Port accessThe Port Authority of Bilbao will once again be at Expovacaciones, the traditional tourism and holiday trade fair to be held from 5 to 7 May at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC) in Barakaldo.
From Stand G-17 in Hall 1, the representatives of the Port of Bilbao will showcase the latest developments in travel and tourism by sea, including the new ferries that have been commissioned on the routes between Bilbao and the United Kingdom and Ireland, and the cruises departing from Getxo to sail around Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
UK and Ireland, just a ferry trip away
At the Port’s stand, at 13.00 on Saturday, 6 May, Roberto Castilla, Director of Brittany Ferries in Spain, will give a talk on a different, sustainable and modern way of travelling: the comfortable and efficient ferry-cruises that link Bilbao and the Basque Country with the United Kingdom and Ireland. In his talk, Castilla will review the history of Brittany Ferries and the links between the United Kingdom and Ireland and Bilbao, as well as the company’s commitment to sustainability and respect for the environment, which has been further strengthened by the incorporation of increasingly efficient, ecological and environmentally friendly vessels. Furthermore, Brittany Ferries will raffle, amongst all the people attending the talk, a ticket to enjoy an authentic cruise on one of its ferries equipped with state-of-the-art comfort and amenities, and on which passengers can travel with their own car, caravan, motorbike or bicycle, and even with a pet.
The ‘Galicia’ makes two round trips each week between Bilbao and Portsmouth, the perfect starting point to visit the tourist destinations of England, Wales and even Scotland in your own vehicle. London is only 120 km away, Cardiff 200 km, Manchester 370 km and Edinburgh 720 km.
For its part, the ‘Salamanca’ does the same between Bilbao and Rosslare, the gateway to tour the Emerald Isle and enjoy everything it has to offer within a few hours by road: the magical County Cork in the south, the dynamic capital Dublin, the always lively Belfast, or a circular tour of the spectacular coast of Ireland.
Bilbao, cruise port
The cruise facilities of the Port of Bilbao in Getxo are looking to beat their own record this year by welcoming a total of 80 cruise ships. The season, which started on 12 April with the vessel Sky Princess, will see the arrival to the port of emblematic cruise ships such as The World, of Residences at Sea, and the Anthem of the Seas, of RCCL, and vessels operated by prestigious shipping companies such as Cunard, Oceania, Disney, MSC and, for the first time, Ambassador, together with fourteen other new cruise ships.
One of the new features of this season, in which places are still available, are the two voyages that the cruise ship Norwegian Gem will make from Bilbao to visit the most emblematic cities of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. The first of these will depart from Getxo on 7 September and will visit Bordeaux, Amsterdam, London, Brussels, Paris, Lisbon, Vigo and La Coruña, before ending its voyage in Bilbao on 19 September.
On the same day, the ‘Norwegian Gem’ will once again depart for the Civitavecchia cruise terminal in Rome, where it will arrive on 1 October after calling at Lisbon, Portimao, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Motril, Ibiza, Palma, Saint Tropez and La Spezia.
