Travel
Airport
Santorini has its own airport (Santorini International Airport – JTR). You can fly directly or with one or two connections. Scheduled airlines include Ryanair, Olympic Air, and Aegean Airlines, with seasonal scheduled and charter flights from other airlines during the higher seasons in spring summer and fall (e.g., Thomas Cook, EasyJet, British Airways, Lufthansa). If a direct flight is not available, consider changing planes in Athens (Athens International Airport – Eleftherios Venizelos) or another European Airport. Transportation to and from the air terminal is through buses, taxis, hotel car-pickups and rental cars.
Port
Santorini also has its own port (Athinios Port) and is connected with Fira and all villages of the island of Santorini by bus. The journey between the Athens (Piraeus) and Santorini (Thira) is between 5 and 8 hours, depending on the type of ferry you are taking (i.e., regular or fast). There are daily regular ferries and high-speed boats that depart from the port of Piraeus in Athens to Santorini island. The frequency of itineraries depends on the season. During summertime, the itineraries are very frequent (more than one per day).
Boats of the ferry companies Blue Star Ferries, Sea Jets, Hellenic Seaways and GA Ferries connect Santorini to Piraeus (Athens). There are also other itineraries which connect Athinios port in Santorini to other ports in Cyclades, Dodekanisaand Crete. More specifically, Blue Star Ferries has scheduled ferry itineraries from Kos and Rhodes to Santorini. The cost of the ferry tickets depends on the type of boat that you will select to travel with. Buses to the port leave Fira about an hour before the regularly-scheduled departures of the ferries leaving Santorini for other islands. You will see a schedule posted outside the little building at the bus square. See here for more information.
Taxis
At the port, there is a taxi station, where the cabs are waiting for the ferry arrival, although many of them have been reserved in advance. All taxicabs are gray and have a lit ‘taxi’ sign on top. Taxis can sit up to 4 passengers although they might not be able to take that many suitcases. If you are a larger group, you need to take 2 or more taxis and travel separately. Extra charges will be applied to overweight baggage, port or airport pick up and night transfers.
Fira’s taxi stand is on Dekigala just around the corner from the bus station. A taxi from the port of Athinios to Fira costs around €10 to €15, and a trip from Fira to Oia about €15. Expect to add €2 if the taxi is booked ahead or if you have luggage. A taxi to Kamari is about €15, to Perissa €18 and to Ancient Thira about €25 one-way.
Here are local Taxi companies:
https://www.santorini-taxi.gr/,
https://www.santorini-taxi.com/,
https://city-airport-taxis.com/,
http://www.santorini-airport.com/secure-taxi-reservation.html
http://www.santorinitaxi.com/santorini-transfers.htm (relatively cheaper compared to others).
The fair for airport pickup should be about €30-35 for individual vehicle and €20-25 for a shared one. Advice to shop around for the most competitive price. We strongly recommend you to pre-arrange your transfer from the Port or the Airport to your Hotel if your accommodation is located on the Caldera Side (Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, Oia). You can do that either by using the transportation provider’s website or contact details using the links above.
Shuttle and Private Transfers
Shuttle service is more affordable than taxi transfers and the rates are always fixed. Here is a local transportation company offering both private and shared transfers for small or large groups. http://www.santorinitransport.com. You might also want to ask your hotel whether they have a pickup or shuttle bus service.