My friends and I will be in Greece in a few weeks and we are planning to go (from Piraeus) to Mykonos and Santorini, in no particular order. Any pointers on the best way to do that? Returning to Piraeus in between is OK if it is cheaper, as is additional ports. Thanks for any pointers in advance!
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8253 posts
No need to return to Piraeus, you can take the ferry to Mykonos, then on to Santorini. It may require a change in Naxos. From Santorini there is a direct ferry back to Piraeus. You could go in reverse as well. If you prefer, on getting to Athens on arrival, find a travel agency, they should be able to lay out a plan for you, or you can look at schedules and figure out a plan on your own. There are websites that give schedules, (ferries.gr for example) they can be bulky to use, but give you a good ideas. My personal preference for Santorini/Athens or the reverse though is to fly, only due to the fact that it is a long ferry ride. You could look at Olympic Air or Aegean Air for a comparision. If you are planning on spending time in Athens, do it at the end, maybe one night in athens at the beginning to catch an early ferry.
Posted by
Camarillo, California
3149 posts
Returning to Piraeus is completely unnecessary and a waste of your valuable time. You have 2 easy options for reaching Santorini from Mykonos. Catch one of the direct highspeed ferries, or catch the morning highspeed that goes to Paros in 40 minutes, and wait for an hour (sit and have a coffee across from the dock) for the Blue Star car ferry to stop there at Noon on the way to Santorini. I recommend the 2nd option so you can experience entering Santorini's caldera on the deck of an open ship instead of through the salt-encrusted windows of the highspeed ferry which, by the way, is approximately double the price of the car ferry. I also recommend you check the Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air websites to see if there might be any "saver" fares left for your travel dates. These tickets are almost as cheap as the car ferry. You could fly to Mykonos, ferry to Santorini and then fly back to Athens from Santorini. If you can make it all work, leave for Mykonos the same day as you arrive in Greece. Fly, or take the airport bus to Rafina for the shortest ferry ride to Mykonos. Rafina is a lot closer to both the airport and Mykonos than Piraeus. Save your time in Athens for the end of your trip so you have those extra days to get back to the mainland in case of a cancellation or a delay caused by mechanical breakdown. Nothing will ruin your vacation faster than a high-stress dash for the airport from an island at the last minute. Ferry Schedules
Posted by
OP
san diego, ca, usa
2 posts
Thank you both for your prompt responses. You have been very helpful!