112 is the phone number to call emergency services throughout the EU, from fixed or mobile phones, free of charge.

A single emergency number 112 that is accessible for all emergencies and to all people living and travelling in the EU is easy to remember. As such, promoting the use of 112 helps to save lives. As European citizens are increasingly travelling to other countries, for business or pleasure, there is a need for a single number, identical across the EU, to call in an emergency. Especially for travelers, safety in emergencies is the other side of the coin of the single market and the freedoms it offers.

The Directive further detailed requirements concerning 112:

• Free of charge: Member States must ensure that users of fixed and mobile telephones, including payphones, are able to call 112 free of charge.

• No discrimination: 112 calls must be appropriately answered and handled, irrespective of whether 112 or other national emergency numbers are dialed.

• Caller location: Member States must also ensure that emergency services are able to establish the location of the person calling 112. The ability to locate the caller in case of an emergency may be of great significance in a situation where the person is unable to state his or her location, which can happen particularly when calling from mobile phones or while travelling abroad.

This telephone number is also accessible for travelers that are in Santorini – Greece and are in a kind of emergency.

Source: europa.eu

This is the second part of our tips about hotels in Santorini and accommodation in general. So, have in mind that due to its geomorphology, Santorini features relatively small hotels. Although there are some big resorts (100-150 rooms), most of the accommodation units have 10-50 rooms. More specifically, those hotels that face the view of the caldera tend to be smaller.  Also be aware that staying in a hotel that faces the caldera view means that there will be steps (or a lot of steps) to reach it. Some of them have 10 steps, other 20 and this number may reach to 100. Of course, a lot of steps usually means that this hotel offers great privacy. Very few feature elevators.  Very important to know is that not all of the caldera view hotels allow children in their premises, due to safety reasons. Read carefully the policies, before you book.

Each hotel has different reservations conditions; other require just a credit card as a guarantee, others just a deposit and some full prepayment. Make sure you have read the conditions if you want to proceed with the booking.

All of Santorini’s hotels can be easily reached from the port or the airport by bus (public transportation) or taxi. Alternatively, you may arrange a private transfer or the hotel can arrange that. The majority of Santorini hotels cannot be easily reached by disabled persons, due to Santorini’s special geomorphology.

Finally some quick tips:  All hotels have electrical current of 220 volts, 50 Hz AC and tap water is not drinkable in all hotels. Ask the reception for more information.

We hope that those two parts of advices about Santorini hotels will be useful and help you decide what type of hotel and services you will really need. We promise that we will keep those texts updated as soon as we will have something new to share. Also we invite you as well to send us your experiences about hotels in Santorini and issues that tourists should know…

Hello!

We are ready to give the second part of tips about tours in Santorini. At both posts we have focalized on most important tips you need to know in order to join one of the most popular tours in Santorini we offer. If you read both of them you will see that are some quick tips in order to have the best time and overtake some small details or facts in Santorini Volcano Islands etc.

So let’s see some more tips regarding the Volcano: It takes approximately 20-30 minutes to reach the main crater. In many points of the path, you will observe fumes coming out of the surface. This is an active volcano and the last eruption took place in 1950 AD. It actually consists of 2 islands, the bigger called Nea Kameni and the smaller Palea Kameni. You will be hiking on Nea Kameni. Entrance in the volcano is not included in almost all the trips and costs €2 per person. There are 2 Hot Springs, one in Nea Kameni island and one in Palea Kameni island. If your boat stops in the Hot Springs of Palea Kameni, you will need to swim first in the cold, deep waters to reach the hot springs. Otherwise, most of the trips that stop in the Hot Springs of Nea Kameni, usually take you inside the actual hot springs, so you swim directly in the hot water.

Thirassia is a small island, once connected with Santorini. You can stay in Korfos, which is a picturesque fishermen port and enjoy your lunch in the tavernas or swim in the tiny beach. Alternatively, you can follow the steps to go on foot or by donkeys to the village Manolas; there you will explore the nice traditional settlement. You can even use your own vehicle (car or motorbike) to explore the island; to do this; you should join the Caldera round trip by ferry boat.

Joining a private land or boat tour means that the itinerary can be adjusted to your needs; however, you’d better make a preliminary research regarding the spots you wish to visit, so that you will be prepared. We offer a large variety of vehicles or private boats, catamarans, speed boats and more for your private excursions within or outside Santorini. You can ask us to suggest you the best private program according to your needs. We guarantee that you will definitely enjoy all of our tours!

Do you have experience on Santorini tours? Please share your feedback and your tips…

We know that many of you have difficulties on making decision in which hotel to stay in Santorini or in which area etc. That is the reason why we wrote down some very useful tips about hotels in Santorini and some issues you will need to know. We hope that it will make your life easier on finding the best accommodation suggestion for you.

First of all the locations of the hotels are divided into 4 main categories; caldera view hotels, beach hotels, traditional settlement hotels and city hotels. The hotels facing the sea view of the caldera are located on the western part of the island, just on top of the cliffs. Depending on the location of each one, they may face the Volcano, Thirassia, the sunset view or a combination of the above. All the villages located in the west coast of Santorini have a part that faces the caldera. These villages are (from North to south) Oia, Imerovigli, Firostefani, Fira, Megalochori and Akrotiri. Most of those hotels are luxury with outstanding views and special facilities to their clients, like infinity style swimming pool or jacuzzi, spa, massage services, wi-fi internet access and more…

Beach hotels can be found all along the coastline of Santorini, i.e. on the east side of the island. Baxedes, Pori, Vourvoulos, Karterados, Monolithos, Agia Paraskevi, Kamari, Perissa, Perivolos, Vlihada and Akrotiri are villages that feature beaches on that side of the island. Most popular beach hotels can be found on Perissa – Perivolos beach or at Kamari.

Hotels located in traditional settlements, (like Megalochori, Karterados and Emporio) do not necessarily face the sea view, but they offer the guest the experience of living in a well-preserved traditional village and following the old-times rhythms.  Also have in mind that City hotels, like those located in Fira (not in the caldera side), are conveniently located in the city centre, so you can find anything within walking distance.

To be continued…

We know that many of you are looking for a tour while you will be in Santorini for your holidays. Here we will mention some very useful tips to have in mind for the tours you will choose to join.  Be prepared and have one of the most enjoyable tours of your life…

About the port as a meeting point for the boat tours:  Santorini has 2 main ports, Athinios and the Old Port. Athinios is accessible by vehicles and, if you join a trip with transfer, this will probably be the port you will depart from. Old Port is the old traditional port of Santorini and is located just at the bottom of Fira hill. It is only accessible by steps or cable car. Going down on foot takes approx. 20 minutes; you can also ride a donkey (€5 per person) or take the cable car (€4 per person). The Fira cable car station is located 500 meters from the central square of Fira. Be Aware of possible long queues to the cable car station.  Also some private or semi-private cruises start from Vlihada Marina, which is located on the south part of Santorini. Accessible only by car or taxi, it takes 15 minutes to get there from Fira.

In mysantorini.com you will find some boat tours starting from Oia. There are  two ports, Ammoudi and Armeni. Armeni is only accessible by steps, so you will need to reach the village on foot or by taking a donkey ride. Ammoudi can be reached both by car and steps. Many trips end at those ports and less start from there.

Also remind to bring with you or wear comfortable shoes and, if your trip includes hiking on the volcano, sneakers will always be a good choice. A bottle of water and a hat will be your good friends, especially during the summer months. If you are to join a sunset tour, bring a jacket or sweater; sometimes during the sunset time, the weather gets chilly. Finally it’s good to have memory on your camera or batteries because the scene is majestic and you will definitely take many pictures..!

To be continued…