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 4 km 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 Valladolid takes 3h 51m and costs around €25 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Madrid, expect to pay about €46 for a 4h 20m trip. Located 0.5 km from the city centre, Santander is the busiest station in Santander. Another popular train station is Santander Valdecilla, located 1.8 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Santander is to pick up a car hire from Bilbao, which is about 74 km from Santander. You’ll find branches of Record Go and CLICK RENT , among others, in Bilbao.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Santander using ALSA or Bus. From Bilbao, the bus ride to Santander takes 129 km and will cost you around €16. From Oviedo, the ticket costs about €47 for a journey of 217 km. The most popular bus station is Santander, located 0.3 km from the city centre of Santander. Santander Peñacastillo is also a commonly used station, and is 5 km from the city centre.

Plane

When flying to Santander, you’ll arrive at Santander Airport (SDR), which is located 4 km 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 Valladolid takes 3h 51m and costs around €25 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Madrid, expect to pay about €46 for a 4h 20m trip. Located 0.5 km from the city centre, Santander is the busiest station in Santander. Another popular train station is Santander Valdecilla, located 1.8 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Santander is to pick up a car hire from Bilbao, which is about 74 km from Santander. You’ll find branches of Record Go and CLICK RENT , among others, in Bilbao.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Santander using ALSA or Bus. From Bilbao, the bus ride to Santander takes 129 km and will cost you around €16. From Oviedo, the ticket costs about €47 for a journey of 217 km. The most popular bus station is Santander, located 0.3 km from the city centre of Santander. Santander Peñacastillo is also a commonly used station, and is 5 km from the city centre.

Airports near Santander

SDRSantander
VITVitoria-Gasteiz
BIOBilbao

Airlines serving Santander

Lufthansa
Good (7,216 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,374 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,151 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,661 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,957 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,907 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,842 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,865 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,465 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (814 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,604 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,424 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,743 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,099 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (349 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,223 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,316 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,922 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (5,148 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (935 reviews)
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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 €82 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €266 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hospedaje Magallanes and Santander Central Hostel.

Where to stay in popular areas of Santander

Most booked hotels in Santander

See all
Hotel Bahia
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
€112+
View
Santemar
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
€71+
View
Silken Coliseum
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
€92+
View
Silken Rio Santander
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
€91+
View

Hiring a car in Santander

Hiring a car in Santander costs €27 per day, on average, or €81 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 14% cheaper than airport locations in Santander.

Expect to pay €1.50 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 €18.00 and €24.00. The most frequently booked car type in Santander is Economy (Seat Ibiza or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Citroen C3 Aircross or similar) is, on average, 41% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Santander costs €27 per day, on average, or €81 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 14% cheaper than airport locations in Santander.

Expect to pay €1.50 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 €18.00 and €24.00. The most frequently booked car type in Santander is Economy (Seat Ibiza or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Citroen C3 Aircross or similar) is, on average, 41% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Find car hire in Santander

Santander Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Santander city guide for the best Santander travel tips. To help you organise your Santander trip ideas, this Santander visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.