Taxis in Santorini: Overview
Santorini silver taxis are a popular option among tourists looking for a pleasant, fast and comfortable way to transfer around the island. However, their number isn’t sufficient. Thus, long waits for a taxi are a common thing. Overall, traveling via a Santorini taxi has its cons, but on the other hand, it offers many advantages as well. Explicitly:
| Taxis Pros | Taxis Cons |
|---|---|
| Their services are comfortable, and their rides are relaxed and enjoyable. | Santorini taxis are few and can’t cope with the demand during the peak tourist season. |
| When traveling via taxi, you don’t have to carry around your luggage or your personal belongings. | The traffic jams -unfortunately, an everyday thing during the summer months- can raise considerably the final taxi fare. |
| They are safe, even during the night. | Using Santorini taxis for all the transfers during your journey will add an important expense to your trip’s budget. |
| They offer door-to-door services. | |
| They are faster than public buses. |
Santorini Taxi Rates
Santorini taxis are metered. Thus, their fares aren’t pre-determined but are calculated by the vehicle’s taximeter depending on the journey’s distance and traveling time. That’s exactly the reason why road congestion has a big impact on taxi prices.
In any case, the average cost for the 15-minute ride from Thira Airport to Fira is 17€-22€/17$-22$. Correspondingly, the taxi fares to the other parts of the island hardly exceed 30€-40€/30$-40$ under normal traffic conditions. However, extra surcharges apply for airport transfers (4€/4$) and port rides (1.07€/1.07$), while night journeys (from midnight to 05:00 am) are charged at 1.25/1.25$/km (instead of 0.90€/0.90$/km during the day). Finally, excess luggage (more than 10kg) brings an extra fee of 0.40€/0.40$ per piece of baggage.
Taxis in Santorini: How will you Pay your Taxi Fare?
Theoretically, taxis in Santorini accept payments in cash but also via bank cards (debit or credit cards). Nevertheless, since taxis aren’t obliged, for the moment, to have an electronic POS, the great bulk of the island’s taxis don’t allow card payments. Therefore, you should always carry some cash with you. On the other hand, if cash isn’t an option, you should let the taxi driver know. In that case, he may accept your card or stop at an ATM and let you withdraw some money.
Our Tip: Taxi drivers in Santorini usually don’t have enough change. Thus, it is recommended to have some small bills with you.
How to Hire a Taxi in Santorini
If you want to catch a cab in Santorini, you have the usual options in your hands. Hence, you can hail it from the street, take it from the taxi ranks or call for your taxi. As far as hailing from the street is concerned, all you have to do is stand at the end of the road and lift your arm as soon as you locate a passing taxi. However, please note that due to the limited number of Santorini taxis, finding one on the street isn’t highly likely to happen.
On the other hand, you can take a taxi from the official taxi ranks of the island. That being said, apart from the airport and the Athinios port taxi ranks, the main (and only) taxi stand of Santorini -“piatsa” as the locals call it- is at Fira, located at the central village’s square. Thus, taxi departure and return points are basically at Fira. Last but not least, you can call your cab at +30 22860 22555. In that case, an extra fee will apply for the pick-up service.
Our Tip 1: If you don’t want to bother yourself with finding an available taxi, you can ask your hotel to call you one.
Our Tip 2: Neither of those options can save you from waiting time, as you may not find an available taxi at the taxi rank, and even if you call for one, you can’t be sure that you will be served right away.
Santorini Taxi to Santorini Thira Airport
Santorini taxis are the most convenient way to reach JTR Airport for your upcoming flight. They are fast, and if you settle on a called taxi, you will get picked up from the exact location of your hotel or accommodation. However, as finding a taxi in Santorini can be time-consuming, you should arrange your Santorini airport taxi transfer early enough to be at the airport on time.
Santorini Taxis: Useful Tips & Hints
- As soon as you enter the taxi, you should check if the taximeter is zeroed and turned on.
- Santorini taxi drivers don’t usually give receipts. However, receipts have all the driver’s data on them, thus being very helpful if you want to make an official complaint or forgot something inside the cab.
- Although Santorini taxis charge according to their taximeter, some drivers may accept negotiating a fixed price before the beginning of the ride. It’s a common practice, especially for rides from Santorini Airport to Fira.
- You should never trust individual taxi drivers as they will probably overcharge you. Thus, the safest way to catch your cab is to take it from the official taxi rank or call for it.
- Fortunately, most taxi drivers speak English fluently enough.
- Payments via credit cards are the exception and not the rule.
- You don’t have to tip your driver. Still, if the provided services are satisfying, you can round up the fare.
- The airport and the port taxi ranks are usually overcrowded.
- If your departure area isn’t Fira, finding a taxi will definitely be more time-consuming (as the central taxi rank lies at Fira).
- Finding a cab during the night is even harder.
FAQs
Are taxis expensive in Santorini?
Taxis in Santorini can be expensive, especially if you plan on using them exclusively during your entire stay. Moreover, during summer, the roads tend to get congested, leading to even higher taxi tariffs.
Are taxis common in Santorini?
Despite being one of the top destinations worldwide, Santorini doesn’t have plenty of taxis. Thus, the silver-grey taxis can serve the island’s needs during the low tourist season, but during the summer, they fall short of the demands.
Do you tip Greek taxi drivers?
Tipping in Greece isn’t obligatory when it comes to taxi transfers. Still, passengers who are content with their rides usually round up the taxi fare to the closest euro.