- I'm a Greece-based writer and have traveled to Santorini multiple times per year for 15 years.
- Here are my insider tips on the best transportation options for getting to and around Santorini, Greece.
- Visit Insider's hub for travel guides, tips, and recommendations.
Popular with Greeks and tourists, travelers can easily access Santorini by plane from Athens throughout the year — airlines based out of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, all have direct flights to the Greek capital.
From there, it's just a quick trip to Santorini. As a Greece-based travel writer, I've visited this island in the center of the Cyclades in all seasons. It's an easy 45-minute flight from Athens and most of the other islands, but I prefer to travel by ferry to make the most of that dramatic arrival in the center of the volcano.
Getting to Santorini
Santorini (Thira) International Airport (JTR)
North of the village of Kamari and six kilometers from the island's capital, Fira, Santorini (Thira) International Airport (JTR), is the largest in the southern Aegean Sea. And with some 2.5 million passengers a year (pre-COVID-19) passing through, it's also the country's eighth-busiest airport. It has a duty-free shop plus smaller stores selling snacks and expensive souvenirs and a few restaurants and cafés.
Since Santorini is a very popular stop on most people's grand tour of Greece, it does get crowded during busy months, which (unlike many other islands) kicks off as early as mid-May and continues until late September, at least.
Santorini's ferry port
Back in the 1980s and '90s, I remember arriving by ferry at the (now only used by cruise ships) old port of Santorini that was right beneath Fira. The only way into town (or onto the island) was to take a donkey. These days, it's better to take the cable car if you find yourself there.
Now, ferries arrive into the Athinios port on the island's southwestern side. The port is located at the bottom of a steep hill, and in summer, it can become overcrowded with many passengers pushing to get on and off of the ferries. If you're first in the queue, you're first out of the door, which makes it easier to beat the rush.
If you've arranged a transfer, seek out someone holding a board with your name on it, or call out the name of your hotel if you don't see anyone.
You'll also find plenty of taxis and a bus will take you to Fira, Oia, and other main areas.
Getting around
Once you're here, the good news is that although this island is only slightly bigger than Manhattan, it's still small enough to make it easy to get around.
Rental car
There are several rental car companies (including Hertz and Sixt) with offices just outside the airport (book ahead online in the summer to be sure to get a car). If you want to explore away from the main centers (Oia, Fira), you will need your own vehicle, but remember that the traffic on the island's usually potholed roads is dense in summer, and streets in small villages are narrow and often partially blocked with double-parked cars.
Bus or taxi
The bus network is good in the daytime, with several buses per hour to most main sights, but after nightfall, the service tends to become slightly erratic. Luckily, there are plenty of (cheap) taxis.
Sleek, clean, and air-conditioned, Santorini buses operated by KTEL are a cheap (from 3 euros) and easy option for reaching the island capital of Fira or heading to other parts of the island, including the marvelous Minoan remains at Akrotiri, and Fira's hip cafés and shop-lined streets.
Although more expensive, taxis are a good value if you have a lot of luggage. At the airport, the taxi stand is next to the bus station (near passenger terminal one). A board shows fixed prices to different destinations, and a ticket to Fira's center costs around 15 euros. Alternatively, you can book a taxi in advance.
Four-wheeled buggies, bikes, and more
If you really want to get off the beaten track, hire a gourouni (pig) which is the Greek name for the four-wheeled buggies you'll see buzzing all over the island.
Alternatively, you can do the island an ecological favor and hire a bike in most towns, but be careful of frenetic traffic at peak times from noon until 2 p.m. and from 6 p.m. onward.
If you're an active traveler, you can also reach many main areas of the island on foot via the cobbled footpaths that lead around the caldera. Just remember that it gets hot here (even in spring and autumn), so bring a hat, plenty of water and sunscreen, and plan to hike early in the day or from the early evening onward.
View Insider's comprehensive guide to visiting Santorini.