I will be in Santorini for three days this June with two girlfriends. We're deciding between staying in Fira and Oia. The hotels in Oia seem so much nicer than in Fira, but will we be completely bored in Oia? How long does it take to get to town from Oia? For the rest of our trip, we will be in Athens, Mykonos, and Istanbul so it probably wouldn't be so bad to spend some quiet days in Oia. However, we don't want to be the only ones there not on a honeymoond or with a husband.

You are quite right about Oia, It's easy to get to from Thera anyway 20 mins on the bus.The beach resorts on Santorini are much less stuffy. By far the best views are from Anafi only an hour away on the ferry.

Oia is spectacular and you can easily find rooms there in June. There's much more diversion in Fira, but it lacks the intimate charm of Oia. There are some very nice bars and restaurants for socializing.

sisterleebore2004 you said it takes 20min. to get to Fira by bus, what about by taxi & how much? I'm also confuse as to where to stay Fira or Oia.

You might want to rethink Satorini if you have any ideas about connecting with men. I have never seen anyplace, ever, that was more couples-oriented. I even commented on it at the time. It's man-woman, man-woman, all over the island. I've no idea why, unless the island is sold as a honey-moon destination.

Robert, are you kidding? Just go into Enigma in Fira or any other bar or club on the island. There are single people EVERYWHERE!

Oia is a smaller village about 7km(5mi) north of Thera the main town. Thera is the larger with a load more bars and restaurants, they are both similarly situated on the rim of the caldera. The taxi between the two will be 5mins approx 10€. There should be a rates board in the main taxi ranks.
Bus info here:
http://www.santorini.info/fira-oia.html

Well, I stand corrected, then. I usually don't go clubbing for women when I have my wife with me.

I guess the singles are all asleep during the day, from those wild nights!

Having lived in Oia for a total of 12 months I can say with experience that the taxi takes about 20 minutes to get to Fira and the bus takes 30-40 minutes because of stops along the way. The distance between the two is more like 11km or 7 miles.

I would recommend staying in Fira, which is where I stayed in 2000 when I was on Santorini. I stayed in the Loucas Hotel, which is on the caldera edge, so it is not noisy - but instead very secluded and quiet with wonderful sunset views. It would be much handier to be in Fira and take a day trip to Oia, like I did.
Martha

If you are there with friends, I would definitely stay in Fira. I was there for 5 nights last June and really enjoyed it. We also spent 2 nights in Oia and while it's very beautiful and quaint, I started to get bored by the 2nd day. There's not much to do but walk around the streets and shop. Fira is a lot more fun and the views from Fira are fantastic as well. Even if you are staying in busy places like Mykonos and Athens, I still think Fira will be laid back enough without being boring.

There are just so many more restaurants and shops in Fira than Oia. There are museums and many churches and most tour buses leave from Fira (to visit the black sand beaches on the east side of the island or Akrotiri). Plus you are just 600 steps away from the Old Port below Fira, where you can catch a boat to the volcano or "hot" springs. If you stay in Oia, you will waste a lot of money on cab fare. We spent about 15-20 euros one way (about 20 min ride) last time we were there. That really adds up!

Have you considered Firostefani? That might be perfect for you. It's a 15 min walk from Fira, but a little more charming and quiet. I'd say it's a nice mix of Fira and Oia.... good luck and I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter where you stay!