Introduction
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Hiring a car

Santander travel guide

Santander Tourism | Santander Guide

You're Going to Love Santander

With a population of 182,700, Santander is the largest city in Cantabria, Spain by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Santander has to offer.

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When to visit Santander

Santander in April
Estimated hotel price
€30
1 night at 3-star hotel
Santander in April
Estimated hotel price
€30
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Santander in August, when the average temperature is 20 °C, and the highest can go up to 24 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 6 °C, with an average temperature of 10 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in November, when precipitation is around 130 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Santander, with an average rainfall of 40 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Santander

Plane

When flying to Santander, you’ll arrive at Santander Airport (SDR), which is located 2 miles from the city centre. The shortest flight to Santander from Ireland departs from Dublin and takes around 2h 05m.

Train

Renfe is the only carrier operating train routes to Santander. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 20m and costs around €29 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Valencia, expect to pay about €84 for a 6h 53m trip. Located 0.3 miles from the city centre, Santander is the busiest station in Santander. Another popular train station is Santander Valdecilla, located 1.1 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Santander is to pick up a car hire from Bilbao, which is about 46 miles from Santander. You’ll find branches of Record Go and Rentbycar, among others, in Bilbao.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Santander, including ALSA, FlixBus and Bus. From Oviedo, the bus ride to Santander takes 135 miles and will cost you around €30. From Madrid, the ticket costs about €65 for a journey of 330 miles. The most popular bus station is Santander, located 0.2 miles from the city centre of Santander. Santander Peñacastillo is also a commonly used station, and is 3 miles from the city centre.

Plane

When flying to Santander, you’ll arrive at Santander Airport (SDR), which is located 2 miles from the city centre. The shortest flight to Santander from Ireland departs from Dublin and takes around 2h 05m.

Train

Renfe is the only carrier operating train routes to Santander. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 20m and costs around €29 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Valencia, expect to pay about €84 for a 6h 53m trip. Located 0.3 miles from the city centre, Santander is the busiest station in Santander. Another popular train station is Santander Valdecilla, located 1.1 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Santander is to pick up a car hire from Bilbao, which is about 46 miles from Santander. You’ll find branches of Record Go and Rentbycar, among others, in Bilbao.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Santander, including ALSA, FlixBus and Bus. From Oviedo, the bus ride to Santander takes 135 miles and will cost you around €30. From Madrid, the ticket costs about €65 for a journey of 330 miles. The most popular bus station is Santander, located 0.2 miles from the city centre of Santander. Santander Peñacastillo is also a commonly used station, and is 3 miles from the city centre.

Airports near Santander

SDRSantander
VITVitoria-Gasteiz
BIOBilbao

Airlines serving Santander

KLM
Good (1,461 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,818 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,772 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,240 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,239 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,886 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,127 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,371 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,541 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,745 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (901 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,700 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,760 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,182 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,371 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,420 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,180 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (387 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (2,155 reviews)
China Eastern
Good (196 reviews)
Show more
Find flights to Santander

Where to stay in Santander

From 5-star hotels such as the Eurostars Hotel Real to great affordable options like the Las Carolinas Garden, Santander offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around €58 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €111 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hospedaje Magallanes and Hotel Picos De Europa.

Where to stay in popular areas of Santander

Most booked hotels in Santander

See all
Hotel Bahía
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
€69+
View
Santemar
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
€56+
View
Eurostars Hotel Real
5 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
€111+
View
Hotel Palacio del Mar
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
€52+
View
NH Ciudad de Santander
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
€65+
View

Hiring a car in Santander

Hiring a car in Santander costs €23 per day, on average, or €70 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 26% cheaper than airport locations in Santander.

Expect to pay €1.47 per litre in Santander (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between €17.57 and €23.43. The most frequently booked car type in Santander is Full-size (Opel Vivaro or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Citroen C3 or similar) is, on average, 71% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Santander costs €23 per day, on average, or €70 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 26% cheaper than airport locations in Santander.

Expect to pay €1.47 per litre in Santander (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between €17.57 and €23.43. The most frequently booked car type in Santander is Full-size (Opel Vivaro or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Citroen C3 or similar) is, on average, 71% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Find car hire in Santander