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Santorini and Paros - Best mode of transportation

Santorini and Paros - Best mode of transportation

Old Aug 25th, 2014, 03:01 AM
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Santorini and Paros - Best mode of transportation

My wife and I will be spending 3 days each on Paros and Santorini. Our hotels will be in Naoussa and Fira. What's the best way to get around both islands? Is it advisable to rent a car or mopeds for part of our stay, or is public transportation all we need? Thanks.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 04:29 AM
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I think you can ask the local people when you go there. I think public transport will be cheapest option to you, but rental car is more comfortable :/ When I was there I traveled by rental car, but the most of people used public transport or taxi.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 04:40 AM
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I'd advise renting a car for Paros. We stayed in Naoussa ( repeat trip) this summer, and without a car it would have been pretty hard to get to Lefkes ( medieval village) and some of the best beaches (Golden Sunshine, Paros Poros). We had an excellent experience with Hertz, FYI. They drop off at hotels in Nauossa, so it's very easy.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 04:50 AM
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BTW, depending where you're staying in Fira, I'm not sure I'd want a car there. It's crazy busy when the cruise ships are in, and traffic can be intense with limited parking.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 07:27 AM
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Paros, i'd say small car or ATV especially if you are in Naoussa ... most of island is gently hilly, not dangerous for ATV. Santorini, public transport, absolutely.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 08:13 AM
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I've been to Paros a few times and have always rented a scooter. They're easy to drive and the roads outside of Parikia are never crowded. Be sure to wear sunscreen.

Santorini has a lot more traffic and it's not always safe. Finding parking can be a time-wasting challenge. The island has an excellent bus system centered in Fira so you'll have easy access to the rest of the island in air-conditioned buses.

If you're from Canada be sure to go to your local CAA office to pick up an International Driving Permit, no test or membership required. Bring 2 passport photos with you to save a few dollars.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 08:16 AM
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I forgot to mention that when you're on Paros you can take a rental vehicle with you for a daytrip from Pounta across to Antiparos. It's just a couple of euro for a scooter. I'm not sure what the charge for a car would be but it's cheap.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 08:16 AM
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Based on our experiences in Paros, I would NOT rent an ATV. Some of the roads in the interior ( area around Lefkes) are particularly narrow and hilly with no guard rail or shoulder. And some of the beach access roads are dirt roads with lots of pot holes.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 08:27 AM
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The trick is to find a vehicle that has the power to safely take you where you want to go. ATVs were designed for off-roading, so narrow and hilly shouldn't be a problem if the motor is strong enough. Common sense combined with your riding skills will tell you if you should attempt using one.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 09:30 AM
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I think answer depends on WHEN you plan to visit and where exactly you want to go among other things. For example right now there is bus from Naoussa to Lefkes but maybe not if you visit on late September. Or maybe you want to explore Marathi mines or Moths valley which is hard to get on a bus.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 09:58 AM
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Just to clarify: Narrow, hilly, few guard rails with trucks behind you on the road to Lefkes is not where I'd want to be with an ATV. We saw very few of them on the island while we were there.
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 03:29 PM
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We took buses on Santorini from Oia to Fira one time and also rented a car through our hotel.
In Paros we also rented a car through our hotel ( delivered and picked up from hotel, cheap). We drove around the perimeter of Paros and also drove up into mountain to see some villages. We loved our stay in Naoussa. There is a famous ceramic maker, Yria, in a town in the mountains. When we visited Yria they were shipping their products all over the world.
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 02:09 AM
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thanks everyone for your helpful advice.
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Old Aug 30th, 2014, 12:46 PM
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We stayed in Naoussa on our last trip to Paros and rented ATVs. We found them to be a wonderful way to get around, visit all the various beaches and see the area. We were there the second week of June and it wasn't all that crowded so it might have made a difference if it was during "prime time". Roads were flat to gently hilly and the signage was very clear. While in Santorini, we rented a car to get around, even though public transportation would have been fine too. Would not hesitate to rent again
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Old Sep 3rd, 2014, 02:49 AM
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What's the best way to get from airport to Naoussa? Taxi? Bus? or rent a car directly at airport?
Thanks.
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Old Sep 3rd, 2014, 03:55 AM
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Hi ocanada,

There are no buses at the airport, and no car rental agencies either. Each time a flight is scheduled to arrive there are taxis waiting at the airport, and unless you have someone waiting to meet you that is your only choice. You might check with the hotel you are staying at to see if they offer transfers, and if so, their charge for the service. A taxi to Naoussa will cost in the region of €20-25.
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Old Sep 5th, 2014, 05:09 AM
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thanks Heimdall. we'll arrange for pickup with our hotel.
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