The Aegean flight Athens dp 19.25 - Santorini ar 20.10 doesn't cost more than 70 EUR.
The view from the caldera to Santorini can also be enjoyed by leaving the Island.
Piraeus hotels: be aware that not many convenient hotels are at walking distance from the boat's pier. Have a look at www.booking.com

If you can get that Aegean flight to Santorini for around €70 and don't mind a 7 hour layover at the airport it may be worth considering. Be aware, though, that those are the nonrefundable GoLight fares, and don't include checked-in luggage, which is another €15 per bag. Personally I would rather book Flex, which costs a little more, but includes a free 23kg bag and has other flexible fare advantages.

Aegean also has a slightly more expensive flight to Santorini leaving at 4:35 pm. That's cutting it a bit close, but doable if your inbound flight arrives on time. If you check in online and print out boarding passes in advance, you can leave your bags at the special drop-off point without having to get in line at the check-in counters.

I have always taken the Metro from Athens to Piraeus. It takes you within a few minutes walk to the waterfront. Maybe if you have luggage the bus or taxi is easier.

Thanks metro or the bus sounds good, how much does the metro cost? We are on a budget My husband would prefer to stay the night in Pireaus, then take the morning Blue star ferry,just in case of a flight delay. We are catching two planes to get to Athens.
We are also considering taking a fast ferry/boat from Santorini back to Athens. Any one you would recommend?
Read that it might be chilly in the evenings, so we are carrying light jackets. Should we be carrying umbrellas?

I believe the metro is under 3 euros per person from the center to the port. We have done this several times and it is a short walk to the blue star ferry dock and you will have lots of time to catch the morning ferry as long as you are out of your hotel around 6am.

As for taking the high speed ferry back to Athens from Santorini I think you will find that flying is likely to cost just a little bit more than the high speed. Check Aegean's web site they have a seat sale on now.

<i>We are also considering taking a fast ferry/boat from Santorini back to Athens. Any one you would recommend?</i>

I would recommend Hellenic Seaways Highspeed ferries, except I don't believe they run on a daily basis that early in the season. Hellenic Seaways usually releases their summer timetables around March or early April.

Whatever you do, don't be tempted with Superjet or Sea Jet 2 — they are okay for short hops, but not for the long trip between Santorini and Piraeus. These are tiny boats, only 42 metres in length, and become "vomit comets" in rough seas.

I agree with stanbr — if you are in a hurry to get back to Athens, go by air, otherwise use the Blue Star conventional ferry.

"We are on a budget.
We are also considering taking a fast ferry/boat from Santorini back to Athens."
Might be a contradiction

http://www.athenstransport.com/english/
The metro is easy, cheap and fast. Buses & taxis can get slowed down by traffic, strikes etc. I use it to get from the airport to the centre and from the centre to the port, always.

Thanks guys. Metro sounds like a plan.

@neckervd. You're right its a contradiction but don't mind spending a little more to spend more time on land.

Is it possible to pick up a prepaid SIM card while in Greece to make calls.

"@neckervd. You're right its a contradiction but don't mind spending a little more to spend more time on land"

But why don't you fly to Santorini first, in this case (see my post above)? If you land at Athens towards 3pm and go then to Piraeus in order to check in your hotel, the whole afternoon is lost anyway. You can then just go to Athens for a short walk followed by a dinner.

Day 2 will then be a Sea day, with arrival at your Santorini hotel around 4pm.

I prefer by far to sit in the sun on deck of a slow boat and to enjoy the views to the many "bypassing" Islands and to the live at the ports where the boat stops instead of sitting in a speedboat like a sardine in it's can.

But people are different and that's good so.

I agree with you that if you go by speedboat from Santorini to Piraeus, you can leave the Island 2 1/2 hrs later than by slow ferry. But be aware that small and medium sized speedboats don't run if the Sea is too rough, as it was the case during 4 consecutive days last July, when I was in the area for the last time.

Anyway if you are travelling in May, you can decide when you are there whether to take the ferry or speedboat. Nothing needs to be booked ahead of time in May.

"I prefer by far to sit in the sun on deck of a slow boat and to enjoy the views to the many "bypassing" Islands and to the live at the ports where the boat stops instead of sitting in a speedboat like a sardine in it's can."

Definitely like the sound of this.

Unfortunately not in a position to book air tickets from Santorini to Athens or vice versa right away. Based on your feedback and Heimdall's will take the Blue Star ferry.

Any idea if I can pick up a SIM card or a calling card?

From what I read it seems like ATMs aren't a problem in Naxos or Santorini.
Would you advise us to carry more cash. Do all establishments accept cards? Especially the smaller resturants?

Hello shushu!

I had a look on your profile but there is no indication of your origin. I am not an IT expert but European SIM cards are not always work in American cell phones or need unlocking before hand. If you wish you can easily buy a cheap cell phone for 30-40 euros or so, serving its purpose if you plan to use it to receive and make calls or send SMS.
Last time I checked there was a Germanos store (popular electronics chain in Greece) in Athens airport and there are options on the islands too.

ATMs are everywhere on your destinations. Make sure your cash card will work though (4 digital pin required etc).
Credit cards with a chip are the norm nowadays but most machines will accept the magnetic strip ones too.

Someone more English language and IT savy than me might explain above issues better.

Most restaurants/taverns on the beatten track have a credit card facility, but it is not the prefered method of payment. Profit margins are very tight in most small (usually family owned) establishments in Greece, that even a 5% commision of the card company makes a difference. Taverns and shops in remore places and villages might not have a credit card facility at all, while Greece is a more cash oriented company in general.
I can not imagine anyone using a credit card on a kiosk or a small grossery store for example.

Hi Shushu,

Just wanted to agree with the post above. Last May in Greece we found that many small restaurants either didn't accept credit cards or had "temporary" problems with their card machines. Be prepared, especially if you are touring more isolated areas of Naxos or any island.

I just tried to book flight A3360 for the random date of May 3rd and didn't get the slightest problem
https://en.aegeanair.com/e-services/e-ticket/

shushu, another consideration re constant use of credit cards (I'm guessing u are from USA, please clarify!) -- in US, if you pay off card in full monthly, there is NO charge for usage. But in Europe, whenever you use a garden-variety card (not the super-spender "elite" cards) there is a fee of 3% of the amount charged. Why?? Just because they CAN! ... not a huge hit, but for $3,000 that's $90. You should also be aware of costs for ATM usage; NO charge by the Greek banks, but your OWN bank may charge a $5 fee per transaction PLUS 3% of amount. If you open a Credit Union account, or use an online bank like Capitol One, charges are minimal or nil.

I live in Europe and use my US debit and credit cards all the time with no problem. My credit card is chip & pin, but my debit card not. When travelling (South Africa this Christmas) I take a small amount of the country's currency with me, then top up at ATMs as needed. Most businesses have cc machines allowing them to swipe your card if it doesn't have a chip.

For Greece, strongly recommend you are prepared to pay in cash at any small establishment, be it taverna, mini market, etc. Restaurants and tavernas taking credit cards are usually tourist oriented, while those that don't are often those little gems that cater for locals, offering authentic Greek food at amazing prices.

Heimdall is so right about "those little gems that cater for locals". Last year we had the best lunch of a two-week trip at a small beach taverna in Paros. Four of us ate like Kings and Queens very reasonably. The food was out of this world. No credit cards accepted, so lucky that we had cash on hand!

ATM's on the popular islands are plentiful. 2 things I have learned tho', try to use an ATM attached to a bank in case something goes wrong, like the machine eats your card and don't leave taking out cash you need to the last minute when leaving an island in case the machine is not working or out of cash & you run out of time.

Totally agree with Chania ... and even better, use the bank ATM when the bank is open, just in case you have a glitch. Hasn't happened to me yet, but being prudent never hurts when you are traveling.