Taxi to Oia

[js1357]

My understanding is that the tender dock for non-ship excursion passengers is different than the ship excursion dock. If that is true, can you take a taxi directly from the non-ship excursion dock to Oia and back to the same dock, without going up to Fira?

[Hlitner]

My understanding is that the tender dock for non-ship excursion passengers is different than the ship excursion dock. If that is true, can you take a taxi directly from the non-ship excursion dock to Oia and back to the same dock, without going up to Fira?

 

The answer would be no! There is no way to get up to Fira (from the main tender pier) other then to use the cable car, donkeys, or walk up the donkey trail. If you want to get a taxi in Fira you generally will need to walk to the large taxi parking area (near the bus station) which is about a 10 min walk from the top cable car station. As I recall, the taxis wanted 25 Euros (one way) to go to Oia. The bus is a lot less money and leaves from the station located just behind the large taxi parking area.

 

Another option is to rent a car. A few years ago we were going to take a taxi to Oia until we realized it would cost us about 50 Euros round trip. I walked another block to a rental car place and managed to rent a small car for about 35 Euros (this was a few years ago). At that point I not only had my transportation to Oia, but the car served us well since we decided to go all the way to Red Beach (we really like this beach) which is at the opposite end of the island.

 

Hank

[js1357]

The answer would be no! There is no way to get up to Fira (from the main tender pier) other then to use the cable car, donkeys, or walk up the donkey trail. If you want to get a taxi in Fira you generally will need to walk to the large taxi parking area (near the bus station) which is about a 10 min walk from the top cable car station. As I recall, the taxis wanted 25 Euros (one way) to go to Oia. The bus is a lot less money and leaves from the station located just behind the large taxi parking area.

 

Another option is to rent a car. A few years ago we were going to take a taxi to Oia until we realized it would cost us about 50 Euros round trip. I walked another block to a rental car place and managed to rent a small car for about 35 Euros (this was a few years ago). At that point I not only had my transportation to Oia, but the car served us well since we decided to go all the way to Red Beach (we really like this beach) which is at the opposite end of the island.

 

Hank

 

So just to be sure I understand -- I cannot step off the tender and catch a cab to Oia. I do not want to go to Fira at all.

[CruiserBruce]

So just to be sure I understand -- I cannot step off the tender and catch a cab to Oia. I do not want to go to Fira at all.

 

If you look down the board there is a thread about a boat that takes you from the Fira dock to a dock at Oia. If that is not available, then there is no way, ship's excursion or not, to avoid Fira.

[Langley Cruisers]

So just to be sure I understand -- I cannot step off the tender and catch a cab to Oia. I do not want to go to Fira at all.

 

No, you cannot step off the tender and catch a cab.

 

Fira is where you will exit the tender at the bottom of the cliff; you will make your way up to Fira from the tenders, and then yes you can get a taxi, but there is no way to avoid Fira.

[js1357]

No, you cannot step off the tender and catch a cab.

 

Fira is where you will exit the tender at the bottom of the cliff; you will make your way up to Fira from the tenders, and then yes you can get a taxi, but there is no way to avoid Fira.

 

Thanks so much for everyone's help. So if I take the ship's excursion to Oia, winery and Fira, can I stay on the ship's bus and go back down the hill, circumventing the cable car?

[Langley Cruisers]

Thanks so much for everyone's help. So if I take the ship's excursion to Oia, winery and Fira, can I stay on the ship's bus and go back down the hill, circumventing the cable car?

 

No. I'm glad you are here asking because it seems like you don't quite understand what you are in for when you get to Santorini (no offense intended at all - I just want you to be sure you know what's going to happen).

 

The regular tender ships drop you at the bottom of a cliff where you have to make your way up to the top by cable car, donkey, or stairs. No motor vehicles are down there, none at all, so those are your three choices. On the way back from your tour it is the same thing; you will need to get back down, and the three choices are listed. If you take a ship's tour, you should be given a ticket for the cable car. However, depending on what time of year it is and how many ships are in that day, the wait can be up to an hour long. It was on our day, so we walked down the stairs, about 25 minutes or so.

 

We took the ship's tour you describe (Royal Caribbean) - tender to Athinios (the alternate port), bus to Oia, the winery, ending up in Fira. It was fantastic!!! I do recommend it if you are unsure about doing it on your own.

 

Santorini was one of the best days of my entire life. :) We longed to go there and 30 years later, we made it. You will have a blast there, it is so incredibly beautiful.

[js1357]

No. I'm glad you are here asking because it seems like you don't quite understand what you are in for when you get to Santorini (no offense intended at all - I just want you to be sure you know what's going to happen).

 

The regular tender ships drop you at the bottom of a cliff where you have to make your way up to the top by cable car, donkey, or stairs. No motor vehicles are down there, none at all, so those are your three choices. On the way back from your tour it is the same thing; you will need to get back down, and the three choices are listed. If you take a ship's tour, you should be given a ticket for the cable car. However, depending on what time of year it is and how many ships are in that day, the wait can be up to an hour long. It was on our day, so we walked down the stairs, about 25 minutes or so.

 

We took the ship's tour you describe (Royal Caribbean) - tender to Athinios (the alternate port), bus to Oia, the winery, ending up in Fira. It was fantastic!!! I do recommend it if you are unsure about doing it on your own.

 

Santorini was one of the best days of my entire life. :) We longed to go there and 30 years later, we made it. You will have a blast there, it is so incredibly beautiful.

 

Thanks Karen. I'm actually asking all of these questions on behalf of my mother, who has mobility issues. I guess I thought that the ship's bus would go back to the originating tender port of Athinios after the tour.

 

Jane

[texancruzer]

To clarify:

 

The ship will tender THEIR tours to a location near Oia..... where a bus takes them up the cliff.

 

The ship then MOVES to another location near Fira and tenders the rest of the ship...... to the bottom of the cliffs where you either take the cable car up, the donkeys up or walk up.

 

Now if you take the ship tour they DO NOT go back to Oia and take the road back down and tender back to the ship - but rather they will drop you off in Fira and you will be given a cable car ticket to go down the cliff.

 

My MIL will be with us on our trip next month...she also has mobility issues. She can walk but not far or fast and is not steady on her feet. She will not be getting off the ship in Santorini.

[Langley Cruisers]

I'm actually asking all of these questions on behalf of my mother, who has mobility issues. I guess I thought that the ship's bus would go back to the originating tender port of Athinios after the tour...

 

Yes, I wondered if it was something like that. I think a ship's tour might suit her well. As mentioned, it will leave her back in Fira and she can take the cable car down, but at the very least she only has to negotiate "the cliffs" one time (down), as ship's tours tender to the alternate port. We found this to be a great advantage.

 

There are threads and posts here about a ferry or some sort of boat/ship between Oia and Fira but I don't have time to look, I'm sorry. :(

[CruiserBruce]

To clarify:

 

The ship will tender THEIR tours to a location near Oia..... where a bus takes them up the cliff.

 

 

Don't think so. The ship's tour tender dock is at Athinios, which is generally south of Fira. Oia is northwest of Fira.

[Hlitner]

Lets again try to clarify the reality of Santorini. It is one of the more beautiful places in the world, but they do not have the ADA or other disability law. This island is not friendly to folks with mobility issues. Even if a person is dropped in Oia or Fira, they will have to do quite a bit of walking of which some will not be on flat surfaces. And as to the ship's tours, while you can tender into a small port and get on a bus, in order to get back to the ship you will have to make your way from Fira down to the other tender pier. And the only way down is by Cable Car, walking, or Donkey. They do not take the tours back to the original tender pier where the tour started (Athinios). So for somebody with mobility problems they will be forced to use the cable car to get down. The Cable car does involve some steps so this can be a problem for folks with mobility issues. There might be a way to get a disabled person on and off the cable car without having to use steps, but we have not noticed such a method (check on the disabled cruise thread).

 

Hank

[texancruzer]

Don't think so. The ship's tour tender dock is at Athinios, which is generally south of Fira. Oia is northwest of Fira.

 

Oops I typed Oia but meant Athinios..... my bad :o

[beach spring]

I am not sure readers on this thread will get the whole picture of that trek DOWN to the area to reboard the ship's tenders. The "walk" is not easy, especially for one with mobility issues. And also, after the strenuous walking involved in the day's touring, the almost 600 steps down will be a challenge to even the sure-footed. These steps are broader than just ordinary steps, requiring several footsteps each. Moreover, they are pitted, as some of the paving stones (and I hesitate to even call them that) are worn away, leaving holes. Then there is the issue of the donkeys, which can be treacherous as they pass, not to mention the other "stuff" to be on the lookout for:rolleyes: Still, the panorama can be absolutely worth the effort.

 

The line for the cable car to descend (in early September) was about 90 minutes, in the sun. I cannot imagine how a wheelchair could be carried into one of the cable cars. (And I have familiarity with wheelchairs so know their difficulties.) Riding a donkey, in either direction, could be thrilling to the adventurous but terrifying maybe to another. My 20-something niece rode one up and had a hilarious description of her experience, but she opted to walk down;)

 

Thus, someone who is mobility-impaired should think long and hard about this port and its options. I myself absolutely, unquestionably, unreservedly loved my visit. I walked and walked and got sunburned and exhausted, but it remains my very favorite port of all time. I generally tell others Santorini is the most beautiful place I have ever been. Just really glad I was able to do what I did! Best advice I can give is to seek others' input if you are still determined to attempt this. Bon Voyage.