Bilbao Airport arrivals: guide to reaching La Rioja

Landing at Bilbao is the easy part. What tends to worry first-time visitors is everything after: where to wait, how to find the person collecting you and what happens if the flight runs late.

This guide is for travellers who are not staying in Bilbao itself but heading on to La Rioja – to Logroño, to a winery in Haro's Station District, to a hotel in Rioja Alavesa or to a pilgrim hostel on the Camino. We walk through the whole sequence, from the aircraft door to the car seat, with the small details that make a difference when you arrive tired.

What is the arrivals terminal like?

Bilbao works with one terminal building: the curved white structure designed by Santiago Calatrava, nicknamed "La Paloma" (the dove). Departures and arrivals share the building on different levels. Arriving passengers go down to baggage reclaim and out into the arrivals hall, where you will find the car-hire desks, tourist information and the exits to the taxi rank and bus stop.

Because it is a medium-sized airport, walking distances are short. If you only have hand luggage you can be in the hall within minutes of leaving the plane; allow longer if you are waiting for checked bags or arriving from outside the Schengen area – which includes the UK and Ireland – as those flights go through passport control.

From the aircraft to the car, step by step

1. Disembarking. Depending on where the aircraft parks, you will leave by air bridge or by an apron bus to the terminal.
2. Passport control (non-Schengen flights only, such as those from the UK). Keep your passport handy; queues can build in high season.
3. Baggage reclaim. Screens show the belt for your flight. If a bag fails to appear, the lost-luggage desk is in the same hall – file your claim before you leave.
4. Through the arrivals doors. Once you pass them there is no going back, so check you have everything.
5. Meeting your driver in the hall, holding a sign with your name, followed by a short walk to the car.

Where exactly does your driver wait?

On our Bilbao Airport to Logroño transfer, the driver stands just outside the arrivals doors in the main hall with a sign showing your name or your company's. There is no desk to find and no need to phone on landing: because we track your flight, we know when you have really touched down.

A few days before you travel we send you the driver's name and a contact number. If you cannot spot them straight away – sometimes several flights land together and the hall gets busy – send a WhatsApp message to +34 603 27 63 98 and we will tell you precisely where they are standing.

Your options from Loiu to La Rioja

No train leaves from the terminal, and a direct bus to La Rioja is not the usual route: most people using public transport first head into Bilbao and change there. Here is how the main choices compare:

If your base is in the Rioja Alta rather than Logroño, the Bilbao Airport to Haro transfer is even shorter.

How long to each part of La Rioja?

The AP-68 runs south from Bilbao and follows the Ebro valley, so Haro comes before Logroño. Rounded, approximate times that vary with traffic, weather and your exact address:

• Haro and the Station District: about 1 h 15.
• Logroño: around 135 km, about 1 h 30.
• Laguardia and Rioja Alavesa: about 1 h 30, via Haro or via Logroño.
• Rioja Baja (Calahorra, Arnedo): about 2 h.

To compare Loiu with the other airports in the area, see our guide to airports near Logroño or the full list of airport transfers to La Rioja.

Delayed flight or lost bag?

With flight tracking, your driver adjusts the pickup to the real landing time. You do not need to warn us about a delay and it carries no extra charge. If you have to report a missing suitcase, just drop us a message: the driver waits while you deal with the lost-luggage desk. Late-night arrivals are common at Loiu, especially with low-cost airlines, and we operate 24 hours a day, every day.

Checklist before you land

• Give us your flight number when booking, not just the scheduled time.
• Tell us how many passengers and suitcases, plus any baby seats, bikes, golf bags or wine boxes.
• Save the driver's phone number and our WhatsApp contact.
• Switch on mobile data or the airport wifi as soon as you land so messages come through.
• Have the full address of your accommodation to hand, especially if it is a rural house or a winery hotel.
• If there are more than four of you, or plenty of luggage, book the seven-seat van from Rioja Group.

Fancy a few hours in Bilbao first?

Some visitors use their arrival day to see the Guggenheim or have lunch in the Old Town before heading south. That is easy to arrange: your driver collects you at Loiu, drops you in the centre and picks you up later, or you can book it as a separate journey using our Logroño–Bilbao city transfer.

Flying from further afield? Bilbao or Madrid

Loiu has direct links with many European cities, which makes it the natural gateway from the UK, France, Germany or the Netherlands. From the Americas or Asia, most people land at Madrid-Barajas and complete the journey by road – we explain how in Madrid-Barajas Airport to La Rioja. If you are still comparing routes from your home country, read how to get to La Rioja from abroad.

Heading home: La Rioja to Loiu

The return trip works the same way in reverse. For a European flight we usually suggest leaving Logroño about three hours before take-off: an hour and a half on the road plus time to check in and clear security, which can queue up first thing in the morning. From Haro you can leave a little later; from Calahorra or Arnedo, a little earlier. In winter, if fog or snow is forecast on the mountain stretch of the AP-68, we build in extra time and confirm it in writing. Your driver drops you right at the departures entrance, so there is no car park to cross and no hire car to return with a full tank.