Guides to discover La Rioja
Practical, locally written advice for visitors from abroad: which airport to fly into, how to plan a wine route, when to come and how to get around Spain's most famous wine region without driving.
Plan your trip to La Rioja
La Rioja is a small region, but it sits between several airports, spans two autonomous communities (La Rioja and the Basque Country's Rioja Alavesa) and has more than five hundred wineries. Getting the logistics right makes the difference between a relaxed trip and hours lost in transfers. These guides answer the questions our English-speaking passengers ask us most often, from arrival day to the last tasting.
We drive visitors every day between the airports of Bilbao, Madrid and Vitoria and the wineries of Haro, Laguardia and Logroño, so everything here comes from real routes, real timings and real feedback. If you would rather not plan anything, our private winery tours and airport transfers take care of it for you.
How to get to La Rioja from abroad
Flights from the UK, Ireland, the US and the rest of Europe, the best gateway airports and how to cover the last stretch to Logroño, Haro or Laguardia.
Read the guide »Airports near Logroño: which one to fly into
Bilbao, Vitoria, Pamplona, Zaragoza, Madrid, Biarritz and Barcelona compared by distance, flights and transfer time.
Read the guide »Bilbao Airport arrivals: guide to reaching La Rioja
What to expect after landing at Bilbao, where your driver meets you and how long the drive to Logroño and Haro takes.
Read the guide »Madrid-Barajas Airport to La Rioja: options and times
Train, bus, rental car or private transfer from Madrid Airport: honest comparison of time, comfort and cost.
Read the guide »Getting around La Rioja without a car
Buses, trains, taxis and private drivers: what works for winery visits, villages and the Camino.
Read the guide »Best time to visit La Rioja
Season by season: harvest, autumn colours, festivals, weather and when the wineries are quietest.
Read the guide »La Rioja in 3 days: complete itinerary
Logroño, Haro and Rioja Alavesa in three well-paced days, with wineries, villages and tapas.
Read the guide »How to plan a Rioja wine route
How many wineries per day, booking tips, zones to combine and how to get between them safely.
Read the guide »How to visit a winery in Rioja: practical guide
Booking, tour formats, tasting etiquette, timings and what a typical visit includes.
Read the guide »Haro, Rioja Alavesa or Logroño: which wine area to choose
The three classic bases for a winery route compared by style, distances and type of visit.
Read the guide »What is DOCa Rioja and why it is unique
Spain's first qualified designation of origin explained: sub-zones, rules and what it means in the glass.
Read the guide »Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva: reading a Rioja label
Ageing categories, back labels and the newer village and single-vineyard wines, explained simply.
Read the guide »Calle Laurel, Logroño: tapas guide
How the pintxo crawl works on Laurel and San Juan streets, house specialities and best times to go.
Read the guide »Haro Wine Battle: complete guide to attending
Date, schedule, what to wear, how to get there and back from Logroño on 29 June.
Read the guide »Walking the Camino Francés through La Rioja
Stages from Logroño to Grañón, where to sleep, luggage transfer and how to skip a stage if needed.
Read the guide »Book your driver in La Rioja
Rioja Transfer is a private-hire (VTC) service based in Logroño with English-speaking drivers, premium vehicles and fixed prices agreed in advance. We meet you at arrivals, wait during your winery visits and take you back to your hotel, so nobody in the group has to drive after a tasting.