from:
- Charleroi - 2 flights a week with Ryanair.
- Geneva - one flight operated by Air France during the summer.
- Dublin - 4 flights per week with Ryanair - flying time 2 hr.
- London Stansted - daily flights with Ryanair - flying time 1hr 45min.
- Lyon - daily flights with Air France - flying time 1hr 20min.
- Marseille - with Air France.
- Nice - daily flights with Air France - flying time 1 hr.
- Paris Orly - 4 to 5 flights a day with Air France - flying time 1hr 20min
- Paris Charles de Gaulle - 3 flights a day with Air France and easyJet - flying time 1hr 20min.
You can get to the city from the airport by bus or taxi. A single bus fare is approximately €1.5.
You can pre-book a Biarritz Airport Transfer with Sea-Lifts - book online or call the English/French/Italian speaking service. Or book a door-to-door transfer with Biarritz Airport Transfers.
Get around
[edit]On foot
[edit]Biarritz is very pedestrianised, and it is easy to get around the town centre, to the beaches, and to the best spots for surfing or shopping. This means whatever your holiday needs is a short and pleasant walking distance away. However, it can be quite hilly in places.
By bus
[edit]There is an excellent bus network called Chronoplus ( for timetables and routes), serving Biarritz as well as the neighbouring Anglet and Bayonne (which form a conurbation called 'BAB'). Bus journeys are a flat €1 payable in cash on the bus. This ticket is valid for one hour to allow passengers inter-change between bus services and routes.
Cheaper multiple journey tickets are also available from the bus kiosks at Biarritz Mairie (beside the tourist office) and at Bayonne Mairie, but cannot be bought on the bus. These include a 10-journey ticket (€8); a seven-day travel pass (€11); and a 24-hour pass (€2). These tickets are also sold at 39 tobacco shops/cafes in the Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne (BAB) area.
Bus Line C links the airport with the Biarritz train station at La Negresse and the main Bayonne train station. The slightly less frequent No 8 bus also serves the Airport every 20–30 minutes.
See
[edit]Biarritz is famous for its coast and the rocks in the sea. There is the church of Sainte Eugenie, a Russian Orthodox church, and the Museum of the Sea (entrance about €6) with a lot of interesting animals like different kinds of fish, anemones, sharks, and seals in aquariums. Other topics include fishing in the last centuries, birds, catching whales. Then there is a Museum of Asian Art and a lighthouse (entrance €2).
Do
[edit]The beaches are excellent and this is a major surf resort. The main beach, Grand Plage, gets very crowded, but there is also a long surfers' beach on the Boulevard du Prince de Galles, called Cote de Basque, that has almost no sand at high tide, but is superb at low tide. The surf beaches at Anglet are easily accessible by bus, and surfboards that aren't too big are allowed on the local buses in the summer at least. There is a small beach by the Esplanade du Porte Vieux that is good for swimming when the surfer's beach is closed.
There are several thalasso-therapy centers, with sea water, seaweed and related treatments.
- Thermes Marins, Rue de Madrid. Offer a reasonable half-day pass for €17, including use of warm sea water pools, sauna, and steam room. The sauna is rather worn, but serviceable.
Golf
- Chiberta, 104 Blvd des Plages, ☏ +33 5 59525110.
Rugby
- Biarritz Olympique plays rugby union (15 a side) in the French second level, Rugby Pro D2. They had a long history in the top tier of the French system, Top 14, but haven't been at that level since 2014. BO play home games at the Parc des Sports Aguiléra in town; during their stint in Top 14, they took an occasional home match across the Spanish border to Estadio Anoeta in Donostia-San Sebastián. Ticket information is available here[dead link] (French only).
There is a large aquarium and a tourist land-train
- Nature Sport Activities, Rue de la Marne. Rent bike and surfboards. Surfschool, pelote basqua, rafting, sea kayaking, wave ski, and Takamaka[dead link].
Buy
[edit]- Central Market, rue des Halles. Has a wide range of fresh food, and is well worth a visit even if you don't want to buy anything. It is only open from 07:30 to 13:30.
- Galleries Lafayette, Place G Clemenceau. Has a large and decently priced supermarket in the basement.
Eat
[edit]Budget
[edit]City centre
[edit]Marinella Beach
[edit]Mid-range
[edit]- 6 Pizzeria des Arceaux, 20-24 avenue Édouard-VII, ☏ +33 5 59 24 11 47. The pizzas are very good, as is the fish and the large desserts.
- 7 Auberge 22, 22 Rue Harispe. French cuisine
- 8 L'Entre Deux, 5 Av. du Maréchal Foch. French cuisine
- 9 La Table Basque, 4 av de Marne, ☏ +33 5 59 22 23 52. Has a very good and Basque-influenced carte and proper 3-course menus. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Splurge
[edit]- 10 Chez Albert, 51, bis All. Port des Pêcheurs.
Drink
[edit]There are several places to go clubbing in Biarritz. One example is a great club called Le Copa located in the centre of the town. At the same place you can find many bars, as a pub crawl night is a must if you visit Biarritz. Another good club is the one under the Casino, and the best thing of all is that it is for free and does not close at two or three o'clock like the bars do.
Sleep
[edit]Hostels
[edit]- Surf Hostel Biarritz, ☏ +33 5 59 22 55 70. Ave de Migron. Surfer accommodation with bed + breakfast + bike + board all incl. €33.
- Hostel Biarritz (Hostelling International), 8 Rue Chiquito de Cambo, ☏ +33 5-5941-7600. A bit out of the way.
Hotels
[edit]- [formerly dead link] Hôtel Atalaye, 6 rue des Goélands, ☏ +33 5 59 24 06 76. All en-suite hotel, the best rooms (including a few tiny singles) have small balconies and face the place and sea. Singles €35-50, Doubles €42-70, Triples €55-84.
- Hôtel Gardénia, av Carnot, 05, ☏ +33 5 59 24 10 46. Two-star, old-fashioned and quiet hotel with a mix of rooms, not all with their own bathrooms. Singles €33-57, Twins €49-59, Triples €51-63.
- Hôtel Maïtagaria, av Carnot, 05, ☏ +33 5 59 24 26 65. Mostly smart rooms in a quiet location, with back garden. Doubles €47-64, Triples €74-80.
- Hôtel du Palais, 1 Avenue de l'Impératrice, 64200 Biarritz, ☏ +33 5 59 41 64 00. A wife Eugénie, converted into a hotel in 1883. doubles start at €320.
- Hostellerie Victoria, 12 av de la Reine Victoria, 05.59.24.08.21. More expensive hotel in a Neo-Gothic mansion, huge rooms equipped with comfortable beds and iron bathtubs.
Connect
[edit]As of March 2024, Biarritz, Bayonne and their approach highways have 5G from all French carriers.
Go next
[edit]Bayonne, the Pyrenees, and Spanish border towns such as San Sebastian and Hondarribia are all easily accessible from Biarritz. Saint Jean de Luz is a nice harbour town worth seeing.
| Routes through Biarritz |
| San Sebastián ← Saint-Jean-de-Luz ← | SW  NE |
→ Landes → Bordeaux |