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
€31
1 night at 3-star hotel
Santander in April
Estimated hotel price
€31
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 most popular train carrier serving Santander, followed by Train. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 20m and costs around €31 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Oviedo, expect to pay about €51 for a 6h 32m 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 CLICK RENT , 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 165 miles and will cost you around €31. From Zaragoza, the ticket costs about €63 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 most popular train carrier serving Santander, followed by Train. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 20m and costs around €31 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Oviedo, expect to pay about €51 for a 6h 32m 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 CLICK RENT , 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 165 miles and will cost you around €31. From Zaragoza, the ticket costs about €63 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

Lufthansa
Good (7,964 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,512 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,937 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,465 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,345 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,926 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,204 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,582 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (913 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,678 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,767 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,724 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,983 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,192 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,392 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (404 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (2,226 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,434 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,310 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (5,355 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 €66 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €142 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

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Santemar
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
€72+
View
Hotel Chiqui
3 stars
Excellent (8.8, Excellent reviews)
€95+
View
Hotel Montañés
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
€54+
View

Hiring a car in Santander

Hiring a car in Santander costs €29 per day, on average, or €86 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

Expect to pay €1.51 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 €18.06 and €24.08.

Hiring a car in Santander costs €29 per day, on average, or €86 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

Expect to pay €1.51 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 €18.06 and €24.08.

Find car hire in Santander