One night in Fira - where to stay and info on half day tours

Andy, looks as if you have budget in mind; however, most budget places are small, family-run, & don't have vehicles for transfer. One that does is Anemomilos Suites - https://www.santorini.com/hotels/anemomilos-suites/ - this website specifically says that airport mini-bus transfer is complimentary. It also has a pool which will be welcome if your June day is HOT. I agree with your strategy, exactly what I did on my first visit. Also, my FAVE budget gem, Villa Fotini, is on the northern fringe of FIRA, and on the inland side, only 20 yards to the handy bus stop to OIA; also use of pool at a nearby hotel. Website says airport transport on request, but I don't know what the fee is. I do know that transfer to/from seaport is complimentary. Alas, Fotini now charges for breakfast ... but the location is super, and so is the family that runs it.

I'm not sure you're going to find a half-day tour, they're not as common lately (full-day = higher profit), but you can do considerable sightseeing on your own, if you strategize. (You'd miss the Akrotiri Dig). On arrival afternoon, I would advise to explore Fira town, if you wish, walk down to Old Port on steps (watch out for donkey-doodoo), and then zip back UP on cable-car. Stop by STANI taverna (on 2nd lane inland, north of Koo club), go up to roof terrace to check out its FAB view of caldera... then reserve a table for 7:30 or so. Go have a swim then back to Stani for sunset without crowds, noise etc etc. Authentic Greek cuisine, and more than 2 of you can eat, plus 1/2 Liter house wine, for under €30. In the AM, jump up early, and catch the FIRST bus toOIA ... 8 or 8:30 ... then y ou'll have about 90 minutes to wander its lanes, take amazing photos before the Deluge -- the arrival of the Dread Cruiser Invasion! Thousands and thousands of passengers, with lapel labels and dazed looks, cramming the OIA lanes. When u see them coming, time to go! Take bus back to Fira town, and enjoy the super Prehistoric Fira museum, showing all artifacts from Minoan culture of 5,000 years ago! You can enjoy a cheap & tasty gyro in the jammed FIRA town square, before heading out ... If you take that BLUE STAR ferry, run up to the top deck to get the departure view of the cliffs.

Janet, many thanks for your detailed reply and suggestions. I looked into Anemomilos Suites, but right now it's saying no availability for our dates in June. I also heard about the Pelican Hotel in Fira, which shows available, so maybe that's where we'll end up.

Here's our itinerary - it is really rushed. We arrive in Athens late in the evening from Rome on day 1. Rather than take the risk of missing the last Aegean Air flight to Santorini, we'll spend day 2 in Athens. On day 3, we'll take a flight to Santorini mid-day, stay that night and leave the next evening for Athens. On day 4, we have an early flight to Zurich.

One minor consideration is that the couple traveling with us is mostly vegan (they can have cheese). Just like you said, I looked at the tours ranging from an all day bus tour for about 43 euro to a smaller group tour for about 80 euro, but the timing of these tours won't work for us. We don't want to fight the crowds for a view of the sunset in Oia, and could instead visit the Stani tavern on our first day in Fira.

Sounds like you have traveled more than once to Greece. Based on our itinerary, please feel free to make suggestions for must see things in both Athens (and hotels that you like) and Santorini. We do want to visit sites like the Acropolis, but think visiting museums could be a bit rushed. Besides seeing the important sights, we're interesting in just walking around, maybe visit some interesting markets, and observing Greek life.

Andy I suggest you use the Anemomilos Suites OWN website & inquire direct -- often a hotel only allots a certain # of rooms to the online agencies, and keeps the rest to book directly. Also, some hotel owners are on Vacation themselves in Dec -Jan, thus the site may say "unavailable" because there is no check-box for "away/closed". Pelican hotel is Right IN Fira Square impossibly crowded and gigantic busses turn in front of it day & night -- if you want a budget hotel away from the square, tr y Dina's rooms.

Yes of course I've traveled many times to greece, 12 in fact, and on 9 of them had along with me some "newbies" like you ... all too many people on RS board are advising on basis of ONE trip, sometimes just on a cruise with 4-6 hours ashore at each place. They mean well, but don't know all the pitfalls or opportunities. Comments on y our other questions:

• Greece is a GOOD place for vegans -- many of their dishes developed during the years (centuries?) when most families could not afford meat, so they learned to cook veggies THE best. Here's a good link http://www.greecefoods.com/ to send to your friends -- and a sublink -- http://www.greecefoods.com/restaurants/ordering.htm - on what's in a great number of dishes, and how to order in Greek (NOTE: all waiters understand English, but they love when you try a few Greek words, and say "Bravo!").

• Andy I'm going to get scoldy here; if you're spending $$$to go to Greece, can you not spend $7-8 on a used guidebook?? I recommend ROUGH GUIDE (look on Amazon) -- you can just (carefully) pull out the sections of places you are going (Athens, Cyclades) and other useful section (Food, Phrases etc). For other advice on where to stay, what to do... click on my name, and you'll see a menu item: Topics Janet has participated in... and click on many of these... you will find detailed advice on hotels and sightseeing. It sounds as if you are trying to do Greece in 4 days, which is a darn shame, but I guess your trip is set. In that case, you could save the $7 by going to local library & getting an armful of Greek guides, which would answer many of your basic questions. Heck, if you even clicked on Rick's own website which you are now on, you'd find his extensive advice on ATHENS, including (FREE) audio downloads of step-by-step visit to Acropolis and other Athens Landmarks. Research time!!

Janet, for the last several weeks, I actually have borrowed about 20 books from Lonely Planet, Fodors, Frommers, and one Rough Guide on the countries we are visiting. But I've found that you often get more valuable insight from forums like these. As an example, your link on Greece foods is great! I'll be sure to look at your previous posts on different countries.

Incidentally, I am not receiving prompt replies from the hotels that I have emailed. Like you said, they must be on vacation this month.

Andy I don't do posts on other countries .... can only afford 1 trip, so for many years it's been to Greece. As for your schedule, it looks like one of those school tours " If it's Tuesday it must be Belgium." I hope your trip is a First-Time Europe Sampler, following which, in future, you'll plan to actually experience places rather than just zooming thru them. If you're young, that's a fine strategy. But I do applaud your library usage --- in fact, when you go on these forums, it's a good idea upfront to say that you've already pored through some guidebooks, it makes the "regulars" feel better about helping. Sometimes we do get weary, hearing from Millennials with questions like, "How Far is it from Rome to Florence" just because they can't summon the energy to look anything up themselves. You're not one of these, we now know.

Janet, we looked at tours by Trafalgar, Cosmos, etc, but if we had to do one country per year, then we won't be able to see those 1000 places before we die! This trip is definitely a sampler, but we're not wasting time going to the usual places. For example in Switzerland, we are visiting only a small village called Murren, not Zurich, Geneva etc.

Our city library can get me books from libraries all over California, so I've been making great use of that - I actually have 30 books right now!