Wondering how to get to Santorini from Athens, London, Scotland, the US, Mykonos, and other Greek islands? Wonder no more. Below you will find all the information you need 😉
Located in the Aegean Sea, only 200 km southeast of Athens, Santorini is one of Greece’s most popular islands and amongst the world’s top dream destinations.
This tiny island of just 76 km2 is booming with tourists, culture and food lovers, honeymooners and families, who arrive daily either by air or sea.
Because of its geographical position, most of Santorini’s visitors include a quick stop in Athens and/or Mykonos in their Greek itinerary.
Getting to Santorini from those two places isn’t complicated. There are direct flights to Santorini from Athens and other European cities, such as London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and Rome.
From Mykonos and other Greek islands, the best way is to take the ferry, but if you prefer to fly, you might need to connect in Athens. There are also ferries from Athens to Santorini.
I’ve had the opportunity to visit Santorini twice. The first time in 2014 I wasn’t really sure of how to get to Santorini from Paris and flew to the island with a connection in Athens, and the second I flew from London to Athens, spent some days in the capital, and then flew to Santorini.
On my second visit, I also spent some time in Folegandros, and after that, I took a ferry to Santorini.
I can tell you that arriving in Santorini by ferry is amazing. Seeing the whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches perched on the cliffs is truly breathtaking.
Table of Contents
How to Get to Santorini
While considering how to get to Santorini, it is important to know that there are more than 20 daily flights from Athens to Santorini and over 9 daily ferries during the summer months. But these numbers decrease drastically in the winter.
There are also no direct flights to Santorini from the US, Canada, the Middle East, and Asia.
* Direct flights from other European capitals are only available during the summer season – out of season, you have to go through Athens.
From Athens
You can get to Santorini from Athens in two different ways: by plane or ferry.
By Plane
– Take one of the Athens to Santorini flights with Ryanair, Aegean Airlines, Olympic, Sky Express, Hahn Air, or Volotea.
– The first flight departs at 6h and the last at 23h05min.
– The journey takes less than 30 minutes and costs from 25€ to 230€, depending on how far in advance you book your ticket.
– From Santorini International Airport to Fira, the island’s capital, takes only 10 minutes.
- Don’t miss: 7 Best Things to Do in Imerovigli
By Ferry
The Athens to Santorini ferries operate from two different ports: Piraeus and Rafina.
– If you are already at Athens International Airport, it’s closer and faster to take the ferry from Rafina Port.
– From the airport to Rafina you can take a taxi or a bus.
– The public bus, (KTEL), runs approximately every hour, from 04h40min to 20h45min. Tickets can be purchased directly from the bus driver and the price is 3€ one-way. The journey will take approximately 40 minutes.
– Taxis costs around 30€ and takes around 20min.
– Rafina doesn’t have as many ferries as Piraeus. In fact, there is only one ferry from Rafina Port to Santorini, at 7h15min.
– The ferry takes 6h15min, arrives at 13h30min and the ticket costs 66€.
– If you’re in central Athens, it’s easier and faster to take the ferry to Santorini from Piraeus Port.
– The best way to get from central Athens to the ferry port is by metro. It takes around 30min and costs 1.40€.
– You can also go by bus: the regular buses take 50min and cost 1.20€, and the express ones (X80 or X96) take 30min and cost 5€.
– Taxis from Athens city center to Piraeus Port costs around 25€ and takes 25min under normal traffic conditions.
-The gates to the ferries to Santorini and other Cyclades Islands are directly across the street from the metro station between gates E1 and E10.
– The first ferry departs at 07h00 and the last at 17h30min – 18h (depending on the day of the week). Check the ferry schedules below.
– Traveling from Piraeus Port to Santorini takes from 4h45min to 10h40min and prices range from 35€ (US$ 41) to 69.70€ (US$ 82), depending on the type of ferry (regular or express).
Buy your ticket online in advance with 12Go here, the website that I use, trust and recommend.
- Read next: 7 Reviews Santorini Hotels for All Budgets
From Mykonos
– There aren’t direct flights from Mykonos to Santorini. You will need to change flights in Athens.
– The best way to get to Santorini from Mykonos is to travel by ferry.
– The first ferry departs at 9h50min and the last at 22hmin.
– The journey takes from 1h55min up to 10h45min and princes range between 36€ and 68.70€.
– There are also smaller ferries departing from Mykonos Old Port (walking distance from Mykonos town).
* From other Greek islands, such as Crete and Rode, for example, you might need to change flights to Athens as well, but it can change year by year.
- Don’t miss: 30 Best Things to Do in Santorini
From London
– Take one of the direct flights from London to Santorini with British Airways, Easy Jet or Aegean Airlines.
– The direct flight to Santorini from London takes around 4h.
– Alternatively, you can fly from London to Athens with British Airways, Aegean Airlines, Wizz, Easy Jet, and Ryanair and then take another flight or a ferry to Santorini.
– The cheapest way to get to Santorini from London is by making a stop in Athens.
– Wizz and Ryanair have the cheapest flights from London to Athens.
– To get to Santorini from Athens take another airplane or the ferry.
- You may also like: Best Beaches on Rhodes
From Scotland
– There aren’t direct flights from Scotland to Santorini.
– You can fly directly from Edinburgh to Athens with Aegean Airlines or Easy Jet and then take another flight or ferry to Santorini.
– There aren’t direct flights from Glasgow to Athens.
From USA and Canada
– There aren’t direct flights from the US to Santorini.
– You need to take a flight to Athens followed by another flight or a ferry to Santorini.
– Alternatively, you can fly to another European hub, such as Rome, London, Paris, Madrid or Frankfurt, from where you can take a direct flight to Santorini.
* How to Get to Santorini from Canada? The same as for the USA 😉
- Read next: 10 Best Things to Do in Fira
Tours from Athens to Santorini
If you don’t have too much time to organize your holiday in Greece but still would like to visit Santorini, you can take a tour of Santorini departing from Athens.
This might be a cheap and easy way for those who want to visit Santorini from Athens because everything is included in the package: hotel accommodation with breakfast, economy round-trip ferry tickets, and port transfers in Athens and Santorini.
You will stay in a 3-star hotel in Kamari or Perissa (two of the best beach towns on the island) and have around 24h to explore Santorini and visit some of its most romantic and iconic spots.
You can spend the rest of your afternoon relaxing on the beach, see the sunset in Oia, enjoy the nightlife in Fira (if you’re not too tired) and the next morning you will have plenty of time to visit the towns of Imerovigli, Firostefani and Fira.
Click here to check prices and availability.
Other Tours from Athens that you might be interested:
Getting to Santorini: Flights, Ferries, Best and Quick Ways
If you still have doubts about planning how to get to Santorini, here are the final answers to your questions:
What airport do you fly into to go to Santorini?
Santorini Island Airport also known as Thira Airport (JTR), located on the island’s east side close to the city of Kamari, is the only airport in Santorini.
From the airport to the capital Fira, takes around 10min, the same to Kamari and to Oia it takes 25min.
- You may also like: What to Wear in Santorini: Best Men’s Outfits for Greece
Which airlines fly to Santorini?
The airlines that fly from Athens to Santorini are Ryanair, Olympic, Aegean Airlines (that was recently bought by Olympic), Volotea, Hahn Air and Sky Express.
Aegean and Olympic have an average of 06 daily flights to Santorini during the high season. The first is at 07h and the last at 22h40min. This is the best airline to fly from Athens to Santorini.
Ryanair offers cheap flights to Santorini, but there are only two daily flights. The first flight departs early in the morning, and the second one in the afternoon or late at night, depending on the day of the week.
Flight times change after the end of the summer and there aren’t flights from November to early March.
Sky Express and Hahn Air offer 6 daily flights and Volotea 3 during the summer months.
Ryanair has the cheapest flights from Athens to Santorini.
If you are flying direct from other European cities, you’ll find the cheapest tickets with Ryanair, Easy Jet and Wizz.
During the winter there aren’t direct flights from Western Europe to Santorini though.
You can compare prices and find flight deals on Skyscanner, the website that I use, trust and recommend.
- Read next: Where to Stay in Santorini
Ferries from Athens to Santorini
The ferry companies that travel between Athens and Santorini are Blue Star, Sea Jets, Golden Star, Zante, Minoan Lines, Olympus, and Aegeon Pelagos. The last two offer overnight ferries with sleep cabins.
Blue Star is the best and cheapest ferry from Athens to Santorini. It’s a huge vessel and the ride is stable. But it’s a long journey (8h40min).
The fastest is the World Super Jet operated by Sea Jets. But it can be quite a bumpy ride. So if you’re worried about seasickness, it is better to take the slower ones.
- Don’t miss: 10 Best and Most Unique Santorini Beaches
Athens to Santorini ferry schedule 2021
| Day of the week/ Company | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Sea Jets | Departing at 7h – Arriving at 11h45min | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 |
| Zante | X | Departing at 7:00 – Arriving at 17h40min | 👍 | X | 👍 | X | X |
| Blue Star | X | Departing at 7h25min – Arriving at 14h50min | 👍 | 👍 | X | 👍 | X |
| Sea Jets | X | Departing at 8h – Arriving at 12h45min | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 |
| Minoan Lines | Departing at 9h – Arriving at 16h45min | X | X | 👍 | X | 👍 | X |
| Blue Star | X | X | X | X | X | Departing at 13h – Arriving at 21h40min | X |
| Olympus | Departing at 17h30min – Arriving at 5h | X | 👍 | X | 👍 | 👍 | X |
| Blue Star | Departing at 17h30min – Arriving at 02h10min | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 |
| Blue Star | X | X | X | X | X | X | Departing at 18h – Arriving at 00h10min |
| Aegeon Pelagos | Departing at 18h – Arriving at 02h15min | X | X | X | 👍 | X | X |
How long is the ferry ride from Athens to Santorini?
From Athens to Santorini by ferry takes between 4h45min (the speed ferry) and 10h45min (the slowest one).
What is the best way to get to Santorini from Athens?
The quickest and best way to get to Santorini from Athens is by airplane.
Even though they say that the travel time is 55 minutes, in reality, it takes an average of 30 minutes.
What is the cheapest way to go from Athens to Santorini?
Believe it or not, it’s also by plane, but only if you buy your ticket in advance.
Ryanair and Volotea have tickets for less than 30€ but bear in mind that if you book the early morning flight and travel to the airport by bus, you might need to wake up around 4h.
But you can also book a hotel near the airport, in case you arrive in Athens in the evening and won’t be able to take the last flight.
If you buy a last-minute ticket, then the cheapest way to get to Santorini from Athens is the conventional car ferry.
- Buy your ferry ticket from Athens to Santorini in advance here.
Getting from Santorini Port to Fira, Oia and other towns on the island
All ferries arrive in Santorini at the Athinios Port.
Getting from the port to any town is easy and should not take more than 30 minutes.
From the port, you can take a bus, taxi or transfer to the main towns. The bus costs 2.5€ and takes an average of 20 minutes to Fira. If you are staying in another town, you need to change buses at Fira Bus Terminal.
A taxi will cost at least 25€ to Fira and 35€ to Oia.
You can book your shared arrival transfer from Santorini National Airport to your hotel or cruise port with a discount here; and your Private Departure Transfer: Santorini Hotels to Airport or Ferry Port here from US$ 37.
I really recommend that you hire a car while in Santorini. It’s much easier and convenient and you can pick up your car at Athinios Port.
Now that you know about all the possibilities of how to get to Santorini, what are you waiting for to start planning your trip?
No matter if you take an aircraft or ferry, Santorini will certainly amaze you.
Safe travels and have fun in Greece.
MORE CONTENT THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU:
- Where to Stay in Imerovigli
- Best Bars & Clubs in Fira – Video
- 10 Best Things to Do in Oia
- Best Hotels in Fira With Caldera View
- 10 Pictures to Inspire You To Visit Folegandros
- Why Rhodes Should Be Your Next Greek Destination
- Best Things to Do in Rhodes
- Where to Stay in Rhodes
- 10 Pictures to Inspire You to Visit Astypalaia
- Best Things to Do in Crete
I always recommend that you buy travel insurance! It can literally be your lifeline if something happens to you, or your luggage is lost or stolen.
Play safe and get yours. Get a quote with World Nomads here or buy your travel insurance now with SafetyWing using the widget below.
Planning a Trip to Santorini
Where is Santorini?
Santorini is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 Km (120 mi) southeast of Greece’s mainland (check the map here).
Best time to go to Santorini?
The best time to visit Santorini is from May to September when the sun is shining, the temperatures are high and the chances of rain are minimal.
To avoid crowds pick the months of May and September because the weather in Santorini is still good at this time of the year.
Santorini Tours
There are several companies offering tours to make your trip to Santorini unforgettable.
I recommend booking your tour online in advance with Viator, a TripAdvisor company, or Get Your Guide, which offers many different tours.
Some interesting Santorini tours are:
- Santorini Full-Day Sightseeing Tour and Santorini Volcano Cruise Including Hot Springs, Thirasia and Oia Sunset
More tour options with Get Your Guide:
- Book Your Flight Find deals on airlines on my favorite search engine: Skyscanner. Be sure to read my How to find cheap flights article.
- Rent A Car Rental Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal.
- Book Accommodation Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. But Hotels.com and Hilton Hotels have very interesting reward programs.
- Protect Your Trip Don’t forget travel insurance! I always use World Nomads for short-term trips and SafetyWing for long-term ones. Find out why Travel Insurance: Much More Than a Precaution, a Necessity.
- Book Tours in Advance Book unforgettable experiences and skip-the-line tickets with GetYourGuide or Viator .
- Book Ground Transportation BookaWay offers a stress-free experience with secure payments and no hidden fees. You pay online and receive your itinerary by email.
- Luggage Solutions Rent your luggage with Cargo or if you need to drop off your own luggage and enjoy your time without dragging it all over a city, find a LuggageHero shop here.
- Get a Travel Card Revolut Card is a pre-paid debit card that enables cash machine withdrawals in 120 countries. I’ve been using my Revolut Card for over a year and never paid foreign-transaction fees again. Get your Revolut Card with free shipping here.
- Packing Guide Check out my How to Pack a Carry-on Luggage For a Five-month Trip to help you start packing for your trip. Don’t forget your camera, chargers and other useful travel accessories. World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
