Introduction
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Renting a car

Sunderland travel guide

Sunderland Tourism | Sunderland Guide

You're Going to Love Sunderland

With a population of 177,965, Sunderland is a must-see destination in England, United Kingdom. We recommend you stay at least 5 days in order to fully appreciate everything Sunderland has to offer.

Where to Eat in Sunderland

If you’re looking for affordable options, San Marino at Hanover Place (San Marino at Hanover Place) and House of Zen Seaburn (Whitburn Road) are great picks.

When to visit Sunderland

Sunderland in May
Estimated hotel price
$67
1 night at 3-star hotel
Sunderland in May
Estimated hotel price
$67
1 night at 3-star hotel

How to Get to Sunderland

Plane

Although Sunderland doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Newcastle Airport (UK) (NCL), which is located 25 km from Sunderland. The shortest flight to Sunderland from the United States departs from Boston and takes around 9h 40m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Sunderland, followed by LNER. The train journey from Sunderland to London takes 2h 47m and costs around $241 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Bristol, expect to pay about $185 for a 5h 12m trip. Located 1.1 km from the city center, Sunderland Stadium of Light is the busiest station in Sunderland. Another popular train station is Sunderland Seaburn, located 2.7 km from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Sunderland is to pick up a car rental from Edinburgh, which is about 163 km from Sunderland. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and Hertz, among others, in Edinburgh.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Sunderland, including FlixBus, National Express and Megabus. From Leeds, the bus ride to Sunderland takes 185 km and will cost you around $11. From Edinburgh, the ticket costs about $17 for a journey of 249 km. Sunderland’s bus station is located 0.3 km from the city center.

Plane

Although Sunderland doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Newcastle Airport (UK) (NCL), which is located 25 km from Sunderland. The shortest flight to Sunderland from the United States departs from Boston and takes around 9h 40m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Sunderland, followed by LNER. The train journey from Sunderland to London takes 2h 47m and costs around $241 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Bristol, expect to pay about $185 for a 5h 12m trip. Located 1.1 km from the city center, Sunderland Stadium of Light is the busiest station in Sunderland. Another popular train station is Sunderland Seaburn, located 2.7 km from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Sunderland is to pick up a car rental from Edinburgh, which is about 163 km from Sunderland. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and Hertz, among others, in Edinburgh.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Sunderland, including FlixBus, National Express and Megabus. From Leeds, the bus ride to Sunderland takes 185 km and will cost you around $11. From Edinburgh, the ticket costs about $17 for a journey of 249 km. Sunderland’s bus station is located 0.3 km from the city center.

Airports near Sunderland

MMEDarlington Teesside Intl
NCLNewcastle upon Tyne
LBALeeds/Bradford

Airlines serving Sunderland

Lufthansa
Good (7,044 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,334 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,836 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,935 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,698 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,446 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,215 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,563 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,275 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,203 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (967 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,292 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (5,053 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (852 reviews)
Aer Lingus
Good (1,076 reviews)
Malaysia Airlines
Good (254 reviews)
easyJet
Good (1,799 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (1,459 reviews)
China Eastern
Good (148 reviews)
Eurowings
Good (276 reviews)
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Find flights to Sunderland

Where to stay in Sunderland

There are also lots of vacation rental options in Sunderland, with prices from $51 to $1,592 per night. Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Sunderland are about 30% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.

Most popular hotel in Sunderland by neighborhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Sunderland

Most booked hotels in Sunderland

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The Seaton Lane Inn - The Inn Collection Group
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, 1372 reviews)
$118+
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Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland
3 stars
Excellent (8.5, 2303 reviews)
$98+
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Highfield Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.5, 1659 reviews)
$95+
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Grand Hotel Sunderland
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, 2617 reviews)
$97+
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The Lambton Worm
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, 1901 reviews)
$95+
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Holiday Inn Washington
3 stars
Excellent (8.1, 1606 reviews)
$82+
View

Renting a car in Sunderland

Expect to pay $6.59 per gallon in Sunderland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $79.04 and $105.39. The most frequently booked car type in Sunderland is Intermediate (Vauxhall Zafira Tourer or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini rental cars (Citroen C1 or similar) are, on average, 76% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Expect to pay $6.59 per gallon in Sunderland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $79.04 and $105.39. The most frequently booked car type in Sunderland is Intermediate (Vauxhall Zafira Tourer or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini rental cars (Citroen C1 or similar) are, on average, 76% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Find car rentals in Sunderland

Sunderland Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Sunderland city guide for the best Sunderland travel tips. To help you organize your Sunderland trip ideas, this Sunderland visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.