Athens to Santorini: Should You Fly or Take the Ferry?

Greece › Fly or Ferry to Santorini
By Santorini Dave • dave@santorinidave.com
Updated: November 27, 2025

See Also

• Where to Stay in Athens
• Where To Stay in Santorini
• Athens Ferry Port Guide
• Santorini Ferry Port Guide

This is one of the most common questions I get from first-time visitors to Greece: “Should I fly or take the ferry to Santorini?”

There is no single “right” answer. It depends entirely on your budget, your schedule, your tolerance for motion sickness, and where you are starting your journey.

Here is the breakdown of the pros, cons, and my personal recommendations for 2026.

The Cheat Sheet (Quick Answers)
• Fastest Way: Flight (45 minutes in the air).
• Most Scenic Way: Blue Star Ferry (Conventional Ferry).
• Best for Seasickness: Flight.
• Cheapest Way: Blue Star Ferry (Economy deck ticket).

My Recommendation: If you are connecting from an international flight at Athens Airport, fly. If you are already staying in central Athens for a few days, the ferry is a great option.

Option 1: The Flight (Speed & Comfort)

Flying is the most efficient way to get to Santorini. It turns a full day of travel into a fairly quick hop.
• Flight Time: 45 minutes.
• Airlines: Aegean/Olympic and Sky Express are the main carriers. Volotea and Ryanair also fly the route seasonally.
• Cost: €50 to €150+ one-way. (Prices vary wildly; book early).

The Pros:
• Speed: Even with airport security, the total travel time (city center to hotel) is about 3.5 to 4 hours.
• Reliability: Flights are less likely to be delayed by wind than high-speed ferries.
• Comfort: No seasickness.

The Cons:
• Baggage Fees: Budget airlines (and even basic economy on Aegean) charge extra for checked bags.
• Airport Hassle: You need to get to Athens Airport (ATH) at least 90 minutes before your flight.
• Who should fly? Anyone prone to seasickness, families with small children, and anyone arriving in Athens on an international flight who wants to head straight to the islands. Do not leave the airport to go to the ferry port if you just landed; just catch a connecting flight.

Option 2: The Ferry (Views & Experience)

Taking the ferry is the classic Greek experience, but you must understand the difference between the two types of ferries. They offer completely different experiences.

A. The High-Speed Ferries (e.g., Seajets)
These are smaller catamarans designed for speed.
• Time: ~5 hours.
• Cost: €70 to €90+ (often more expensive than a flight).
• The Experience: You are seated indoors in assigned airline-style seats. There is no open deck while the boat is moving. You cannot go outside to see the caldera as you arrive.
• Seasickness Warning: These boats can be very bumpy in the windy summer months (July/August). If you get motion sickness, avoid the smallest boats like the SuperJet or SeaJet2 (the larger SeaJet boats are fine).

B. The Conventional Ferries (e.g., Blue Star)
These are massive, slow, stable ships.
• Time: ~8 hours.
• Cost: €40 to €60 (Economy).
• The Experience: This is the romantic ferry trip you imagine. You can walk around the open decks, sit outside, grab a coffee (or beer or wine), and watch the islands pass by.
• The View: This is the only way to get the breathtaking experience of sailing into the Santorini caldera. The cliffs tower over the ship, and you can stand on the deck to watch the arrival. It’s spectacular. The Blue Star will make stops at Naxos, Paros, and sometimes Ios on its way to Santorini, and seeing the islands from the deck of the ship is fascinating.

Who should take the ferry? Travelers who are already in downtown Athens (Piraeus port is closer than the airport), budget travelers (Blue Star Economy), and anyone who wants the romantic arrival experience (Blue Star only).

Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	Flight	High-Speed Ferry	Blue Star Ferry
Travel Time	45 min (flight only)	5 hours	8 hours
Total Trip Time	~3.5 hours	~6.5 hours	~9.5 hours
Seasickness Risk	None	High (in wind)	Low
View	Aerial view	None (indoors)	Spectacular
Luggage	Paid	Free	Free
Avg Cost	€60–€150	€70–€90	€40–€60

Logistics

1. Getting to the Port vs. Airport
• To the Airport (ATH): It takes about 45 minutes by taxi or Metro (Line 3) from Syntagma Square.
• To Piraeus Port: It takes about 25–30 minutes by taxi or Metro (Line 1 or 3) from Syntagma Square. Piraeus is much closer to the city center than the airport.
• Both the airport and ferry port in Santorini are near the center of the island, so there’s no great difference there. Arriving at the port adds about 10-minutes to your travel-time to your hotel. (Except for Kamari Beach which is very close to the airport.) Airport-arrival does make getting a rental car in Santorini far easier.

2. Luggage Factor On ferries
• You drag your own bags onto the boat and leave them in the luggage racks on the car deck. It is chaotic but free. You can bring as many bags as you can carry. On flights, you must pay close attention to weight limits and fees.

3. The “Meltemi” Wind Factor In July and August, the northern Meltemi winds are strong.
• Flights: Rarely affected.
• Blue Star Ferry: rarely affected (it’s a huge ship).
• High-Speed Ferry: Often delayed, occasionally cancelled, and very choppy. It can be a “vomit comet.”

My Final Verdict

• Fly if: You are visiting for less than 10 days, you get seasick, or you find a cheap ticket.
• Take the Blue Star Ferry if: You have time to spare, you want to save money, and you want the iconic photo of arriving in the caldera by sea.
• Take the High-Speed Ferry if: You are island hopping from another island (like Mykonos) to Santorini, or don’t want the airport hassle of lines and waiting.