Athens to Santorini for the day?

[drbrowne]

We are ending our cruise in Athens and would love to see Santorini.  Has anyone gone to Santorini for the day or should we plan to get a hotel for one night?  Where does the boat from Athens dock?  Any suggestions are most appreciated.

[JBare]

A day trip to Santorini is really not feasible by boat. Certainly not something you could get much out of. You need to think about flying if you only have a day. Or stay overnight in Santorini.

Edited July 30, 2019 by JBare

[JBare]

Try this website.

https://santorinidave.com/athens-to-santorini

[marazul]

The best way is to fly from Athens. Aegean Air flies to the islands and it is easy and convenient. The flight to Santorini is only 45 minutes long.

https://en.aegeanair.com/

 

The alternative is to spend several hours (7 to 12 depending on the line) in a ferry to get there. The only advantage of the ferry is that you are at the port when you disembark. But, be careful, many of the ferries leave very early in the morning, maybe even before your cruise disembarks. Or much later in the afternoon when it would have been better for you to take a taxi to the airport and fly out to the island. If you fly, you could be at the island before the afternoon ferry takes off from Athens, or before the morning ferry gets there. Check all the schedules before you decide. For example, ferries to Santorini leave at 7:25 am or 5:30 pm.

 

There is only one caveat: BOOK EARLY! Those flights get full fast for the season. One advantage is that all inter Greece flights are "flex" tickets, which means you can re-book them without charge (different day, different island, different time, etc.). Aegean Air also offers very low cost insurance (about 10 euros) if you need to cancel.

 

And, yes, staying in Santorini is the best way to see and enjoy the island. Cruise stops can be miserable when several thousand people arrive at the same time. Hopefully, you can stay at least two full days there. I would also recommend renting a car so you can visit all the island.  There is a lot more to enjoy than just Fira and Oia.

 

Make sure you stay a night in Athens when you fly back and do not plan to fly home the same day you come back from Santorini. Flights do get canceled if there are very high winds. (It happened to us, but we were in Greece for several days and just stayed an extra day in the island.)  That would require you to take a ferry back or wait till the next day for another flight.  If you do it, do not book the last flight back to ATH and make sure you get a "Flex" ticket and buy the cheap cancellation insurance.