Sunderland travel guide

Sunderland Tourism | Sunderland Guide

You're Going to Love Sunderland

With a population of 177,965, Sunderland is a must-see destination in England, United Kingdom. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Sunderland has to offer.

Where to Eat in Sunderland

If you’re looking for affordable options, San Marino at Hanover Place (San Marino at Hanover Place) and House of Zen Seaburn (Whitburn Road) are great picks.

When to visit Sunderland

Sunderland in January
Estimated hotel price
$62
1 night at 3-star hotel
Sunderland in January
Estimated hotel price
$62
1 night at 3-star hotel

How to Get to Sunderland

Plane

Although Sunderland doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Newcastle Airport (UK) (NCL), which is located 15 miles from Sunderland. The shortest flight to Sunderland from the United States departs from Chicago and takes around 12h.

Train

Transpennine Express is the most popular train carrier serving Sunderland, followed by AccesRail. Located 0.9 miles from the city center, Sunderland Stadium of Light is the busiest station in Sunderland. Another popular train station is Sunderland Seaburn, located 1.7 miles from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Sunderland is to pick up a car rental from Edinburgh, which is about 101 miles from Sunderland. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and Europcar, among others, in Edinburgh.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Sunderland, including Megabus, FlixBus and National Express. From Manchester, the bus ride to Sunderland takes 205 miles and will cost you around $9. From Glasgow, the ticket costs about $15 for a journey of 245 miles. Sunderland’s bus station is located 0.2 miles from the city center.

Plane

Although Sunderland doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Newcastle Airport (UK) (NCL), which is located 15 miles from Sunderland. The shortest flight to Sunderland from the United States departs from Chicago and takes around 12h.

Train

Transpennine Express is the most popular train carrier serving Sunderland, followed by AccesRail. Located 0.9 miles from the city center, Sunderland Stadium of Light is the busiest station in Sunderland. Another popular train station is Sunderland Seaburn, located 1.7 miles from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Sunderland is to pick up a car rental from Edinburgh, which is about 101 miles from Sunderland. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and Europcar, among others, in Edinburgh.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Sunderland, including Megabus, FlixBus and National Express. From Manchester, the bus ride to Sunderland takes 205 miles and will cost you around $9. From Glasgow, the ticket costs about $15 for a journey of 245 miles. Sunderland’s bus station is located 0.2 miles from the city center.

Airlines serving Sunderland

Lufthansa
Good (4,664 reviews)
KLM
Good (852 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,534 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,615 reviews)
Air France
Good (984 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,585 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,119 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,469 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (924 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (833 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (716 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (502 reviews)
Malaysia Airlines
Good (184 reviews)
Aer Lingus
Good (773 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (962 reviews)
easyJet
Good (1,445 reviews)
Eurowings
Good (194 reviews)
China Eastern
Good (54 reviews)
LATAM Airlines
Good (989 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (3,441 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in popular areas of Sunderland

Most booked hotels in Sunderland

Highfield Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.5, 1310 reviews)
$85+
The Moorings
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, 456 reviews)
$69+
Grand Hotel Sunderland
4 stars
Good (7.9, 5530 reviews)
$81+
Roker Hotel, BW Premier Collection
4 stars
Good (7.8, 2460 reviews)
$80+
Holiday Inn Washington
3 stars
Good (7.8, 2320 reviews)
$70+
Travelodge Sunderland Central
3 stars
Good (7.8, 42 reviews)
$50+

Renting a car in Sunderland

Renting a car in Sunderland costs $34 per day, on average, or $101 if you want to rent if for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 26% cheaper than airport locations in Sunderland.

Expect to pay $7.08 per gallon in Sunderland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $84.94 and $113.26. The most frequently booked car type in Sunderland is Compact (Seat Leon or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini rental cars (Smart Fortwo or similar) are, on average, 36% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Sunderland costs $34 per day, on average, or $101 if you want to rent if for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 26% cheaper than airport locations in Sunderland.

Expect to pay $7.08 per gallon in Sunderland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $84.94 and $113.26. The most frequently booked car type in Sunderland is Compact (Seat Leon or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini rental cars (Smart Fortwo or similar) are, on average, 36% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.