The mistake to avoid: booking a table for 21:30 across town on December 24 or 31. On those two nights in 2025 Bilbao’s metro stopped by 21:05 at the latest and did not come back until 1:00.
Does the Bilbao metro run on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve? Yes, with a gap. In 2025 service stopped around 20:30 on December 24 and by 21:05 on December 31, then restarted at 1:00 and ran through the night. Buses stop earlier still. The 2026 hours come out a few days before each date.
Bilbao’s holiday transport pattern is a planned evening shutdown on December 24 and 31 across every network, followed by late starts on the 25th and January 1. Everything dated 2025 here is last year’s timetable; it barely moves from year to year.
What the 9pm cutoff means for dinner
Be at your table before 20:30 and at the far end of your trip by 21:00. The last trains on December 31, 2025 were Plentzia to Etxebarri at 20:40, Basauri to Kabiezes at 20:56, Kabiezes to Basauri at 20:57 and Etxebarri to Plentzia at 21:05. Line 3, run by Euskotren, paused for about four hours instead.
For how the two main lines fit together, the guide to the metro and tram has the network map. If you are staying in the centre, walking is realistic: most of what you need is within a few stops, and a table near your hotel solves the whole issue. Where to eat that night is in the New Year’s Eve guide.
When the night bus and metro return after 1am
After 1:00 on January 1 the trunk section of the metro had a train every 5 minutes, and the night buses ran until 9:00. All eight Gautxori lines use Plaza Circular, 16 m from Abando metro, and fares are the normal 0.73 euros with a Barik card or 1.70 euros without one.
Christmas Eve is the trap. Gautxori did not run on the night of December 24, 2025, a Wednesday, but it did in 2022, when the 24th was a Saturday. In 2026 the 24th is a Thursday, so plan on the metro alone until Bilbobus posts its notice, and keep a taxi number handy.
How to reach the airport on the holidays
Airport buses belong to Bizkaibus, which stopped around 20:00 on December 31, 2025 and paused from midday to about 16:30 or 17:00 on January 1. Early flights on the 25th or the 1st deserve a booked taxi, and it is worth reading airport to city centre options when you book your ticket, not on the day.
| Your flight lands or leaves | Best plan |
|---|---|
| Evening of Dec 24 or 31 | Booked taxi; check Bizkaibus’s last bus before 20:00 |
| Morning of Dec 25 or Jan 1 | Booked taxi |
| Midday on Jan 1 | Avoid the bus gap; aim for after 17:00 |
| Dec 26 to 30 | Normal service |
What runs on Christmas Day and January 1
Trams and Euskotren trains start late, stop at midday and run normally again from about 17:00 on both days. Euskotren’s notice appeared on December 19 in 2025 and covers lines E1 to E5, the Bilbao tram and the Larreineta funicular; phone 944 333 333 for exact times.
Daytime Bilbobus started at 9:00 on those days, and the Artxanda funicular ran 9:15 to 14:30 and 16:30 to 22:00 on January 1, 2026. Use that break to get down the hill. Once you know how to move, see what is open on Christmas Day to fill the gaps, and the Christmas lights are walkable from most hotels in the centre.
On these two nights, eat close to your bed.
Bilbao transport over Christmas, frequently asked questions
What time is the last metro in Bilbao on New Year’s Eve?
On December 31, 2025 the last trains left between 20:40 and 21:05, depending on direction, and the metro resumed at 1:00 with trains all night. Metro Bilbao announces the 2026 times in the last days of December.
Is there a night bus in Bilbao on Christmas Eve?
Not always. Gautxori did not run on the night of December 24, 2025, which was a Wednesday, but ran in 2022 when the 24th was a Saturday. The 24th falls on a Thursday in 2026, so check the Bilbobus notice that week.
Can I get to Bilbao airport on Christmas Day?
Bizkaibus runs the airport line on a reduced holiday pattern, so check its timetable for your date. On January 1, 2026 it paused at midday and returned around 16:30 to 17:00. For an early flight on either holiday, book a taxi in advance.