Santorini, how to get there and get around?

Breathtaking views, shining white houses on the cliffs. A trip to Santorini is the dream of many travellers. And now, thanks to the increasing number of connections, it is becoming easier and easier to make this dream come true!

How to get to Santorini and how to get around Santorini island? See the article for a lot of practical tips.

And tips regarding Where to stay in Santorini you can find here.

How to get to Santorini?

There are several solutions; it all depends on where you are coming from and when. During the season, there are more options to travel to Santorini. And there are bigger crowds on the island too.

Off-season, reaching the island may be a little bit less convenient, but it can allow you to visit in a calmer way.

Direct flight to Santorini

Firstly, there is an international airport in Santorini, so the easiest and fastest way to get to Santorini is a direct flight.

However, these flights often end in September or October, so if you are going out of season, you will probably have to use other solutions.

Check out Ryanair, which in season 2023 flies to Santorini from London, Dublin, Vienna, 2 Polish, and few Italian cities.

Wizzair, Easyjet, Eurowings, Volotea, and Transavia also have a few connections. You can also find charters and flights with standard airlines, like British Airways.

Flight to Santorini, with a change in Athens

Look at Aegan Airlines, OlympicAir and SkyExpress, as they fly to Athens from many airports in Europe, and from Athens they have a lot of flights to Santorini (and also to other Greek islands).

If you don’t mind changing to a plane from another airline, you can also combine flights. Use these 3 companies to get to Santorini from Athens. And to Athens, you can fly with any other airline that has connections from your home airport.

Flight to Athens and ferry to Santorini

This is another popular and nice option. Depending on the type of ferry, the journey takes from 4.5 to 8 hours. Of course, there are more ferries during the season, but also in the off-season, such a solution is available. It is worth remembering that ferries depend on the weather, and strong winds may delay them. Especially in the winter months, but not only. Such delays can also happen during the summer, so don’t leave your ferry trip for the last moment before your flight.

There are 3 ports in Athens, and you can get directly to Santorini from Piraeus and Rafina ports, with a few ferry companies.

Soon I will invite you to the article, which gives more details regarding ferries in Greece.

Flight to Crete or Mykonos and a ferry to Santorini

If, from your home airport, there are connections to Crete or Mykonos, you can take these flights and get to Santorini by ferry. It takes around 2-3 hours from both islands to get to Santorini port. It’s a great opportunity to connect and visit 2 different islands during the same trip. And taking ferries in Greece is nothing but pleasure. Just remember that ferries from Crete go from the east side of the island, from Heraklion port, and this is where you should fly to. If you fly to Chania airport, it will take you at least 3 hours to travel between both cities.

It’s also more of a seasonal solution because flights to both islands often end in the autumn.

How to get around Santorini?

As everywhere, you can rent a car or a scooter. There are also shuttle services and taxis.

There is no problem if someone does not want to rent a car, because it is an island where it is really easy to get around by bus. I used only buses when visiting Santorini and was quite happy with them. From my experience, buses run regularly and quite often (in high season, June-September, and after season, less frequently), and on time.

The island’s capital, Fira, is best connected. If you go to other towns on the island from the airport or port, you first need to get to Fira. And then change to a bus going to other towns. The change takes place at a small bus station; there is no way to get lost. It takes around 10 minutes to get to Fira from the airport.

Tickets are bought on the bus (from the conductor, make sure you have cash), the ticket usually costs from 1.60 to 2.50 Euro. The timetable is hanging at the station. You can also find it on the bus company website. If you are strict on time, I would suggest double confirming it at the station.

Many tourists use the buses; it is worth being a little earlier, especially if you want a specific departure time when going to the port or airport.

There are no stops mentioned on the timetables hanging at the station, only the final stop. However, the bus stops if the location is on the route. It is worth asking at the information window at the station.

For example, you can get to Pyrgos by bus, which goes to Perissa. Or to the Sante winery by bus, which goes to Akrotiri.

Port of Santorini

Cruise ships arrive directly in Fira, while ferries arrive at the port of Athinios. So if you come from Athens or any other island, you arrive at the port. The port is approximately 8 kilometres south of Fira. The road is winding, and the journey takes about 20 minutes.

The timetable of buses to the port and from the port to Fira varies depending on the day and times of the ferries.

There are cafes, restaurants, taxis, transfer offices and rental offices in the port.

However, it is not a nice and quiet port where it is fun to sit and watch the ships.

It is a crowded and chaotic place. Don’t leave your arrival until the last minute, especially if you have to pick up a paper ticket for your ferry, as there may be queues.

Santorini is a very touristic place, so you can expect crowds, especially in the peak season. Yet, it’s absolutely worth visiting the island. I hope this guide will help you plan your trip. Interested in other Greek islands? Check the Greek islands’ description.