Arriving in Athens at 20:45 on 9/13. Starting @ PDX on the 12th, so looong travel. Aegean has flights to Santorini late on the the 13th - would you suggest staying overnight near ATH and flying/ferrying early the next morning? I don't think arriving at an exquisite hotel on the caldera in the middle of the night is the best use of our money... (?) IF we do go over in the a.m., better to ferry or fly? Maybe a hotel near Piraeus port (if there are any)?
Thanks!
Julie
Thats a tricky arrival time. I would sleep near the airport and catch an early flight. By the time you get through customs, it might be closer to 10p. Piraeus port is about 30 minutes from the Athens airport, and the ferry takes several hours (5-ish, if I recall). Skip the ferry this time (they are a fun experience, but after all the travel, you dont want to sit on a ferry)
It all depends ... since you already are exhausted, you won't feel much like getting up early int he AM to get a flight -- you'd have to be there 1 hour ahead, and even the 7:10 AM flight to Santorini is €106 ... and you'd have to be there at 6 am or so. The alternative: if you can just Grit your teeth, get a snack in the airport and hang on a bit longer: there's an Aegean flight (€96) at 22:35, arrives 23: 20. If you arrange for a car to meet you, you can be at a hotel at midnight, and then CRASH. It doesn't even have to be your "exquisite hotel" .... just one that's convenient. Sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, check out and THEN go to your upscale "dream hotel".
Staying near airport doesn't get you to bed any earlier... you'd have to rise at 5 am to even get that €106 flight. The best alternative I know is AVRA HOTEL , about 20-25 minutes away from Airport in Rafina... and if you request at time of booking they have FREE shuttle bus 24/7 . Airport crowds will be thin at 20:45, so you could be out of the airport by maybe 21:30, shuttle to Avra by 22:00, check in, have quick snack (They have cafe on premises) & be in bed by midnight. However the first option lets you sleep late, & awaken on a lovely island... so that would be my choice.
Thank you for the replies and valuable input. I agree that gritting our teeth and getting to Santorini on the night of the 13th, and waking up on a beautiful island after deep sleep and having a fabulous greek breakfast is preferable then waking up (super early) next to an airport or port. Customs and transfers always take longer than expected. We will be ferrying around the islands, so I think grabbing a quick flight and getting to our destination is a priority and the best course.
Thanks again!
Julie
I've taken that flight from PDX to Athens several times and it's a bear, but it's best to tough it out and keep going until you reach Santorini. You'll be glad you did. Waking up your first morning is so much nicer. You'll be spending money for a hotel regardless, not to mention a taxi to get to it from the airport.
Good choice, Julie. BTW, "Customs" will take no time at all ... you just walk thru an area with a desk that says "stop if you have anything to declare" and you do not stop. What takes time is the passport-checking line. Unless another 400-passenger plane arrives at the same time as yours, this could go very fast.
