Santander: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Santander is a city of 173,635 people in Spain (Cantabria), 1 m (3 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Bilbao Airport (BIO), 75 km (47 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Santander runs from about 9 h a day in late December to 15 h 29 min in late June (computed for 43.47° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Santander is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Bilbao Airport (BIO), 75 km (47 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,530 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport (SDR, 4 km).
Flights to Santander: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Santander · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Madrid, 339 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Zaragoza, 313 km
- Bilbao, 75 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Valladolid, 215 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Gijón, 150 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Bordeaux, 299 km (France) — buses · car rental · tours
- Gasteiz / Vitoria, 115 km — buses · car rental · tours
- A Coruña, 371 km — buses · car rental
- Ciudad Lineal, 336 km
- Oviedo, 165 km — buses · car rental · tours
Common questions
Which airport serves Santander?
Bilbao Airport (BIO), 75 km (47 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Santander?
About 173,635 people live in Santander (GeoNames).
What time zone is Santander in?
Europe/Madrid, currently UTC+2.
What currency is used in Santander?
The Euro (EUR). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Santander?
Madrid (339 km), Zaragoza (313 km), Bilbao (75 km), Valladolid (215 km), Gijón (150 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.