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.
When to visit Santander
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.
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.
Train
Renfe is the most popular train carrier serving Santander, followed by Train. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 07m and costs around €44 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Alicante, expect to pay about €96 for a 7h 22m 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 CLICK RENT and Alamo, among others, in Bilbao.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Santander, including ALSA, FlixBus and BlaBlaBus. From Madrid, the bus ride to Santander takes 531 km and will cost you around €49. From Bordeaux, the ticket costs about €61 for a journey of 628 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.
Airlines serving 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 €61 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €187 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
Hiring a car in Santander
Hiring a car in Santander costs €37 per day, on average, or €112 if you want to hire it for 3 days.
You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 54% more expensive than at Santander.
Expect to pay €1.49 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 €17.85 and €23.80. The most frequently booked car type in Santander is Compact (Ford Focus or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Kia Sportage or similar) is, on average, 55% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.