CHANIA - CRETE ; 4 days - no car- require suggestions
 

Travelling into Chania Sept. 28, 2009.- 5 nights.
2 fairly travelled Aussies (mid 50 s-good health) -looking for suggestions regarding sightseeing / transport (not car hire) / eating options.
Is it possible to make a day trip to SANTORINI? by air / ferry ??
Hope you good people might help.
CHEERS SAUNDO

It is possible to go to Santorini for a day from Crete, although I think the ferry goes from Heraklion. You could look at Aegean Airways to see if there are any flights. The ferry takes about 4 hours.
Personally, I would suggest that you concentrate on Crete as there is so much to see there and it is a large island.
Chania itself is a beautiful town, if possible stay somewhere central so that you can get buses to other parts of the island. There are plenty of taxis available and lots of beautiful beaches and villages nearby. The Samarian Gorge is good for hiking if you are interested in that, although it is closed at certain times of the year, I'm not sure about the end of September.
There are a lot of tour operators / travel agents which offer various day trips on Crete. Some are very good and stop at a lot of different places. An island tour may be a good bet for you if you are without your own transportation. Heraklion and Knossos should be a sightseeing priority - the museum is outstanding and the archaeological site of Knossos is the must-see on Crete.

There's a new daytrip excursion from Heraklion on Crete to Santorini being offered for the first time this year:

http://www.ferries.gr/cruises/flying_cat_4.htm

You'll have 6 hours between arrival and departure. It'll probably take you at least 45 minutes to get from the ferry port into Fira if you don't rent a car at the port, and you'll have to get back to the port in time for the return trip, meaning you'll only have about 4-4.5 hours to explore the island. A car will really be the only way you can do it with any sort of freedom. Buses aren't frequent enough and taxis are expensive so you might as well get a car. Spiridakos Rent-A-Car has a website and an office at the port. If you need an automatic transmission be sure to make arrangements in advance. Most of the cars have manual transmissions, the road from the port up to the main road is steep, narrow and with many tight switchbacks, and there will be some stop-and-go traffic up the hill.

There are tours offered from Chania to Santorini in most travel agencies in Chania. They pick you up by mini-bus very early in the morning, take you to Rethymnon, put you on a specially-chartered boat (with breakfast laid on) and take you to Santorini. Same on the way back (with dinner). It's a very long day but you get about 6 hours there. Not ideal but an easy way to do it if you're limited for time

THANKS FOLKS FOR THE HELP SO FAR.
ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD EATING OPTIONS THAT ARE NOT TOO EXPENSIVE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED ?

DOES THE LOCAL BUS SERVICE SEEM RELIABLE AND IS IT EASY TO TRAVEL AROUND THE ISLAND USING THIS SERVICE?

THANKS SAUNDO.