Unfortunately, housing during the running of the bulls can be the greatest barrier to enjoying all aspects of the San Fermín festival. Many people opt to stay in larger cities like Bilbao and San Sebastian, commuting into Pamplona. Unless you’re a VERY early riser, that’s not advisable - especially after a night of sangria or Pacheran. The streets around the running of the bulls fill by 7:00 a.m. most days, and you still have to find parking before that. Add on your travel time, and you might as well have stayed up all night.
How does the apartment rental process work?
Renting a hotel room or a private apartment is quite expensive during San Fermín because of the very high demand. If you would like to save some money you could rent rooms within shared apartments. Almost always, apartments are located in the historic city center or just outside of it. Rooms have comfortable beds with fresh and clean linens. For shared apartments there are unfortunately no towels provided and bathrooms are shared with all other occupants. The cost per person, per night is: EUR 110. If you would like a private room you would have to pay for all the beds in it. Sometimes rooms only have one bed but more often 2.
PamplonaBalconies.com works with owners of Pamplona apartments to make them available to you during the San Fermín Festival. Many people who come to run with the bulls don’t know that Pamplona hotels can only accommodate about 0.5% of the people who swarm into Pamplona looking for hotel rooms. Because of the huge influx of people, Pamplona apartment owners are happy to make offers that work for them and for the traveler to Pamplona. Pamplona apartment owners know that the apartments along the bull run route (Mercaderes & Estafeta streets) are more valuable locations... especially if the apartment has a balcony for watching the running of the bulls each morning.
We work with local homeowners to find the best possible locations for apartments in Pamplona. Sometimes, this means our availability is limited, but we strive to fulfill every request we can. We are adding new Pamplona apartments on a regular basis.
Living like a king - Pamplona Hotels
Prices for hotel rooms in Pamplona range from 300 Euros to 1500 Euros per night in the city center. As you move farther out, you may increase your likelihood of finding hotel rooms at a better rate, but you’re still looking at 200 Euros a night for a three-star hotel room in the Pamplona area. If you are running with the bulls, or are going to watch the running of the bulls, you should seriously consider staying within walking distance of the bull run route. Parking in Pamplona during the San Fermín Festival is a nightmare. Getting into town in time for the bull run is a gamble, unless you’re with a tour company who knows what they’re doing.
If you definitely want a hotel room in Pamplona, then book between December and February. My favorite hotels in Pamplona are the Hotel Maissonave, the hotel Hotel Puerra del Camino, the renovated La Perla Hotel Pamplona, and the Hotel Tres Reyes Pamplona. If you want easy online booking for Pamplona Hotels, be sure you check out the NH Hotels, Iruña Park and Augosinos.
