My wife and I are flying into Santorini around 6:30pm Tuesday July 24. What's the easiest way to get from the airport to a hostel or campground at that time? I've heard busses can be to crowded to board during high season. On the same note, am I too optimistic if I count on those same busses to get us around the island during our stay (3-4 days)? Would it make sense to rent a car?

We rented a car in Santorini. It was really quite cheap (maybe $30 Canadian) for a tiny car (I believe it was called a Subaru Maruti). It was stickshift, so if you need automatic, it's a lot more expensive. <BR> <BR>We were staying near Akrotiri. We didn't find that the buses were all that convenient, and having a car was so much easier. The island is not difficult to get around in a car. <BR> <BR>It sounds as though you haven't reserved a place to stay. I know that hotel owners do meet the flights. We arrived after 11 PM and they were out there looking for people. <BR>

I second the motion to rent a car. The busses looked decidedly overcrowded and inconvenient, and one really cannot see Santorini without some mode of motorized transportation.

Kent, <BR>We stayed in Thira and used the buses quite a lot. They were easy to use, cheap and ran reasonably often. At the 'bus station' (more an area where the buses congregate) there are timetables posted. Most people using the buses were tourists so they're used to people saying "is this the bus to Oia?". You get on and sit down and someone will come along to collect fares once the bus is moving. <BR>The bus was waiting at the port when our boat arrived and there were also heaps of accommodation touts and tour/accommodation offices down at the quay. <BR>Kay

We rented a scooter for the time we were there and it was great fun to be able to go and explore everywhere. I think it was around $10 usd per day. Included helmets.