Santorini-Fira to Oia fastest/ best way question

[jdc2204]

Question: We would like to go to Oia first then finish the day in Fira. What is the best way or fastest to get to Oia in Santorini? How much is reasonable taxi fare? What are my options?

[CruiserBruce]

If you look down the board there is a large thread covering a boat ride to/bus ride back option. That would help you avoid the tram line when you first arrive on land at Santorini.

[brunello22]

We were off the ship with the first tender group and went straight to a car rental agency (Tony's). We drove to Oia and spent all morning there before all the tour buses arrived. After we left Oia, we drove around the island, stopping at wineries, beaches, and then returned the car back to Fira in the late afternoon to spend the rest of our time there, before going back to the ship on the very last tender. Luckily we were the only ship in port (small ship) so the crowds were not bad.

[White Cloud]

We were off the ship with the first tender group and went straight to a car rental agency (Tony's). We drove to Oia and spent all morning there before all the tour buses arrived. After we left Oia, we drove around the island, stopping at wineries, beaches, and then returned the car back to Fira in the late afternoon to spend the rest of our time there, before going back to the ship on the very last tender. Luckily we were the only ship in port (small ship) so the crowds were not bad.

 

We are thinking of renting a car and doing this but since we arrive at 2:00, wanted to go to the beach first. What beaches did you go to and did you feel you had enough time?

[roothy123]

If you look down the board there is a large thread covering a boat ride to/bus ride back option. That would help you avoid the tram line when you first arrive on land at Santorini.

 

Someone mentioned in another recent thread that it looked like the boat to Oia was not running this year. I don't know if that's true or not, but thought I'd pass it on.

[roothy123]

We are thinking of renting a car and doing this but since we arrive at 2:00, wanted to go to the beach first. What beaches did you go to and did you feel you had enough time?

 

Maybe someone else will have better info, but I CAN tell you that it will likely take you between 15-20 minutes to get up on the cable car (unless there's a huge crowd - don't know what sized ship you're on). To walk to Tony's is about 15 minutes assuming you don't get lost. There's a Hertz on the main road that might be a little closer and easier to find, but it's also a little more expensive from what I can tell. I don't know how far it is to Red Beach (one of ones I would go to if I wanted a beach) but it's on the other side of the island, with probably a small road going there, so I'd be tempted to plot out the drive using maps.google.com or viamichelin.com to get an idea of how long it might take. Santorini is relatively small but the roads aren't always huge, so some places are a bit of a slow drive. To Oia, it is only about 20 minutes or so. We did that in 2006 (easy drive) and found a place to park, so it was relatively easy.

 

This year I was hoping to get way down to the bottom of the island to go to the lighthouse down there. However, I also want to go back to Oia, and I'm not sure I'll have time to do both. You may already know this, but if not: You need to allow time to get ashore, get the car, go where you're going, be back in time to gas up and return the car, walk back to the cable car station, go down on the cable car (or walk), which occasionally can be very busy, with some waits, and make the last tender. All that takes time.

 

What's a little iffy about Santorini in general is the tendering situation. For the most part, I don't think you can assume that you'll just be able to get on a tender right after the ship anchors, and be at the cable car in a flash. Some lines make you wait until they've got all the excursion people off (they go to a different location than the cable car) and other lines have tenders going right away to both spots. You may want to post in the cruise line section, asking what your cruise line does in Santorini.

[White Cloud]

Maybe someone else will have better info, but I CAN tell you that it will likely take you between 15-20 minutes to get up on the cable car (unless there's a huge crowd - don't know what sized ship you're on). To walk to Tony's is about 15 minutes assuming you don't get lost. There's a Hertz on the main road that might be a little closer and easier to find, but it's also a little more expensive from what I can tell. I don't know how far it is to Red Beach (one of ones I would go to if I wanted a beach) but it's on the other side of the island, with probably a small road going there, so I'd be tempted to plot out the drive using maps.google.com or viamichelin.com to get an idea of how long it might take. Santorini is relatively small but the roads aren't always huge, so some places are a bit of a slow drive. To Oia, it is only about 20 minutes or so. We did that in 2006 (easy drive) and found a place to park, so it was relatively easy.

 

This year I was hoping to get way down to the bottom of the island to go to the lighthouse down there. However, I also want to go back to Oia, and I'm not sure I'll have time to do both. You may already know this, but if not: You need to allow time to get ashore, get the car, go where you're going, be back in time to gas up and return the car, walk back to the cable car station, go down on the cable car (or walk), which occasionally can be very busy, with some waits, and make the last tender. All that takes time.

What's a little iffy about Santorini in general is the tendering situation. For the most part, I don't think you can assume that you'll just be able to get on a tender right after the ship anchors, and be at the cable car in a flash. Some lines make you wait until they've got all the excursion people off (they go to a different location than the cable car) and other lines have tenders going right away to both spots. You may want to post in the cruise line section, asking what your cruise line does in Santorini.

 

Thanks so much for the great information. This is really a tricky port to plan things especially with our 2:00pm arrival. We will be there in July on the Celebrity Reflection with only one other ship in port, arriving and leaving earlier than us.

[brunello22]

We are thinking of renting a car and doing this but since we arrive at 2:00, wanted to go to the beach first. What beaches did you go to and did you feel you had enough time?

 

I cannot remember what beaches we visited (it was 3 years ago), so I can look at my guide book and write back if I recognize a name.

 

We were off the ship very early and since we had a late sail, around 8pm or 9pm in the evening, we were not worried about time; of course we allowed ourselves plenty of time to ensure we met the last tender. We didn't get stressed if we didn't check everything off our list to see, but rather found some unexpected finds along the way. It is impossible to do everything, so choose what is an absolute must-see on your list, and then those that you are indifferent about; if you get there you get there.

[bearette]

I was there in March. It takes about 20-30 minutes depending on how fast you are to walk to the train. There were buses but I didn't figure out which to take so we walked there but on the way back I asked someone which bus to take. Go out and head left. If you knew the bus numbers it would be easy as the bus stops are well marked. The express bus wasn't running when we were there. It dropped you at the bottom entrance to the site which was less busy, but if you needed the item check, like we did with a stroller, you had to walk to the top. Very easy.

[Ha-pealady]

I have been informed by a local tour company on Santorini that the boatmen are no longer offering thewater taxi from Fira to Oia. It has been stopped. We used it last year and were intending to use it again as it worked so well but are now having to think again.