Venue and Travel

Congress Venue

Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC)

Azkue Kalea, 1, 48902 San Vicente de Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain

Phone: +34 944 04 00 00

Website: https://bilbaoexhibitioncentre.com/

Reaching the Congress venue

Getting to Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC)

Depending on where in the city you are staying, it can take around 15–20 minutes to reach BEC by public transport.

The regional transport pass is the Barik card - a rechargeable card that covers metro, tram, and Bizkaibus journeys across Greater Bilbao. It can be topped up at metro stations or newsagents. A single metro ticket costs around €1.70; the Barik card is the cheaper option if you're making more than a couple of trips. Note this is separate from the Bilbao Bizkaia Card, the tourist pass, which is pricier and bundles in museum and attraction access.

METRO: BEC sits right outside Ansio station on Metro Line 2 - from the city centre, the fastest route is to take the metro from Moyua station towards Kabiezes/Plentzia and get off at Ansio, directly in front of the venue. The journey from Moyua takes about 15 minutes.

BUS: Bizkaibus lines A3136 and A3144 also serve stops near the BEC entrance if you'd rather not change at a metro station. From the city centre, this method of transport could take 50 minutes or longer.

TAXI: Bilbao's local taxis are a reliable way to get a private ride around the city. You can hail them on the street, look for white vehicles with a green light on the roof indicating availability, or find them waiting at designated taxi stands near major landmarks, train stations, and the Guggenheim Museum area. Taxis are metered.

For pickups from less central locations, you can call a dispatcher or book through a local taxi app. Apps like Pidetaxi and Uber can also be an option, dependent on availability.

At the airport, a well-marked taxi rank serves arriving passengers with direct rides into the city centre.

Reaching Bilbao

You can reach Bilbao by plane, train, or bus, and we encourage participants to consider more sustainable options when travelling.

By air: Bilbao Airport has direct connections to many major European cities. From the airport, take the Bizkaibus airport bus (Bus line 3247) into the city centre; it will make stops at Gran Vía, Plaza Moyua and Alameda Recalde. From there you can pick up the metro to Ansio as above. Alternatively, a taxi to the centre takes about 20 minutes.

By train: Bilbao-Abando is the main station for long-distance Renfe services, with connections from Madrid (around 5 hours) and Barcelona (just over 6 hours).

By bus: Long-distance coaches arrive at the Termibus station, which connects onward to the metro and city buses.

Bilbao's public transportation network is fast, reliable, and budget-friendly. Click here for more information about travel within Bilbao.