We are flying from Heraklion, Crete to Athens and then Athens to Santorini on Aegean Airlines. I am looking at flights where there is 2 1/2 hours in between flights. Is this enough time to allow? I’ve never been to Athens airport so I don’t know what to expect. I don’t want to be rushed should I pick flights that allow more time in between? Thank you
Posted by
Freedonia
17820 posts
I can tell you what I did.....I took the Seajets fast ferry in under two hours. Nonstop Heraklion to Santorini (Thira).
Comfortable seats, snack bar, no worries about missed connections. Breakfast in Heraklion, lunch in Santorini.
Posted by
France Southwest
3142 posts
Franck's way of getting from Heraklion to Santorini is obviously the best, fastest, and cheapest, but perhaps you're traveling between October and March when there are no longer any fast ferries from Heraklion to Santorini.
If so, with Aegean, you'll generally get both flights on a single ticket (one booking reference) with a 2-hour or more connection time.
So you don't have to worry about connection times even if you have checked baggages, they will go directly to Santorini.
Upon disembarking from your flight from Heraklion, you'll enter the departure area for flights to Santorini and other domestic flights. There are no customs, security, or other formalities to go through. Just look at the display boards to find your gate number. There is one level for boarding gates B9 to B15, and a lower level for B16 to B31.
With Aegean, I had connection times (2 flights - 1 ticket ) of less than 45 minutes, which went perfectly.
Posted by
10 posts
Thank you for your responses. I had a high speed ferry booked on Blue Star on 9/28 and received an email stating the ferry would be canceled with no explanation. I could book a high speed ferry on Seajets but I'm afraid that will possibly get
canceled and then I'm stuck. I think the flight might be a safer option even though it will be a longer travel time.
Posted by
France Southwest
3142 posts
Blue Star Ferries are not high-speed ferries.
There is the Blue Star Chios on the Heraklion-Santorini route on Sundays. It is still scheduled for the 28th at 11:45 PM (it arrives in Santorini the next day at 4 AM). Check on the Blue Star Ferries website:
https://www.bluestarferries.com/en-gb
On Sunday the 28th, there is also the daily Seajets WorldChampion Jet, departing at 8 AM and arriving in Santorini at 9:30 AM. This is the one you should take. There's no point booking in advance, but if you want to:
https://tickets.seajets.com/trips.php?1/1/0/0/0/N/HER/JTR/2025-09-28
I don't understand how you were able to book this ferry trip because there are no other ferries scheduled for that day from Heraklion to Santorini anyway. Always book on the ferry company websites, never with third-party services.
After that, anything can happen, whether with flights or ferries. No option is 100% safe.
Posted by
10 posts
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I booked a ferry on the Blue Star website. I have an account with them. It was one of the Attica group Ferries called the high speed 4 and was scheduled to depart at 730a and arrived in Santorini at 10a. I was aware of the other ferry on Seajets when I made my original booking but I have heard that ferries get canceled due to rough seas/wind and if this is canceled there are no other high speed ferries leaving that day. That being said I am still unsure as to which option to go with as the ferry is a much shorter travel time. Do they usually cancel the ferry the day before based on the weather forecast? If this is the case I could always book a last minute flight.
Posted by
France Southwest
3142 posts
When Seajets and bad weather are mentioned, it's usually a way of referring to high-speed catamarans in general, because all Seajets operating in the Cyclades are high-speed catamarans.
The Hellenic Seaways High Speed 4 ferry is a high-speed catamaran of the same type as large Seajets like the Worldchampion Jet (vessels with a capacity of over 1,000 passengers). So, in the event of rough seas, if the Seajets Worldchampion Jet were canceled, the High Speed 4, if it had been scheduled, would have been canceled anyway.
In the event of very bad weather with winds of 8 Beaufort or higher, there is usually a sailing ban for all ferries, including conventional ferries. This sailing ban is announced 1 or 2 days before.
But you can check the weather forecast, say 3 days before your trip, on meteo.gr.
For Santorini:
https://meteo.gr/cf-en.cfm?city_id=20
If winds of 7 Bf or higher are forecast, check at local ferry ticket offices.
Posted by
10 posts
Thank you so much for the information you have been very helpful. I think I will book the high speed ferry and check the weather 3 days before its scheduled departure.