Oviedo - Santander - Bilbao - San Sebastian
 

My cousin and I are planning a week in this area. I have a few questions and would appreciate your help.
1) is car rental recommended? We are debating whether we should have a car the entire week or just rent one locally for a day trip once or twice. Any thoughts on that? How is the driving/parking in that area?
2) Air Berlin flies into Asturias/Oviedo. Where exactly is that airport? Is it the one in Castrillon? (That's 47K from Oviedo so I'm not sure). Is it difficult to get there from Santander? I will be flying into Santander and my cousin will be flying into either Bilbao or Oviedo so we have to figure out how to meet up.
3) Any recommendations for where to stay, what not to miss while we're there?

flying in to oviedo airport can be expensive in the end as the public bus that goes there is not very frequent.. and sometimes you end up taking a taxi to town (50 euros).

not well connected to anyplace.

i would try to and meet up in bilbao ( no car needed).

you can get a hotel there and just start your trip from there.

i, personally, would like a car to go to all the small villages.

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It is Asturias airport..not Oviedo airport. It means it is in the middle of both the main Asturias cities , Gijon and Oviedo. I think Bilbao airport is much easier for you both to meet.
A car would be necessary to visit the little villages, most are linked by bus but the schedules are not very frequent so it's not easy.
I recommend not to miss Santillana del mar, Comillas (where Gaudi's Capricho is), San Vicente de la Barquera (a tiny village but beautiful between the beach and the mountains) , all of this in Cantabria. Then in Asturias, I wouldn't miss Covadonga if you can, the scenery is breathtaking. Also Cabo Peñas (the most northern place of Spain) is beautiful to see.
I also like very much every city, specially San Sebastian , for me, the beautiest city in Spain.

I agree with lincasanova re. Bilbao: The Basque cuisine is exquisite and to do it justice you need to sample at least one day's meals.
You should also do a walkthru of the 3-story Mercado across the rio Nervion from Bilbao's Casco Viejo.

Santander's airport, like Oviedo's is also remote from the city.

Our last trip we stayed at the Conde Duque (***) in Bilbao and at the Hostal Paris (Seasonal - closes 30 sep) in Santander's Sardinero Playa.
BTW
Between Bilbao & Santander is a village called Limpias where the Church houses a Crucifix (Cristo de Limpias) that is said to 'bleed.'

Picos de Europa is a must in that area:
http://www.asturiaspicosdeeuropa.com/
San Vicente de la Barquera is a pretty coastal village and Santillana del Mar is a full preserved village with traditional architecture. Sardinero beach in Santander is a worth.
Try this tapas bar in Santander: "El Diluvio" at calle General Mola, 14.

Thank you all very much for your posts. Very informative and helpful.
Dana

I agree with the comments of the Asturias airport . But I don't agree that Santander's airport is "remote". I have flown twice into Santander and it is around 20 minutes from the city. First time I took a cab to the city. I can't remember how much I paid, but I don't think it was more than 15-20 Euros. The 2nd time I took the bus. It left us at the Bus station in Santander, which was a couple of blocks from the hotel. Very convenient.

But the airfares are usually better to Bilbao.

Oviedo is well worth a visit, if not two or three. It's a town Woody Allen found very hospitable and enjoyable and one we found very interesting. There are also a host of great restaurants to check out. The old quarter is fairly quiet during the summer months with the university students gone, but the rest of the city is active. August is a prime time to be in Asturias for the festivals, and Oviedo is only a short drive from Bilbao.

Robert,

I agree with your comments. I have been twice to Oviedo, both times in the summer. 2nd time was during a heat wave, which from what they told me it's highly unusual. I enjoyed my brief time there very much. Wouldn't mind returning for a 3rd time and use it as a base to visit some of the coastal towns. Last time went to Gijón from there for a few hours.

cruiseluv, we just flew out of the Oviedo airport this morning, and missed Woody in Oviedo, where he, the cast and crew, are filming some scenes for his new movie, a love triangle, most of which is being filmed in Barcelona this summer.

The airport is about equal distance from Gijón and Oviedo (less than thirty minutes in traffic) and has easy access. The airport is about a 3-1/2 hour drive from Bilbao.

Asturias is deceivingly large, but has an excellent road system. The main roads, the Autovias, or Autopistas, are excellent for getting around, the only major downside, like throughout most of Spain, is signage. You have to know where you're going and keep an eye out for road signs, which are not always where they should be.

We covered a lot of the coast and some of the interior in 2 weeks, but barely put a dent in our exploration of this area, but found the villages on the east and north coasts the busiest, and those on the west coast a little more open. One really needs to be on the secondary roads to discover the beauty and some of the smaller villages, so having access to a car is important. Just remember, parking can be a bear in some of the smaller coastal villages.