Mobissimo

San Sebastián has garnered a certain popularity recently.  It's location on the train from Paris to Madrid makes it a convenient stop for backpackers going south.  A resurgence in Spanish cuisine has been led by Basque chefs, bringing many foodies to the city as well as the building of the Kursaal Exhibition Hall that hosts the growing San Sebastian film festival.

WHY GO NOW San Sebastián lies at the heart of the long-contested Basque region of Spain, suppressed under Franco and a locus of secessionist tensions for over a generation. The militant Basque separatist group ETA — Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque Homeland and Freedom) — announced a cease-fire in March, ending 38 years of violence. Thousands protested in Madrid in early June after Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero’s government agreed to talks with ETA. Among contested issues are the demands of Basque families looking for good-faith prisoner releases — prisoners, other Spaniards say, who were convicted of bombings and assasinations.

Enough about the ETA.  I've been going for almost 2 decades and San Sebastian will always be one of my favourite places.  Apart from the proliferation of dirty backpackers, the english speaking kids handing out flyers to pubs, to boardwalk being filled with less and less formally dressed people, San Sebastian seems to remain impervious to change.  On a visit a month ago, the TGV is planning on stopping in San Sebastian instead of Irun, effectly opening up SS to even more tourism.  Basques are inherently close-knit (read ethanocentric) so anything that brings more outsiders in is not welcome.  However, there is no time like the present to go.  A MobiCombo to San Sebastian would be the best bet to get there from the U.S.  Fly to London, then take Ryanair to Biarritz (40kms away) or easyJet to Bilbao (120kms away).  This combo can save you over $300 on a direct flight.  Only Mobissimo searches all the European low cost airlines to make your travel easier.