Welcome back! 

We recently spent 9 nights in Greece and took a while to put together all my hacks to share (almost seems as long to get over my jet lag).

We decided at the very last minute to take the plunge and book a trip to Greece (we had planned to do this trip in the Summer of ‘20 but had to cancel due to the pandemic). I have to admit that I was on the verge of backing out numerous times due to the CDC travel advisory and the fires but am so grateful that I did not feed into the fears and went! 

We are both fully vaccinated and took all the recommended precautions by the CDC.  In this case, we weren’t required to take a PCR test within 72 hours before the outbound flight which you needed if not vaccinated.

Europe is thriving and Greece has been open for international travelers for some time.  Our itinerary was 6 nights in Santorini, followed by two in Mykonos and the final night in Athens before we came home.  It was a  great time to visit as the crowds were considerably less than normal due to the smaller number of cruises operating.  That said, Fira, Oia and Mykonos Town did pick up at certain times of the day – we got very savvy to this and adjusted our schedule to avoid the rush of people.

Flights

Delta – We are Delta loyal and used vouchers from canceled flights due to covid. We flew nonstop from JFK-Athens (operates two flights a day). With the tailwind it took about 9 hours – fortunately the flight was far from full and we were able to stretch out a bit and sleep a good portion of the flight.  I recommend booking way in advance (as opposed to three weeks out) so you can better utilize your points and upgrades. Unfortunately the upgrade to business was an insane amount of points or money so we ended up flying Delta Comfort. 

The flight was very empty and we were the only two in a row of four seats. Hence, I made my own business class and layed down for the majority of the flight. There were a ton of empty seats in and rows in both first class and economy so many people improvised and used a whole row to sleep. I have to admit we were disappointed that we were not offered an upgrade to business being there were so many open seats. That said, I was super grateful to be going away on a very last minute trip.

I do not think paying extra for comfort is worth it on an international flight (though these were free to us) but to each their own. Book early and get a bulkhead seat – save your points and money for another trip. On a side note it was such a joy to be back at my happy place, the Delta Lounge and the buffet was open! We chatted with several families coming and going to Europe. It was refreshing to see the travel industry back up and running! 

Olympic Airlines – In order to get to the islands you have two options- take a 5 hour ferry ride from Athens or fly. We didn’t want to lose most of the day so opted to use Olympic or Aegean Airlines after much research on available itineraries.  They are part of the same company now so there isn’t much of a difference between the two.

Our flight from NY landed at about 1230pm – now we could have pushed our luck to get on the 130 flight to Santorini but it wasn’t worth the chance – we didn’t know if the bags would be transferred over (especially since Olympic/Aegean is not a SkyMiles Partner) nor did we know how long customs & baggage takes.  We made the right call by taking the 530 pm flight – we witnessed many people running through the airport trying to make their connection.  Don’t fuss about it, give yourself a realistic amount of time.

We had a 5 hour layover and relaxed in the lounge prior to our flight. Upgrading to business class for this short flight is worth it. It is reasonable and you can avoid the crowded terminal by relaxing with lounge access. It was a peace of mind to stay away from the crowds. 

You actually take a bus from the airport to the airplane and walk up stairs on the runway to get your flight. The bus can be crowded and standing room only. If you upgrade to business class you have a designated bus for business class. We were pleasantly surprised by the Athens airport. I anticipated it being very hectic however ,it was very calm and organized.

Santorini

We have traveled and seen many beautiful and unique places, however, Santorini took our breath away. It far exceeded our expectations and we have already made the decision to return. The views are amazing, the people are so kind and the food is delicious. Santorini is a very romantic island and you will see a ton of cute newlyweds on their honeymoon. The island consists of many small towns however the two major ones are OIA and FIRA. This is the place for you if you enjoy walking around quaint narrow walkways, stopping in little mom and pop shops, exploring, great food, coffee/tea breaks in a picturesque cafe and relaxing by the pool. Be prepared to walk and wear sensible shoes. There are a ton of stairs however I thought it would be worse. We walked 7,000- 12,000 steps a day and enjoyed every one!

Accommodations…

There are a ton of great hotels for every budget but you MUST do your research. I find searching hashtags on IG gives me the most authentic feedback about a place. Trip Advisor is not the best resource however I still use it. And then we utilized YouTube to see videos from guests to get a better idea of what the hotel was really like.

The trip advisor reviews and pictures were not accurate on our hotel. Our hotel was recently renovated and the pictures and reviews did not reflect this. The Lilium Hotel Santorini was super impressive and validated our research – though I had doubts on Doug’s selection of the hotel. The place far exceeded our expectations, the staff was personable, happy and super helpful and the views were breathtaking. They offered a shuttle service into Fira every day, and if you miss the schedule don’t worry – they will drive you there for only 5 Euros. Keep in mind that a majority of the hotels are privately owned and not chain hotels such as Hiltons or Marriotts.

My main recommendation for choosing a Santorini hotel is 

1. Splurge on a room with a Caldera view– there is no need to venture to OIA and deal with the crowds during sunset. You can enjoy that view from your balcony or hotel pool. 
2. Book Directly through the hotel- When searching for a place, you will most likely get redirected to Booking.com. Go onto the hotel’s website or email them directly. You will most likely get a better rate and extra bonus perks such as free airport transfers.
3. Location– Make sure you choose an area in which you can access the rest of the island easily. I recommend FIRA (or close to it) as it is centrally located and you can access other sections of the island.
4. Amenities- We are hotel people and love a good pool, restaurant, room service and bar. There are a ton of beautiful villa options in the heart of FIRA and OIA with a private patio and jacuzzi. Keep in mind these towns can get very crowded and you are isolated. We enjoy meeting new people and having conversation so we opted with a Luxury Boutique hotel located in Fira. It was not in the heart of town but just outside of it (about 5 minutes away by shuttle).
5. Find a hotel with breakfast included-  Most places on the island offer this service.The hotel breakfast at the Lilium was amazing! We usually had a late lite lunch which was usually a greek salad and fava dip . We saved our appetite for a nice dinner. 

Excursions

A good excursion will provide you with a different perspective or experience that you may not get venturing into a new town on your own. I have found they save you valuable time by cutting to the chase and taking you to the iconic spots and providing you with interesting facts about the place you are visiting. The viator app and website is a great resource to find excursions and read the reviews. Once I find an excursion on the viator app, I head over to  tripadvisor and read the reviews there too. We booked two excursions in Santorini, a 4 hour tour of the island (through Viator) and a 5 hour catamaran cruise (company recommended by the hotel). 

Catamaran Cruise

I book a majority of my excursions through the viator app, however I did book a Santorini Catamaran tour directly through the company, Spiridakos Sailing Cruises, after being suggested by the hotel. They were great – pick up / drop off from the hotel and the staff were very friendly. During these times we opted to pay a bit more for a semi private tour – smart move as the other cruises were packed!  We gave them the nickname of Covid Cruise. We had 16 people on a very large brand new catamaran. We witness a minimum of 40 people on an old wooden pirate ship type vessel. Keep in mind when you stop at all these great places there are other charters stopping there too. So when you are jumping in at the hot springs the packed charters are jumping in as well. 

Tour of Santorini..

I need to get the lay of the land whereever I am visiting. I never want to leave a location and find out I missed something. A tour is a great way to get all the iconic spots in with a great deal of history and information. Splurge for the private tour, it definitely provides you with a more intimate experience.  Panos, our tour guide, picked us up at our hotel and took us to places we would’ve never found on our own or wasted a ton of time trying to find them. He knew all the great spots for IG shots and also was our photographer. My biggest recommendations are to dress for photos and wear sensible shoes. He also recommended several local restaurants and some hidden gems. He was super informative and did not recommend staying in OIA. Oia is on the very far side of the island and takes a minimum of a ½ hour cab ride to get anywhere on the island. Panos lives on the island all year long which is a rarity as the majority of the people live there during tourist season and travel or live on the mainland of Greece during the off season. Contact Omega Travel– Panagiotis Bakothanasis for a great tour!

Cable Car of Santorini

The Cable Car is located at the very end of Fira. It’s a nice break from walking the steps of Fira and offers you a pitcuresque view of the city as well as an easy way to get to the the port. The Old Port is a great place to stop and have a fresh bite to eat. They actually have fresh octupus drying on lines steps away from your table. A note – the steps to board are steep so be careful – but once in your car, the view is amazing!

Donkeys of Santorini

The donkeys of Santorini are part of everyday life for the locals. There are many places that are not accessable with a car hence the donkeys are used for transportation. Many tourist use the donkeys when they arrive to go from The Old Port to Fira. The walk is very steep and you can use the cable car if you are not feeling adventurous. I did stop and admire the donkeys and they do look well feed and taken care of. That said the animal lover in me did not see the joy in using them. I did witness a lone donkey left behind from a trail chase after his friends squealling the entire way.

• 

• 

Getting around the island…

Many people rent an ATV, scooters or small little cars to navigate around the island. I do not recommend this. There is not one traffic light on the whole island. I witnessed large coach busses come head to head with a small atv. The buses do not move and the ATV has to back up or get off the road. Keep in mind there are a ton of cliffs. Unfortunately,there are accidents everyday and I would not risk it.Just google Santorini ATV accidents and you will see for yourself. Parking is worse than downtown Brooklyn! 

We used a private shuttle, Discover Travel, to take us to several spots that were not on the hotel shuttle route. The private taxi services are usually large Mercedes sprinter vans. They were very reliable, efficient and will link their information here. The taxis operate a little bit differently than here in NY if you have booked a return trip with them – they didn’t ask for payment until the final leg of your journey. 

Restaurants…

Always ask the staff of your hotel for recommendations. They will most likely recommend where the locals eat. We have found some great spots in Santorini and will list them below..

Keep in mind several of the restaurants do not have websites but Facebook and Instagram pages.

Perivolas Beach Savvas Popeye-  Local cuisine, Seafood, Mediterranean, Greek, Vegetarian Friendly. We loved this place and it’s location. It is located on the Black Beach in Perivolas Beach and is about a 20 min ride away from Fira. You actually were able to view the fish and pick out yours that was caught earlier in the day. There were a ton of locals which is always a great sign. Staff was extremely friendly. The place was full of charm and the local neighborhood dogs would stroll through for a visit. 

Perivilos Beach is a famous location for wedding receptions and the most cosmopolitan and lively beach resort in Santorini that hums with activity from Perissa, it is easily Perivolas Beach is known as the black sand beach and the beach club scene. We were saving our beach clubbing for Mykonoas however we did come across some nice beach clubs.

Fira- Argos– Located in Fira and has an amazing Greek traditional menu. It is very difficult to get a seat however we did see people walk up and get one.   

Fira- Idol– Located in Fira- We felt super cool and chic in this restaurant.

Oia Resteraunt 218 Cafe  – Amazing view and greats service.

Oia Coffee shop: Meteorcafe Coffee/Tea breaks are part of the experience in Santorini. This coffee shop is a great place to stop and take in everything with an amazing view.

Oia amoudi port- Taverna Katina  This was one of our favorite spots however take a taxi down to the port. The taxi will drop you off on the top of the cliff and you will have to walk down a bit. The traffic from the taxis picking up all the sunset cruises is chaotic. Enjoy the walk and take in the views. Book a sunset dinner. The owner is a local fisherman and cooks on a grill out in the open. The tables are right on the edge of the port. Occasionally you will get misted from a wave or two. The staff is friendly, food is amazing and the sunset view is priceless. This is a picture of our actual table! Doug moved the table in from the edge as he thought we were a step away from toppling into the Aegean Sea.