Iparbus, six decades on the Basque roads
Iparbus, six decades on the Basque roads
Those who are most familiar with a region’s charming villages, the watchtowers from which to view the landscape, the traditional restaurants that serve up unique flavors, and the most special wineries are those who travel the roads and highways daily discovering new and interesting places. Those who spend the most time traveling over the roads of the Basque Country, Navarre, and La Rioja are the drivers who work for Iparbus, a passenger transport company with more than 65 years of experience. The company’s highly-luxurious fleet consists of black vehicles with 10, 15, 20, 36, 40, and 47 seats that feature ample space between seats and which are equipped with tables, a coffee maker, Wi-Fi, restrooms, etc. They also offer transport solutions for up to seven passengers in high-end Mercedes cars and minivans.
We asked each of the company’s drivers what their most frequent journey was: Jemmy, the driver of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, explained to us that “Transfers to Michelin-starred restaurants are what is most requested by customers. A good gastronomic experience –like the one provided by Arzak, Zuberoa, Mugaritz, and other restaurants– needs a transfer that aligns with the menu selected at the restaurant, with leather seats, climate control, and all the little details expected of this type of vehicle.” Jaione, the driver of a ten-seat minibus, told us that “Journeys with American tourists who come to play golf on the courses in San Sebastian and in the south of France are common, and we normally round off the day at the cider houses of Astigarraga and restaurants with traditional menus on offer. Petritegi is one of the favorite cider houses for the majority of visitors.” Mikel drives a fifteen-seat minibus and notes: “This vehicle is ideal for the wine route; it is spacious and very comfortable. Between one winery and another, the tasters normally use the travel time to have a coffee from the Nespresso machine in the bus. We usually combine small wineries in Laguardia like El Fabulista with others that are more iconic, such as Marqués de Riscal in Elciego and one or two in La Rioja, like Finca de los Arandinos.”
Javier and Ricardo normally drive the largest buses: “We work a lot with cutting-edge companies and factories, to take workers and visitors to their production plants. Many of the employees are foreigners who are visiting the Basque Country for just a few days, so it’s important for them for the vehicle to have good Wi-Fi and USB ports to charge their mobile phones and tablets,” notes Javier, the driver of the company’s twenty-seat bus. Ricardo, the driver of the forty-seat bus, explains that “We do journeys with first-class teams: football, rugby, handball, basketball, golf, swimming, etc. Some trips are many hours in length and, for reasons of safety and time, they are done with two drivers. The athletes are grateful to have tables to play games on, televisions, and lighting that adapts to the different times of the day to make it easier for them to rest and, more importantly, adjustable seats with almost 80 centimeters between each seat to be able to stretch out their legs. What we stock in the minibar and the catering services depend on each individual customer’s requirements.”
The work done by these professional drivers, as well as their customer service, are complemented by the support of the human team working out of the Iparbus headquarters, located in Oiartzun, where they aren’t only responsible for planning itineraries but also for undertaking the custom design of each trip to make it an unforgettable experience. This is Iparbus Luxury Experience – a comprehensive travel service that includes, in addition to journeys with the best human team and excellent vehicles selected to meet the needs of each customer, restaurant reservations, tours of txakoli wineries, multi-lingual guides, etc.
Iparbus has been carrying passengers for more than six decades with the sole aim of moving its customers –whether local or just visiting– to the most beautiful corners of our country.
Iparbus Luxury Class Vip Services
Tel.: +34 943 491 801/ +34 606 305 143
