Hi! We thought about renting a scooter in Santorini but out driving license permits us just 50cc power, nothing more. Îs IT doable on the cliffs, with 2 poeple on?

I keep seeing the donkey rides described as a “traditional Santorini experience,” and I think that wording makes a lot of tourists assume it is something they should do while they are there.

It is not.

You can appreciate Santorini, its history/culture without getting on the back of an animal to get up the steps. When I visited, I watched donkeys carrying tourists up & down those steep steps in the heat. I saw exhausted animals struggling to continue and witnessed them being struck to keep moving. It is something I still think about...and unfortunately what I witnessed has not stopped. And honestly, whether the rides have been happening for decades or are considered part of Santorini’s history does not change what those animals are experiencing today.

Tourists help determine which traditions continue simply by where we choose to spend our money. Take the cable car or walk. Enjoy everything else Santorini has to offer...but please, leave the donkeys out of your vacation.

Family of 4 backpacking. Checking out of apartment in Vourvolous around 11 but boat isn't until 22:00.

By foot and bus we can make our way to Fira but interested to know if anyone knows of places to fill the time rather than just wandering. Was considering even paying for a hostel for a few hours as somewhere to crash with bathroom if that's an option but couldn't see anything. Anyone know of places that offer something like a few hours access to facilities without actually booking an overnight room, on a budget? Anyone have any other smart ideas?

One other question regarding buses. I saw from the info at the bus station yesterday that there were bus times 24 hours ahead. Apart from going to Fira station is there a way to know tomorrow's times? And finally, is it similar to departing from the port, there are multiple buses going down or just the one?

Thanks to anyone who can help.

Hello! We are going to Santorini for 3 days, staying in Perissa. I’ve rented a car to pickup at the airport, but am starting to feel very anxious about driving up the mountain and cliffs. I’ve driven in Messinia, but not Athens.

Should I just arrange a transfer service instead? I’m an anxious driver, fine in city situations but don’t like driving on highways or cliffs.

Hi all, we will be travelling to Greece in around a week to visit Crete and then take the 8am ferry to Milos that will stop in Santorini for a 5-hr total layover (including getting into Fira and back on time). We will be doing this transfer day on Sunday, September 13th. A few questions because I haven’t been able to find much on this ferry online…

We are planning on storing our checked luggage at the Athinios port and then taking either a KTEL standard bus, semi-private shuttle, or private transfer to get into Fira for a quick lunch and browse around before we’d need to get back to the port likely by (what I estimate) 1:30pm (ferry departs at 2:30pm).

I’m not seeing any bus schedules online going from the port into Fira at that time but I’ve heard they are timed around ferry arrivals/departures? How will we know for sure until we arrive on the island (I checked the KTEL website and couldn’t find anything about the port departure times)?

If anyone has taken at least one of the legs of the Seajets ferry and/or would recommend a certain type of transportation company to get into Fira and back on time we would very much appreciate it!!! Ideally looking for a semi-private round trip shuttle if not the KTEL bus but not sure if I need to make two separate bookings?

I would never ever step one single foot into a restaurant where some guy tries to lure me in from the street.

As a matter of fact, it makes me reconsider returning to Santorini at any point in the future because it is so effing annoying.

I counted today, one walk from one end to the other of the Kamari beach walk, I was actively approached by 14 restaurant promoters.

Shame on those guys, seriously. They are ranking somewhere between people who offer donkey rides and people who actually use those donkeys.

Hello, I'm planning my 2027 vacation and was wondering if hiking trails in Santorini are well-marked and easy to follow, since I tend to get lost easily if there aren't any signs or markers ^^"

We have a trip to Greece coming up and our itinerary is as follows:

Athens 2 days
Crete 5 days
Naxos 4 days
Athens 1 night then fly home

For the ferry from Crete to Naxos, I can get it connecting via Santorini!
Is it possible to see in a few hours?? We have toddlers so didn’t want to stay in Santorini but I’d love to fit it in a day to see it if it’s possible.

Thoughts??

I’m going to Santorini October 3-7th as a surprise gift to my partner for his 30th Birthday.

I’ve booked to stay in an AIRBNB in Oia (down the caldera) and booked a rental car to pick up from the airport the evening we arrive.

I need some advice on

- Parking options

- Activities to book (Would a boat trip be worth it/be too cold to swim?)

- A restaurant to reserve for his birthday dinner. A sunset view would be amazing and some good steak options! Any advice appreciated! 😁 anyone been to Beefbar in Oia? It looks amazing but very expensive. And I seen a lovely menu for a restaurant in Amoudi Bay but had no prices to know if the steak might be overly expensive. We will have the car so going out from Oia for dinner is an option too

Thanks!

I have seen people mention the long cable car lines as a reason for choosing the donkeys instead, so I just want to say this:

Please do not make an animal carry you up hundreds of steep steps just because the other option has a long wait.

I understand that you are on vacation and might be limited on your time there...nobody wants to spend part of that time standing in a line. However, the inconvenience of waiting does not suddenly make the donkey ride a good option.

These animals do not get to decide that they are tired, that it is too hot or that they have carried enough people for the day. The tourists DO get to decide whether or not to get on their backs.

Wait for the cable car. Walk if you are physically able. Plan ahead and give yourself extra time! A little inconvenience on our vacation is a pretty small sacrifice to make. Please do not ride the donkeys!

I heard a landslide blocked the walkway up from the port (next to the cable cars) has this been cleared? It’s our backup plan to walk up if the que for the cable cars is insane. We have done it before so we know it’s somewhat strenuous but I’m not riding a donkey

I am in Santorini for a vacation right now (August 25th) and we just saw 4 drones in a square come over the island and flash a few different colors and then go back to the other side. It did it twice.

I’m just super curious if anyone knows what this is for. Is it for photos, calibration of a drone show?

Thank you for ur help if you do have any ideas!

Hi all,

I unfortunately left a shirt behind at Irida Hotel in Imerovigli. DHL quoted a really high shipping cost and I was wondering if any travellers would be in the Imerovigli area and would be kind enough to pick it up for me and I will make my way over to you somewhere in central London. Happy to compensate you back for your time and troubles.

I’m eloping to Santorini next year (Aug sept 2027) and so far my favourite is the Dana villas - I feel you get a lot for your money here and the communication so far has been great!
Is there anyone out there who has eloped here; and can tell me whether it’s a good choice or not? Is it private enough ?

Hi Reddit,

I'm going to Santorini with my girlfriend, and we want to do photoshooting, more on the countryside/beach side of Santorini.

Thus, we want a photograph but there are only photographs in Oira/Fira on websites, whereas we wouldnt like to do it there.

Any one to recommend ? Thanks !!

Yeah tough question, I know, but we weren't expecting things to be this way when we booked our trip back in January.

My partner got kidney stones in the meantime and had surgery to remove them on Monday. The thing is, walking is still very painful, our hope is for things to improve a little bit (we're leaving on Friday and staying for 12 days), but they won't be back to normal until he gets the stent removed (which will be after we're back). Our initial plan was to have a fairly active holiday, let's say 60% relaxation and 40% sightseeing (we were especially looking forward to archaeological sites and museums). Now, I was in Santorini a few years ago and I think the museum of prehistoric Thera and the Akrotiri archaeological site should be doable, but Ancient Thera probably not. And I'm also very doubtful about hanging around in Oia or Pyrgos.

So here I am, asking for advice from people who maybe have similar conditions and managed to enjoy their holiday. We're staying in Perissa, but my partner is not a big fan of the beach (yeah I know, an island is a weird choice, but we're travelling with friends), we will be renting a car (driving should be better for him, and we're going to have a backup driver anyway). Any advice will be really REALLY appreciated.

My husband and I will be doing a cruise in early October and have a stop in Santorini on October 7th. To be completely honest Santorini is our one stop we wish we could replace with something else. Not that we don’t want to see it for itself, but the crowds and the chaos we read about tempt us to stay on the ship. Are there any suggestions for day itineraries that offer more calm even if it skips the popular sites? We do have priority tender access so we should be able to disembark right away. I don’t know for sure but since we are not in an excursion I’m assuming we tender to Fira. Looking at spots like Pyrgos or Akrotiri?

Hi all, its a long way away but getting married in santorini next september and so have emailed quite alot of restaurants regarding a post wedding meal for approx 20 people. Weve only had 3 responses so far but one is saying a minimum spend of €6000 which works out at €300 per person and another says specific meals which would mean sharing starters between 4 people and the main meal is exactly the same for everybody, at a cost of at least €65 per person (deposit required of £800).

My question is, has anyone had any experience with visiting any restaurants with large groups and any recommendations of restaurants to try?

Thankyou.

While on honeymoon in Santorini, we hired a private yacht to take us around the island. Two other couples were also on board (it only had room for six guests; we each booked through our hotel). The yacht owner was an American from New Jersey; his dad's family is Greek, so he moved to Santorini in the early 2000s. The tour was great! I just can't remember his name (Alex?). It's been ten years. A friend is heading to Santorini and I wanted to see if this captain was still in business.

I know I bring this topic up a lot, but we are still in peak tourist season, which means 1000s of new people are visiting Santorini every week and may not know what these animals are going through.

If riding a donkey is on your list of things to do while you're visiting, I would strongly encourage you to reconsider. There are other ways to get where you are going. You can walk. You can take the cable car.

The donkey rides might look like a classic Santorini experience in photos and travel videos, but seeing it in person is very different. These animals spend hours climbing steep steps in the heat while carrying tourists all day long. You don't have to agree with me, but I do think it is worth taking a minute to think about the animal behind the experience before deciding whether to participate.

Skipping a donkey ride won't take anything away from your trip, but it could make a difference for the animals that are still doing this work every day.

Thought I was a pretty savvy traveler, but I made a rookie mistake in Greece last summer that still stings.

Picture this. I am in Ammoudi Bay in Santorini and the sunset is ridiculously beautiful. I am at a seaside taverna, feet almost in the water. The waiter comes over, shows me a gorgeous, fresh-caught sea bream on a platter of ice, saying it is very special for me and my wife. The menu listed it at €70 per kg. Seemed a little high, but hey, it is Santorini, and the fish looked big enough for two. So I just smiled and said perfect.

The meal was incredible, truly one of the best I have ever had. We were happy, full, and a little drunk on the view.

Then the bill came.

My heart just sank. Total was €240, and the fish alone was listed as €185. I called the waiter over, completely confused, and pointed at the line item. I told him there must be a mistake because the menu says €70 per kilo.

He gave me this practiced, sympathetic shrug and said yes sir, and the fish was 2.65 kilos.

I was trapped. We had already eaten it. What could I do? Argue about the weight of a fish that was now just a skeleton on a plate? I felt so stupid and so completely ripped off. It just ruined the whole magical evening.

That €185 lesson taught me a new set of rules. Now, I have a no surprises policy. If a price is not crystal clear, I ask questions until it is. It is funny, the most honest places seem to be making transparency easier. I have started noticing more spots, even small family-run ones, using simple QR codes on the tables. I scanned one at a place in Athens last week and it popped up a clean digital menu from a site called menuforma. Every single price was listed, no market price BS, no hidden charges. It has honestly become my new green flag for a trustworthy restaurant.

So please, learn from my expensive mistake. If something is sold by weight, make them weigh it in front of you and write down the final price before you agree to anything.

I'm on the island 15–19 October, staying in Karterados. Solo traveller, 19, on a hostel budget.

I know I'm arriving at the tail end of the season, and that's honestly half my question: how much is still open and lively by mid-October? I've seen Fira mentioned for nightlife and Perissa/Perivolos for beach bars, but I have no idea what's still running that late in the year.

What I'd love to know:

- Which restaurants or bars actually have music and an atmosphere, rather than just dinner? Names help a lot.

- Rough cost of a night out — drink prices, whether anywhere charges a cover.

- For anyone who's been here solo: is turning up alone to those places normal, or does it feel out of place? Did you end up meeting people, and where?

Not asking anyone to plan my trip, I've got the sightseeing sorted. I just want to know where the atmosphere actually is in October, and whether solo works.

Thanks!

My bf and I will be in Santorini (staying in Thira) and are looking to make a nice dinner reservation for our last night (9/25). Recommendations? We are seeking good food and views. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, which is the cheapest way to go from Athinios Port to Santorini Airport next month?Thank you you!

We did an afternoon catamaran sail around the Caldera, and honestly, seeing the island from the water was one of the highlights of our trip.

The Route: Left from Vlichada marina, swung by Red Beach and White Beach for a swim, stopped at the Nea Kameni hot springs, and then positioned right below Oia just as the sun started to drop.

Food & Drinks: Open bar with local white wine and soft drinks, and they cooked up a legit Greek BBQ right on deck—grilled skewers, fresh tzatziki, Greek salad, pasta, and pita.

Logistics: The hotel minibus transfer was a lifesaver. Avoiding the nightmare of port parking and traffic during return was worth it alone.