Introduction
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Renting 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 December
Estimated hotel price
$63
1 night at 3-star hotel
Santander in December
Estimated hotel price
$63
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Santander in August, when the average temperature is 68 °F, and the highest can go up to 75.2 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 42.8 °F, with an average temperature of 50 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in November, when precipitation is around 5.1″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Santander, with an average rainfall of 1.6″.

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 center. The shortest flight to Santander from the United States departs from New York and takes around 10h.

Train

Renfe is the only carrier operating train routes to Santander. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 20m and costs around $46 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Oviedo, expect to pay about $33 for a 6h 00m trip. Located 0.3 miles from the city center, Santander is the busiest station in Santander. Another popular train station is Santander Valdecilla, located 1.1 miles from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Santander is to pick up a car rental from Bilbao, which is about 46 miles from Santander. You’ll find branches of Record Go and Centauro, among others, in Bilbao.

Bus

ALSA operates bus routes to Santander. From Bilbao, the bus ride to Santander takes 90 miles and will cost you around $19. From Oviedo, the ticket costs about $52 for a journey of 135 miles. The most popular bus station is Santander, located 0.2 miles from downtown Santander. Santander Peñacastillo is also a commonly used station, and is 3 miles from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Santander, you’ll arrive at Santander Airport (SDR), which is located 2 miles from the city center. The shortest flight to Santander from the United States departs from New York and takes around 10h.

Train

Renfe is the only carrier operating train routes to Santander. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 20m and costs around $46 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Oviedo, expect to pay about $33 for a 6h 00m trip. Located 0.3 miles from the city center, Santander is the busiest station in Santander. Another popular train station is Santander Valdecilla, located 1.1 miles from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Santander is to pick up a car rental from Bilbao, which is about 46 miles from Santander. You’ll find branches of Record Go and Centauro, among others, in Bilbao.

Bus

ALSA operates bus routes to Santander. From Bilbao, the bus ride to Santander takes 90 miles and will cost you around $19. From Oviedo, the ticket costs about $52 for a journey of 135 miles. The most popular bus station is Santander, located 0.2 miles from downtown Santander. Santander Peñacastillo is also a commonly used station, and is 3 miles from the city center.

Airports near Santander

SDRSantander
VITVitoria-Gasteiz
BIOBilbao

Airlines serving Santander

Lufthansa
Good (7,200 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,365 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,078 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,969 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,653 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,884 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,810 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,849 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,471 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (807 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,596 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,654 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,413 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,088 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (352 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,299 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,222 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,910 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (919 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (998 reviews)
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Find flights to Santander

Where to stay in Santander

Average rates range from around $103 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $307 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hotel Picos De Europa and Hotel San Glorio.

Where to stay in popular areas of Santander

Most booked hotels in Santander

See all
Hotel Bahia
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, 6470 reviews)
$174+
View
Santemar
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, 5184 reviews)
$125+
View
Château La Roca
3 stars
Excellent (8.7, 1162 reviews)
$88+
View
Hotel Torres de Somo
4 stars
Excellent (8.7, 964 reviews)
$149+
View
Silken Río Santander
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, 3560 reviews)
$143+
View
Silken Coliseum
4 stars
Excellent (8.5, 3627 reviews)
$144+
View

Renting a car in Santander

Renting a car in Santander costs $37 per day, on average, or $112 if you want to rent if for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 10% cheaper than airport locations in Santander.

Expect to pay $6.36 per gallon in Santander (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $76.31 and $101.75. 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 Mini rental cars (Citroen C1 or similar) are, on average, 50% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Santander costs $37 per day, on average, or $112 if you want to rent if for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 10% cheaper than airport locations in Santander.

Expect to pay $6.36 per gallon in Santander (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $76.31 and $101.75. 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 Mini rental cars (Citroen C1 or similar) are, on average, 50% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Find car rentals in Santander

Santander Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Santander city guide for the best Santander travel tips. To help you organize 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.