Flights to Santorini: How Americans Get There, and When to Book

Athens is the simplest connection, with a flight of about 50 minutes and many departures a day.

How do Americans usually fly to Santorini?

The standard route starts with a flight to Athens from a major hub such as New York (JFK or Newark), Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toronto or Montreal. From Athens you book a separate ticket to the island. If you live far from those cities, connect through one of them or through a European capital such as London, Frankfurt or Paris. London, Paris, Rome and Amsterdam all have nonstop flights to Santorini, so a ticket that connects in one of them works just as well.

Expect a long travel day. Sample fares from JFK and Newark show the spread: the tightest one-stop itineraries take about 11 hours, while many two-stop routings run past 30.

Some travelers trade the second flight for a boat. Ferries to Santorini run all year from Piraeus, the port of Athens. By ferry, expect roughly 5 hours on a high-speed boat and around 8 on a conventional one. Sailing into the caldera, with the cliffs towering above the deck, is a memorable way to arrive. The ferry suits a trip with a night or two in Athens.

A multi-city ticket, home to Athens and Santorini to home, lets you take the ferry out and fly back. The large Blue Star ferries rarely sell out, but the smaller SeaJets and Hellenic catamarans sometimes do, so book those 1 to 3 months ahead. If you get seasick, stick with Blue Star, because the catamarans can be very bumpy in windy weather.

How long is the flight from Athens to Santorini?

About 50 minutes.

Arriving from Athens is quick. The airport is small, so after landing from Athens you can often be out to the taxi stand fairly quickly. If you plan a first dinner on the island, leave generous breathing room after your scheduled landing, since delays happen.

How much time do you need to connect in Athens?

An hour is the bare minimum. Even 90 minutes can easily be missed if the inbound flight arrives late. A gap of more than about two and a half hours between flights gives you a comfortable buffer.

Which other cities fly to Santorini?

Within Greece, Thessaloniki has flights that take 1 hour 30 minutes. Flights from other islands such as Mykonos, Rhodes and Crete are rare or seasonal, so don't count on them. Between islands, the ferry is the usual way to travel.

The European route list is long. Flights take about 4 hours 10 minutes from Manchester and about 4 hours 45 minutes from Dublin, the longest route on the schedule. Gatwick has the majority of the cheap flights. British Airways typically flies from Heathrow and easyJet from Gatwick, including in April.

Airlines serving the island include Aegean, Air France, Lufthansa, Swiss, Finnair, Jet2, Ryanair, Vueling, Volotea, Wizz Air, Transavia, SAS, Norwegian, flydubai and Qatar Airways. A nonstop from Europe means one flight instead of two, and one less place for a delay or cancellation. If the nonstop is sold out or pricey, connect through Athens, Rome, Naples, Venice or Paris.

When do the flights run, and when should you book?

Flights from Athens run all year, with many daily departures even in October. Many European nonstops run seasonally. European carriers may not post their full spring schedule far in advance, so keep checking. It tends to appear by September.

Book early. Booking early is a good habit for both flights and hotels, and it is often how travelers find a cheap Athens to Santorini fare. That hop tends to cost more in August, when the ferry is often cheaper. Google Flights' calendar view makes it easy to spot the cheapest days to fly.

How do you get from the airport to your hotel?

The island is small. Fira, Oia and Imerovigli are each within about 40 minutes of the airport, and a taxi ride to Fira is short, with Oia a bit farther. Taxis wait outside the terminal, though the line can be long in high season. A pre-booked private transfer such as Welcome Pickups costs about the same as a taxi, and the driver meets you in arrivals with a sign. Many hotels run shuttles, and some are free, so ask yours before booking anything.

2026 prices: the direct public bus to the airport costs 2,20 €, and the line connects the airport with Fira. Buses run more often in summer than in low season, and a change in Fira is needed for almost all other villages. A late-night arrival in a beach town like Perissa is easier by taxi or transfer.

The airport has parking, and you can pick up a rental car there. If you land late, take a taxi to your hotel and collect the car the next morning, when the dark, winding roads are easier to drive.