Santorini lodging
 

Just beginning to book lodging for 3 nights in May for 2 adults. Location and cleanliness is always top on our list. I do not know a price range until I see what lodging cost are at that time of year. What are some of your picks for places to stay. We do not need high end. Thank you,

Lodging costs for that time of year will depend on the village you choose and the sort of amenities you require. If location is at the top of your list then you need to decide where you want to stay. If you want to stay in a beach area focus on Kamari and Perissa/Perivolos. If you want a view of the caldera your choices are Akrotiri, Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia. Fia/Firostefani is the island's social/commercial center where you'll find the best nightlife. Imerovigli has the best overall sunset/caldera views but only a small handful of shops and restaurants. Oia is the most beautiful and timeless village and there are lots of shops, galleries, cafes, restaurants and hotels there in all price ranges. Oia nightlife is limited to a few mellow bars and cafes. Rooms all over the island range from a low of about €40/night up to €2000 or more. Akrotiri is on the south end of the island and is a nice, quiet alternative to the others, but bus service is somewhat limited. For your own convenience, a rental car would be recommended if you stay there. There are less-expensive options in other outlying areas of the island, such as Karterados and Messaria. It really depends on what you want and what you can afford, so you DO need to know your maximum daily room budget for the best advice. Lacking that information, I recommend you first start by checking out what's available for your travel dates using the filter system at www.booking.com

Booking.com and Tripadvisor.com both have loads of photos and reviews of most of the accomodations on Santorini.

Map of the island: www.motorinn.gr/santorini-map

From your description Oia sounds pretty nice. we are in our mid 60's and active. I would like to keep the rates no more that $200 a night and am not opposed to less. Do you think it is a good idea to rent a car? I thought we'd probably get a car. Thought we'd like to go to Ancient Akrotri. Santorini will be the beginning of our 4 week trip in Greece. From Santorini we will either fly or take the ferry to Naxos.

we are also okay with a B & B possibly

We stayed at Aressana Spa Hotel and Suites on a package we got through Costco. We were very pleased with the hotel, breakfast, location, price and Costco service.

We did not rent a car; we took the bus to Akrotiri; it was easy to do.

We were there in October 2014 for 3 nights.

Renting a car always gives you the most flexibility and saves a lot of time and money. If you live outside the EU you need to bring an International Driving Permit with you. If you live in No. America you get them at your local AAA/CAA office, no test or membership required. In the US they cost $15. Bring 2 passport photos with you to save a few additional dollars.

We loved our location at Imerovigli. Best views, less crowded, really charming seawalk. We were at the Gold Suites. Very small and nice. Probably 14 rooms total. We also reserved through Costco.

Take a look at CostcoTravel.com for an idea of their packages. They have a selection of hotels. Mostly the higher-end hotels.

We were happy not to have a car. There are very narrow, winding roads, with wide shuttle vehicles and buses on them. The local drivers are fearless. It gets pretty hairy. Cabs are cheap. Buses are easy.

We had ferry and ground transport included in our package, which was nice.

Santorini last October was heavenly.

As for going to Naxos, there is virtually no flights between islands ... and in this case, no need. Naxos is one of the nearest islands, as a map will show you. And if you take the 3:15 pm BLUE STAR ferry, it affords you a very pleasant "mini-cruise" of 2+ hours. Some necomers picture ferries as the small boats in US harbors -- no no. These are Large & Modern seagoing Ferries -- the size of small liners: 4 decks 1500-1800 passanger capacity, 250 vehicles (including semi-trailers).. so Very smooth ride; you buy an "economy ticket" because you'll want to be out on deck the whole time. As u leave Santorini, the opportunity for Caldera view & photos, then sit on deck & gaze at the wake.

I don't recommend Esperas in Oia with their cave rooms which we found confining and claustrophobic. There was a balcony/ terrace. It also did not feel Greek at all, staff were from other countries.

@ Brotherleelove: Wouldn't the extent to which renting a car is / is not a cost-saving strategy depend on how many people are involved and what else they plan to do?

Renting a car gives flexibility to go where the buses don't go. When you are on the island for a short time, a rental car will save time. Cost saving doesn't come into it for me. A 4 day rental isn't exactly going to break the bank. Rent a small car if you are nervous about narrow roads. Check with your lodgings for recommendations on where to park.

The local bus service is great, but I found it often crowded with throngs of people trying to get on.

No doubt a rental car will save you time, and get you to places the buses don't go. That said, as a solo traveller who has been to the Greek Islands a couple of dozen or so times, I have never rented a car. I do enough driving at home, and am happy to leave cars behind on my trips to the islands. Yes, the buses get crowded at times, but no worse than the tube in London.

HappyTrvlr,Do we need to make the ferry reservation ahead of time?

No ferry is ever full in May, except in the rare years that Greek Easter falls that late. Easter in 2017 is April 16th, so will have no effect upon ferries in May. You can prebook if you wish, but will still have to pick up the paper tickets at the same place you could have waited and bought them from.

We stayed in the Aethrio Hotel, right in the middle of Oia. It's not on the caldera but neither is it accessed by steep steps as many caldera-side hotels are. But the Aethrio does have a view of the caldera from a roof deck and the higher units have a view of the sunset. Very charming, very convenient.

KJA-

A One-Way taxi ride from Oia to the Akrotiri archaeological site or to Perissa Beach is going to cost around €30. Last may I rented a car in Oia for €20/day.

@ brotherleelove: Thanks for clarifying! Your answer is -- again -- extremely helpful. :-)

We took a bus tour that included Akrotiri. Someone to explain what you're seeing there is necessary. There are only a few signs. Our tour went on to a beach.

We paid for a guide once we got to Akrotiri; there were official guides just inside the entrance. She was very good and the tour was excellent.