Search Flights from Thira to Heraklion

Santorini is one of the most popular island of Greece with its volcanic structure, extraordinary architecture, magnificent beaches and panoramic sea view. It is one of the places taking the attention of tourists. It is possible to reach Santorini by sea. However, those who are looking for a more practical transportation alternative can benefit from the planes flying to Santorini Airport, which is located on the island.

There are 14 villages on Santorini island. Fira is known as the settlement that forms the central region of the city. In addition, Imerovigli and Oia (or Ia) are also among the popular villages visited by tourists. Although the buses form the backbone of the public transportation in the city, there are not frequent services. It does not take long to travel around Santorini, which is a small island. For this reason, you can also visit certain regions by walking or renting a bicycle.

There are also taxi and car rental options in the city. Apart from these, there are also boats that provide transportation services between certain villages. It is possible to use the cable car line to reach the higher parts of the island.

For the transportation to the airport from the city, only buses offer service as the means of public transportation vehicles. Some hotels and companies can organize private services for their customers. Apart from public transportation, you can use a taxi or rent a car to reach your destination more quickly.

Bus

In order to reach the buses going to the airport, you first need to go to the central bus terminal in Fira. The only public transportation option offered in the city is the bus. There are seven bus routes frequented used by the tourists in the city. The ticket prices of the buses may vary according to the destination in the city. These buses operate every thirty minutes or one hour. Sometimes, however, there may be delays and some passengers may experience problems with bus drivers.

Although Santorini is a small island, passengers may have to transfer between regions frequently. It may not be possible to travel between border regions by using only one vehicle. There are buses that provide transportation between the big villages during busy seasons after midnight. However, it is not possible to find a bus after the end of the season, during the week, or after midnight. Apart from the busy seasons, there are express bus routes providing transportation services to the Perissa and Perivolos regions.

Private Service

Passengers who do not want to experience the crowd of buses or other problems can benefit from private shuttle services organized by many hotels or companies. Some of these services can provide transportation to the airport from the city center.

Car Rental

You can rent a car from various car rental companies that you can find in many regions of the city, or you can reserve your car in advance by making an online reservation. There are a variety of vehicle options you can rent in Santorini.

Apart from standard cars, renting an ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) is among the options commonly preferred by travelers. You can travel around Santorini, which is a small island, by renting an ATV. In addition, they are affordable and comfortable when compared to a standard car.

There are also offices in the city where you can rent a bicycle in certain regions. Santorini is a small island that can be travelled with a bicycle. However, because many roads are closed for bicycles, bicycle is not a commonly used option in the city.

Taxi

To go to the airport quickly, you can easily find a taxi on any part of the city. If your location is close to the city center, you can get on a taxi from the central taxi stand. If you wish, you can share a taxi with other passengers. We recommend that you agree with the driver about the fare beforehand.

Airport Information

Santorini Airport, which is situated near Kamari and Monolithos villages, is about half an hour distance to the city center. The airport, which is used both independently and for military purpose, is home to many international flight companies. The terminal established in a very small building can be very crowded especially during the busy seasons.

In recent years, check-in desks, escalators and facilities organized for passengers have begun to be increased at the airport. By the moment, six different airplanes can take off from the airport at the same time. There is a duty free shop at the airport, where you can buy many high quality products for affordable prices without paying tax. Furthermore, there is an ATM machine, a cafe-bar and a jewelry store in the facility.

Although Heraklion is the largest residential area in Crete, especially the old city district is proper for walking. You can explore the whole city with a comfortable shoe, but you should always consider the weather. On the other hand, it is possible to explore the city by participating in the tours of many tourism agencies. Public transportation in the city is provided by buses. You can get to the whole city by buses, which will take you from the main bus stops A, B, and C.

Of course, there are many ferry and boat services in Heraklion, the biggest port city of Crete island. From there you can travel to many ports such as Santorini, Ios, Mykonos or Rhodes. Daily ferry service to Piraeus Port is also organized. It is possible to reach Athens from this port. You can rent a car in the city. Motorcycles and scooters, as well as cars, are quite common. It provides not only an ideal way of transportation to visit the city in warm weather but also an easy access to the other settlements of Crete Island such as Ayios Nikolaos and Chania. You can reach these cities by following the E75 highway. Traffic in the city can be really busy from time to time. Usually, there is an irregular traffic flow and road works are done. You can see the taxi almost everywhere in the city. However, it is not allowed to stop a taxi on the road, you need to use the taxi stops. You can see the taxi stops in front of the port, the bus station, and the airport. It is possible to use it not only for short trips but also as a private tour vehicle as well.

Taxis do not have a standard price policy, so if you can agree on the fare you can travel the whole city by having breaks at the important places of the city. All signs in Crete Island are written in English, using Latin alphabet as well as Greek alphabet, so you will not have trouble during transportation. The most used transportation vehicle from Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport to the city center is taxi. Buses are available for those who prefer to use public transportation. If you rent a car at the airport, you can easily reach the surrounding cities, not just the city center.

Bus

You can use the buses to the city center from bus stops at the airport terminal exit. The services are quite frequent, buses depart every 5 minutes. The services are rare only on Sundays. Buses start to pick up passengers early in the morning and continue its services until late in the evening.

Taxi

You can easily see the taxi stop when you leave the airport arrival terminal. Getting to the city center by taxi is easy and fast. If you wish, you can reserve a taxi for you by contacting the airport taxi station in advance.

Rent a car

Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport has 9 different vehicle rental companies that you can rent cars or motorbikes. You can make your vehicle rental operations online before your flight. You must remember that you must have international competence in order to be able to drive in Crete. The airport is located right on the E75 highway.