From Athens to Santorini

BY SEA OR BY AIR TO SANTORINI
A quick view
- There are 2 options for going to Santorini from Athens: By ferry or by plane
- Duration for high-speed ferries from Athens: 5 hours
- Sailing time with regular ferries to Santorini: 8 hours
- Flying time Athens to Santorini's small airport: 45 min. on the air plus check-in advanced time plus shuttle transfer time to/from the plane plus time to get your baggage
- Air-ticket price: from 70 to 210 Euro per person (one-way incl. 1 x 25 kg baggage + res. seat with Olympic-air)
- Ferry-ticket price: from 30 (early-booking fare with regular ferry) to 87 Euro per person (high-speed ferry)
Tip: Santorini is an extremely popular destination and everything has to be booked in advance!
BY FERRY ATHENS-SANTORINI
There are frequent daily departures from Athens to Santorini with Regular (throughout the year) and High-speed ferries (from April to October).
To get to the port of Piraeus from Athens, take the underground metro from the stop closest to you to the last stop: Pireaus. There is a map on the dock that tells you where to find the right gate for your ferry for each island.
If you are arriving at the airport of Athens, the best choice is taking a ferry from Athens/Rafina port, rather than traveling to Athens and gets a ferry from Piraeus.
- Regular Ferries between Athens and Santorini, take approx. 8 hours.
- Speed Ferries take approx. 5 hours (depending on weather).
Pets are traveling for free, cars are allowed on most ferries for an additional fee and children usually travel for half price.
Going by ferry from Athens to Santorini
- November to February: 2 departures
- March to April: 3 ferry departure per day
- May: 4-5 dep. per day
- June to middle September: 10-12 sailings on the same day
- Middle to end of September: 6-8 dep. in a day
- October: 1-2 sailings per day
Complete the under bellow fields and click on SHOW to find updated timetables and to compare the prices of all ferry companies that run from Athens to Santorini!
Accommodation options Athens to Santorini
Book your ideal accommodation option on the ferry Athens to Santorini and arrive fresh and rested to your destination! There is a range of accommodation options to choose for the day ride from Athens to Santorini; economy armchairs and business or VIP class comfort seats are at your disposal.
THE PORTS OF ATHENS
There are 2 ferry ports in Athens that they serve ferries to Santorini:
- The Harbor of Piraeus is the biggest and busiest one.
There are 10 gates in the port of Piraeus and each gate serves a different destination. - The Port of Rafina is located on the northeastern side of the Attica peninsula. It's the closest port to Athens International Airport.
THE PORT OF SANTORINI

Santorini has 2 main Ports: the Athinios port and the cruise port.
The "Athinios" Santorini port is located approx. 8 km away from FIRA (main town of Santorini).
Public transportation services on Santorini
There is a frequent public bus service (Tel. +30 2286025404) from Santorini Town (Fira) to the port in Athinios for approx. 2,50-3 Euro (tickets can be purchased by the bus collector). Travelers coming from Oia need to change bus in Fira‘s main bus station (bus ticket 2 Euro).
- It is best to take a taxi (Tel. 22860-22555) from Athinios port to town Fira (approx. 15-20 Euro, approx. time 15-20 minutes).
Tip: Most of the hotels on Santorini have their own minibus and will transfer you from the hotel to the port and vice versa. Try ringing them to find out if this service is available!
GO BY PLANE TO SANTORINI
Most domestic airlines have frequent flights from Athens to Santorini.
How to get from the City to Athens international airport
Athens is 33 km northwest of Athens International Airport. You have 3 options to get from Athens city to Athens International Airport:
By Metro
- Take Metro Line 3 which connects the city center with Athens airport. Trains run every 30 minutes, 7 days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The trip from Syntagma station to the Airport lasts 40-45 minutes.
- You can buy tickets using the Automatic Ticket Issuing Machines (ATMs) in all METRO and Stations and from the Ticket Offices.
By Public Bus
- Take the express bus X95 that connect Syntagma Square with the Athenian airport. Service is provided on a non-stop basis seven days a week including holidays. BUS tickets are sold at the info/ticket-kiosk or onboard at no extra cost.
By Taxi
- Taxi from the city center to the airport costs a flat rate of €35 from 5:00 a.m. to midnight, and €50 from midnight to 5:00 a.m. You may wish to BOOK ONLINE to avoid delays!
- Note: The charge includes all applicable surcharges and extras (published 2019).
Santorini International Airport is located 6 km from the city of Santorini (Fira) and is served by public bus (tickets can be purchased by the bus collector and costs 2,5 Euro) and by 24/7 taxi (the journey from the Airport to the city of Santorini (Fira) is about 15-20 minutes and the fare is normally 15-20 Euro). Travelers going to Oia need to change bus in Fira‘s main bus station (bus ticket 2 Euro).
Flights from Athens to Santorini can be rather expensive and can sell out quickly (especially during peak season), so venturing out by sea is generally the preferred choice.
Note: All above information for Athens and Santorini was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice.