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 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″.
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 center. The shortest flight to Santander from the United States departs from Miami and takes around 12h 05m.
Train
Renfe is the only carrier operating train routes to Santander. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 05m and costs around $36 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Alicante, expect to pay about $89 for a 7h 21m 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 Hertz and Europcar, among others, in Bilbao.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Santander, including ALSA, FlixBus and BlaBlaBus. From San Sebastian, the bus ride to Santander takes 160 miles and will cost you around $18. From Madrid, the ticket costs about $46 for a journey of 330 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.
Airlines serving Santander
Where to stay in Santander
Average rates range from around $75 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $248 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
Renting a car in Santander
Renting a car in Santander costs $35 per day, on average, or $106 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 20% cheaper than airport locations in Santander.
Expect to pay $6.78 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 $81.31 and $108.41. The most frequently booked car type in Santander is Intermediate (Volkswagen T-Cross or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini rental cars (Smart Forfour or similar) are, on average, 66% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.