Vitoria Airport Mini Guide
Why Would I Want to Visit Vitoria-Gastiez?
The question should be ‘why not?’ for there is so much to recommend it. It’s the capital of the Basque region and home to a beautiful medieval centre with the stunning Cathedral of Santa Maria, one of the city’s most popular attractions and well worth taking a guided tour of to discover its secrets. The region in which Vitoria is found is also the heart of Rioja country, home of one of the world’s best loved and most respected wines. Visit some of the vineyards whilst there to sample the delicious red, and white, wine. Finally, the city is known for its festivals and barely a month goes by without a celebration there.
How do I get to Vitoria-Gastiez?
Most people would fly into
Bilbao Airport and take the hour long journey into Vitoria. A better option for some is to fly directly into Vitoria Airport or take a connecting flight from Madrid. This saves the long transfer with only a ten minute journey from the local airport.
But What is the Airport Like?
It only has flights in from Madrid with Iberia or by Air Nostrum from Majorca on a seasonal basis. It looks quite a large airport but that’s because it is a major cargo handling airport rather than a passenger one. Needless to say, it is quite modern inside although some don’t like its ‘Lego’ colour scheme!
What can I Expect Once We’ve Touched Down?
To begin with, a walk! There are no air bridges at the airport so it’s a brisk stroll to the terminal followed by a little wait at the baggage reclaim. You’ll get there before your luggage as there’s no passport checks at Vitoria as flights are only domestic. After collecting your luggage, you’ll walk along a corridor to the expanse of the arrivals hall. On your left will be the passenger information desk where any questions about airport facilities can be answered. There is a bank on the opposite side of the arrivals hall and next to it the offices of the car hire companies. If you’re hiring a car from the airport, you need to finalise the paperwork here before being shown to your vehicle. If you’re thinking of taking the bus into the city, you can forget it as there are no bus routes that include the airport; hire cars or taxis are your only options.
And What About on the day of my Departure?
After you’ve finished at the check-in desks you can have a meal at the Delicatium café. The food there is actually very good with a range of options from delicious a la carte to tapas, light bites to pizzas. The restaurant is combined with the airport’s only shop which sells many things, some of which you wouldn’t associate with an airport such as tinned tuna! Its other products are more enticing such as local produce, wines, hand-made toiletries, chocolate and ceramics. Sadly, you won’t be able to access the internet from the airport as Wi-Fi is, as yet, unavailable.