Enjoy shopping in Bilbao/Bizkaia in an accessible environment

There are just a few weeks to go until the  AAL Forum 2018 in Bilbao/Bizkaia (in the north of Spain) between 24 and 26 September. Information on the possibility of getting around Bizkaia easily in accessible public transport and also discovering the shopping opportunities in the province are two of the most popular searches.

The truth is that Bilbao-Bizkaia stands out for having one of Spain’s best public transport system , which is totally accessible for people with reduced mobility.

The system includes a modern (and very comfortable) underground network (Metro Bilbao) with its three lines covering over 50 kilometres and whose architecture will surely delight photographers.  

The province also has half-a-dozen suburban railway lines that link the capital of Bizkaia, Bilbao, to the province’s most important towns and to the other Basque provincial capitals
(San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz).

Bilbao/Bizkaia also has two dense and modern public bus networks:

• Bilbobus, whose vehicles are red, which exclusively serves the provincial capital
• Bizkaibus, whose vehicles are green and white, runs services from Bilbao to the towns of the province.

All the buses of both networks have mechanical access systems and seats reserved for people with reduced mobility.

The services available to visitors from outside Bizkaia include the Bilbao Bizkaia Card for tourists. It combines in a single card different transport, culture and leisure facilities that are available to the tourist when they buy this fare option. All the information (place where the card can be bought or activated, prices, validity period, bookings, etc.) can be found at the following address: http://www.bilbaobizkaiacard.com

Shopping in Bilbao

The second aspects is the shopping available at Bilbao/Bizkaia.  The destination is unquestionably one of Spain’s main economic hubs, with a (very, very) broad range of local products and vanguard or even luxury brands, and the leading global brands have establishments in the city.

The truth is that Bilbao is the most cosmopolitan Basque city and, despite its radical transformation in the last 20 years, it still boasts the charm and appeal of its old districts such as the Casco Viejo de Bilbao (the city’s own town), with over 700 shops (of every type), hospitality centres and restaurants  (many of them internationally renowned), and a fresh produce market, which, back in its day, even made it into the Guinness Book of Records.

The  Ensanche district of the city, which can be crossed on foot or by public transport, is home to shopping centres and the best-known chains of stores and franchises. Precisely, the Bilbao Dendak association (Bilbao Stores, in Basque) is running three different routes through the city for the coming weeks so visitors can discover the city’s most unusual establishments and famed for their “ambience”.  

So don’t miss the opportunity when you are here at the AAI Forum in Bilbao-Bizkaia in September to discover and enjoy its extraordinary (and above all varied and different) range of shops and establishments in an accessible way.