50m²
Honeymoon Suite
Cave suite with caldera-facing veranda, designed for couples and milestone trips.
View roomQuick Answer: The KTEL public bus is the least expensive way to get around Santorini (EUR 2.20 to EUR 2.70 per ride). Taxis quote flat rates on common routes and only about 35-40 cars serve the whole island, so they sell out fast. Car or ATV rental gives the most freedom (EUR 25-60 per day). Uber Taxi exists but dispatches the same licensed taxis at the same fares. For a 3-day trip from a central hotel in Fira, bus plus occasional taxi is enough.
Uber Taxi works on Santorini, but not the way most visitors expect. The app connects you to the same 35-40 licensed taxis that serve the entire island, at the same fares, so availability gets thin in July and August, when most of the year's visitors arrive, and a long queue at Fira often beats the app. No Lyft, no Bolt, no private-driver Uber. This guide covers every real way to get around Santorini, with prices, timing, and the practical tradeoffs we share with our hotel guests in Fira.
This is part of our wider Santorini travel guide. If you have not yet figured out the airport itself, start with our Santorini airport guide. For the geography of where everything is, the Santorini map helps a lot.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance: every way to get around Santorini
| Option | Cost | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| KTEL public bus | EUR 2.20-2.70 per ride | Travelers watching costs, main villages | Crowded at sunset, no luggage rack |
| Taxi (flat rate) | EUR 15-45 per ride | Airport, late night, groups | Flat quotes on common routes, only 35-40 cars on island, book ahead |
| Car rental | EUR 25-60/day | Hidden beaches, full island freedom | Parking in Fira is hard to find in summer |
| ATV / quad | EUR 30-50/day | Couples, scenic backroads | Sun exposure, less safe on busy main roads |
| Scooter | EUR 20-35/day | Solo, light traveler | Same risk as ATV, plus less stable |
| Private transfer | EUR 30-60 per ride | Honeymooners, families with luggage | Usually EUR 5-15 more than a taxi |
| Walking | Free | Caldera path Fira to Oia (3-4 hrs) | Sun, no shade, water needed |
How Uber Actually Works on Santorini
Greece does have rideshare, but on Santorini it works very differently from a big-city Uber. The Uber app shows you Uber Taxi here, which dispatches one of the same 35 to 40 licensed taxis that already serve the island. There is no UberX with private drivers, no surge pricing edge, no separate fleet. Fares are the same as a regular taxi, and during peak season you often wait longer for an Uber-summoned cab than if you just walked to the taxi rank in Fira. Bolt and Lyft do not operate here.
What you can do instead: book a private transfer in advance, or use the taxi pre-booking line. Both work, and both cost more than a taxi flag-down would, if you could get one.
The KTEL public bus (lowest fare)
The KTEL bus is the public transport network for Santorini. It gets you to every major village on the island for EUR 2.20 to EUR 2.70 a ride, with timetables published online.
Fares (2026):
- Fira to Oia: EUR 2.20
- Fira to Kamari: EUR 2.20
- Fira to Perissa: EUR 2.70
- Fira to Akrotiri: EUR 2.20
- Airport (JTR) to Fira: EUR 2.20
You pay the conductor on the bus. Bring cash, ideally small notes. Most drivers will accept a EUR 5 note, but a EUR 50 will get you a sigh and a long wait for change.
Fira is the hub. Almost every route starts or ends at the central Fira bus station, which is a five-minute walk from our hotel. To go from Oia to Perissa, for example, you change at Fira. There is no direct route between most secondary villages.
Photo: Jean Housen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Buses run every 30 to 60 minutes in summer (May to October), less frequently in winter. The last regular bus to most villages is around 22:00 in summer. After that, KTEL lists a night service between 00:30 and 05:00 at fares about 25% higher (EUR 2.80 to EUR 3.40), so check the timetable; otherwise it is taxi or private transfer.
Downsides: The sunset bus from Fira to Oia (around 18:30 to 19:30 in summer) is packed shoulder to shoulder. People stand in the aisle. There is no luggage rack, so if you are heading to the airport with two suitcases, take a taxi or transfer instead. Schedules also get casually rearranged, so build in a buffer.
The full schedule is published at ktel-santorini.gr.
Taxis: flat rates, few cars, often booked out
Meters are required by law, but on common tourist routes drivers quote a flat price before the trip. There is a fare list, posted at the airport and the port, with flat rates for every common route.
Typical 2026 taxi rates, according to My Santorini Transfer's 2026 fare breakdown, a local transfer operator (checked September 2026):
- Fira to Oia: €25-35
- Fira to Akrotiri: €20-30
- Fira to Perissa: €20-30
- Athinios port to Fira: around €35, per Welcome Pickups' port-to-Fira guide
Airport fares, with the bus and transfer options side by side, are in our guide to arriving at JTR.
Between midnight and 05:00, metered fares rise roughly 30 to 40 percent, and on flat-rate routes drivers usually add EUR 5 to EUR 10. Always agree the fare with the driver before getting in. A polite "How much to Oia?" before opening the door takes ten seconds and saves arguments.
The hard part is finding one. With about 35 to 40 licensed cabs for the whole island, the queue at the airport can be brutal after a busy flight lands. At Fira's central taxi stand, the wait at sunset hour can hit 45 minutes. The smart move is to pre-book through the central taxi line (+30 22860 22555) or have your hotel call. Our front desk does this for guests as a matter of course.
Card or cash: more drivers accept cards now, but cash is still safer.
Renting a car (most freedom, most parking pain)
For couples who want to see the inland villages, the hidden beaches, the lighthouse at Akrotiri, and the eastern coast on their own schedule, a rental car is the best option.
Pricing (2026): EUR 25 to EUR 60 per day for a small car. Compact and automatic costs more. Book in advance for July and August or you will pay double.
Parking is the real cost. Fira has very little parking. The central caldera area is effectively car-free during the day. Most caldera-edge hotels, including ours, do not offer private parking. You park in one of the public lots a few minutes' walk away. In peak summer, those fill up. Oia is worse.
Driving culture: Greek mountain roads, narrow Cycladic streets, scooters weaving through traffic, donkeys on caldera paths in some spots. Drive defensively. The island's main roads are paved and fine, but a few back roads to remote beaches turn to dirt fast.
You need an International Driving Permit if your license is not from an EU country. Rental agencies sometimes wave this through, but the police will not.
If you stay with us, our reception can arrange a car or an ATV for you, along with the other experiences we book for guests.
ATV, quad, and scooter rental
ATVs (the buggy-style quad bikes) are everywhere on Santorini in summer. They are popular because they cost little, they're fun, and you can park them anywhere.
Pricing (2026):
- ATV / quad: EUR 30-50/day
- 50cc scooter: EUR 20-25/day
- 125cc scooter: EUR 30-35/day
The tradeoff: They are exposed to the sun (zero shade) and to the summer meltemi wind, they are slower than cars on hills, and accidents happen often enough that local hospitals see ATV crashes daily in summer. Helmets are required by law and rarely enforced. Wear one anyway. Wear closed shoes. Do not ride after wine tasting at the Assyrtiko wineries.
You need a motorcycle license for anything above 50cc.
Private transfers (the honeymoon option)
If you are arriving from a long-haul flight, traveling with a partner, or simply do not want to deal with a taxi queue at midnight, a private transfer is worth it.
Pricing (2026):
- Airport to Fira: EUR 30-50
- Airport to Oia: EUR 48-60
- Port to Fira: EUR 25-40
You book in advance, the driver waits with a name sign, and the price is fixed. For our guests, we include a free one-way airport transfer (not the port) with direct bookings of 4 nights or more. It is one of the perks that makes booking direct worth it.
Walking (the caldera path is the best of it)
Walking is how you actually experience Santorini. The famous Fira-to-Oia hike along the caldera rim takes 3 to 4 hours one way. It passes through Firostefani, Imerovigli, and Skaros Rock, and the views the entire way are why people come to this island.
Within Fira itself, our hotel is a short walk from every main restaurant, the cable car, the bus station, and the main caldera viewpoints. Most of our guests do not rent anything for the first day or two.
Bring: Comfortable shoes (not flip-flops), water, sun protection. The path has zero shade. Start before 09:00 in summer or after 17:00.
What to use when (our actual recommendations)
For a typical 3 to 4 day trip staying in Fira:
- Arriving from JTR: Pre-arranged transfer or taxi. Skip the bus if you have luggage.
- Day 1 (Fira, sunset, dinner): Walk everywhere.
- Day 2 (Oia, sunset): Bus to Oia in the morning, walk the village all afternoon, bus back. Or hike one way and bus the other.
- Day 3 (beach + Akrotiri): Bus to Akrotiri archaeological site, bus to Red Beach, bus to Perissa via Fira for the evening, then back to Fira. Or rent a car if you want to fit it all in faster.
- Day 4 (wine country, inland villages): Rent a car or ATV. Bus does not serve every winery.
- Departure: Pre-arranged transfer.
For honeymooners with luggage and a tight schedule, lean on private transfers and an occasional taxi. Save the bus for a single fun ride.
Frequently asked questions
Is there Uber in Santorini?
Yes, Uber Taxi works on Santorini, but it routes you to one of the same 35-40 licensed taxis already serving the island. Fares are the same as a regular taxi, there is no UberX with private drivers, and availability drops in July and August when the limited taxi fleet is stretched. Bolt and Lyft do not operate here. For most short trips, the KTEL bus or the taxi rank in Fira is faster than waiting on the app, and the bus costs far less.
How much is a taxi from Santorini Airport to Fira?
The flat rate is around EUR 25 to EUR 35 in 2026. Meters are required by law, but drivers quote a flat price on this route. Confirm the fare with the driver before getting in. Between midnight and 05:00, expect EUR 5 to EUR 10 more.
Is the bus from Santorini Airport to Fira reliable?
The bus runs roughly every hour from JTR to Fira, takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and costs EUR 2.20. It is reliable in summer but not the right choice if you have heavy luggage or are arriving on a late flight after 22:00.
Do I need a car to see Santorini?
No, but it helps. For a 3-day trip based in Fira, you can use the bus plus occasional taxis and never miss anything important. For seeing inland wineries, Pyrgos, Emporio and Megalochori, and the south coast in the same trip, a car or ATV makes life easier.
How long does it take to drive across Santorini?
About 45 minutes from the southern tip (Akrotiri) to the northern tip (Oia) on the main road. The island is roughly 18 kilometers north-to-south. Traffic in Fira and at sunset hour in Oia can double that.
Can you walk from Fira to Oia?
Yes. The Fira to Oia caldera walk is 10 to 11 kilometers and takes 3 to 4 hours. It is one of the great walks in Greece. Go early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat. Wear real shoes.
Is renting an ATV in Santorini safe?
ATVs and quads are popular and fun, but they are also the most common cause of tourist injuries on the island. Wear a helmet (required by law), wear closed shoes, never drink and ride, and stick to paved roads if you are not experienced. If you are nervous, take the bus.
This guide is part of our Ultimate Santorini Travel Guide. For first-time logistics, see our first-time Santorini tips and the Santorini airport guide.
