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Athens to Santorini Help

Posted by (Texas) on

I’m booked on RS 8/31-9/13/2019 Athens and Heart of Greece tour. I booked my air using Avios with BA and my flight arrives in Athens on 8/25 @ 18:35. This gives me approximately 5+ days before meeting tour on 8/31. I return back to US the day the tour ends.

My thought is to fly RT ATH-JTR. I could use some help from folks with Greek logistic experience with:

  • Is there an overnight late ferry that I could possibly make on arrival night? Schedules have passed for that timeframe so I have no historical data.

  • There are later flights on Aegean/Olympic that would depart at 21:30 and 22:30 thereabouts arriving Santorini between 11-ish and 12:30 AM-ish. I don’t know if that is feasible either since I am unfamiliar with Greek Customs and Immigration wait times and I believe since this would be a seperate ticket I would have have to go out and re-enter security......correct? Also this would be very late arrival.

  • this brings me to 3rd option: stay overnight at Sofitel at airport and book RT ticket departing early on 26th, returning mid-day on 29th which would give me almost 2 days to explore Athens on my own before Rick’s tour.

Is there any merit to my first two options that I should consider or is it best to go with my 3rd option?

I know there is a lot of wisdom and experience on this forum so I thank you all for it and your consideration.

Chris

Posted by
2784 posts

I would do 2 or 3. My young adult children arrived at 8:30 pm in Athens and took 11 pm flight to santorini on Ryan air. Airport is easy to manuveur but depends on your preferences. They decided they would rather wake up on an island than at the airport.

We did the same jaunt the next day with am flight into Athens and separate flight a few hours later.

Beth

Posted by
11875 posts

If you do #2 be sure your hotel has an all night front desk

Posted by
3148 posts

There will be a ferry to Santorini that leaves Piraeus sometime between 5:30pm and 9:30pm. 9:30pm was the latest departure last August. The bad news is that it arrives at Santorini around 03:00am. It will be around 04:00-04:30 by the time you reach your hotel, and unless you book one with a 24-hour reception desk and you've paid for that night you won't be able to get into your room until sometime around noon that day. So keep that in mind when deciding. I think it's best to take a late flight so you spend your first morning on the island instead of in Athens. You aren't backtracking that way, and you will appreciate the quieter island atmosphere as you get acclimated. Greek customs and immigration is practically non-existent, and if you're coming via a connecting flight at another EU airport you will have done that already. Staying that first night at the Sofitel is also a decent option but it's expensive and as far as I'm concerned a time-waster.

Posted by
531 posts

Thank You all for your thoughts on this matter.

My arrival flight to Athens is coming from London and I believe UK is not within the Schengen area so I believe that I would need to go through it as a non-EU visitor.

Unfortunately for me I forgot that British airways has direct flights from London to Santorini during the summer season and I didn’t even check that when I was looking for my Avios ticket. In any case that is not an option at this point .

As far as staying at the Sofitel the rates there are much less expensive than paying for a late night arrival in to Santorini and I could get a good night sleep to start my journey to Santorini

It looks like, at least right now, I could get an early morning or midmorning flight to Santorini on Monday and then fly back to Athens on Thursday the 29th .

I really appreciate all of you helping me think through this decision and hopefully the next time I go to Greece I will remember that if I’m using British Airways that they do fly directly from London to Santorini.

Posted by
2784 posts

If your preference is to spend night at airport, then you should do that. But I did want to say is there was no extra charge for late arrival for my kids. I did book transportation from airport to hotel ahead of time which I would recommend regardless.

Beth

Posted by
531 posts

I contacted my hotel in Santorini and described my arrival options if I chose to fly onto JTR late on 8/25 and the owner does not have a problem with a late arrival.

So...that said....I think I will be adventurous (I’m pretty Obsessive/compulsive when it comes to my travel bookings🤗) and go ahead and book the 22:30 flight and stay on Santorini my first night in Greece rather than staying at the airport. Don’t know if I said but I will have only carry-on.

It takes a village😊 and is much appreciated.

Posted by
2784 posts

I think you will be happy you did. My kids sent us a ton of delighted pictures in texts the morning after they got up in Greece. We got them while waiting in Athens airport to take our flight to santorini!

Just make sure you arrange transportation. You don’t want to deal with that after arriving late after multiple flights. The hotel did it for my kids so I would start there.

Beth

Posted by
531 posts

Thanks Beth....transfers will be arranged by the hotel .....I’m staying at Villa Reno’s which Rick recommends in his book. Vassilis has been very helpful as well.

I was last in Greece 25 yrs ago...too long. We spent 5 days in Chania and were heading to Santorini the following day when the scirocco winds blew in mid September and ferries were cancelled. Our only option was to fly back to Athens and then fly from there but sadly we didn’t have enough time. We travelled in intervening years but never got back to Greece. This is a special trip and I have a feeling not my last to Greece😊

Posted by
2784 posts

I am sure you will enjoy!! I certainly am planning a trip back to Greece!

Beth

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