Infrastructure, accessibility and transport
in the Basque Country
Setting up your business in the Basque Country means benefiting from infrastructures adapted to your activity and an optimized transport network that facilitates the movement of people and goods. The Basque Country is also actively developing an intermodal mobility network.
France - a strategic location in the heart of europe
Investing in the Basque Country means, above all, investing in France as a strategic European location. With direct links to all European countries, the French transport and infrastructure network is a major asset for businesses and travelers alike:
- An airport ranked 2nd in Europe in terms of passenger numbers: Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport (source: Paris Aéroport)
- A network of high-speed trains providing access to major European cities
- An excellent telecommunications network
- One of Europe’s largest motorway networks
Despite “Brexit”, France also benefits from its proximity to the UK, which remains one of the world’s leading economic powers.
Infrastructures in the basque country
Rail and road traffic
The Basque Country enjoys a favorable geographical position, facilitating links between southern and northern Europe. The A63 (north/south) and A64 (east/west) motorways run through the region, linking it to major French and Spanish cities of major economic importance:
- Saint-Sébastien and Pau are 40 min and 1h10 away respectively.
- Bordeaux and Toulouse can be reached in 2h and 2h45 respectively.
- Bilbao is 160 km away, while Zaragoza is only 3 hours away, and Madrid 550 km.
- 512 km to Nantes
- 735 km to Lyon
- 789 km to Paris
Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne and Saint-Jean-de-Luz are served by the high-speed TGV train, and other regional stations are served by the local TER train network.
The high-speed line between Paris and Hendaye means that the Basque Country is accessible to tens of millions of passengers every year: tourists, entrepreneurs, self-employed workers, teleworking employees, etc. Thanks to this line, the capital can be reached in 4 hours from Bayonne, and 4 hours 45 minutes from Hendaye, which is a considerable saving in time and money compared with a car journey
Numerous European cities within easy reach
Air traffic is handled by 3 airports for both passengers and freight, including Biarritz Pays Basque International Airport, which serves direct flights to Paris, Lyon, Clermont Ferrand, Nice, Marseille and Strasbourg, as well as Madrid, Barcelona, London, Bristol, Dublin, Geneva, Rotterdam, Stockholm, Brussels, Ajaccio, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Milan, Copenhagen and Luxembourg.
In 2022, the airport welcomed close to 932,000 passengers, according to the Airport Director. Every year, Biarritz airport opens up new destinations to its passengers, making it a major asset for connecting the Basque Country to French and European cities.
The Port of Bayonne, designed to facilitate exports
The Port of Bayonne has three Quality, Safety and Environment certifications and is beginning to make an impact. In 2020, more than 2,260,000 tonnes of imports and exports passed through the port including goods, corn, metals, oil, wood, sulfur, fertilizers and hydro-carbons. 70% of exports are to Spain (44%) and the Netherlands (26%).
As one of France’s largest ports and the 3rd largest regional port, it has benefited from 150 million euros of public and private investment over the past five years. There are also plans in the works to build a container transport line to a hub port in a northern European city, a major development involving the entire region.
Located at the crossroads of several road and rail routes, the Port of Bayonne is one of the major logistics hubs in south-western Europe.
The A64 links it to cities on the Mediterranean, and the E5 provides access to the southern Pyrenees, plus all areas of the port are connected to rail networks, enabling multimodal transport of goods. The port has won awards for its excellent multimodal efficiency (combining sea, road and rail). Since 2016, the Port of Bayonne has had its own shortline railroad, which boosts rail freight to and from the port infrastructure.
