Transportation between Fira and Oia/Santorini

[Thebox]

Hoping to ride the cable car up to Fira and then visit Oia. Understand that there is a local bus running between the two villages. How difficult is this to navigate as a novice traveler?? Or are there taxi's easily available at the top of the funicular ride? Thanks for your help

[eqr]

Very easy to navigate. If memory serves me correctly, Once you get off from the cable cars, turn left towards the end of the street, make a right, follow to the next street, make a left. You'll be in the "main road". Once there, make a right. The buses will be on your left side, steps down from the taxi stand. You can also catch a taxi in Fira too.

 

However, when we were there last month (for the first time too), the buses were on strike and we didn't see any taxis. As a result, we rented a car for $25 plus $7 collision insurance. This worked out perfectly for us. We got to go all over Santorni, drove to Amoudi for lunch, drove to a winery, and take in the views. FYI...cars are manual.

[tigercruiser]

we were there last week. The bus is about 1.4 euro a person each way and runs about every hour (get a timetable from the web). The problem is that it is extremely crowded and there is a mad rush to board - no organized line. And if you don't fight your way to the front, you won't get a ticket (and if you do, you probably will be standing). Having said all of that, the buses are clean and you should not have any problems

[jg2256]

I saw this site listed elsewhere on Cruise critic and hope to use this bus myself in August. The person that posted it spoke highly of the service and the schedule is listed on the site. good luck!

 

http://www.ktel-santorini.gr/

[paul929207]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Thanks for the info will be in Santorini on October.

 

In case you didn't realize, this thread is from 2008, so the info in the other posts could be outdated.

[kuddles 2008]

hi, i-ve been in santorini with costa cruiseships 5 times, and the last time i had a really pretty new, this time we decided to do not take any cruise excursion and try to do on our own, so we got out at the old port by the tenders and when we arrived at the small pear of fira town, the line for the cable car was really amazing, so standing at the cue, we saw an office "union boatman of santorini" selling an excursion to oia by speedboat, a return back by bus to fira town, we took the tour, and it was amazing, nothing better, the small speed boat takes only 12 15 minutes to reach oia, and after 2 hours of freetime in oia, (we got on top by the minibus included in the tour)we returned back to fira with the same mini bus and everything was really perfect. absolutely recommended!

i will go one more time in santorini in a few weaks on the costa romantica if anyone will go, let me know!!! i hope my advice could help someone!!

 

How did you get up the hill in Oia? Do you remember how much the tour cost with the bus ride?

 

thanks for the tip

[Travel Writing Mary]

Hoping to ride the cable car up to Fira and then visit Oia. Understand that there is a local bus running between the two villages. How difficult is this to navigate as a novice traveler?? Or are there taxi's easily available at the top of the funicular ride? Thanks for your help

Lots of busses run back and forth. It's about a ten minute walk to the bus station. My advice is, be one of the first off the ship if you can; we were off at around 7:30 or maybe it was earlier and we walked to Oia (that is a wonderful, easy hike, very beautiful) then took a bus back. The cab drivers went on strike apparantly so taking one was not an option that day. I believe they make sure either the busses still run or taxis run; they don't strike all at once. There is a bus schedule posted on the window in the square where the busses stop. You pay the driver. Try to have exact change or very small bills because our driver wouldn't keep the change even though we told him to and it took a long time for the people to board. It's kind of fun to ride the bus back. MAKE SURE you get back at least an hour and a half before the last tender to your boat; we waited in line for the finicular for over an hour. Crazy crowded in Fira but we only saw 4 people on the path to Oia. Lovely.

[texancruzer]

How did you get up the hill in Oia? Do you remember how much the tour cost with the bus ride?

 

thanks for the tip

 

She posted right there in here description that there was a minibus included in the tour that took them to the top. :)

[lalawgirl]

In July, we were off our ship about 8:00 a.m., paid 20E to take the "speed boat" right to Oia from the tender dock (do not go up the hill to Fira). We had several hours in Oia, then took a chartered bus (included in our 20E price) back to Fira.

 

My parents took the cable car down (about 20 minute wait in the afternoon with 2 ships in port). My sister took the donkey. I walked down -- if it was so darn hot (100+ that day) it wouldn't have been that so bad. The donkeys weren't so bad but, the slippery steps made it a slow walk.

[hampshirelad]

Have just come back from a Med cruise and visited Santorini . Tenedring was provided by local boats not ship tenders and we were off in no time. When we got to the dock at Fira we took a 20 Euro tour which was a speed boat to Oia. Then a bus up the hill to the town. There were then hourly buses provided to take us back to Fira. Finally cable car down to the dock which was busy - no body got left behind. Good value and saved all the hassle of dealing with local transport for the sake of a few Euros.

[lilybob]

Speed boat tour sounds great. Don't remember that option when we visited last year. We have done the bus which can be a fun local experience but as others have said, it can be crowded. We had to stand and they collected the tickets while the bus was en route. If this is your first time to Santorini, don't miss Oia!

 

If you have time to spend in Fira the Santos Winery is also nice. We took a local bus which stopped right at the winery. The place is quite large and the tiered terraces offer spectacular views. We did a wine sampler which included bread, cheese and olives. Getting back was a little trickier catching the bus so we flagged a taxi as it was still fairly cheap.

 

I also found this wine road tour which has gotten many excellent reviews but haven't done it myself

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g482942-d1806049-Reviews-Santorini_Wine_Tour-Fira_Santorini_Cyclades.html

[pjs678]

We were just in Santorini last week. We got on the first tender (at 7:00am) and the first cable car up the cliff. We walked to the bus station and got on the 8:00am bus to Oia. Buy your ticket on board. Spent several hours in Oia, including a trip down to Ammoudi by foot and back up by donkey. We took the 12 noon bus back to Fira and then walked around Fira, used the internet etc. for a couple of hours.

 

Took the cable car down around 3pm and back on board by 3:30pm. We heard about longer lines later before all-aboard time (5:45pm). We were also the only ship docked in the morning. There was a NCL ship that came in early afternoon, but they were heading up when we were heading back down.

[Bickley]

Can someone tell me if it's a cable car or a furnicular that goes up the hill to Fira? I really don't like cable cars at all.

Is it possible to get a taxi to Oia from the bottom of the cliff?

[texancruzer]

It is a cable car. They hold 6 each.

 

No, there is no road at the bottom of the cliff.

 

There are 3 ways up. Cable car. Donkeys up the stairs. Walk up the stairs.

 

If you take a ship tour, they will tender you to a different area of the island. There is a road there and that is where you would board the buses for the tour.

 

To get back to the ship you will have to take the cable car, donkeys or walk down since they do not drop you off where you started.

 

Hope this helps.

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.santoriniport.com/images/santorini-cruise-port2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.santoriniport.com/&h=267&w=402&sz=23&tbnid=7mbM--MUmNhYUM:&tbnh=88&tbnw=132&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpicture%2Bof%2Bsantorini%2Bfrom%2Bship%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=picture+of+santorini+from+ship&usg=__KNGPj1FaxmQYe9i8Up1w0B_E3oE=&docid=ZIb-m6A0Nw4MJM&sa=X&ei=Dx6bUJKSA6Pi2gWg64HIAg&ved=0CDkQ9QEwAw&dur=2982

[Bickley]

Thanks for this really useful info so if we take a ships tour we don't have to go up or down the cliff by cable car.

[maryyl]

We were in Santorini last month. As soon as you get off the ship's tender, there's an NST booth selling tickets for a boat-ride Fira Old Port to Amoudi. The view of Oia from the boat is truly spectacular and shouldn't be missed. From Amoudi, a bus that takes you to Oia where you can wander around freely for several hours, before taking another bus to Fira. A token for the cable car back to the Old Port is included. Boat-ride + bus + bus + cable-car cost €20 total, and definitely well worth it. We did the Fira - Oia public bus thing last year, and although we saved a couple of euro, it was way more frustrating waiting forever for the bus, then pushing and shoving to board! And you miss the view of Oia from the sea!!

[Clay Clayton]

Thanks for this really useful info so if we take a ships tour we don't have to go up or down the cliff by cable car.

 

I think you need to reread Bickley's response.

 

To get back to the ship you will have to take the cable car, donkeys or walk down since they do not drop you off where you started.

 

For what it is worth, my DDP who doesn't like cable cars either, didn't have an insurmoutable issue with these. You ride sitting down facing each each other so he rode so he was always facing up the hill and that way didn't have an issue with seeing how high we were.

 

Whatever you have to do to get to Santorni, do it. It is the most beautiful place I have ever been.

[Travel Writing Mary]

Hoping to ride the cable car up to Fira and then visit Oia. Understand that there is a local bus running between the two villages. How difficult is this to navigate as a novice traveler?? Or are there taxi's easily available at the top of the funicular ride? Thanks for your help

The bus is really easy between the two. We rode the finicular and walked from Fira to Oia, a lovely hike. However you can walk (about a 10 min. walk) to the bus station and just hop a bus to Fira, and back again. They run quite often.

[4774Papa]

We did Santorini in July of 2010. It is my favorite Greek island. Try to maximize your time there. We did a ship's tour that included most of the island. It is worth the extra money for a paid tour.

 

Unless you go when it is not crowded (not sure when that might be), transportation can be a problem on Santorini. There are a limited number of taxis there. Sure there is the bus, but it fills up quickly. Also, on a tour you tender sooner and don't have to go up on the cable car.

 

My Daughter and her family did Santorini on their on, going up on donkeys and they never made it out of Fira. They could not find a taxi. The bus was full and there was a long lime for the bus, like there was a long line for the cable car or donkeys.

 

You may get lucky and do it yourself easily, but we enjoyed our tour.

[jenhec]

Is it possible to do the boat in reverse (from Oia to Fira)? We'd like to walk from Fira to Oia first thing in the morning, spend some time in Oia, and then take the boat back to the docks. But I'm not sure that is an option...?

[4774Papa]

Is it possible to do the boat in reverse (from Oia to Fira)? We'd like to walk from Fira to Oia first thing in the morning, spend some time in Oia, and then take the boat back to the docks. But I'm not sure that is an option...?

Didn't know you could get to Oia by boat.

Walking from Oia to Fira is not easy. From other cc posters, I have read that it is up and down hills and takes about three hours.

[finemusic]

Have just come back from a Med cruise and visited Santorini . Tenedring was provided by local boats not ship tenders and we were off in no time. When we got to the dock at Fira we took a 20 Euro tour which was a speed boat to Oia. Then a bus up the hill to the town. There were then hourly buses provided to take us back to Fira. Finally cable car down to the dock which was busy - no body got left behind. Good value and saved all the hassle of dealing with local transport for the sake of a few Euros.

What is the name of the company? Is reservation required? Thanks