BASQUE COUNTRY - France 2014 - page 768

ral).Ifyou'repickinguporreturningarentalcar,you'llfind Europcar attheRENFEtrain
station (tel. [phone]). Less centrally located are Hertz (Centro Comercial Garbera,
Travesía de Garbera 1, bus #16 connects with downtown, tel. [phone]) and Avis (a
taxi ride away at Hotel Barceló Costa Vasca, Pío Baroja 15, tel. [phone]).
Helpful Hints
Internet Access: A half-dozen Internet cafés are well-advertised throughout the Old
Town, most offering fast access for about €2/hour; try Navi.net (Mon-Fri 9:30-22:00,
Sat-Sun 10:00-22:00, closed for lunch in winter, Calle Narrica 12). These days,
government-subsidized Wi-Fi access is available just about everywhere (including at
most hotels).
Bookstore: Elkar, an advocate of Basque culture and literature, has two branches on the
same street in the Old Town. Both have a collection of Basque literature, and one has
a wide selection of guidebooks, maps, and books in English (Mon-Sat 10:00-14:00 &
16:00-20:00, Sun 11:00-14:00 & 16:30-20:30, Calle Fermín Calbetón 21 and 30, tel.
943-420-080).
Baggage Storage: There's no baggage storage at the train or bus stations. Navi.net In-
ternet café, listed above, has space for about 80 bags (first-come, first-served; €0.50/
hour, €5/overnight, €10/24 hours).
Laundry: Wash & Dry is in the Gros neighborhood, across the river (self-service €14/
load,daily8:00-22:00;drop-offservice€22/load,Mon-Fri9:30-13:00&16:00-20:00;
Iparragirre 6, tel. [phone]).
Bike Rental: The city has some great bike lanes and is a good place to enjoy on two
wheels. (But pedestrians need to be careful—never stand in bike lanes at intersec-
tions.) Like many cities in Europe, San Sebastián has an automated bike-sharing pro-
gram. Rent directly from the TI —there are over 10 stands spread around the city.
Bikesmustbereturnedtoanystandwithinfourhours,butyoucanpickupanotherone
after 30 minutes. The program is in flux, so expect changes to prices and hours (€8/
day, €15/3 days, €20 cash-only deposit; rental office hours Mon-Sat 10:00-13:00 &
15:30-18:00, Sun 10:30-13:00, longer in summer; tel. [phone]). The TI also of-
fers an English-language bike tour of the city in the summer (€14, July-Aug at 11:00
and 17:00, 1.5 hours, includes bike).
For longer-term bike rentals, try Bici Rent Donosti (also rents scooters in summer,
Avenida de Zurriola 22, 3 blocks across river from TI, mobile [phone]) or Sanse
Bikes (near the town hall at Boulevard 25, tel. [phone]).
Marijuana: While Spain is famously liberal about marijuana laws, the Basque Country
is even more so. Walking around San Sebastián, you'll see “grow shops” sporting