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

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When to visit Santander

Santander in January
Estimated hotel price
C$ 96
1 night at 3-star hotel
Santander in January
Estimated hotel price
C$ 96
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 The shortest flight to Santander from Canada departs from Montreal and takes around 57h 40m.

Train

Renfe is the only carrier operating train routes to Santander. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 05m and costs around C$ 44 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Oviedo, expect to pay about C$ 26 for a 5h 37m 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 rental from Bilbao, which is about 74 km from Santander. You’ll find branches of Rentbycar and Ok Mobility, among others, in Bilbao.

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 C$ 25. From Oviedo, the ticket costs about C$ 47 for a journey of 217 km. The most popular bus station is Santander, located 0.3 km from downtown 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 The shortest flight to Santander from Canada departs from Montreal and takes around 57h 40m.

Train

Renfe is the only carrier operating train routes to Santander. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 05m and costs around C$ 44 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Oviedo, expect to pay about C$ 26 for a 5h 37m 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 rental from Bilbao, which is about 74 km from Santander. You’ll find branches of Rentbycar and Ok Mobility, among others, in Bilbao.

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 C$ 25. From Oviedo, the ticket costs about C$ 47 for a journey of 217 km. The most popular bus station is Santander, located 0.3 km from downtown 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 (7,044 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,334 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,837 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,588 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,934 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,790 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,698 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,446 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (780 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,696 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,563 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,244 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,349 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (346 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,069 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,275 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,851 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,203 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (967 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (5,053 reviews)
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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 C$ 109 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 331 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

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Hotel Bahía
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
C$ 168+
View
Santemar
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
C$ 116+
View
Silken Río Santander
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
C$ 119+
View
Silken Coliseum
4 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
C$ 132+
View

Renting a car in Santander

Expect to pay C$ 2.26 per litre in Santander (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 27.08 and C$ 36.10. Compact (Seat Arona or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Santander, while also 80% cheaper than other types, on average.

Expect to pay C$ 2.26 per litre in Santander (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 27.08 and C$ 36.10. Compact (Seat Arona or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Santander, while also 80% cheaper than other types, on average.

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.