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. Santander deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Article

When to visit Santander

Santander in January
Estimated hotel price
AED 255
1 night at 3-star hotel
Santander in January
Estimated hotel price
AED 255
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.

Train

Renfe is the only carrier operating train routes to Santander. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 20m and costs around AED 118 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Valencia, expect to pay about AED 184 for a 6h 53m 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.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Santander, including ALSA, FlixBus and Bilman Bus. From Bilbao, the bus ride to Santander takes 105 km and will cost you around AED 66. From Oviedo, the ticket costs about AED 125 for a journey of 217 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.

Plane

When flying to Santander, you’ll arrive at Santander Airport (SDR), which is located 4 km from the city centre.

Train

Renfe is the only carrier operating train routes to Santander. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 20m and costs around AED 118 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Valencia, expect to pay about AED 184 for a 6h 53m 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.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Santander, including ALSA, FlixBus and Bilman Bus. From Bilbao, the bus ride to Santander takes 105 km and will cost you around AED 66. From Oviedo, the ticket costs about AED 125 for a journey of 217 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.

Airports near Santander

SDRSantander
VITVitoria-Gasteiz
BIOBilbao

Airlines serving Santander

Lufthansa
Good (7,029 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,333 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,806 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,582 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,920 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,775 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,685 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,442 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (780 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,685 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,560 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (345 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,195 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,344 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,066 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,272 reviews)
TAP Portugal
Good (1,845 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,202 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (967 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (5,047 reviews)
Show more

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 AED 287 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to AED 861 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hospedaje Magallanes and Santander Central Hostel.

Where to stay in popular areas of Santander

Most booked hotels in Santander

See all
Hotel Bahía
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
AED 437+
View
Santemar
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
AED 301+
View
Silken Río Santander
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
AED 313+
View
Silken Coliseum
4 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
AED 346+
View

Hiring a car in Santander

Expect to pay AED 5.99 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 AED 71.84 and AED 95.79. The most frequently booked car type in Santander is Intermediate (Citroen C4 Picasso or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Ford Fiesta or similar) is, on average, 16% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Expect to pay AED 5.99 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 AED 71.84 and AED 95.79. The most frequently booked car type in Santander is Intermediate (Citroen C4 Picasso or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Ford Fiesta or similar) is, on average, 16% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Find car hire in Santander

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