My husband and I are going to be in Greece in late October. Its my honeymoon. Post-Easter is the time traditionally when businesses kick-start the season and get rolling, so you will be riding the lull before the storm during Easter week. The only way to get from Crete to Santorini in March is a flight via Athens or hiring a private helicopter. 3) We are going to get the ferry to Santorini. Otherwise, take an organised tour. Thanks Dave. Company Registration No 1039E60000111001 & VAT EL800554594. Santorini Speedboat Transfers is most definitely the way to go! Any other practical advice is appreciated. Personally, I would stay in Heraklion for a night and morning and explore its attractions. These experiences are best for boat tours in Hersonissos: Sailing Trips with Cretan Sailing; Crete Pirate Ship Cruise with the Black Rose to Stalis and Malia; Day Tour: Cruise to Spinalonga Island with BBQ at Kolokytha Bay; That Quintessential Island-Hopping: Crete to Santorini Day Trip; Boat Trip 1 hour High powered stunt boat from Hersonissos How often are the sails cancelled at this time of year, just wondering if we should add an extra day in Santorini just in case, we were only planning for 2 nights before flying to Athens. The Seajets Power Jet from Crete to Santorini. The final ticket cost can be higher or lower depending on discounts, seat type, or vehicle selection. That said, the larger the SeaJet (e.g. 3. Guillaume Bernard. There are multiple daily ferries that run between Santorini and the Heraklion Port in Crete from mid-April through October. Many tourists go every year to this glamorous island. Some hotels or restaurants may put on post-Anastasi food, or even organise lamb on the spit on the Sunday but its not guaranteed so youll need to check with your hosts. I know the ins and outs of my country and hopefully my travel blog will help you make the most of your holidays. Sky Express, a relatively new airline that is headquartered in Crete, offers many flights between Heraklion and Santorini. Akua, No, not worth it and not even doable if youre referring to taking the public ferries which go to Santorini in the morning and to Crete in the evening. Crete Pirate Ship Cruise with the Black Rose to Stalis and Malia. You can revoke your consent any time using the Revoke consent button. Many thanks for any advice you can provide, Hi Dave! SUBSCRIBE to my Youtube Channel for Updated Guides and Videos for the Greek Islands! Glo. Stefanie Thoeny. Before then youll need to fly via Athens. There are plenty of daytrips to Santorini from Crete options that you can actually book online onGet Your Guidebut these stand out: Going to Santorini from Creteby ferryis basically your only other option if you dont want to take any organized daytrips. var s1=document.createElement("script"),s0=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; Thanks! Private Sea Transfers comfortable, fast, reliable and secure with Rib speed boats at all times and to all destinations. Comfort cruise - sailing boat trips from Heraklion, Crete. Any advice for getting a good price on the flight? Greece in 2nd place globally on Blue Flag beach for 2018. Mid-September is still a pretty busy time for Crete, so you may want to book ahead online a few days before your planned trip. The company operates two mid-sized vessels, each one cozy enough to provide high quality services. Hey Dave Use Ferryscanner to check the latest prices, schedules, and routes. Once you arrive in Santorini, you have free time to explore as you like. Great website!!!! The tours usually include a pleasant sailing adventure along the coast of Santorini. Lastly the people in Santorini and some fellow tourists had tales about how this boat (still, the return to Crete route) was always late, and seemed to express a preference for the other company. In particular, no. Day trips Private tours Water activities Adventures Filters 279 activities found . Tera Jet) the more reliable they are. Do you have any ideas for the best route to take in the off-season? Do you have an idea when the specific schedule may be released? If you were traveling during high season then booking in advance is probably a good idea (if only for peace of mind). No more than in Western Europe. That said, you dont really get to appreciate the place as in those glamorous overhead drone photos that show Balos Beach from the air, but the cruise trip is by far the better option. Hi Dave, Hi Dave! I see that the Seajet timetable is out. The best Cruises & Sailing in Crete according to Viator travelers are: Semi-Submarine Tour from Agios Nikolaos. 2. Beat the heat with transport around the island by air-conditioned vehicle. The only downside is that its a longer walk to the Rethymnon bus station from the port. Any clarity would be appreciated to help me plan. The boats from Crete to Santorini depart only from Heraklion & Rethymnon ports. The fastest option is Champion Jet which will take you to your destination in about 2 hours. Ferries from Heraklion arrive at Athinios port in Santorini. We will be in Santorini at Easter and would value any ideas you might have to experience an authentic Greek Easter (we live in Australia so imagine it will be different to how we celebrate Easter). We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. As of now, the earliest ferry service begins on April 6 with Hellenic. And yes, you generally cant take rental cars on the ferry. These are not private boats but the normal ferries that go to Santorini. 1 - The best Crete boat trip - Balos Lagoon & Gramvousa Island, 2 - The most historical boat tour from Crete - Spinalonga Island, 3 - The most dreamt about - Boat trip from Crete to Santorini, 4 - The wild South - Ferry from Chora Skafion to Loutro and Agia Roumeli, 5 - The small boat to facilitate access - Plakias to Preveli, 6 - The most beachy boat transfer from Crete - Chrysi island, Best boat tours from main towns - Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion, Check out the tour options with or without bus on Getyourguide, my article about visiting Santorini from Crete, Check out my article about the village of Loutro, see my full list of amazing Cretan beaches here, check out this option from Chania or Rethymno. Is it even advisable to go in this time of the year? Choose one of our safe RIBs to arrive fast and safely to one of the top destinations in Greece; Santorini, Mykonos, Paros. Avalon Hotel is superb as is the Spirit of the Knights and the Old Town is quite unique. Try not to move during those shoulder periods. You mention Crete or Rhodes as your next destination and you do hint that you may be open to other islands. I was thinking of taking a day trip to explore Crete. Originally we were thinking of just catching the late ferry from Santorini Heraklion and then catching the even later bus, but I saw a comment you made in May about catching a ferry from Santorini to Rethymnon but I cant find any information about this ferry. In theory, you could get their permission but would definitely be a big hassle. Can you take a rental car on the ferry? This means that if you choose to make a purchase through some of the links enclosed on this site, I will make a small amount of commission. Crete is bigger than Rhodes and has a different feel more rugged, more independent, more mountainous, and culturally the people consider themselves apart from the mainlanders (and quite likely other islanders). Was looking for a ferry from Heraklion to Santorini on 4th April, but I couldnt find any ferries. However, doing so means having to change flights in Athens. Book ferry tickets anytime. Is the best way to get there by ferry? This seasonal route is operated mainly by high-speed vessels by 3 ferry companies: Minoan Lines, Seajets, and Golden Star Ferries. Charter a skippered boat and visit Balos, Gramvousa, Falassarna, Elafonisi, Seitan Limania . Youll leave from Heraklion port and there is only one port in Santorini. Meantime, you can always pop us an e-mail with your inquiry. and would not refund (or deal) the one week period during which we will be in Santorini, does this sound normal around here in Crete? Jo Ackerley. For instance, if you are basing yourself in Crete and you have only one day to dedicate to Santorini, it is better to visit on a tour. I know there are other ferry options but they depart Santorini too late in the evening.. However, there wont be a Santorini to Chania ferry. Answer 1 of 5: Hi there, We're trying to get a boat to Santorini from Crete to catch a 9:30a plane on Saturday (6/22). Return time for motor yachts :20:00 -21:00 PM (depending on weather conditions) Departing Port: Heraklion Port. Yes, a bit like Mykonos but cheaper, less crowded, and no nightlife. Firework crackers commonly explode all around the church and pandemonium rules for a few minutes. Thanks again, Aaron. Luggage storage on the Terajet. Check Ferryscanner ahead of your trip to view the latest ferry timetables, prices, and routes. Ferries generally depart early in the morning before returning to Crete in the early evening. Eric. In my honest opitnion, the best way to get fromCrete to Santoriniis by taking an organised tour that will also pick you up from your hotel in Crete. Or should we try some other place? There are tours from Santorini to Crete but they use the same ferries and are bound by the same schedule. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. That sounds promising at least. Does this mean I can present them directly at the ferry or do I still need to call at the port ticket office? Peter Thomas. Is there a place to park a car by the ferry? s1.setAttribute('crossorigin','*'); Melissa Douglas is a British Travel Writer and Blogger based in Athens, Greece. These ferries usually continue to Naxos, Paros, and Mykonos before turning around and returning to Crete. Theyre pretty good at replying within 4 to 10 weeks. Artemisa. Take time to take a dip: option to swim at one of Santorini's black-sand beaches. Do you have any new information about ferries from Rethymnon to Santorini? This concerns me because 1. what if the ferry is late? We would be more than happy to assist you! Getting here 40 minutes before departure is what I would recommend. Unfortunately there are no direct flights from Crete to Santorini but these things change every year, so you should alwayscheck Expedia for any available flights. If your flight to Athens arrives on time you should be fine. The slow ferry from Crete to Santorini takes approx. Are there any student discounts on tickets from Crete to Santorini and back? How much free time do we really have? 4. Between April-October there are 4 ferries per day between Crete and Santorini. Here is a video showing how you can get the KTELlocal Crete bus from Chania to Rethymno: The easiest and cheapest way to get fromAgios Nikolaos to Heraklionport is to take the local KTEL bus. One takes a half day of travel each way (so youd have to stay a night to make it at all worthwhile) and the other is very expensive. Or is there any other way to get to Chania that is not too expensive? Susie. The ferry time varies according to the type of vessel you are boarding, the number of stopovers and from which port of Crete you are departing. Lyn Robertson. There are multiple daily ferries that run between Santorini and the Heraklion Port in Crete from mid-April through October. That said there are religious happenings to be aware of with one event happening each night in the lead-up to Anastasi. 26th of October is considered low season and there is no high demand for such a route so its not operating at all. It would also be helpful to know where and how to find them prior to our arrival if possible please. Classic operating hours April to October (but check your ticket) are: Departure from Heraklion at 9:40 (arriving at 11:40) and return from Santorini at 5:45pm (arriving at 7:30) There are also larger ferry boats but they take longer (3h45 from Rethymno), so there is no point for a day trip. A friend and I are traveling to Athens in February. Any and all comments you have would be very welcome. The Heraklion ferry port has multiple ferries to Santorini from late March to early November. Good for avoiding crowds. I cant vouch for them other than a few personal experiences. Luggage storage on the Crete to Santorini ferry. From Santorini, Crete is faster and less expensive to get to than Rhodes. View of the Santorini caldera on the day-trip tour from Crete. Taking the ferry is generally the easiest and most convenient way to get from Crete to Santorini (and vice versa) independently. We are taking the Hellenic Seaways boat from Heraklion to Santorini on July 21 at 9:00am. 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