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 most popular train carrier serving Santander, followed by Train. 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 €54 for a 6h 53m 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

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Santander, including ALSA, FlixBus and rede expressos. From Bilbao, the bus ride to Santander takes 105 km and will cost you around €16. From Oviedo, the ticket costs about €29 for a journey of 241 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 most popular train carrier serving Santander, followed by Train. 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 €54 for a 6h 53m 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

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Santander, including ALSA, FlixBus and rede expressos. From Bilbao, the bus ride to Santander takes 105 km and will cost you around €16. From Oviedo, the ticket costs about €29 for a journey of 241 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

KLM
Good (1,444 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,758 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,706 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,130 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,210 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,864 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,100 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,219 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,728 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,528 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (896 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,676 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,668 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,174 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,378 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,356 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,154 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (381 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (2,131 reviews)
China Eastern
Good (192 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 €56 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €108 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)
€68+
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Eurostars Hotel Real
5 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
€108+
View
Santemar
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, Excellent reviews)
€55+
View
Hotel Palacio del Mar
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
€51+
View

Hiring a car in Santander

Hiring a car in Santander costs €22 per day, on average, or €66 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

Expect to pay €1.42 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 €16.94 and €22.58. Economy (Citroen C3 or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Santander, while also 66% cheaper than other types, on average.

Hiring a car in Santander costs €22 per day, on average, or €66 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

Expect to pay €1.42 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 €16.94 and €22.58. Economy (Citroen C3 or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Santander, while also 66% cheaper than other types, on average.

Find car hire in Santander