Santorini Airport Bus

The cheapest option to get from the airport to Fira

The public bus in Santorini Airport is the only mode of public transportation. There is no underground or train. The transfers are performed by KTEL company with full size air-conditioned coaches. A single fare from Santorini Airport to Fira Center, at the time of writing, costs €1.70 (around $2.0 or £0.90). The big attraction is low cost. There is no alternative that can compete on this price. Santorini Airport has only one terminal. So the buses are waiting outside the arrival hall. Additionally, there are no excess luggage limits.

But despite being the cheapest option, the Airport to Fira bus services are hardly used when compared to other alternatives, including the private taxis which are more expensive. So why is this?

The buses are modern, but they travel only from the airport to Fira.

Santorini Airport buses – Key facts

There are no buses traveling across the island, going from one side of the island to the other. Every bus goes to the main bus station at Fira (the capital of Thira). Any changeovers for the next bus destination must be made from the main station only. The journey from the airport to Fira is about 25 minutes. Travelers going to Oia or Kamari, Imerovigli, Firostefani, Pyrgos, Akrotiri, Perissa, Perivolos etc. need to change bus in Fira main bus station. Depending on the village & bus schedules, passengers might need 2 even 3 hours to reach their hotel.
Frequency is not good. Even more, the bus service does not run on a regular basis. It may only run every few hours (i.e. 7:30am, 11am, etc), especially in winter.
The route is fixed. There is no flexibility at the mercy of severe road congestion. During high season the journey time will be hard to predict. Passengers will probably spend a significant part of their trip held up in traffic. Furthermore, there are no washrooms operating inside the buses.
KTEL, the local bus company, often loads buses much beyond their seating capacity. This can make the journey unpleasant and unsafe.
Buses come become very crowded. Source; TripAdvisor

Santorini Airport Bus Timetable

Last updated on February 1st, 2018.
Santorini Airport Public Buses always follow the same route. They start from the main bus station in Fira and make intermediate stops at the villages of Karterados and Messaria. The journey time from Fira to the airport is around 20 minutes. Below you can find the 2018 schedule.

Bus schedule from Fira to Santorini Airport.

On Weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) there are 3 scheduled journeys departing at 07:10, 10:00 and 15:00 from Fira.
On Weekdays (from Monday to Friday) there are 4 scheduled journeys departing at 07:10, 10:00, 14:00 and 15:30 from Fira.

Bus schedule from Santorini Airport to Fira

On Weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) there are 3 scheduled journeys departing at 07:20, 10:10 and 15:10 from the airport.
On Weekdays (from Monday to Friday) there are 4 scheduled journeys departing at 07:20, 10:10, 14:10 and 15:40 from the airport.

The public bus service does not run in late afternoon or during the night.

Bus ticketing

It is not possible to pre-purchase a bus ticket online. Drivers accept EUR currency and only cash. Passengers buy their ticket on board the bus when boarding. KTEL doesn’t assign seat numbers. Hence travelers take any available seat on the bus (if any).

Are there any alternative options?

Local taxis are waiting outside the arrival hall. However, they work on ‘first come first serve’ basis. Also there is only a limited number of taxis in the island. Shared minibuses are also an extra option. Travelers can pre-book a vehicle before their arrival to ensure that someone will be waiting for them. In terms of comfort there is no comparison between the Public Bus and the taxi services. For more info please click here.