Santorini, is one of the easiest Greek islands to reach. The island has an airport that takes both charter flights from across Europe and daily domestic flights from Athens and other Greek islands. All types of ferries visit Santorini both from mainland Greece and other islands. Many cruise chips also call in to the main port in the island caldera.
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Getting to Santorini by air is relatively easy. There are regular UK charter flights to Santorini throughout the summer from Birmingham, Gatwick, Manchester and Newcastle - all flying on Mondays.
There are also Gatwick flights on Fridays and Stansted flights on Thursdays. There are no regular charter flights to Santorini in the winter except for occasional charters at Christmas and New Year.
A well as charter airlines there are daily domestic flights from Athens to Santorini by Olympic Airways, Aegean Airlines and SkyExpress. The flight time from Athens to Santorini is 30-40 min.
There are also regular flights between Thessaloniki and Santorini which take about 90 min.
Flying into Santorini can be unnerving. Planes fly in over the resort at Kamari and only the main road separates the runway from the sea. The planes bank sharply and the runway is so short you can feel like you are landing in the sea.
Santorini Airport was opened in 1976 and is located about 6km south of Thira, near Kamari village in the Messaria/Monolithos area. The airport building is quite small and the terminal can get very cramped and hot at the height of the season.
There is a regular shuttle bus to Fira in the summer months that leaves every 90 mins. Taxis are also usually waiting at the airport but competition can be keen when the planes arrive. Many Santorini hotels offer airport transfers although there is usually a hefty fee.
The airport at Santorini serves as both a military and a civil airport. With its relatively small apron, the airport is only able to handle up to six charter planes at the same time.
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Ferry connections over the summer season are very frequent. There are daily sailings to and from the Athens ports of Piraeus and Rafina. The best way to approach Santorini is by boat but unfortunately departure times from the mainland mean you will probably arrive after dark. The main ferry route is Piraeus - Paros - Naxos - Ios - Santorini and takes about 7hrs. Rafina is mostly for high-speed cats and hydrofoils.
Blue Star Ferries started a new line Piraeus - Santorini - Kos - Rhodes for 2009. It operates on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, leaving Piraeus at 7pm. From June to September there is an extra Saturday boat leaving Piraeus at 9am. The more direct route cuts the sailing time to 5hrs
Cruise ships mainly dock near the old port where they tie up to giant floating buoys as the water is so deep the anchors can't reach the bottom. A cable car or mule ride are the only way up to Fira.
Ferries leave regularly for many islands including Amorgos, Chalki, Crete, Karpathos, Folegandros, Ios, Kos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Rhodes, Serifos, Sifnos, Syros and many smaller islands.
There are many daily local excursions, particularly to the volcanic islets in the caldera. Most visitors recommend this trip but, if you go, lunch at the Windmill taverna. It is furthest to get to but well worth the effort.
Summer ferry schedules may not be confirmed until April or May, and not published until then.
The information is as accurate as I can make it but note that ferry schedules can change at any time.
Santorini is a holiday island that attracts more than a million visitors each year so you might expect it to have a wide variety of holiday accommodation. Luxury hotels have commandeered all the best views around the caldera rim but there are still affordable options to be found for low budget travellers.
As a rule of thumb Santorini is an expensive play to stay but there are reasonably priced rooms if you book well in advance and try to avoid the choicest spots along the caldera cliff. There are even two youth hostels and a could of campsites.
High season is not the time to turn up without a reservation but there always seem to be room owners meeting the ferries, although the accommodation might not be as good as on other islands. The price can drop as dramatically as the cliff edge once you head inland. Oia on the northern end of the caldera rim is far less frantic than Fira and has good accommodation and there are self catering apartments all over Santorini.
Backpackers usually head for the Fira Youth Hostel in a former Catholic monastery or another former convent, now hostel at Oia. Camping Santorini is on the outskirts of Fira and gets mixed reviews from campers and it has bungalows for rent. Another campsite can be found at east coast beach resort of Perissa. Santorini's busiest beach resort at neighbouring Kamari is packed with hotels and apartments, although these are mainly aimed at the package holiday market.
Roads are generally good and though the island is small it is very hilly, so you will need a car if you want to explore. The mountain roads - especially the one Ancient Thira are not for the faint hearted - sheer drops and unfenced bends can be scary. There are also no traffic lights on crossroads so take care at junctions. Also beware the local youths on motorbikes - they have little regard for others which is dangerous for drivers and pedestrians alike. There have been reports of youths on bikes snatching bags from tourists as they drive by.
The Santorini bus service is very good, with buses running to 4am, but you will be lucky to get a seat after mid morning as they are normally packed. Nevertheless, Santorini buses are frequent and punctual. In summer buses leave Thira central station every 30 minutes for Oia, Monolithos, Kamari and Perissa and every hour to Akrotiri. In the high summer season Santorini express buses run to Perissa and Perivolos but the service fluctuates with demand.
Click here for KTEL's Santorini bus timetables - to get the actual schedules you must click the flashing Timetables icon at the top right.
Taxis on Santorini are in shorter supply. There were just 38 on the whole island at the last count, to cope with 60,000 tourists daily in the summer months. The main taxi station is in Fira next to the bus central station. There is also a radio taxi service (tel: 2860 22555)
