fifth_element

Hi everyone,


I'm straglling in finding a cheap high speed ferry from Santorini to Athens on the in mid July.

We do not want a long trip, so the price I found from Hellenic Seaways are 62.50 euros for a high speed boat and that's way above our budget...

Anyone knows of any transport solution or method that we can use to go from Santorini to Athens and it doesn't take a long time?

Please advice.

Thanks a lot.

travelerjan

I could be facetious and say "walking on water," but that won't help.

Fact is, 5th, going in high season, and unwilling to do a long voyage, you have no alternative. Plane fares are way high. And did you notice? there is an oil crisis, boat fuel is thru the roof, and ferries got an emergency permission to increase fares as of this month.

Maybe you can find a cheaper hotel to stay in... maybe you wouldn't be able to see the caldera from your balcony, but a couple nights at a 50E place would make room in your budget. If interested, I have a link to many good budget choices around Fira, some even with pools.

pointofnoreturn

You can fly with Aegean Airlines, starting at 45-euros one-way not including taxes. The journey will take less than an hour.

Blue Star Ferries offer regular ferries, departing Santorini around 4 PM and arriving at Piraeus around midnight. It may be a long day but really, you're only losing an evening's worth of travel. It'd be around the 30-euro mark.

High-speed ferries... you're on the mark. I see prices of 62.50 euros for a 4-5 hour trip.

Greece is fairly cheap. Hopefully you can cut somewhere else in your budget to accommodate the high-speed ferry trip or the flight.

Heimdall

Highspeed ferries, whatever the company, have the same price for the same journey. Fuel costs are driving up prices, and highspeeds are very expensive to operate.

If Hellenic Seaways is too expensive, then your only other choice is Blue Star or another conventional ferry company. Check the Aegean Airlines website for prices, but you are unlikely to get a cheap fare this close to mid-July.

fifth_element

Thanks to everyone who helped me organizing my trip, I managed to book everything, very nice places, including the high speed ferries and I'm ready to take off with my friend on Friday.

Once again thanks for all your advices and support.

Cheers everyone!

colin0873

Hi,

On a related topic, my wife and I are flying into Athens and would like to see the Parthenon before our afternoon ferry leaves for Santorini.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what we can do with our luggage between the time our flight lands and the ferry leaves ? We'd rather not lug our things around the city for the day. Thanks

brotherleelove2004

Try to get an early check-in for your flight to Santorini. If that doesn't work there's a luggage storage business at the airport, Pacific Travel.

http://www.pacifictravel.gr/baggage.html

travelerjan

I believe the poster said they have an afternoon FERRY to Santorini, BLL -- which means airport luggage storage is out.

Pacific Agency DOEs have storage at their Plaka-district office, 26 Nikis St==about 2 blocks from Syntagma square.

Parthenon lovers, you have to subtract all your transport time from your "day" -- and I venture little will be left. Example:

Arrive 9:15. Get luggage, go thru customes etc, get money = 10:00.

Go to Metro, wait. Metro 45 Minutes to Syntagma Square = 11 am.

Find Pacific, drop bags = 11:30.
Trav agency: pick up ferry tix =12:30pm

When is your afternoon ferry? Most are around 3:30 pm. You should be ready to board 30 mins ahead = 3pm.

TO buy Metro tickets,get to Metro Platform , change at Monastariki for Piraeus (green line), get to Piraeus and walk to ferry dock = 1 hr minimum so you must start by 2 pm.

So u would only have 90 minutes to walk up to Parthenon & back, assuming no delays in any of the above.

AND you have had NO LUNCH.

My advice; get to Syntagma square on metro, get out & look around for a restaurant with a nice view (on top of a hotel?) then get into Metro, go to Piraeus, pick up ferry tickets and find your boat.

I would Post a separate query: Only time for LUNCH in Athens! -- and ask where u can have lunch w a view that doesn't cost an arm and a leg! There are some that will say the Grand Bretagne right on Syntagma, but that will cost you 50E apiece.


When is ferry

brotherleelove2004

My mistake.

It's my understanding that there is some sort of left-luggage area at the Monastiraki Metro Station, the one you'd take from near to the Parthenon/Acropolis to the ferry port.

colin0873

Thank you for the help, I really appreciate it. You're right, the flight is due to get in at 8:50 but the ferry's a bit later and leaves at 5 PM so we might have a little more time at the Parthenon. We're also having the ferry tix delivered in advance so that should save some time as well. Based on this info, do you think this sounds a little less hectic ?

travelerjan

It tweaks your timing just a bit: my estimates:

Arrive SYntagma Sq 10:30 - 10:45 am
Find Pacific/drop bag ... 11:15 am
* * * * *
Leave wherever u are by 2:15
Go to Pacific to get bag by 2:30
walk to Metro,buy ticket by 2:50
Go to platform, wait for train,
Ride to Monastiraki, change to
Green line, ride to Piraeus by 3:50
Find your way, walk to dock by 4:20
(boarding begins about that time)

YOu now have 180 minutes instead of 90. For lunch, you COULD grab a gyro from a take-away place. Say, 15 mins to wait & pay for it, 15 mins to chew & swallow = 150 minutes left. From Pacific to the ticket booth on the acropolis is about 30 minutes walk -- and 30 minutes walk back (and u can't taxi most of the way). That leaves u 90 minutes for The Acropolis. Sure, you could do it. If nothing went wrong.

What do u think?

colin0873

I think its going to be a race against the clock. Unfortunately, we only have that day for Athens since we have to be in Santorini for a wedding and we have no time on the back end to see Athens thanks to my work schedule. I'd hate to go all the way there and not see the Acropolis....

I guess we'll have to give it a try and hope for the best. Maybe I'll run to Pacific with the bags while my wife gets the tix at the Acropolis to shave some more time off...

Thank you so much for your help, it really put things in perspective. Regardless of what happens, you think we should really be on our way to the ferry no later than 230 ?

travelerjan

UP to you. But what if you get to Pacific and there is one person at the desk, and she is waiting on someone who is booking an EXPENSIVE cruise, do you think she's going to break that off to help someone get their baggage? Or will she make u wait 15 minutes? Just sayin'.

Heimdall

colin0873,

The only way you can see the Parthenon witout a lot of stress is by booking a taxi for the day - it can pick you up at the airport. Your bags go in the boot (trunk), and the driver can take you anywhere you want to go in Athens, then bring you to Piraeus in time for the ferry. No worries about storing your luggage, and you will be dropped off directly at the dock your ferry departs from.

Gaspard

Listen to Heimdall. Itīs the most elegant solution to your problem.
G.

travelerjan

Listen to Heimdall, and please note he says BOOK a taxi. Don't try to strike a bargain with the guys in the airport taxi rank. Booking ahead may not be cheap, but at least you'll know in advance what your total cost will be, and not have a nasty surprise.

Which one to book? Lots of people go by the highly promoted "George the TaXI Driver (which actually is a huge enterprise with dozens of "Georges&quot.

However you can Google "taxi tours Athens" and get quite a list to e-mail with your particulars -- it would be well to specify that you do not need a full-city tour, just to Acropolis, wait (2-3 hrs?), and then to Piraeus. Get estimates, maybe ask on a couple of these online forums (T.A?) if anybody has used xxxx, xxx or xxx -- and then make your choice.

In choosing, you should keep in mind that the ordinary daytime fare from Airport to Plaka area is 30E+ tip, and the same for Plaka to Piraeus. Then there's the 3 hrs of wait time -

colin0873

Thank you, that does sound ALOT easier. Any idea on what I should expect to pay for the day ?

colin0873

Sorry, I posted that last question before I saw your last post.

travelerjan

As I said Colin, do some research don't just ask us for everything. If you google, y ou will see some prices and then when people reocmmend "George the famous taxi driver" and say "he was quite reasonable" you will have some basis for judging.

Some people think a 200E room is "quite reasonable" ... others need one at 80E.