Santorini is the most popular Greek Island for tourists, and it’s easy to see why. If the panoramic views over the islands around the caldera aren’t enough, the beautiful whitewashed buildings and narrow winding streets are sure to catch your attention. Due to its popularity, Santorini is one of the most expensive destinations, not just in the Cyclades, but in all of Greece. When we visited, we did everything we could to keep our costs low. Using the Santorini public transport systen was a key factor for us in staying on budget.
In fact, we try to use public transport to get around in almost every destination we go to. Check out some of our other public transport guides here.
Let’s dive into the Santorini public transport system so you can see as much as possible without breaking the bank.
The Modes of Transport
KTEL Buses
Santorini’s main mode of public transport is its bus network, operated by KTEL. The buses run to a variety of destinations on the island with varying frequency throughout the year, with more buses running during the high tourist season.
The buses themselves are coach-style, with 2 seats running down each side with an aisle in the middle. This means that there is luggage storage underneath each bus if you need it.
All bus routes in Santorini either start or end in Fira at the central bus station. If you are staying somewhere other than Fira, you will need to plan out your trips ahead of time. You will almost always need to catch a bus to Fira and change to another bus to your destination.
Fira Cable Car
There is also a cable car on Santorini, leading from Fira down to the Old Harbour. This is where all day cruises or tours of the caldera will depart from, so if you’re heading out on a boat, chances are you will have to make your way down to the Old Harbour. You can walk between the town and the dock, but it does involve 588 stairs each way. Let us tell you from experince, it is HARD, so knowing how the cable car works is a great option. When we did a half day tour of the caldera, we opted for walking down to the harbour and catching the cable car back up.
Getting Tickets
Bus
Tickets for buses in Santorini are sold directly on the bus. The most common way we experienced was for the bus to be loaded, and then once the journey has begun, the worker selling tickets will make their way down the bus for everyone to pay for the trip.
Bus tickets are sold in cash only, and it is best to have exact change when possible. If you don’t have the exact amount, be prepared to receive your change in a lot of smaller coins.
Tickets for the bus vary in price based on the journey length, ranging from €1.60 to €2.50 but you can often find the exact prices for journeys on the bus schedules that are posted at Fira bus station.
Here are the prices for some common journeys (accurate as of September 2023):
Santorini Airport to Fira: €1.80
Fira to Oia: €1.60
Fira to Ferry Port: €2.00
Fira to Perissa: €2.20
Cable Car
Ticket desks for the cable car are located at the entrances at either end. Tickets for the cable car are one way, so if you’re planning to catch it both ways, you’ll need to line up for tickets at either end. Make sure you account for time to line up, as the lines can be long, particularly in the evening.
Tickets for the cable car are €6.00 for an adult and €3.00 for a child. You can purchase cable car tickets with cash or card.
Timetables
Bus
The bus timetable in Santorini changes throughout the year, based on demand. You can sometimes find a timetable online, but they are not always accurate. The only way to get an accurate bus timetable is to visit the central bus stop in Fira, where the timetables are displayed on the information board. We would highly recommend taking photos of the timetables in Fira as they will be the most up to date ones you will find on the island.
The bus timetable can change every couple of days, so if you’re staying for a while, you may need to check back in. This is particularly the case with the buses to and from the airport and the ferry port. The bus schedule for these routes is based on the arrival and departure times of flights and ferries, so will change frequently.
On most routes, buses run every half hour or hour, so it’s important to plan your day. If you are travelling between two places that aren’t Fira, you will need to transfer in Fira and the buses may not line up.
Bus timetables in Santorini only display the departure time of the bus, not the journey length or arrival time. You can use Google Maps to estimate the length of the journey, but it’s always best to add on some time, as the buses take longer to navigate the small roads than a car would.
We also found in our time on Santorini that buses were frequently 5-10 minutes late, so once again, give yourself plenty of time if you have somewhere you need to be!
Timetables from Fira to other points on the island including prices
Cable Car
Throughout the year, the time of the first and last cable car changes, however they usually run every 20-30 minutes. When we were there, the timetable said they were running every 20 minutes, but it was closer to every 10.
The cable car timetable can be found online here.
The cable car journey takes around 3-5 minutes.
Things to know
Bus
Buses around the island can be very busy, so it’s important to arrive early at the bus stop. The buses can fit a large number of people, but if you are one of the last one, there is a high chance you will be standing for the journey, or may have to wait for the next bus. Aim to arrive at least 10 minutes before the bus is due to depart.
As mentioned earlier, there is space to store luggage underneath the bus. If you are travelling to or from the airport or ferry port, there will obviously be many people with luggage, so once again it’s important to arrive early to secure your spot.
Cable Car
Lines for the cable car can get very long, especially to come down in the evening. If you are leaving for a tour or to head back to a cruise ship, allow plenty of time to line up for tickets and to catch the cable car down.
Around 6 people can fit in each car, so if you’re in a larger group you will need to split up into separate groups. There are 6 cars at each end, so if full, 36 people can travel at once.
Check out what we got up to during our time in Santorini in our vlog:
We hope this guide helps you to navigate the Santorini public transport system! We loved our time on the island, and we used public transport to get everywhere we wanted to go. Enjoy your time in Santorini!
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