Getting There
Air
Direct Flights
Ryanair fly direct from Stansted throughout the year.
Easyjet operate flights from Gatwick and Luton from May until the end of October.
Alternatives. Surrounding Airports:
Bilbao (1.5h drive). Bordeaux (2h). Flights from LGW
Road
10 hour drive from Calais.
Generally the most economical route if travelling as a group.
Eurostar to Calais generally costs in the region of £250 return.
Tolls around €80. (Overnight stopover recommended)
Suggestions
Most Economical: Most likely Eurotunnel and then cover the mileage by car.
Most Relaxing: 30 hours on the Portsmouth to Santander ferry. With some luck you'll spot whales and dolphins in the Bay of Biscay (admittedly alot of luck). Just in case though take a good book.
Most Adventurous: Early morning start at St Pancras arrives mid morning for a day strolling round Paris before early dinner then hop on a late sleeper train direct into Biarritz to catch the morning surf.
Most direct: Afraid to say this involves braving either Stansted (Ryanair) or Gatwick (Easyjet) for direct flights. Biarritz airport is a 10 min taxi into town.
Most leisurely: If you have the time, overnight ferries from Portsmouth to Caen or St Malo are pretty comfortable and then throw in a couple of stops on the way down. Can highly recommend (amongst many) Limoges, St Emillion or Bordeaux.
Train
The Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris takes just over 2 hours.
The overnight sleeper (intercité de nuit) runs from Paris to Biarritz and is remarkably good value. An opportunity to spend a day in Paris, early dinner and jump on the 22.30 from Paris Montparnasse arriving in Biarritz the following morning.
Otherwise day time trains from Paris take about 4 hours.
Sea
If no hurry then Brittany Ferries have crossings to Santander or Bilbao from Portsmouth Takes in the region of 30 hours. Bilbao is a 1.5 hour drive to Biarritz.
Other crossings inlcude:
Porstmouth to St-Malo (+7hr drive)
Portsmouth to Caen (+8hr drive),
Portsmouth or Poole to Cherbourg (+8hr drive)
Dover to Calais (+10hr drive)
Useful Info
Trains:
Booking usually opens 92 days ahead. Eurostar opens 120 days and for certain periods up to 180 days ahead.
Flights:
Biarritz Airport is a 10 min drive into town (€1 bus. €15 taxi). If hiring a car then Bilbao and Bordeaux are straightforward.
