I shall be driving a van across Spain with my sisters belongings and a newphew in tow who has been stranded in Spain for quite a while with no passport (it fell out of date a couple of years ago, then his mother lost it in various moves). Long story but this mug has volunteered for this rescue mission and of course, I have to sort out my nephew with an emergency travel document, in able to get him back to the UK. I have a choice of going to the Madrid or Bilbao consulate but thought, as we needed to get a ferry at Bilbao or Santander, that Bilbao would be the more convenient choice (I've had reports that Madrid is a nightmare to drive through). Only problem is that it states on the Foreign Office website that Bilbao is only open to people with appointments and I have had no luck getting through to them (volcanic ash strandees overwhelming them I would imagine). Has anyone had experience with the Bilbao consulate? Any help or advice gratefully received.