How to reach Santander

Location and Access

Santander is located by the North shoreline of Spain. It is well connected with the two most important Spanish cities (Madrid and

Barcelona) and it is quite close to Bilbao (120 km). There are various ways to reach Santander and below we provide a brief description.

 

By plane

To reach Santander by plane, you can either use the local airport or arrive at Bilbao airport (with several European connections). The road trip from Bilbao (Highway A8) is rather comfortable and quick.

 

Santander International Airport (SDR)

https://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-Santander/en/Page/1047570394998/

 

Santander Airport (SDR) is located 7 km away from the downtown and has regular flights to Madrid and Barcelona operated by Air Nostrum (Iberia’s carrier for short and domestic flights).

In addition, a number of international connections are also operated, mostly by Ryanair.

 From Santander Airport to the Sardinero area (where most of the hotels are located), a taxi ride would be around 20 EUR. There is a bus connection to the downtown and from there, local buses can be used to reach the hotels.

 

Bilbao International Airport (BIO)

Another alternative is to use Bilbao airport (with several European connections), and then travel to Santander by rented car or bus. UC can arrange a shuttle service at a price of around 120 EUR if people are interested.