Getting Your Bearings
Santander is a port city and the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on Spain's northern coast. The city sprawls, but the places a visitor actually wants to see sit within a compact centre that is best explored on foot. The three main transport hubs — the bus station, the mainline railway station and the cercanías (suburban rail) station — are grouped together in the city centre, which makes switching between modes straightforward once you arrive.
Walking
Walking is the most practical way to cover the centre. The stretch from the Town Hall and cathedral out to the Magdalena headland or Sardinero beach is a long but very doable walk, and the route via Paseo Pereda and the Puerto Chico marina to the El Sardinero beaches is a pleasant one at a relaxed pace.
The terrain is not uniformly flat. The city rises inland, so expect some steep streets if you head away from the waterfront. Helpfully, Santander has installed mechanical ramps and escalators — often called urban lifts — on some of the steepest streets, connecting the lower city to the higher residential districts. Around the cathedral and Plaza Porticada you'll find pedestrian-only zones that are paved and accessible for strollers and wheelchairs, and crossings and street lighting are generally good in the evenings.
City Buses (TUS)
Transportes Urbanos de Santander, or TUS, runs the city's blue-and-white bus network. Most routes pass through the central axis of Paseo Pereda and the Ayuntamiento, and the lines connecting the centre with the El Sardinero beaches run frequently during peak daylight hours. In summer, extra "S" lines are added for coastal access, and "Nocturno" night buses run on Friday and Saturday nights, serving residential and nightlife districts.
Board at the front door and exit at the middle or rear. Drivers sell single tickets for cash only, and may not be able to break notes larger than €20, so carry small change. Real-time arrival displays at bus stops let you see when the next bus is due.
If you're staying more than a day, the rechargeable Tarjeta de Transporte card is the better deal: it brings the per-journey price down substantially, allows free transfers within one hour, and is multi-person, so you can tap it several times for a group. It is not valid on the airport bus. Buy and load the card in advance at estancos (tobacco shops) or kiosks near the main bus stops — not on board. The TUS website lists these outlets along with other ticket deals such as junior fares. A TUS mobile app provides real-time arrivals, route planning and a stop map. Keep your ticket or card until you leave the bus.
Rail, Metro and Tram
Santander has no metro or tram system. Rail service is provided by Renfe, with long-distance trains and the cercanías suburban network. The mainline and cercanías stations sit alongside the bus station in the centre, so connections between them are easy. The cercanías lines serve towns around the bay and the wider region, making them useful for day trips rather than for getting around the city itself.
Tourist Buses and the Magdalena Train
A City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus circles the city roughly hourly, starting from the cathedral and calling at Paseo Pereda, the maritime museum, the festival palace and planetarium, the Palacio de la Magdalena, Playa de Sardinero, the Cabo Mayor lighthouse, Mataleñas, the university, Avenida Valdecilla, Cuatro Caminos and Barrio Pesquero. The full circuit takes a while, and tickets are valid for 24 hours. The ticket also includes free admission to the Centro Botín contemporary art gallery, and the section out to the Palacio de la Magdalena is covered by a little red road-train — you can also buy a cheaper ticket for just that portion if that's all you want.
Separately, a tourist train runs a circular route around the Magdalena Peninsula, departing from the Campa de la Magdalena near the park entrance. It runs frequently in high season with a reduced schedule in winter, takes in views of the mini-zoo, the royal stables and the coastline, and includes a brief photo stop near the palace. Tickets are available at the boarding point or are included with certain City Sightseeing passes. Check the final departure time if you're visiting late in the afternoon.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are white with a diagonal blue stripe on the front doors, and there are ranks at the bus and railway stations, at the airport, and at Plaza de Italia, among other places. A dozen operators work the city. Fares are metered, with higher rates at night, on Sundays and on public holidays. Most taxis accept credit cards, but it's worth asking first. You can book by app or through the local radio-taxi service.
Ride-hailing has a limited presence in Santander, and traditional taxis dominate. Taxis are a sensible choice if you're arriving with luggage or heading to the ferry terminal.
Bikes
The city's bike-share scheme has been out of service, so don't count on it. If you do cycle, note that the waterfront route from the ferry terminal out to the Magdalena Peninsula is flat, while the streets climbing inland toward the northern districts are steep.
Getting In from the Airport
Seve Ballesteros–Santander Airport (SDR) sits at Camargo, just east of the city, and is a single small terminal with the usual facilities on both sides of security. One quirk worth knowing: for non-Schengen departures, don't go through passport control until about 45 minutes before your flight, because the gates beyond have no toilets or other facilities.
There are three main ways into the city:
- Bus: An Alsa bus runs from outside Arrivals to the city bus station roughly every half hour through the day, a short ride into town. Buy tickets from the machine in Arrivals — which also sells tickets to other cities — or from the driver. Note that the TUS rechargeable card does not cover this service.
- Train: There is no station at the airport itself. The nearest is Maliaño, about a 25-minute walk away, from where cercanías trains run to Santander's central station roughly twice an hour. This is the cheapest option but involves the walk and a separate ticket, which the TUS card also does not cover.
- Taxi or ride-hailing: Taxis wait in front of the terminal and accept credit cards; the trip to the centre is short. Ride-hailing is also available and can work out slightly cheaper. After the last airport bus of the evening, these are your only options.
The airport is also linked to the A-8 motorway, which runs east toward Bilbao and west into Asturias, if you're continuing your journey by road.
Arriving by Bus, Train or Ferry
Long-distance buses arrive at the central bus station, which has the most facilities of the three adjacent stations: much of it is underground, with cafés, ticket offices and machines, and left-luggage, while long-distance services use the lower basement. Local buses drop off and pick up on the surrounding plaza, including the airport bus on the south flank of the terminal building.
Renfe trains arrive at the mainline station next door, and the cercanías station is part of the same cluster. The ferry terminal is also central, just off Calle Antonio López near the bus and railway stations, so foot passengers arriving by sea are already within walking distance of the city centre.