Hi Dave, Such amazing work you are doing. We are coming to Athens for 3 nights in September then over to Santorini for 3 nights. I tried searching one-way from Piraeus but Thira was not loaded in the to drop-down list. Do you know if a ferry runs to Santorini from Crete around the week of November 20th? Yes, the Air Seats Lounge are big comfortable seats, somewhat like airplane seats but bigger. Or on the fine print when booking a ticket. Thank you for this website. I have purchased tickets from Athens to Santorini with high speed ferry. Hi Dave! Thank you so much for all the info. I would fly Athens to Santorini to start your trip (youre already at the airport) and save yourself the time going into Athens and then back to the airport the next morning. A good choice if youre prone to seasickness. I loved it. The most romantic island in Greece is Santorini, for sure. Naxos is a great island to visit in the off season. I am having difficulty choosing the 2nd island. Greek Easter is different than Western Easter so not an issue for your trip. This is the Hellenic Highspeed 7 which is almost identical to the Minoan Lines Santorini Palace (which I dont have a photo of). You cant really go wrong with any of them. If the e-ticket has a bar code its good for boarding the ferry. I am told that the ferry ride can be rough in the winter. Because our flight into Athens arrives late afternoon May 21st, and 45 minutes is probably not enough time to make a turn around to catch the 5:15 to Santorini, were looking at alternate options. We have 5 days for this trip. I am traveling with a friend and her 12 year old daughter and will be taking the Blue Star ferry from Piraeus to Santorini. Its hard to give advice for an indeterminate number of days. (Flying in from Athens). My wife and I plan to visit Santorini in late April. I have a few questions as I want to plan this trip on my own and I absolutely detest Indian package tours. Do you know how their service is? I would guess that there will be more Rome-Santorini flights added but there are no guarantees especially for any specific day. by Santorini Dave Updated: June 8, 2022. 1. Be prepared for anything and definitely have a good thick rain coat. 2. Hi Dave. Seajets duration about 3 hours or Blue star duration 5.5 hours. Obviously the Seajets is faster, but if youre asking for my personal preference then Id go with the Blue Star. My intention was to travel Blue Star for the advantages you outline above (cheapest, most unaffected by weather, most fun). We are arriving in Greece on November 18 and plan on heading to Crete via plane when we arrive. but arrive in the afternoon? You should easily be to Oia by 18:00. I am hesitant to book our Santorini room if there are not flights on the days we planned to go. I didnt see that mentioned in your review. Dave, This is also a small ferry and should be avoided if youre sensitive to rough seas. In December ferries are less common than in summer but there is always a daily ferry to Naxos, Paros, and Athens (and often Ios). Santorini Athens Ferries leave on time so dont expect any cushion. Which is the best month for such climate? Im hoping you may be able to give some advice on the airport Me and my partner are flying overnight from Birmingham (UK) to Athens on Saturday 23rd July and arrive at 4:30am local time. Your website is very informative. 3. And you would have access to all the public areas of the ferry (which is most of it) but I dont believe youd have access to the business lounge. Would you suggest just getting the Hellenic Seaway Highspeed 6 which leaves 12:25pm and arrives Piraeus 5:05pm, a much more attractive schedule? There should be taxis waiting at your cruise port but the first ones will get snapped up quickly so try to be the first off your ship. I keep hearing that Crete is too big and need one week just there! Aegean has a 5:15am flight that arrives in Santorini at 6am. My plan is to buy the tickets at the airport without prior booking. 3. Weve looked at the tours provided by the big firms like Insight, Trafalgar, and Globus, but each one uses the same cruise line for the visits to the island Celestyal. Anu. In low season there will always be at least one ferry per day. Our ship arrives at 6am, so Im trying to determine if we can make the 7:25am Blue Star ferry to Santorini. santorini greeka tours volcano springs This is an awesome blog David! If you want faster than that then youll have to fly. I have a good travel agent, but she is using a wholesaler, Gate 1. I have few questions. Do you have a better itinerary idea or any suggestions. Thanks Jenny. Is that enough time for me to settle down to watch the amazing sunset? I have a couple of logistics that Im trying to work out and hoping you can help. Order you visit doesnt matter. So were thinking Athens for 1 night and then to Santorini for 4 nights, then Paros for 3 nights, Mykonos for 3 nights, then home. And I find the ferry more relaxing than flying. Ferry can be rough in winter but its a larger car ferry so shouldnt be terrible. Can you propose an itinerary (when to travel to the islands/beaches, how many days, which ferries/port etc.) Paros also very good. You, however, have saved me all this work and for that I really thank you. I was wondering if you know. Do you think this will leave enough time to collect our hold baggage, check in for our flight home to Birmingham and go through security etc again? I have 2 options: 2. Both leave between 7am and 8am from Piraeus. 4. We are travelling to Greece in August. I would switch your ferries and take Hellenic to Santorini, and Blue Star (which runs every day) back to Athens. Is that comfortable for some shuteye? Were flying to Athens on Dec 16 at 7pm to Dec 24th at 7:55 am. The Zante and the Blue Star are the only ferries next Tuesday and the both get to Piraeus late. The only direct flight I see from Rome to Santorini on the day we need leaves Rome @ 23:40 and arrives the next morning @ 02:50. If youre traveling by ferry then you dont have to book your tickets in advance so you could check the weather forecast and go if it looks decent. All ferries to and from Santorini use the Athinios Ferry Port. Do you know of a ferry option for Santorini to Piraeus that would leave early (7:00?) Can we stop over at Mykonos from Athens to Santorini or vice versa? I absolutely LOVE this. Is that correct? Just like you took many many hours out of your days to compile this AMAZING website I wanted to take a few minutes to say a HUGE thank you for all the valuable information. But facing issues as the reservation is not getting completed. So, do you think it is a good idea? Chitradip Saha. Are we able to check through our luggage from Aegean airlines domestic to a Qatar Airways international flight (from Santorini to Doha), thanks. Also, if we get the Cabin, do we still get access to business lounge? Irene. Crete, Naxos, and Paros are also good. There are morning ferries in April from Santorini to Athens that leave at 7am on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Best seats: I recommend Business or VIP if available (nicer seats in a more relaxed setting) But the ferry from Milos to Santorini is 50/50 at best (though there will be an Athens to Santorini ferry). Ive just read that its not great season to visit islands since its cold and wet. Trying to decide weather to buy a flight from Crete to Santorini ahead of time or if we should wait to see if theres a ferry between the two island. Im planning on going to Greece next September for 10 days any suggestions on how many nights I do in Athens and Santorini and Mykonos? i was wondering how to pay you back as a token of appreciation, then i saw the Patron site. About a 1 minute walk from the terminal. Hi Dave, We land in Athens on September 18 at 12:25pm. Thanks for all your time and professionalism in putting together this website Dave you are brilliant. Can we book in other portals like greekferries.gr? If you did decide to fly the Athens Airport Sofitel is very nice, has a good restaurant, and is steps from the airport. Its walkable but try to get a taxi which will be able to take you right up to the ferry. 1) We are considering taking the Aegeon Pelagos Prevelis ferry on the way out of Santorini to Heraklion which departs really early morning at 3:40 AM and reaches at 9:40 AM. Which one would you suggest to take? From Santorini ferry to Paros, ferry to Mykonos, and ferry back to Athens. Also, the ferry will get you to Paros at 11:30 when your hotel room will likely be ready. Possible? We only have one night there after flying in from Santorini? Airbnb preferred. Crete is great. Mykonos, less so, as it really shuts down in the off season. Every airline is different and they even have different rates depending on where youre flying from. We are looking to book in advance as August is the peak season. Youll definitely find many flights and can pick and choose your flight times. Good luck. The greatest informative site by far. I love to hear that this site is helpful. If youre prone to seasickness choose a different ferry. I have flown with them many times. Then use Booking.com to find hotels with a rating of 8.0 or better. Easy to book at a later date so dont worry about that. Some ferries will stop in Ios, Mykonos, Foledandros, Milos, Sifnos, and Serifos. But in general, do I have any insight into what prices will be in January, no. Do you recommend I should stay in Athens and see attractions in Athens as many as possible, instead of heading to Islands, such as Mykonos, Santorini ? I really dont want to arrive in Piraeus at 11:15pm given we are only in Athens for 2 nights. Which are the best beaches to visit during that time? There are multiple flights per day from Athens to Santorini year-round. But much better if you can stay even one night. Are there any convenient islands that you would recommend visiting from Santorini? 3. Mykonos not so interesting outside of summer months. I was hoping you can help advise that fastest route to get to Athens to Santorini on that day. With the earlier option I imagine I would need to get up before 5am to try and organise ourselves to be down at the port by 5:30am? 1. I wanted to book it for May 24 as I have to catch a flight out of Athens at 8. It takes a little more effort but creates a much more memorable trip. Without knowing your budget I cant say. Youll have more than enough things to see and do to fill your time in Santorini. The flight will get you there before 7am and youll probably be sitting at a cafe in Parikia with your bags at your feet waiting for 2 or 3 hours. My proposed itinerary is: 7/17 Piraeus to Santorini (maybe by flight), 7/20 Santorini to Paros (ferry), 7/22 Paros to Rafina or Piraeus. If you have a few more then go to Ios, Naxos, or Paros to find some great beaches. We will be in Athens December 27 January 1, would a day trip to Santorini be possible? Not especially new. Its just over a mile. Im feeling a lot more sorted about travelling to Greece after reading this site. Personally, I would go into Athens, enjoy an evening meal in the Plaka and stay at a hotel that is close to the Monistiraki metro station (e.g. With that in mind, Naxos is probably the best 2nd island. Can you help? The schedule is not official yet but thats what its currently showing. Neither of us has been to Greece. I do not see this port on the Blue Star website. But Aegean and Qatar airlines are not partners so I doubt it. Thank you for the reply. Do whats best based on the ferry schedule. I was wondering if it runs and how do I go about booking it? Hi Dave, Such an awesome website!! We definitely want to go to Santorini and are thinking of adding Paros and Mykonos. Dave! Definitely skip Mykonos as theres not much to do there outside of the summer season. Will more flights from Rome to Santorini become available in the spring or is that typical? Great information! Hi there, thanks so much for your very helpful website! Yes, theres a ferry every day to Santorini. Also, which Hotels/B&B should I choose for a reasonable price? We are considering flying from Athens to Santorini to save time. How is the weather going to be in early February? Just be sure to arrive in Piraeus 60 to 90 minutes prior to departure. Can you tell wether I can board with the online tickets or do I have to go and collect the tickets from the ticket office? If you ever find yourself in Sunny South African in Johannesburg please do not hesitate to call me as I would certainly like to host you as our guest and show you around our amazing country. Is it better to look at flights from Rome to Athens and then fly from Athens to Santorini? BUT .. of course there were few bumps like not validating my metro tickets on the platform. Otherwise you have to ticket separately (each on an individual line on the booking app) and youll be in (separate) male and female cabins. And yes there will be a bus from Rafina to the airport. Yes, there will be a Paros to Rafina ferry in July. Do these airlines charge a separate baggage allowance over and above the ticket price weve already paid ? We are travelling from Santorini to Athens on Tues 26 July. If you wanted to stick to other mainland destinations then Nafplio would be a great choice. Though it seems tempting to do a cruise/tour I highly recommend planning and traveling on your own. Give it a week and check back to see if your reservation goes through. Chloe. I think I want to visit Athens briefly, then go to Mykonos, Santorini and possibly Crete. We are very excited and Thanks in advance. Yes, they will check tickets but that doesnt mean the child would be allowed to access the cabin. A For Athens). While booking the seat they are showing Economy and AIR SEATS LOUNGE-1. The Blue Star Naxos ferry. My only concern is the return flight on Saturday 30th July. There will be at least one bus waiting at the Santorini port for all arriving ferries. Are there any other problems this might cause that I might not be thinking about? The best hotel near the Athens airport (and the only one within walking distance) is the Sofitel. Are they newer to the scene? It seems to be the low season and not much transportation available when compared to the summer months. I am seeing a less expensive option for Sky Express. Hi Dave, Your reply is most appreciated. Given that we are staying in Santorini for one night only, we would also like to visit Mykonos for a few hours. We will be traveling in Italy end of May-beginning of June and are planning to spend our last few days of the trip relaxing in Santorini. They seem to have the most flights from Athens to Santorini with competitive pricing but Ive never heard of them. The slowest (but often cheapest) ferry from Athens to Santorini. We will be travelling to Santorini for 4 days from 22-25th September. Apart from Santorini and Athens, which places can we see during this span? How much Euro we should bring for 4 people if we book our hotels from here? Take a small bag with just a few necessary items. We havent decided for how many days yet. However the only options are the Blue Star 2 leaving at 6:10am which heads straight to Piraeus arriving 11:15am, or the Blue Star Delos leaving at 3:30pm and arriving Piraeus at 11:15pm. With such limited time dont waste any more of it on a ferry than you have to. sailing greek sunset athens cruises charters island guide sail riviera greece The ferry will take too long. 2. There wont be any direct ferries or flights from Crete to Santorini in November. I was hoping you could tell me if the water is very choppy at that time of year? The Blue Star Delos ferry. I was planning to see Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. After Crete we want to go to Santorini for a few days. Your site is very helpful! Which fast boat will take us there. Im thinking that maybe after the tour ends in Athens, we could go back to the ferry port or airport and go to Santorini. So, thank you for that! Do these ferries operate on time in the winter months or they often cancelled or delayed? Myself I put the trip which was great success. Our total trip looks like this: Arrive Athens at 4:30 pm on May 21st, depart Athens on the 28th via 6:00 AM flight (yuck!). Or rather, Id feel fine making those plans. We are planning to come to Santorini from Athens on April 1 for 1 night. Thank you so much for the all the information you provided in this forum. The Hellenic Seaways Ariadne ferry. Santorini still has much to see even when the weather is not-great (as long as its not pouring rain). If you dont have your tickets youll need to get them at the Blue Star kiosk (which is what I mapped as your destination). Similarly for the open air theater. Im travelling from Santorini to Athens on 29th July by Blue Star Ferry and was checking their website. Hotels are ultra-aware of online forums and reviews and bend over backwards to keep guests happy. My wife and I will be visiting Santorini in the last week of January. thirassia Any other island would be nice to see in December? Your blog is very detailed and I really have gotten so much information on planning my trip. You need to purchase the whole cabin to be together. Is it OK in March or April? Youd be able to sleep in a little more (up at 6am instead of 4:30). In Santorini, try to get to Akrotiri and see the archaeological museum in Fira. The SeaJets Superjet ferry. Theres no easy/quick way of stopping at Mykonos en route to or from Santorini. Serifos might be a little harder to get to depending on the schedule. Piraeus-Santorini ferry schedule on ferryhopper.com. We are thinking to book in advance the Blue Ferry when leaving for Santorini on 22th but leaving for Athens by the Hellenic Seaways on 25th, Monday. Im just not happy with the direction they are leading me in. The problem is that the ship arrives in Santorini about 1600 and leaves after sunset. But it will cost you extra to book with Danae. Cabins are nice-ish and you should be able to get some sleep. Would it be a problem to book the two adults into a luxe cabin and then book an economy ticket for my friends daughter, but have her (and her luggage) join us in the cabin? Your info is much appreciated. What a fabulous website. The Ryanair flight departing Athens for Santorini at 7am looks like the best option to me, as Im thinking 2 hours 30 should be enough time in between the flights to get our hold baggage, check in again and go through security. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. 8.20 am/11.20am (Which is better?) Would appreciate for your reply. We are going to take the bluestar ferry. (In past years service has been every day in the high season, but this year Hellenic has dropped a few days through the week.) Is this a reliable airline? (I cant say for sure on that last point. Would love to hear your thoughts on this! Then take the Blue Star ferry the following morning at 7:25am from Piraeus. A ferry would take all day (8 hours) where as plane is maybe 4 hours including security but more expensive. Taxis are less reliable but if there are some they will be easy to find. This is a small ferry and can give a very rough ride in choppy seas. Based on this time of year where would you suggest we spend our time? Do you think there will be a problem taking the public transport from Fira to the airport considering I need to be in the Santorini airport about an hour before the flight (right?) Really appreciate your advice! I know its gonna be a little cold and quiet. quotes sailing erica safari santorini understanding foreign condition country cruising This is a wonderful website. Can you recommend any nice hotels near Athens airport? The pictures of the seating types on the ferry is just what I was looking for. The Piraeus Ferry Port is 30-minutes by taxi or metro from central Athens. Greece Athens Athens (Piraeus) to Santorini We will be in Athens for the marathon in November and we were considering traveling to Milos, Sifnos, and Santorini. I assume there is a bus in the middle of the night that would transport us from Rafina to the airport, but we might be willing to do a taxi directly to the hotel. Knowing that March 25 is the Greek Independence Day and it is followed by the Easter holidays, Im wondering if there will be a lot of people taking the ferry during such vacation? Is it better to fly via Athens? Is this an okay time to visit Greece in December? kefalonia ferries 4. Thanks. Yeah, travel agents suck, not as people obviously but what they offer in terms of hotels are lame. We are planning to visit Greece (Athens, Myconos and Santorini) during the 1st week of December. If you dont get a chance to book in advance youll be fine showing up at the port an hour before the ferry departs and buying a ticket. You can see the route you need to take here. Thats why we are considering the ferry but have a few concerns: In high season (May to October) there will be 4 to 7 ferries per day from Athens. Are there any fast hydrofoils the period we are going? With your pictures and explanation that will not happened to anybody going to Santorini. I am planning to take ferry on September 9 from Naxos to Piraeus. The sea in September is about as calm as it gets but thats no guarantee for what it will do. 1. A good choice if youre prone to seasickness. Thank you so much. There doesnt appear to be a ferry that day. Its much more comfortable/enjoyable/relaxing. My husband and I are planning a trip to Greece the last 2 weeks of July. We want to go to Santorini and one other island and then on the back end of our trip a couple of days in Athens. We have a few queries . The only disadvantage is that there are no ferries from Santorini to Crete in the off season so youd have to return to Athens then go to Crete. Any information on this will be greatly appreciated. Your site is great! Were going to Greece this December and I almost cancelled my trip since I kept reading negative comments about going to Greece in Dec BUT, I feel so much better now after reading your comments. You have it exactly right. Were not big drinkers and I would say were pretty conservative with money. Plan to stay in Oia. You should be fine buying ferry tickets at the airport when you arrive. I have a recollection of flights during this time being quite cheap and abundant in January. This trips always take SOOOO much time to research and drill down on all the necessary information. Any recommendations? AT this moment my family travels to Santorini and I wanted to look it up. But there are no ferries between Santorini and Crete in November so youd need to fly via Athens to get between the two islands. Neither of us have ever flew to Athens before so not sure what the airport is like, how far away terminals are from each other, how many check in desks etc there are and what baggage collection carousels are like (some airports are notoriously slow Birmingham being one of them!). You should be the islands tourist bureau chief. Any advice on trip planning? I feel like if I can start with the hotels than I can figure the other things out. Thanks, Aubrey. We are planning to book the A2 outside cabin so that we can catch some sleep. Cool and grey. By taking a tour you miss out on the best times to see the islands: early morning and evening. Thank you. Please give me any suggestion for great experience in Greece in Winter season. Do you think this gives us enough time? If you only have 3 or 4 then spend all of them on Santorini. Sometimes if the two airlines are partners then luggage can be checked through to the destination. There is only one flight at the moment, but hoping again that cheaper flights will come out at the beginning of the year. My question is are those air plane like seats in the later category and there are two such lounges, do you have any recommendation which one to opt for? 1. Regards I feel comfortable and confident that our trip is going to be world class and all thanks to YOU. Is it cheaper to buy Ferry tickets online and in advance? Hi Dave Ive just started looking into making plans to be in Greece November 17 to 26 (flying in and out of Athens). There can be a big difference between early May (generally sunny but still some rain and cool days) and late May (rain is less common, can be quite warm). Will it be crowded? Were going to go in using the Blue Star ferry, but plan to take a flight out directly to Athens. Thank you very much for the detail information! With one or two rare exceptions it doesnt save money to book in advance. I found one from Zante Ferries leaving at 7:00 but arriving at 20:00, which is too late for me. I cant seem to find any information on if they check the tickets to allow access to certain decks/areas. May I know from your opinion, is it possible if i only stay for 1 night in santorini? Is that mean the tickets are sold out? However, Ive checked through the Hellenic website that there is no Highspeed ferry available for that day. I looked up sunset time and it will be around 19:00. My Husband and I are planning to travel from 31st January to 6th February. Is it beach weather? Looking for the box in the metro I was told how to do it. 3. Is there anything you recommend that we see and which would be open in Jan? ferries corfu rhodes zakynthos kefalonia ionian chania heraklion cyclades naxos milos alonissos dodecanese patras Acknowledging that well be exhausted and good for a nice dinner out and early to bed, Im thinking that we could stay the night in close proximity to the Airport to catch a relatively early departure to Santorini. Hi Dave, Keep it up. On May 24 it will depart Santorini at 9am and get to Rafina at 15:45. Is it possible? If not, then youll need the email and a passport to pick up your tickets from the Kiosk at Piraeus. 2) Given that January is off-season, I am told that the volcano & hot springs tour and other such tours will not be operational. The end-result is that most hotels nowadays are good or better and the bad ones dont stay around long. Right now Im searching the Internet for some other tour company that will allow us to spend a reasonable amount of time on Santorini. Since youre arriving late at night there wont be any ferries so youll have to wait until the next morning to get something and you wont be to an island until the early afternoon at the earliest so I would consider looking for a flight from Athens to Santorini for the night of your arrival. We are trying to book Blue Star ferry from Athens to Mykonos via their website. 3) Weather wise, I understand that the temperature will be in the low teens and windy. I want to come to Greece, but Im overwhelmed. The only flight available from Santorini is at 8:20am, arriving in Athens at 9:10am. I am looking into a Paros to Rafina ferry because I plan on flying back to US the following morning and think it might be easier to stay in a hotel near or attached to the airport. naxos Thanks in advance. So we plan to do the Fira-Oia trek, spend some time at Santo wines, Amoudi Bay, etc. Many thanks for putting that up. Id plan on taking a taxi. Or perhaps simplifying it and just staying in Santorini only for 5 nights. When to book tickets: 2 to 3 months in advance (any sooner and some ferry routes might not be released yet, any later and some ferries could be sold out).