Yes, Jeff64, can you please give us an update on Biarritz. I used to go there a lot about 10 years ago, when it was easy to get parking and fuel etc. But stopped afterwards when it seemed to become impossible.
For Biarritz, I can’t really say cause I am flying in an historical aeroclub and even if things can change (our lease is due next year), so far, we have pretty good exchanges with the direction of the airport, and the air traffic controllers.
I see regularly GA’s aircraft parked, so it is not impossible.
Airport
Airport is opened to all aircraft, provided you have a radio and transponder.
Fees are listed about 35 € (<2t) for landing, and about the same for 24hrs parking during spring and summer (1,41€ per hour and per ton). Almost of third of that for parking during fall and winter.
Handling
Handling is not mandatory below 4tons.
But the only handling company on site manages the aircraft parking, and they tend to limit light aircraft to keep space for last minute private jets which are much more rentable.
That is the reason of the NOTAM instating mandatory PPR.
I have seen, and heard of, of GA pilots who contacted and sent emails to the handler, (without getting answer I guess), and who were not granted parking.
A few tried to come on the south side (where the aeroclub and a few private are), but parking is limited and full with the local flights during the busy season, so we can not welcome them on more than one or two day (and not during the busy weekends), and the safety convention with the airport prevent us from accepting them (except if they are taken into account by a local member who must be there to get them in and out).
So I can not say what make the handler accept GA or not, but I know you need to be very careful of the confirmation.
Air Traffic Control
ATC is generally very welcoming. But they have been short staffed for more than a year (some say it is intentional, by the DGAC, to “prove” the service does not work, and to merge the approach with the one of Pau or Bordeaux).
So for the last year, we have had a lot of NOTAMS. At some point, airfield was prohibited to non-based VFR, or to training IFR flights.
Currently, it is open to anyone, but :
- a PPR is required 5 min before startup for local flights (if too much local traffic, you can be denied)
- Flight Information Service is not provided in the FIS area (outside class D).
One Biarritz report, from a few years ago, is here and some recent ones put it around the €200 area, though obviously it depends on weight (at some airports, over 1500kg e.g. an SR22 often pay a lot more).
But maybe the past handling practices have stopped?
It would be wonderful to have a report on the EuroGA Airport Database because one can then easily find the info 
Nice trip report thanks for sharing, nice to see that weather line up on data link and the visual confirmation
I always avoided looking bellow over the Pyrénées, it just look unfriendly all the way until I reach the Med or the Atlantic !
Biarritz non-mandatory handling is from the redevance guide. But according to the fact that the handling company manages the parking and is a mandatory passage for getting in and out, they probably charge anyway.
By the way, the local GTA (Gendarmerie des Transports Aériens / Air Transport Police) does not detain anymore the record of the number of ramp check in France. According to a good friend of mine who was the number 2 of the squad, now retired but still a reservist, the number of theses ramp checks has been divided by four in the last 4 years.
But in 2014, they indeed inspected more than 400 aircrafts, more than bigger platforms like Marseille or Bordeaux !!
Of course Peter, I will make a report on the airport database ;)
WOW 400 aircraft ramp checked at Biarritz in 2014… probably 395 of them were N-reg
No wonder the place got a “reputation”!
That’s a brilliant informative post, jeff64.
Thank you jeff64. useful info.
Peter wrote:
WOW 400 aircraft ramp checked at Biarritz in 2014… probably 395 of them were N-reg
No wonder the place got a “reputation”!
I still landed there coming from Morocco in an N-reg, all friendly with customs just slow
The place is nice, price was in 100€ region for landing & parking & fuel is way cheaper than SanSebastian, so worth that PPR for parking, I agree it is not just turn up as you wish and land there now, funny how one can do that in Toulouse Blanganc or Bordeaux but not Biarritz, so it has to do with BizJets and “propellerphobia” 
Dear all, is Empuriabrava (LEAP), Castelló d’Empúries, Girona (province), Catalonia, Spain a possible alternative in contrast to Girona or is it rather problematic for a weekend trip due to the private (?) operator and no possibility for hangaring.
Has anybody informations about this destination?
