Getting a Taxi in Santorini in October vs. Hiring A Private Guide

[MalibuCA]

We will be in Santorini mid-October. We would like to take a taxi from Fira to Oia, which we did on a previous cruise to Santorini. Our previous visit to Santorini was in August about 5 years ago. In August, it was extremely difficult getting a cab (I'm still not sure how we did it!) because Fira was so crowded with cruise passengers looking for cabs. Once we got the cab, we paid him to wait for us in Oia while we had lunch and briefly (really briefly!) walked around. Then, he took us back to Fira. Here are my questions:

 

1) Will it be just as difficult in mid-October to find a taxi as it was in August?

 

2) Once we get to Oia, is it necessary to have the taxi wait for us for our return to Fira (like we did 5 years ago), or are there many taxis in Oia? When we visited Santorini about 5 years ago, we noticed a total absence of taxis in Oia (except for ours!) Has that changed, or is it still a concern that we may be stranded in Oia without holding our taxi from Fira?

 

3) Is there a telephone number to call for a cab? Are they responsive and dependable if you call?

 

4) Is it worthwhile hiring a private guide? If we did this, then we could visit more than just Fira and Oia. Any suggestions on what else we might do or see? Any suggestions for a private guide that you have used and would recommend?

 

5) We are in port 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Will this make it more difficult picking up a taxi if there are other ships in port the same day that arrive early in the morning?

 

6) Is there a website where I can find which ships are in port in Santorini the day that we will be there? That may help in determining how difficult it may be to get a cab.

 

I know that there is a bus that goes between Fira and Oia, but from the descriptions I have read about how overcrowded the buses can be, I really prefer to take either a taxi or private guide. Therefore, I ask -- taxi vs. private guide. What to do????

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Shelley:confused:

[jocap]

Santorini's season is winding down in Oct...the third week is usually half-term holiday for many Europeans, and after that much closes on the island.

Have you thought about hiring a car? It's a very simple island to drive round, only a few miles across....and the traffic's not bad. People from Athens fly out for the weekend, so taxis will be busy at the airport on Fri and Sun evenings.

Santorini's own webcam site used to say which ships were coming each day...cruisett.com doesn't list all, eg Louis seems to appear in the harbour several times a week, along with other smaller ships, Thomson etc. If you're there in the 2nd week, some ships will have set off on their TA to the Caribbean, so there should be less traffic.

Jo.

[MalibuCA]

Thanks, Jo. We will be in Santorini on a Monday. So, you feel we would not have any trouble getting a taxi in Fira or Oia?

 

I'm a little reluctant to rent a car. We frequently do that, but I read in Frommer's that driving in Santorini can be difficult and parking nearly impossible. Is that not the case in October? Are there car rentals near the cable car station?

 

Thanks,

Shelley

[jocap]

Hi, Shelley....we holidayed on the other side of the island, at the end of Sept....and were offered special rates for hiring, because of the wind- down. I only know about hiring in Fira because of these boards....people seem to be very impressed with Tony's Hire, because he met them at the top of the lift. Find the SEARCH box, and put car hire Santorini, and see what comes up.

As for driving....it's a little island, with windy, hilly roads, but not a lot of traffic....you may find it frustrating to be behind a heavy waggon, but on the whole, we've never had a minute's trouble (and we normally drive on the opposite side of the road....!!) The friends we holiday with always hire a quad bike, with one of them riding pillion...I reckon they've been down every back track and unlisted road on the island in a week- again, no trouble! Some of the minor roads might be without road markings, but it's only common sense....we have friends from London who are afraid to drive on some of our tiny lanes in the Lake District because there's NO WHITE LINE DOWN THE MIDDLE!!:rolleyes:, so that's to be considered....but there's not that much traffic on the island....European schools have all gone back, and most package holidays are coming to an end.

Check out Tony; also check what people have said about hiring an automatic, as most cars in Europe are stick ones, but others can be hired.

From what I remember, taxis are near the bus station, by the cathedral in Fira. The people in town will help you find the way.

Don't know if all that's helped or muddled!

Jo.

[MalibuCA]

Thanks, Jo. That's definitely helped! I'll check out Tony's. Then I'll confer with my husband, since he's my designated driver!

 

Shelley

[Hlitner]

We agree with Jo that driving on Santorini is really not very difficult. Once you get away from Fira there is not a lot of traffic and you can actually drive yourself around much of the island during a port day. We never had a problem parking outside Fira. If you drive yourself to Oia you would probably want to park on the edge of town (there is a pretty large parking area near the bus stop) and explore the town on foot.

 

Hank

[Mexfolkart]

I once spent a week on Santorini..we could easily take the bus..but..not always at the time we wanted. Coming back was even harder..we had no time constraints..but there were NO taxis to return..we just had to wait for the bus. This trip we have hired a driver for the day..and are very glad to have him so we can go to Oia. Sherry