Fly to Santorini

It is always a risk to plan an unconnected flight (or Rail reservation) immediately after your trans-Atlantic flight. You just cannot plan for delays other than allowing a big pad of time.

As for getting from your arrival flight to the Santorini flight, first question is if Athens is your first stop in Europe? If not, then you may do passport control at another Airport, if not, then plan at least an hour in getting through immigration. If you check bags, plan another delay in tracking those down. Another source of delay might be if you would need to go through Security again as well as any check in requirements you might have. 11:40 under best conditions is tight, but possible. If I had time, I would do a night in Athens, heading to Santorini the next day.

As for Ryan Air or Aegean, just figure that for Ryan Air you will need to check your carry-on bag which will add onto the ticket, I might be tempted to use Aegean, I have used both before (though not Ryan Air in Greece) Aegean would be more flexible on baggage and check-in.

Unless there is some unforseen situation you can't predict anyway, 2.5 hours is more than ample time to process through ATH on your way to JTR. Also, I don't know about Ryan Air but Aegean allows you to print your boarding passes out 48 hours in advance of your flight so all you have to do when you've finally passed through passport control and customs (customs takes no time at all!) is go upstairs and drop your bags off with the designated "convenience" drop-off ticket agent. And unless you've booked a direct USA>Athens flight you will have already passed through Passport Control in another EU/Schengen airport somewhere in Europe, which makes the transition at ATH even less of a hassle.

I recently purchased tickets for the two of us to fly, on Olympic (part of Aegean), from Santorini to Athens, in May, for 74.60 euros, which includes taxes and fee to check two bags. Since your trip is so far off, I suggest watching the fares for a while. I have no experience with Ryan; but I've read that they are very strict about their cut-off time for checking in. I'd pay more to avoid the anxiety of trying to make a flight.

Aegean is an excellent air line. Sign up for their web site and they will send you blasts announcing seat sales. We have been able to get tickets as low as 19 euros plus taxes in the past. Once you find a seat sale book fast they don't last long. I too am looking for a flight in Sept 2017 and that is just too far out now for Aegean to bother offer a seat sale yet.

If you are doing transatlantic a 9:15 arrival in Athens suggests you will be on a direct flight so you will have to go through customs but two hours is lots of time in Athens airport which is all in one terminal. It is a good plan to get out to your first island at the beginning of the trip and leave Athens to the end so you are on the mainland for your return flight.

Thank you everyone for your advice. We arrive in Athens then plan on flying to (1) Santorini 3 nights ( fly) , (2) fast ferry to Naxos for 3 nights, 3. fast ferry to Mykonos for 3 nights, 4. fast ferry to Athens for 3 nights then fly to Miami and Texas (family) Do you suggest taking the fast ferry between the islands then back to Athens or the slower ferry Santorini to Naxos, Naxos to Mykonos then a fast ferry to Athens? Any information and or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

The one ferry "leg" I would definitely choose the "slow" (regular) BLUE STAR ferry is Santorini to Naxos... nice 2 hour journey ... the big thing is, it has open decks so you get the view of Santorini caldera on departing, and then can relax on deck seats for your little "mini-cruise". Most of the fast-ferries have no decks, assigned seating indoors ... going to Mykonos, if you take a smaller vessel (such as seajet) in Sept. the winds can make for a rough sea sometimes. Other lines have larger vessels. Also, If you sign up for Aegean air alerts to promotional fares, you might get a bargain flight to Athens back from Mykonos ... 45 mins vs 4 hours. It's a consideration.

dennis,

Given a choice between Aegean and RyanAir I would most definitely go with Aegean, regardless of the price.

Which airline are you using for the flight to Athens? One thing I'd look at is whether the airline you're using has any code share arrangements with Aegean or Olympic, so that you could book flights directly through to Santorini. Your checked luggage would be gate checked so you wouldn't have to collect it and re-check it in Athens, which will save some time.

With respect to the ferry from Santorini to Naxos. For years we have been suggesting the blue star because you can experience Santorini from the open deck. It departs around 1ish and gets to Naxos around 3. In 2016 Seajets introduced Championjet 1 and 2. Championjet 1 departs Santorini around noon and gets you into Naxos by 1:30. It has an open deck at the rear so you can have the deck departure feature. It is also a large ferry and last year was on time every day we were on Naxos. Champion Jet will get you to Naxos just about the time Blue star departs Santorini. Time is the precious commodity on a vacation. You can be all checked in your hotel and be enjoying a drink on St George beach and watch the Blue Star arrive.
The first few images of this album taken in June this year are from the outside deck of Championjet 1.
Naxos 2016 https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157671589993576

I am looking for the same time of year and saw today the flights are about half what they have been the past 2 months. 61E for Athens to Santorini. Just FYI.

Stanbr, dear Friend, regarding the Blue Star Schedule from SANTORINI to NAXOS I think u may have had a brain freeze -- for ever and ever, that Blue Star has not left Santorini at "one-ish"... but at 15:30 (3:30pm) arriving not at 3 PM, but 5:30pm (I believe you were thinking of the Highspeed 4). But I agree with you about Champion Jet 1 -- it gets you a whole extra afternoon on Naxos (sun! Swim! nap!). As you say, time is so precious. Another plus is, because it's smaller, it's not such a mob scene as can occur when lining up for boarding Blue Star & rushing to top decks for best seats.