Santorini - Cab To Oia

[canadian9981]

:) It has been mentioned a few times on this board that some people take a cab to Oia and ask the cab driver to wait to take them back to Fira. My questions are:

 

1. How much is the cab ride to and from Oia?

2. How long will they wait?

3. How much do they charge for waiting?

 

Any help is appreciated.

[corkpopr]

when we went two yrs. ago we took the funicular up to town and wandered and ate. then split a cab with a young couple from india that were scuba divers. it was 6-7 euros each as i recall. do not ask the cabbie to wait, oya is at least a two hour stop. go back up to the circle where the cab dropped you off and take the bus for 1.5 each, it is convienent and goes right back to where you caught the cab in the first place!

[land lover]

We went last November and shared a cab with another couple 50 euros, it would have been 30 if we did not have the cab wait for an hour...........Since it was the close of the season, buses were not running on schedule and cabs were scarace...when our cab pulled in several people descended on him for a return trip.........so I think it was worth having him wait. 2 ships were in port that day ours was leaving at 5pm Royal Princess, RCI's ship was leaving at 7pm.

[Hlitner]

Not sure why you would want a taxi when the bus is clean, pretty fast, and only costs 1.5 Euros. But with gas now topping $10 per gallon, I suspect that taxis are asking around 40 Euros (one way).

 

Hank

[auntdot]

Not sure why you would want a taxi when the bus is clean, pretty fast, and only costs 1.5 Euros. But with gas now topping $10 per gallon, I suspect that taxis are asking around 40 Euros (one way).

 

Hank

 

How long is the bus ride? And is it easy to get to from the ship?

 

Thanks,

Dot

[karylj]

We also took the local bus to Oia last week. It is an easy walk from where the cable car lets you out in Fira. The ride took about 30 minutes. Be sure to sit on the right side of the bus for the best views on the way. Oia is well worth the trip.

[Hlitner]

The last poster answered the question but let me add a few thoughts. The bus is actually fun, and probably takes 10 minutes longer than the taxi. Santorini (like most European ports) if very tourist friendly, English is widely spoken, and there are numerous places where you can get information. If you can't find the bus stop, just ask!

 

I was just helping another family (2 adults and 3 teens) with planning for their July cruise (on a different site). They had planned to take the Rome on Your Own bus from Civatavecchia to Rome, and the cost of this bus was $600 for the family. I told them they could simply take the train to Rome (actually faster than the bus) and their total train cost would be less than $100. It was like this for each of their ports, and in a few minutes we showed them how to save more than $2000 on a 7 day cruise...and still see the same things. These ports you are going to visit are not third world countries, but are pretty modern and safe, have relatively cheap public transit, and some English is spoken just about everywhere. You will find that most restaurants/cafes have English menus, tourist info places are in key locations, and most local folks are pretty helpful to tourists (and this is Europe wide including France) who are polite, smile, say hello in the local language (Ciao, Bon Jour, Bon Giorno, etc) and also remember to say thank-you.

 

Bon Voyage

Hank

[edinburgher]

We also took the bus there and back. Whether it was luck or all are the same and nearly new, our "bus" each way was just like the tour coaches. A/c, tinted windows, comfy seating etc.

 

It filled at the bus station so be sure to get on there because we passed people waiting along the way.

 

When you arrive in Thira, walk through a block or two until you arrive on the main street, then turn right and walk downhill. You will see the bus station on your left.

[auntdot]

Many thanks for the information - and the encouragement to take the local bus!! This is one of the ports we want to do at our own leisurely pace and I think the bus will be great!

 

Dot

[Lsimon]

We were there around the middle of September 2007. We were going to take a bus to Oia shortly after noon. We just missed one and the next wasn't for a while so we took a cab. I'm not sure of the cost but I think it was only around 10 or 15 Euros each way - we didn't have the driver wait and were able to find a cab back in late afternoon without much of a wait. There was a taxi stand next to the bus area in Fira, so if you find you can't catch a bus conveniently then you can grab a taxi.

[sammiedawg]

We were killing time in Fira waiting for our private tour to start and we saw a couple of tour company storefronts that offered a taxi for a flat fee and a certain # of hours. I dont remember the name of the company but it was on one of the shopping streets of Fira.

I'm think it was 100 to 150 Euro for 3 hours which would be a great deal and no worries on the bus schedule.

 

If I had it to do again I would do the bus to Oia, the buses were packed with people practically hanging out the windows but a very inexpensive option to get to Oia. It was a 10 minute walk from the cable car and we found it without trying, we were killing time

 

I would advise going early to avoid the massive crowd that is in town by mid morning

[Hlitner]

We were killing time in Fira waiting for our private tour to start and we saw a couple of tour company storefronts that offered a taxi for a flat fee and a certain # of hours. I dont remember the name of the company but it was on one of the shopping streets of Fira.

I'm think it was 100 to 150 Euro for 3 hours which would be a great deal and no worries on the bus schedule.

 

If I had it to do again I would do the bus to Oia, the buses were packed with people practically hanging out the windows but a very inexpensive option to get to Oia. It was a 10 minute walk from the cable car and we found it without trying, we were killing time

 

I would advise going early to avoid the massive crowd that is in town by mid morning

 

Not sure a taxi is a great deal. You can rent a car for the full day for about $60 and this is an easy island for self driving. For the younger folks, its also possible to rent a motor scooter for the day, and the island is well suited to this form of transportation. As to the crowds, it really depends on the week, the size of your ship, and if there are other ships. We have been to Santorini 4 times, and never felt it was too crowded.

 

Hank

[tangles00]

We were there in May and were going to catch a bus or taxi to Oia but then saw a sign for Quad bikes and they were reasonably priced 15E for as long as you want. They were so much fun and you could stop wherever you wanted. Made for a great experience and wonderful memories of our day in Santorini.

 

The donkey ride was excellent too!!!