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Ferry from Santorini to Crete in April

Posted by (Pacific Northwest) on

I've sketched out a far off trip I want to take, using a Condor Business class airfare I want to buy sooner rather than later. I've got all the details worked out - Seattle to Athens and a week of touring. Then we'll fly to Santorini and do 3 nights there. Then the glitch comes up.

We can ferry from Santorini to Crete for 4 nights - just to stay in Chania since it's a short visit - and then fly from Crete to Frankfurt, sleep in Frankfurt and fly back to Seattle.

The whole plane hinges on the ferries operating on April 7th, 2019. I THINK they are back in service that week but I can't totally guarantee it and I'd hate for the plan to fall apart. I guess the back up plan would be Santorini back to Athens by air and then another flight to Crete but that seems a bit much as I'm not a happy flier.

So - does anyone know if the Santorini-Crete ferry run starts April 1 for sure?
Or - if I just can't get a firm answer, should I pitch Crete for Naxos since the Santorini-Naxos line runs year round?

I'm not super tied to either place - Naxos or Crete - I am just more drawn to Crete due to the Venetian harbor and a hotel I'm excited to book.

Thanks

Posted by
3122 posts

As well-meaning as we might be, none of us can answer your question with certainty. You need to contact the ferry companies, Hellenic Seaways and SeaJets, to see if they have the answer yet, but I doubt they do. In past years the ferries began that service about a week before Greek Easter, which is April 28 in 2019. It seems to me, and it's just speculation, that because Greek Easter is so late in the month, the ferry service will not be so rigidly tied to that date, but again, I'm just speculating. It's all about demand.

There is a 3rd possibility, but not confirmed yet. Anek Lines offers a once-, sometimes twice-weekly ferry from Santorini to Heraklion that departs Santorini on Saturdays (and the occasional Sunday) at the very early hour of 3:40am. April 7 is a Sunday. This might be your only option.

Posted by
2622 posts

I know - it's a tough call. I've searched on Tripadvisor forums as well and some years the ferry starts right at the beginning of April but other years it seems later. I guess I could just switch to Naxos and go in and out of Athens. One of the nice things about Crete is that I can fly nonstop from there to Frankfurt to catch my flight to Seattle. I don't think I can do that out of Santorini in April - I think those flights start later but it's hard to tell. Matrix tells me that Condor flies it nonstop in October and I equate April and October as similar should months as they are 6 months apart so maybe I could get lucky and do my Athens week, ferry to Naxos for 4 nights, ferry to Santorini for 3 nights and then catch a nonstop to Frankfurt.

Posted by
2622 posts

Thank you Lee and Sati! I guess I'm going to make it Naxos over Crete since I'm not really tied to any one island other than Santorini and keep life simple.

Posted by
11156 posts

Valerie, good choice. You need much more time for Crete so save it for another trip. We spent two weeks in Crete. It is more of a place than an island.

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