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
€32
1 night at 3-star hotel
Santander in April
Estimated hotel price
€32
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.

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 Rentbycar, among others, in Bilbao.

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.

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 Rentbycar, among others, in Bilbao.

Airports near Santander

SDRSantander
VITVitoria-Gasteiz
BIOBilbao

Airlines serving Santander

Lufthansa
Good (8,162 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,550 reviews)
British Airways
Good (8,128 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,454 reviews)
SWISS
Good (2,019 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,488 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,260 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,627 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (950 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (10,046 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,744 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,903 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,215 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (11,399 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,427 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,492 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (424 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,431 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (2,350 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (5,445 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 €85 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €196 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hotel Picos De Europa and Pension Plaza.

Where to stay in popular areas of Santander

Most booked hotels in Santander

See all
Hotel Bahía
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
€120+
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Santemar
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
€102+
View
Hotel Chiqui
3 stars
Excellent (8.8, Excellent reviews)
€97+
View
Hotel Palacio del Mar
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
€103+
View
Hotel Montañés
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
€69+
View

Hiring a car in Santander

Hiring a car in Santander costs €30 per day, on average, or €91 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 30% cheaper than airport locations in Santander.

Expect to pay €1.62 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 €19.39 and €25.85. Compact (Skoda Scala or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Santander, while also 37% cheaper than other types, on average.

Hiring a car in Santander costs €30 per day, on average, or €91 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 30% cheaper than airport locations in Santander.

Expect to pay €1.62 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 €19.39 and €25.85. Compact (Skoda Scala or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Santander, while also 37% cheaper than other types, on average.

Find car hire in Santander