3D/2N Backpacking Santorini Without A Tour (Part 1) : Public Transport To/From Syntagma Square - Athens International Airport & Ryanair Flight to Santorini


        Avid readers and followers of this travel blog of mine will know that I usually have a travel itinerary for almost every destination that I go, and would probably be anticipating a travel itinerary for my recent trip to Santorini (Thira) as well.

        This time however, I decided to wing it and just go with the flow. Once in a while, it feels good to let go and just embrace what the world or Santorini (Thira) has to offer to us. Therefore, there will be no travel itinerary for my #ErikaTohTravelsSantorini series. Instead, I will share my travel stories and experiences in Santorini. :-)


Public Transportation To/From Syntagma Square – Athens International Airport

        Before my sister and I went to Santorini, we spent 2 days and 1 night exploring the historical city of Athens, Greece. Athens is by far, my favourite European city or travel destination apart from Santorini. There are several reasons leading to the above conclusion and I shall elaborate further in my #ErikaTohTravelsAthens series.

        Back to the story, there is excellent public transportation service in Athens ranging from the buses, metros and taxis. As a result of that, getting from one place to another in Athens is easy and convenient. However, during a strike, the metros, buses and even the taxi service will be crippled and visitors will be left stranded in the city unless they are able to find other alternatives. My sister and I were lucky enough to experience a strike on the day we arrived in Athens. I will share our unforgettable Greek strike experience in my #ErikaTohTravelsAthens series, at another time.


Public Bus

        From the city of Athens, we made our way to Athens International Airport by bus because not only is the fare cheap, we get to enjoy scenic views of Athens city too. Besides the bus, one can also take the metro or taxi to the airport, but those will cost more. At Syntagma Square, look out for kamaronia FoodBar (in bright yellow):


The public bus X95 ticket booth at Syntagma Square, Athens

The public bus X95 bus stop at Syntagma Square, Athens


Metro

        Take Metro Line 3 (Aghia Marina – Douk. Plakentias - Athens International Airport) which connects Athens International Airport with the city centre. The trains run every 30 minutes, 7 days a week from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm. The trip to/from the airport to Syntagma station (Athens centre) takes about 40 minutes. The metro ticket fares are as follows: 


        When using a return, a day or a week ticket, be sure to validate the ticket at the special ticket validation machine upon your exit and entry at the train stations. Keep your tickets safe for random inspections by the train officers on duty.


Taxi

        Taxis are available at the designated taxi waiting areas around Athens city. A taxi to/from the airport to Syntagma Square costs a flat rate of:


Do take note that the charge/fare is determined by the time of arrival at the destination and includes all applicable surcharges and extras.

There are many taxis (in yellow) in Athens city


Ryanair Night Flight From Athens (ATH) To Santorini (JTR)

        Of all the airlines I surveyed, Ryanair offers the cheapest flights from Athens to Santorini, especially if the tickets are bought several months in advance. For the record, our flight tickets to Santorini costs €138 (including VAT 23%) for two, with no checked baggage.

        Do take note that Ryanair is extremely strict with their carry on and cabin bags allowance. Any bags that exceed the dimensions given will be charged a hefty €50 fee, whereas online checked baggage only cost €15 for a bag below 30kg! Be sure to measure your luggage bag and online checked baggage if it exceeds the required dimensions to save your euros! I warned you!

        Checking-in was a breezy affair, so was the time when it comes to board the plane from our designated terminal. Do take note that there are no announcements for Ryanair departures at Athens International Airport, so pay attention to the live departure board and make your way to the correct boarding terminal to avoid missing your flight.

Ryanair strict baggage allowance policy

Boarding the plane to Santorini (JTR) at Athens International Airport (ATH)

Ryanair night flight from Athens to Santorini (Thira)

Good bye, Athens International Airport!

The view of Santorini island at night


Hello, Santorini National Airport!

        After spending about 40 minutes on the plane, we arrived safely at Santorini National Airport. The airport was rather quiet, small, but operational. From the airport, we made our way out to the main street and spotted a local bus waiting at the bus stop located on the left, several metres away.

        We boarded the bus to the central bus station in Fira. The journey took about 20 minutes. Fyi, the last bus from Santorini National Airport to Fira is 7.10pm. In fact, the last bus for most of the destinations in Santorini was about the same time, around 7pm. For the accurate time, kindly check the timetables at this website: http://www.ktel-santorini.gr

        It was dark by the time we arrived in Fira and there was no bus to Oia after 6.30pm, so we had to spend the night at Fira. We took the opportunity to explore the town and had our dinner at a Chinese restaurant located just down the road. A plate of egg fried rice, curry fried rice and two bottles of mineral water was €18.

        Initially, we wanted to spend the night at the bus station, but the presence of rowdy youths racing and on the streets with their noisy ATVs turned us off. We feared for our safety as well as those youths looked rather mischievous. They are like the pesky “Mat Rempits” we have back in Malaysia. Thus, we decided to stay at the nearest decent hotel that we could find that happens to be Central Fira Hotel. 

A Skyserve bus waiting to transfer passengers from the plane to the airport, Santorini

Santorini National Airport

Food and souvenirs on sale at Santorini National Airport

A sign displaying the local buses timetables at Santorini National Airport

The local bus from Santorini National Airport to Fira

Fira central bus station in Santorini at night

Fira town at night, Santorini


Greek and Chinese restaurants in Fira town

This plate of egg fried rice in a Chinese restaurant at Fira town costs €8!


Up next: My review of our double deluxe room at Central Hotel Fira, Santorini

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