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.

When to visit Santander

Santander in January
Estimated hotel price
S$ 110
1 night at 3-star hotel
Santander in January
Estimated hotel price
S$ 110
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 most popular train carrier serving Santander, followed by Train. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 07m and costs around S$ 63 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Alicante, expect to pay about S$ 138 for a 7h 22m 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 BlaBlaBus. From Madrid, the bus ride to Santander takes 531 km and will cost you around S$ 70. From Bordeaux, the ticket costs about S$ 87 for a journey of 628 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 most popular train carrier serving Santander, followed by Train. The train journey from Santander to Madrid takes 4h 07m and costs around S$ 63 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Alicante, expect to pay about S$ 138 for a 7h 22m 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 BlaBlaBus. From Madrid, the bus ride to Santander takes 531 km and will cost you around S$ 70. From Bordeaux, the ticket costs about S$ 87 for a journey of 628 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

Airlines serving Santander

Lufthansa
Good (7,165 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,350 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,839 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (8,828 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,646 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,883 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,668 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,885 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (818 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,216 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,530 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (8,126 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,316 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (379 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,238 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,303 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,892 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (887 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (833 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (5,297 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 S$ 88 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to S$ 269 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hospedaje Magallanes and Hotel Picos De Europa.

Where to stay in popular areas of Santander

Most booked hotels in Santander

Santemar
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, Excellent reviews)
S$ 90+
Hotel Bahia
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, Excellent reviews)
S$ 104+
Silken Coliseum
4 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
S$ 87+
Silken Río Santander
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
S$ 79+

Hiring a car in Santander

Expect to pay S$ 2.14 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 S$ 25.63 and S$ 34.17. The most frequently booked car type in Santander is Economy (Class Economy Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini car hire (Volkswagen up! or similar) is, on average, 77% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Expect to pay S$ 2.14 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 S$ 25.63 and S$ 34.17. The most frequently booked car type in Santander is Economy (Class Economy Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini car hire (Volkswagen up! or similar) is, on average, 77% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.