My friend and I are considering a flight from Athens to Santorini. My concern is that it arrives in Santorini at 11pm. I definitely need to do some more research but my preliminary reading has me envisioning narrow, winding, steep little streets. I wonder how accessible it will be too arrive and find our hotel in the middle of the night??? Should we be concerned about this? We will have had a long day of travel originating from a small town in Spain. There is a flight that works well with our plans but it has that 11pm arrival. Other option is to get to Athens and then get a ferry the next morning. If finding our hotel that late isn't an issue, we do prefer the flight option. Thoughts??? THANKS!
Posted by
Bellevue, WA, USA
811 posts
i stayed at the atalos which is about 5 min away from the airport. i arrived like 6:30 in the morning, and the owner came pick me up. you should make similar arrangements. and if you want to stay in oia or fira, just change hotel on the following day.
Posted by
Sunnyvale, CA, USA
290 posts
I just in Santorini a few weeks ago & my suggestion is to have your hotel pick you up at the airport or port no matter what time you arrive. Even in the daytime it is hard to find places as there are no addresses to go by and Google maps are not as accurate as they should be sometimes.
Posted by
OP
Laguna Beach, CA, USA
272 posts
ok. thanks. and this may be a silly question but how do you get to the hotels if the owner picks you up? are you just walking? are cars allowed on these little streets?? I know i really need to do some research but this is all turning into last minute decisions and we are trying to make travel arrangements and I don't have time in the immediate (next few days) future to research! relying on the good people of the RS Board to help as they always do!!!! THANKS!
Posted by
Bellevue, WA, USA
811 posts
the owner of atalos lives there. he has a car. you want to stay in camari for the first day so any hotel you pick can pick you up. Hotels in Oia or Fira won't pick up from airport, so you have to take taxi up.
Posted by
OP
Laguna Beach, CA, USA
272 posts
debbie - was your hotel in oia or fira?? i wonder b/c you mentioned they picked you up. but david's post indicate those hotels won't pick up at airport.
Posted by
Sunnyvale, CA, USA
290 posts
In Fira. Rena's Villa. Free pickup and drop off if arranged in advance of arrival. http://www.renasplace.gr/
Posted by
Philadelphia
655 posts
Contact your hotel and let them make arrangements for you. This should include luggage handling - you'll be tired. They may charge for the service - just ask. If you are staying several days, they may provide the service for free. We stayed in Oia. The hotel did pick us up at the airport although it wasn't late at night. At the end, they provided transport to the ferry. In the case of Oia, they can drive near to the hotel, then they carry the luggage from there. Enjoy Santorini. We think it one of the most beautiful places in the world. Do not waste time in Athens unless you absolutely must.
Posted by
Camarillo, California
3149 posts
A very common method of transportation from the airport to the hotels is by taxi arranged through the hotel. The driver will call ahead to let them know you're arriving, and someone from the hotel will meet you at a pre-designated dropoff point to take you to the hotel. Many times that will be someone who will carry your bags. If so, they are deserving of a tip, especially if your hotel is down a lot of steps. 5-10 euro is sufficient. You can also just take the first available taxi and tell him which village and hotel you've booked, and give him the hotel's phone number so he can notify them of your arrival. Late-night arrivals are par for the course, so don't worry about the hour.
Posted by
OP
Laguna Beach, CA, USA
272 posts
Thanks all for the good tips. I feel much more comfortable with a late arrival and will proceed with booking that flight. Thank you.