Fira Old Port to Oia Ammoudi Port Ferry Question

Does anyone know if the ferry from Fira Old Port to Oia Ammoudi Port still operates? We will be there in October 2018.

We'll be there in September and plan to take the Aegean Traveler speedboat...There is not a ferry operating, but several transfer "boats"

Thank you for this information, we will look into this.

Thank you, that is the first time I have heard either of the transfer boats named.

Assuming that there is no info or website online????

Are any tour guides allowed to meet you at Ammoudi???

Or, is that prohibited.

I used this company to get from Fira to Oia. I made reservations ahead of time but it didn’t seem to matter when we arrived and told them we had reservations. It was 15 euros for speed boat to Ammoudi Bay, bus transfer to Oia, and bus transfer to Fira.

Dakoutros Bros J.V

Best Excursions!

Fira central square

Tel: (+30) 22860 24287

Fax: (+30) 22860 22686

info@santorini-excursions.com

http://www.santorini-excursions.com/

As the previous two posts show there are several operators doing this trip. I really wouldn't book in advance, there is no advantage to doing this. In fact there is more advantage in not doing it as you can suss out which of the operators is leaving first as they don't really operate to a schedule (despite them telling you they do) but appear to want to fill up a boat before it leaves.

We were just there 2 weeks ago and took the boat to Oia. There were 2 boat companies and they offered the same service for the same price. Boat to Ammoudi Bay, shuttle to Oia and bus back to Fira for 15. I would also recommend that you go with the boat that is fuller as it will leave sooner. We were the first ones on and waited for quite a while. Also, make sure you ask about the bus pick up location and times in Oia. We wandered around looking for the bus and ended up waiting with about 80 other people for pick up. Make sure you go early. It’s hot and crowded!

Thanks for the feedback and information! I was following all the posts about the speed boat Ferry transfer in Tripadvisor as well, and 2 threads recently warned about the bus transfer from Oia to Fira, complaining about bus missing the hourly schedule (they ended up taking taxi), and the crowd elbowing their way to get on the bus and crushing the children (we have little ones). Did you notice the same issues while you were there recently? Any other suggestion about seeing Oia and Fira? Thanks!

Michael

We do have children as well and although we didn’t experience anyone pushing, everyone was trying to squeeze on in fear of having to wait for the next bus. Not sure if it’s always like that.

If you want the photo with the blue domes, after you walk in the main plaza and recover from the breathtaking view, make a right down the alley and look for Alexandros Jewelry store on the left. Turn left in front of the store. If you’re lucky there won’t be too many people waiting to take a picture. Go very early.

@gchen, thanks for the great tip about photos! Also do you remember the frequency and the latest schedule of the transfer bus from Oia to Fira? Did you wait for the sunset, and how long did you have to wait for the cable car down to the pier? Thanks!

Michael

Our ship left at 6:00 so we were not able to stay for the sunset. We left Oia around 1 and waited about 30 min for the bus. I believe it’s every hour but I don’t know when the last one leaves. I think I read somewhere it wa around 3. In Fira we were planning to take he cable car down around 3:00 but it was at least an hour wait in the heat. We decided to walk down. It took about 25 min. It was hot and kind of stinky but not too bad. Our 7 year old did it.

Again thanks for your reply! Good to hear that your 7 year old was able to walk down the path to the pier without a problem, mine is 9 so he should be able to do it as well :)

On waiting for the cable car and such will depend on how many ships are there.

If only one ship that day, your lucky so easy to get on and off cable car, buses ect.

I'm going in Oct. too, day I'm going only my ship. Last time I went one ship then

too. Just walked on cable car going and coming back.

Check CruiseTT to see how many ships are in port your day.

My opinion may be unpopular -- but I recommend not going to Oia on the speedboat. My friend and I were there about 2 weeks ago, and although we were able to get on the 15 euro boat/bus, we were given no direction/instructions about the bus when we arrived at the port of Oia, only to find we literally had to climb to the top of a small mountain to get on the bus! Many people were in bad shape physically after this "climb" to the top to board the bus (the transportation include a bus from the "port" of Oia to the town). Once the bus dropped us off in Oia, we had very little time to explore the town before we had to make our way back to the bus terminal for the bus back to Fira -- again, there was no direction, or instruction on which bus is the "one", so you have to ask around....then, the bus drops you off (again with no direction), and it is quite a walk to find the cable car line, then quite a wait (approx. 45 minutes for us) to get back to the tenders to the ship. Although Oia was a charming village, I would not attempt to do this again on a cruise top, perhaps it is worthy of a land vacation -- it was just so stressful from beginning to end. My recommendation is to stay in Fira and make life a little easier for yourself.

I would agree that going to Oia by speedboat may not have been the best way to go but I’m still glad we went. I would have been disappointed to go to Santorini and not see the blue domes. If that’s not something you need to see then Fira has beautiful views as well. If you definitely want to see Oia then there are other ways of getting there. Either way you’ll have to go up or down from Fira by cable car and wait in line or walk with the donkeys.

We did this a couple of weeks ago and also experienced some confusion, pushing and crowding. 5 cruise ships and almost 10,000 tourists is too much for most ports.:( The cable car line was about 2 hours long, so we elected to walk down which was not bad and took about 30+ minutes. The donkeys look like mules to this one time farm boy - watch your step!

We'd love to go back to Santorini and rent a house or stay in a resort, but never again on a cruise ship.

I used this company to get from Fira to Oia. I made reservations ahead of time but it didn’t seem to matter when we arrived and told them we had reservations. It was 15 euros for speed boat to Ammoudi Bay, bus transfer to Oia, and bus transfer to Fira.

 

Dakoutros Bros J.V

Best Excursions!

Fira central square

Tel: (+30) 22860 24287

Fax: (+30) 22860 22686

info@santorini-excursions.com

http://www.santorini-excursions.com/

Their website currently doesn’t show this option - just a number of different options. Does anyone know if they’re still running the speed boat to the port near Oia?

The aegeantravelers website (see below) also mentions a wine tasting option for an additional 15 Euros, but offers no details. Anyone tried that?

http://www.aegeantravellersantorini.com/transfer-to-oia-by-speedboat-private-bus-back-to-fira/

Their website currently doesn’t show this option - just a number of different options. Does anyone know if they’re still running the speed boat to the port near Oia?

They still have a speed boat to Oia and we were there in May. It is not advertised on their website. You can find this company or another company at the old port after tendering. You can email them to make sure and make reservations ahead of time, but I didn’t feel that having reservations were necessary since they didn’t seem to care when I mentioned it when paying.

This is the website for Aegean Traveller. I pre-purchased my tickets for September.

http://www.aegeantravellersantorini.com/transfer-to-oia-by-speedboat-private-bus-back-to-fira/

FYI, I emailed them on departure times and here is there response.

The boats run from 8.30 to 12.30 every 30 minutes

This is Greece. Best to buy tickets upon arrival AFTER checking that boat is almost full.

It is not a Speed Boat per se. But a small motor ferry boat (similar to NYC water ferry).

Three different operators provide three different component of the service.

Ticket sellers at the tender port will lie through their teeth to nake a sale.

- Boat wil depart when they are happy with the load, not on any schedule.

- Upon disembarking you have to climb a short but steep hill.

- Depending on how full the boat was, some pax may have to stand on the bus to Oia (just get off the boat quickly)

- Bus back to Fira is pretty chaotic and availibility on bus depends on where else they have to deploy their fleet later in the day. Upon arrival (before you are baked in sun), locate their office so that you know where to go when you cant find bus back.