We’ve thought of your journey to Spain and we want to help!

While our wedding will be taking place in Secadura ( a small village outside the city) we recommend most guests stay in the city of Santander. This will give you the option to explore so much of the city and have a bit more autonomy. We will handle the arrangements to the wedding venue, so just enjoy all the delights the city has to offer!

Flying to Spain

Transport from the airport to your destination:

There will be many options for flying into Europe (London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt are known connections), but most importantly we need you to arrive at the Santander airport (SDR) or the Bilbao airport (BIO). Both options are under an hour away from the wedding venue. We know arrival day for all of our lovely guests will be a bit chaotic, but we will do our best to make sure everyone knows how they´ll get to their lodging. Of course, if you wish to arrive via another city not a problem, just make sure you can arrange travel to Santander by the 8th or 9th. Please fill out this document so we can help you get where you need to go.

  • Personalized Deluxe Shuttle Service: This option might be the best of the best, after such a long flight an easy, gentle car ride with a complementary water bottle is the perfect thing you need. Plus our chauffers are the best in town… (it´s us, we (Anna or Zdravko) will come pick you up and make sure you get to your lodging safely!) Who knows we might even have some snacks. Due to the distance between airports we might be running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but do not fear, we will get you home <3.

  • Buses: We recommend this option if your ideal itinerary means staying in town, exploring locally and not being dependent on a car. Airports will offer direct buses to the closest city. In case your destination involves traveling farther (Bilbao), Alsa buses can get you to all important towns along the coast for a reasonable price.

  • Car rentals: we encourage this option if you would rather have freedom to move around the province and make the most out of this trip. The rental companies will differ from each airport, but we recommend: Enterprise, Goldcar, EuropCar, National. They will normally require a drivings license, a deposit and an insurance plan (we suggest comprehensive cover, “Todo riesgo“ ). The cheapest place to rent a car in Santander typically is the airport.

  • Uber/Taxi: this is normally the most expensive option per trip, but the most comfortable to your destination. Taxis here are very safe and monitored and by far our recommend option for a ride share service.

    Transport within the city of Santander:

Throughout the week there will be many optional and few obligatory events, we will make comprehensive plans on how to make sure everyone ends up where they need to be. When it comes to traveling within the city or around the province we recommend.

  • Buses: The local in town buses are blue ALSA buses, these are easy to use and only $0.66 per ride. Paying for the fare can be done in cash (euros) directly to the bus driver, or simply tapping your phone if your bank is linked to your apple wallet. In your welcome packed we will outline specific lines that take you to the best stops and where you can catch them. Google Maps also does a great job of keeping track of the bus schedule.

  • E-BIKES: Santander has a pretty comprehensive bike lane system throughout the city. By downloading the TUeBICI app you can rent a bike for very cheap. The first hour is typically free with the option to return your bike to any of the numerous stations around the city or pausing the ride to continue your session.

  • Car rentals: There are numerous paid parking garages across town where you can park your rental car while others are free. In your packet we will attach a list of parking garages along with our recommended locations. The car is a great tool for exploring outside of Santander but can be a bit stressful inside the city.

  • Walking!: Our lovely amazing city is very walkable and the layout makes it hard to get lost. Almost everything worth seeing can be accessed by foot within a 30/40 minute walk. This can give you the freedom to explore and pop into cute shops, stop for an ice cream (REGMA), or rent a kayak for a lovely day on the water.

Other important essentials

  • Please Please PLEASE double check your passport to make sure it is valid until at least the year 2027. Airlines will not let you fly if your passport is set to expire within 6 months of your vacation.

    If you don´t have a passport, get started on that process ASAP as it can take up to several months to receive a new or updated passport.

    https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html/

  • There are companies that will offer temporary eSIM cards (electronic SIM cards not physical ones) for any country. We recommend unlimited data cards as we expect you will be using internet , social media and other communication services extensively during your stay. Options: HolaFly, …….

    If your phone is not unlocked by your service provider it might be easier to call your provider (Verizon, AT&T…) and upgrade to a daily international plan. These can range from $10-$15 a day for full coverage.

    If you want to live in the moment and not use your phone feel free to throw your phone into airplane mode and don´t give it a second thought. This still allows you to connect to wifi and take pictures.

  • Upon your arrival we will be providing everyone with a booklet of information for the week. (Exciting right!?!) This will have restaurants recommendations, beaches, bus routes, itineraries, and a physical map.

    If your phone is working we recommend Google Maps (sorry) as it gives more updated locations and transit information.

  • In the last few years there have been a few new complications to international travel. If your USA flight is directed through the UK you must have a visa to enter the airport. This includes layovers! The process is very easy and links to your travel documentation. All you need to present at the airport is a screenshot of an emailed receipt.

    There have been many scam websites that have popped up, the only way to complete this process is through the UK ETA app. The price should be around $21 USD.

    https://www.gov.uk/eta/apply

  • Make sure you order a charger or adapter that is a European converter. If you forget, no worries! It can be easy to find one here at a local bazar.

    Please be aware of hairdryers as they can catch fire due to the different voltages.

Accommodations

The best places to stay, in our opinion, fall within these general boundaries. Puerto Chico, Centro Santander, Sardinero are all amazing and have many things to do. Across the bay is a town called Somo, it is connected by a ferry to Santander to allow easy access, this is our recommended option if you are interested in a quieter surf town.