Travel to Northern Spain

Our holidays are so designed that it is you, the holidaymaker, who chooses what you want, from where you stay to how you get there. 

We do not at present make flight or ferry reservations, but are always ready to advise on all travel options.

Travelling to northern Spain is a matter of choice and of time. The quickest way is to fly/drive and the low cost "no frills" airlines Easyjet, Ryanair and Vueling have routes to many suitable destinations, as do scheduled airlines. 

For a more leisurely start to your holiday, you can sail direct to northern Spain with Brittany Ferries from Plymouth or Portsmouth in the UK to either Santander or Bilbao and from Cork in Ireland to Santander. Or, if time allows, cross the Channel by ferry or the Eurotunnel shuttle to France and then drive on down - you'll need at least one night en-route. 

And don't forget - Casas Cantabricas offer flexible start dates on most properties making it easier for you to plan your holidays ariound ferry sailings or flight options.

To make life easier we've included a travel advice section in the description of each property showing the various ways to get there from the UK or Ireland. But if you prefer to choose your travel first and then find your ideal property please read on....

Flights are available to most of the main airports throughout northern Spain from the UK and Ireland, both with the major carriers and low-cost airlines. See below or give us a call to find your best route.

For Cantabria and Asturias:

• Stansted, Dublin or Edinburgh to Santander with Ryanair
• Stansted, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol to Bilbao with Easyjet (some not daily)
• Gatwick to Bilbao with Vueling (not daily)
• Dublin to Bilbao with Aerlingus

For Galicia:

• Heathrow to La Coruña with Vueling
• Stansted to Santiago with Ryanair
• Gatwick to Santiago with Easyjet
• Dublin to Santiago with Aerlingus

For the more southerly properties flights to Porto in Portugal may also be a good option:

• From Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham or Dublin with Ryanair
• From Bristol, Luton, Manchester or Gatwick with Easyjet
• From Gatwick, Manchester or Dublin with TAP

NB_Flights are not included but we can advise on routes and timetables

Travel in style, take one of Brittany Ferries' crossings direct to northern Spain.

The ferries are in effect small cruise ships, with comfortable accommodation and a good choice of restaurants and bars and entertainment on board.

Brittany Ferries have a total of seven sailings weekly from the UK and two sailings per week from Ireland to northern Spain; the crossing takes approximately 21 - 24 hours, (NB: the Sunday crossing Portsmouth to Bilbao and the Friday crossing Cork to Santander take two nights). 

Onward travel

Properties within Cantabria and Asturias and the Basque country are within easy reach of Santander and Bilbao, whilst those in Galicia, Salamanca and Navarra are a bit further but improved motorway links make the whole region accessible by ferry - call us for advice on drive times, stop-overs and best routes.

For advice about ferry crossings please phone (01223 328721) or email us with your requirements.

French routes

For those who prefer to drive some more and spend less time on the boat Brittany Ferries' routes to France can be a good compromise. The shortest mileage to the Spanish border at Irun, just round the corner from Biarritz, is from St Malo (730kms). For western Channel ports there are crossings with from Portsmouth to St Malo, Cherbourg or Caen, from Poole to Cherbourg, and from Plymouth to Roscoff. 

Or take a Spanish route in one direction combined with a French crossing on the other leg - no problem!

With motorway through much of France and Spain it is possible to make the journey from the Channel to the Basque country, Cantabria and Asturias with a one-night stop. For destinations further west or south at least two nights en route are recommended. 

For those who are not fond of the sea, Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais has up to four departures an hour at peak times, and the journey takes only 35 minutes - just time to have a nap or to stretch your legs, before driving off onto the A16 Autoroute.

For short sea crossings there are the Hoverspeed fast ferries from Dover to Calais (taking just under an hour) and from Newhaven to Dieppe (two hours), or the ferry crossings with P&O Ferries or Sea France from Dover to Calais.