Should you visit Catalonia or Basque Country?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Catalonia and Basque Country. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Catalonia or Basque Country?
Catalonia
Catalonia is a famous autonomous community in Spain. It is situated in the northeastern part of the country and consists of four provinces. The provinces consist of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona. Barcelona is not only the capital of Catalonia, but is also the biggest city in the region. Because Barcelona is such a large city and Catalonia’s long history of international trade, the area is a very popular tourist destination. Another reason for Catalonia’s success is its temperate climate. Two other reasons that make Catalonia different from other areas in Spain are, people speak Catalan, Spanish and Aranese, and its climate has both beaches and mountain ranges.
Basque Country
Upon its lush green hills that tower over the deep blue waves of the Atlantic Ocean, you will find its perfected oceanic climate and breathtaking landscape to be only the beginning of Basque Country, Spain. Basque Country, or Euskadi, is an autonomous community located in northern Spain. This community was based off the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country, a legal document that enabled Basque people to develop on Spanish territory. Due to its strong traditional currents in Spanish heritage as well as magnificent architecture, Basque Country is a hotspot for tourists everywhere.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Spain, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Spain, The Best 2-Week Tours in Spain, and The Best Bicycle Tours in Spain.
Which place is cheaper, Basque Country or Catalonia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Catalonia is €195, while the average daily cost in Basque Country is €144. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Catalonia and Basque Country in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Catalonia or Basque Country? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Local Transportation
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Catalonia
Also for Catalonia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Montserrat Half Day Private Guided Tour with Transfers:
$294
-
Palamós to Barcelona Airport (BNC) - Departure Private Transfer:
$288
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Sitges:
$282
-
Private Transfer from Barcelona to Tossa de Mar/ Lloret de Mar:
$282
-
Private Transfer from Barcelona to Figueres:
$276
-
Private Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Calella de Palafrugell:
$276
-
Private Transfer from Barcelona city to Girona airport:
$267
-
Private Transfer From Barcelona To Tarragona With a 2 Hour Stop:
$258
-
Private Transfer From Tarragona To Barcelona With a 2 Hour Stop:
$256
-
Private Transfer from Barcelona to La Roca Shopping Village:
$256
-
La Roca Village: private Round-Trip Transfer:
$254
-
Private Transfer from Barcelona to Reuse Airport:
$237
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Basque Country
Also for Basque Country, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Transfer S. Sebastian to Bilbao or S. Sebastian Airports by Sedan:
$75
-
Transfer Bilbao or San Sebastian Airport to San Sebastian by Car:
$75
-
San Sebastián: Transfer to Biarritz:
$284
-
Private Transfer from the Airport to Vitoria city:
$98
-
Private Transfer from Vitoria to Pamplona:
$270
-
Private Transfer from Vitoria to Logroño:
$286
-
Private Transfer from Vitoria to Elciego town:
$233
-
Private Transfer from Vitoria to Bilbao Cruise Port:
$225
-
Private Transfer from Vitoria city to Vitoria Airport:
$98
-
Private Transfer from Vitoria city to Pamplona Airport:
$270
-
Private Transfer from Vitoria city to Bilbao Airport:
$179
-
Private Transfer from Vitoria Airport to Logroño city:
$278
Is it cheaper to fly into Catalonia or Basque Country?
Prices for flights to both Basque Country and Catalonia change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
-
Food
Meals for one day
Catalonia €74
Basque Country €63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Catalonia
For Catalonia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona with Set Lunch or Dinner:
$34
-
Barcelona Guided Street Food Tour and Gothic Quarter Visit:
$41
-
Barcelona Street Food Tour with Local Market & City Center Visit:
$53
-
Tasty Barcelona Street Food Tour With Local Market Visit:
$53
-
Barcelona Food Tour: Market & Gothic Quarter with Expert Guide:
$56
-
Top Awarded Flamenco Show Tablao Cordobes with dinner option:
$56
-
Barcelona Morning Tapas Crawl by Food Tour:
$69
-
Barcelona Boqueria Market e Barrio Gotico Street Food Tour:
$75
-
Evening Cruise with Dinner and Drinks in Barcelona:
$76
-
Barcelona: Gothic And El Born Food Tour with Tapas and Wine:
$81
-
Workshop of Paellas Cooking and Tasting in Barcelona:
$82
-
Barcelona Culinary Experience: Paella & Tapas Cooking Class:
$88
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Basque Country
For Basque Country, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Bilbao Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide:
$85
-
San Sebastian Food Tour: Pintxos, Drinks, and Tapas with a Local:
$89
-
Bilbao Food Tour: Pintxos, Drinks, and Tapas with a Local:
$89
-
Bilbao Authentic Food Tour with 9 Pintxos and Local Drinks:
$115
-
Basque Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao:
$118
-
Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao:
$118
-
The Award-Winning Bilbao Food Tour & Wine Pairing by Basque Local:
$124
-
Paella and Burnt Basque Cheesecake Cooking Class (in Bilbao):
$148
-
San Sebastian Market Visit and Cooking Class:
$154
-
Basque cuisine cooking class:
$154
-
Basque Cooking Experience: Market Tour & Hands-On Class English:
$165
-
Authentic Basque Cooking Class in San Sebastian with Local Chef:
$165
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Catalonia
For Catalonia, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
'The Cathedral of the Sea' Walking Book Tour:
$234
-
1 Day Private Sailing Tour from Sitges:
$112
-
1 Hour Barcelona Sailing Tour Experience with Drinks:
$34
-
1 hour Wakeboarding Adventure in Sitges for All Levels:
$235
-
2 Day Guided Private Tour Barcelona Experience Perfect Itinerary:
$296
-
2 Wineries Small Group Tour with Free Hotel PickUp from Sitges:
$129
-
2 hour French tour in the historic centre of Barcelona:
$34
-
2-Hour Private Photo Walking Tour:
$118
-
2-Hour Private Tour of Music in Barcelona:
$176
-
2-Hours Barcelona Sunset Sailing Tour:
$65
-
2-hour French tour with pinxos tasting:
$82
-
2.5h E-Bike Tour: Parks, Gardens, Beach & Panoramic City Views:
$41
Tours and Activities in Basque Country
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Basque Country.
-
"A la Vasca" - Top Notch Gastro Cultural Experience:
$207
-
"Basque Cider House" guided tour + meal from San Sebastian:
$98
-
Artist-Guided Tour of the Guggenheim Museum:
$106
-
Bike Tour in San Sebastian:
$51
-
Bike tour with Pintxos & Drinks in Getxo (Scenic Bilbao Seaside):
$71
-
Bilbao : Private Custom Walking Tour with A Guide (Private Tour):
$53
-
Bilbao Exclusive Private Walking Tour:
$41
-
Bilbao Guggenheim Museum Entry Admission With Audio Guide Tour:
$33
-
Bilbao Guggenheim Museum Entry Ticket:
$35
-
Bilbao Guggenheim Museum Entry Ticket with Audio Guide:
$33
-
Bilbao Highlights 3-hour E-Bike tour: Small Group or Private Tour:
$58
-
Bilbao Historical Small Group Tour:
$36
Alcohol
Sample the Local Flavors in Catalonia
Also in Catalonia, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Estrella Damm Brewery in El Prat de Llobregat tour with Tasting:
$18
-
Barcelona Pub Crawl and VIP Club Experience:
$18
-
Largest Pub Crawl in Barcelona:
$18
-
Largest Bar Crawl in Barcelona:
$18
-
Barcelona Pub Crawl by KING -The Best Party tour & VIP Club Entry:
$18
-
Barcelona Pub Crawl Experience with VIP Nightclub Entry:
$18
-
Pub Crawl Barcelona by EVOLVE The BEST night experience:
$23
-
Estrella Damm Old Brewery Barcelona Guided Tour with Beer Tasting:
$23
-
Barcelona: Magic Montjuïc Tour, Wine Tasting & Best photo spots!:
$26
-
Visit winery and wine tasting:
$29
-
Barcelona: Bar Crawl at Gaixample:
$29
-
Vineyard walk and wine tasting in l’Empordà:
$31
Sample the Local Flavors in Basque Country
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Basque Country:
-
Rioja & Txakoli Wine Tasting in Bilbao with a Local Sommelier:
$53
-
Rioja wine tour: winery & Laguardia with lunch from Vitoria:
$101
-
Rioja Wine Tour: wineries and Laguardia from Bilbao:
$107
-
Rioja Wine Tour: wineries and Laguardia from San Sebastian:
$112
-
The Authentic Bilbao Pintxos, Food & Wine Tour with a Local:
$117
-
Basque Best Bites - #1 Food & Wine tour of Bilbao:
$118
-
San Sebastian Old Town Pintxos & Wine Tour Small Group Tour:
$122
-
Getaria Txakoli wine tour from San Sebastian:
$172
-
Small Group Basque Food, Pintxos and Wine Tour in San Sebastian:
$194
-
Txakoli wine tour from Bilbao:
$195
-
Open Food & Wine tours in San Sebastian:
$213
-
Private Half Day Txakoli Wine Tour & Getaria Fishing Village:
$243
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Catalonia and Basque Country, we can see that Catalonia is more expensive. And not only is Basque Country much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Basque Country would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Basque Country and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Catalonia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Catalonia than you might in Basque Country.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Catalonia Expensive? and Is Basque Country Expensive?.
Related Articles for Catalonia
Related Articles for Basque Country