Wedding Day

June 20, 2024

6:00pm

Santorini Gem

Address: Santorini 847 00, Greece

Phone: +30 2286 033523

https://santorinigem.com

The wedding is at the Santorini Gem on June 20th at 6:00pm. Our wedding venue is a 10 minute taxi ride from both Fira and Kamari Beach, a 14 minute ride from Imerovigli, and a 30 minute taxi ride from Oia. More information to come!

How to Get to Santorini

We currently have a group travel rate available if you would like to participate. We will be flying out June 13th from Orlando to London on JetBlue (arrives June 14th). We will be staying in London June 14th-June 16th. We will be flying to Santorini on June 16th on British Airways. if you would like to participate, please contact Donna for more information.

There are many ways you can take to get to Santorini, but here are our top suggestions:

1. Fly into either London (London Heathrow Airport or London Gatwick Airport) or Paris (Charles de Gaulle Airport), and take a flight from there to Santorini. We have found that both JetBlue and Norse airlines offer the most affordable flights to and from London and Paris, and British Airways, Aegean, and EasyJet airlines offer the most affordable flights from these places to and from Santorini. Most Aegean flights will have a short layover connection in Athens, Greece. London and Paris each have a few different airports, so make sure to take note of that when planning the flight from there to Santorini.

London and Paris both have transit lines that are very efficient, and can be used to get to and from both airports if you would like to extend your stays in these cities prior to going to Santorini. London and Paris both have transit lines that go directly from their airports to the city center.

You can fly into other European cities as well such as Rome and Barcelona as they have flights from there to Santorini, but these flights can be more costly compared to those to and from London or Paris.

Santorini has one very small airport; therefore, flights to this airport are often limited and can require connections.

The Santorini airport has a currency stand at the baggage claim where you can exchange USD to Euros. However, almost all places in Santorini accept credit card.

It is easy to get around the island as it is a very small. Taxis and buses are readily available.

2. Fly into Athens, Greece, and then take the ferry to Santorini. This option is not as recommended as it requires advanced booking and takes longer to get to Santorini (its a 4-6 hour ferry ride). For more information, visit this website: https://santorinidave.com/athens-to-santorini

Ferry tickets from Athens to Santorini can be booked at: https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/

Where to Stay in Santorini

Please view this website for in-depth information about where to stay on the island: https://santorinidave.com/best-places-santorini

We will be staying in Kamari Beach as we will be having young children in our group, and this area has close access the beach. It is also a flatter terrain making it easier to get around. There will be a private shuttle bus from Kamari Beach to the wedding venue on the day of the wedding.

Jeff's daughter Stephanie and her husband Joe have stayed in Santorini. Here is a brief overview based on their experience:

Oia - Upscale and iconic. Many tourists during the day, but very quiet at night. On the caldera. Most expensive place to stay on the island. Beautiful sunset views if you stay on the furthest side that faces that sunset. Bus stop available that will take you to all areas of the island (2-3 euros per person, cash only). Many restaurants, but not many bars. More difficult to get around if you have mobility issues (there are many steps and inclines). It is manageable for day visits, but not be as manageable if you plan to make this your place of stay. There is bus transportation available to other parts of the island. This is the farthest from the wedding venue, with it being a 30 minute taxi ride.

Fira - The main hub of the island (this is where the cruises dock). The island's major bus terminal is located here, and it can easily take you to other parts of the island. Beautiful sunset views, ample restaurants and hotels, and is located on the caldera. A more affordable option than Oia or Imerovigli, and is good for first time visitors. Many bars and restaurants that offer a sunset view. Easier to get around if you have mobility concerns. There are some hills and inclines, but not as steep as in Oia. Many tourists throughout the day and night. Most people stay in this part of the island. 10 minute taxi ride to the wedding venue.

Imerovigli/Firostefani - Upscale and quiet, "best of both worlds" if choosing between Fira and Oia. Romantic spot with beautiful views. Quieter option than Fira and Oia. Lots of restaurants and newer cliff cave house accomodations. On the caldera. Middle range pricing. There is bus transportation available to other parts of the island. 15 minute taxi ride to the wedding venue.

Kamari Beach - On the flatter, opposite side of the island. Not on the caldera so it does not have those Santorini "iconic" views. Access to the beach and a flatter terrain. Most affordable. It is farther from the three places listed above, but it is closer to the wedding venue. There is bus transportation available to other parts of the island. 10 minute taxi ride to the wedding venue. There will also be a private shuttle bus from Kamari Beach to the wedding venue on the day of the wedding.

Major Sights/Tour Groups

London Sights: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g186338-Activities-London_England.html

Paris Sights: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187147-Activities-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

Tour group suggestions that we have used for our travels in Europe:

- https://thetourguy.com

- https://www.viator.com

- https://getyourguide.com

After the Wedding

Jeff and Donna will be going on the Oceania Marina cruise after the wedding! This cruise is from June 24 to July 6. It sails out of Amsterdam, Netherlands on June 24th, and disembarks in Oslo, Norway on July 6th. After the wedding we will be flying from Santorini to Athens (we are stopping in Athens to see the sights!), and then we will fly from Athens to Amsterdam to stay one day overnight. The following morning we will be going on the cruise. We will fly back to the United States from Oslo at the end of the cruise on July 6th.

We currently have a group rate available for this cruise if you would like to join. We also have a group rate available on the flight from Oslo back to the United States. Other couples have already joined in on this cruise and we would love the opportunity to have you join us! Please contact Maurice at Oceania 954-514-6229, or mbarrero@oceaniaregent.com if you would like more information about the group rate for this cruise (hours to contact Maurice are Monday-Thursday 10:00am – 7:00pm (EST), Friday 9:00am – 6:00pm (EST), weekends by appointment only).

Please use this link to view the cruise and its itinerary:

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/baltic-cruises/amsterdam-to-oslo-MNA240624/Jeffrey and Donna cruise

We hope you are able to celebrate and join us on this trip of a lifetime!

Recommended Hotels

There are many hotels throughout the island that you could choose from. The most popular places to stay on the island are the towns of Fira, Imerovigli, Firostefani, Oia, and Kamari Beach. Our wedding venue is centrally located to these areas. We are staying in Kamari Beach. We will be staying in Kamari Beach as we will be having young children in our group, and this area has close access the beach. It is also a flatter terrain making it easier to get around. There will be a private shuttle bus from Kamari Beach to the wedding venue on the day of the wedding. If you would like to stay in Kamari Beach, here are some recommended hotels: