Santorini Port car rental

The port of Santorini is located about 10 klms from Fira and 12 klms from Santorini airport. The port of Santorini unlike many islands, is not a town or village as well. From the port, to go to your hotel, after you arrive with the ferry, you need some transportation. The best thing to do in order not to wait for a long time at Santorini Port, is to rent a car. If you book your Santorini rental car online, we will wait for you at Santorini port when you arrive, and we will deliver the car of your choice.
The questions bellow have been asked very often from our guests that wish to rent a car at Santorini Port.
My ticket says that i arrive at Thira Port. Is that the Santorini Port mentioned in my booking?
Thira is the official name of Santorini used by ticket systems. All ferries and speed boats arrive at Athinios Port. Also known as Santorini Port. The other port of Santorini is in Fira and is not used by ferries but is mainly used by cruise ships and tour boats
How do i find your representative so i can get my rental car from Santorini Port?
Our people will wait for you holding a sign with your name. All the details will be mentioned in our confirmation mail. The procedure is very fast and easy. You can be ready to go in 5 minutes
What is the condition of the road going up from the port?
The road that goes up from the port is in a very good condition but quite steep. Therefore is better to rent a car type that is familiar to drive. An automatic for example is much easier to drive, while only drivers that drive regularly manual should select manual transmission cars.
Can i come to your office at the port and book a car when i arrive?
Unfortunately for this location we do not have this possibility. There is not enough space to have cars waiting, so we can only help clients that have already booked their rental cars before their arrival at Santorini Port.
I am not sure our luggage can fit in the car. If not, can we change the car type ?
Even though we do our best to help in similar situations, that would be extremely difficult. As mentioned before, we barely have space enough at the port for our reservations so please select a car that can fit all your luggage. If you are not sure about the boot space, our people at reservations can help you with all the information you might need.
I have not decided yet. Are there taxis or buses at the port?
Getting an official taxi or a public bus from the port when you arrive could be quite a challenge. There are many private offices that offer shared transfers, BUT their prices are incredibly high... In order to have a smooth arrival experience and if you do not wish to rent a vehicle at Santorini Port, we strongly advise that you book your transfer before your arrival.
Can i rent a car at Santorini Port without credit card?
Yes, absolutely! Our Rent a car without credit card policy is valid for all the pick up locations, Santorini Port included

Santorini main port (Athinios)

Simple as that… you can have your rental car delivered, when you get off the boat at Santorini Port. This way your holidays in Santorini, start in the best possible way, without wasting any time, or spending too much money in taxis or last minute transfers. We suggest that you shouldn’t wait till last minute to do your car rental reservation at Santorini Port.
By booking in advance , the car will wait for you without any delays, at Athinios port, Santorini, as you arrive. Put your luggage in the car, and start your holidays in Santorini without worries . At Athinios port of Santorini we deliver all our rental cars . After we receive your reservation, we ll wait for you, holding a sign with your name. So book your Santorini port rental car online, or just call us, and get low rates and excellent service.

Where Do You Find Santorini port?

Santorini port, is located in the centre of the island, at the base of the high cliffs of the famous Santorini caldera, just opposite the volcano of Santorini. Coming to the port with the ferryboat is an unforgettable experience, as the visitor can enjoy the spectacular views of the cliffs, created by the biggest volcano eruption in history. On the edge of the high cliffs, you can see the famous white cave houses of Santorini.

The port is located 8 klms from the capital of Fira, and 7 klms from the airport. About 20 boats get here daily from other islands as well as from the main land, during the summer season. At the port you can find a couple of dining restaurants as well as coffee shops, 2 mini markets, and also a souvenir shop.

• There is public transport connecting the port with Fira (the main town of Santorini), yet however it is very rare, and also whenever there is a bus that is usually very crowded.
• At the moment there is not a connection between the port and other villages or locations of Santorini. Taxi is not something you should count on. The port is actually tiny, there is limited parking area, as a result only a few taxis can park before the arrival of each ferry. Normally the taxis at the port are already reserved.
• If you are arriving Santorini by ship, it would certainly be extremely smart to organize your transport to your resort before your arrival. Your resort owner usually has the ability to help you with that.
• After your holiday in Santorini if you are leaving by boat, you must have sufficient time in order to be at the port in time for your departure. The traffic is usually heavy, and even though the distances in Santorini are small, it may take longer than you estimate to reach to the Santorini port.
  
• If you have actually booked your boat ticket online, you need to go to the ferry company office at the port to print your real ticket. That additionally may need some time.
  
• If you are planning to rent a car in Santorini, and you arrive by ferry, it would be very practical to pick up your rental car straight at the port. It is in fact the very best option, as this way you do not have to wait for the bus or look for a taxi.
  
• If you book your rental car with us, we can have the vehicle all set when you show up, and after a very fast paper work procedure you are ready to go, driving your own rental car. In order to get your car at Athinios port, it is important to make an internet booking. As the parking area is limited, it’s not possible to park cars for last minute reservation.
  
• If you decide to rent a car at Santorini port last minute (after your ferry has arrived) you might need to wait even up to 45 mins. An online booking prior arrival makes things much easier. After your booking is confirmed, our people will wait for you at the port, holding a sight with your name, and they’ll supply your car. The entire procedure takes just a couple of mins.
  

Useful Tips if you are planning to rent a car straight at Santorini port

Rent the car type that you usually drive
If you are driving an automatic car back home, then it’s much better to rent out an automatic car again. The road going uphill from the port is steep, and typically really busy, so an automatic car is a lot easier as well as much safer to drive. For your convenience, book a Santorini rent a car in advance from our online form and save time! Do not miss to check our special offers!

Don't wait till last minute to rent a car at Santorini port (Athinios).

The late port construction improved the facilities available. Two new passengers air conditioned waiting areas are now available, so waiting for a ferry is really a much better experience than before. The port is also much bigger now. The parking spots available though, are still not enough. That means that we have limited places where we can park the rental cars booked for our clients. If you have reserved online or by phone before your arrival, we guarantee that your car will be parked and ready to go. Last minute customers that do not have reservations unfortunately will have to wait for at least 1 hour before their car is available. As mentioned before parking is really limited, and we can not have many cars waiting ( if any ) for walk in bookings. This is valid for all the companies, so even if you don't book with us, make sure that you do have a booking.

Make sure that you have enough time if you are returning a car at the port and catching a ferry.
It is always better to start a little bit earlier. The road to the port can get really busy and it might take longer than expected to go down to the place where you need to drop off the vehicle. We suggest to start from your hotel at least an hour and a half before the scheduled ferry departure time

Be prepared to see a truly crowded area

The port of Santorini is tiny and also there are thousands of visitors getting here on a daily basis. That indicates that occasionally the port gets truly crowded. If you have a booking, ensure you have a phone number to call, simply in case you can not locate the representative

Some more tips

When you make an on the internet booking, is better to point out the name of your boat. By doing this, if there is a delay, the car rental company can obtain details as well as updates for the arrival, and your service will certainly be much better.

If you return your rental car at the port, we suggest to be at the port at least 1 hour prior to the ferry departure.

If you have actually booked on the internet your ferryboat tickets, after you get to the port, you need to go to the ferry company office with your booking number, in order to collect your actual tickets. (important! You can not hop on the ferryboat with simply a reservation code or booking number, you require a real paper ticket given by the ferry company office)

Every ferry company, has an office at the port, which is open 2 hours before every ferry departure.

Our staff at Santorini car rentals would be glad to answer any question you might have.