12-Day Greek Honeymoon ideas September-October
May 18th, 2011, 09:32 PM
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12-Day Greek Honeymoon ideas September-October
Hi,
I'm planning a honeymoon trip to Greece in late September - Early October. I'm looking for some advice about my itinerary as it initially feels very ambitious.
Day 1 - Arrive in Athens late morning. Relax, get acquainted, and sleep.
Day 2-3 - 2-day trip to visit Delphi and Meteora. Overnight stay in Kastraki. End back in Athens. Maybe a private tour from Famous George.
Day 4-5 - Embark to Rhodes by plane if possible. Visit the famous sites there and catch a flight to Santorini. Stay in Oia.
Day 6-8 - Santorini R&R & ferry to Milos. Stay in Milos.
Day 9-10 - Milos and travel back to Athens. Stay in Athens at end.
Day 11-12 Athens day excursion (if we aren't tired, a day trip to Mycenae).
I'm wondering if the out-of-the-way trips to Meteora or Rhodes are worth it. Rhodes seems like the most difficult and time-consuming to reach. I definitely want to hit Delphi, and Meteora seems more breathtaking and different than going to Olympia for a 2-day mainland trip.
Anyway, some advice for an inexperienced American traveler would be much appreciated. She and I are both in our 20's, pretty active, and enjoy exploring and museums as well as R&R on beaches. We aren't into clubs or crazy nightlife, more Romantic scenes and Mediterranean culture experiences (as much as that differs from club life).
I'm planning a honeymoon trip to Greece in late September - Early October. I'm looking for some advice about my itinerary as it initially feels very ambitious.
Day 1 - Arrive in Athens late morning. Relax, get acquainted, and sleep.
Day 2-3 - 2-day trip to visit Delphi and Meteora. Overnight stay in Kastraki. End back in Athens. Maybe a private tour from Famous George.
Day 4-5 - Embark to Rhodes by plane if possible. Visit the famous sites there and catch a flight to Santorini. Stay in Oia.
Day 6-8 - Santorini R&R & ferry to Milos. Stay in Milos.
Day 9-10 - Milos and travel back to Athens. Stay in Athens at end.
Day 11-12 Athens day excursion (if we aren't tired, a day trip to Mycenae).
I'm wondering if the out-of-the-way trips to Meteora or Rhodes are worth it. Rhodes seems like the most difficult and time-consuming to reach. I definitely want to hit Delphi, and Meteora seems more breathtaking and different than going to Olympia for a 2-day mainland trip.
Anyway, some advice for an inexperienced American traveler would be much appreciated. She and I are both in our 20's, pretty active, and enjoy exploring and museums as well as R&R on beaches. We aren't into clubs or crazy nightlife, more Romantic scenes and Mediterranean culture experiences (as much as that differs from club life).
May 18th, 2011, 11:58 PM
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Hi pwaters,
Congratulations on your forthcoming wedding!
You've picked some great locations, but perhaps too many for a 12 day trip. You can save a little time by not splitting your stay in Athens, but flying out to Rhodes directly upon arrival in Greece. Why transit into Athens and check in/out of hotels twice? Two days per island is too short, and the three you have picked are all on different main ferry routes, so you will spend much of your time travelling and waiting for ferries.
If you wish to go from Rhodes to Santorini, there won't be any direct flights, so you will have to fly via Athens. There is a direct route by Blue Star ferry, which departs Rhodes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 5 pm, arriving on Santorini at 00:40 am that night.
Likewise, ferries from Santorini to Milos aren't necessarily daily after the end of September. A Sea Jets catamaran does have daily service until Oct 2nd.
The good news is: travel on the mainland is much easier, and you can choose to go by rental car, bus, or private tour. "Famous George", btw, is a taxi driver and not a licensed tour guide. Most of the main sites in Athens are in a pedestrianized area, so taxis aren't much use.
My recommendation would be to keep it simple and stick to one or two islands (Rhodes and/or Santorini), then the rest on the mainland at the end of your trip. Meteora and Delphi would be good choices, as would Nafplio and the Argolid. You could fly directly to Rhodes upon arrival in Athens, stay there for a few nights, then take Blue Star to Santorini. After a few nights in Santorini fly back to Athens for the mainland segment of your trip.
Congratulations on your forthcoming wedding!
You've picked some great locations, but perhaps too many for a 12 day trip. You can save a little time by not splitting your stay in Athens, but flying out to Rhodes directly upon arrival in Greece. Why transit into Athens and check in/out of hotels twice? Two days per island is too short, and the three you have picked are all on different main ferry routes, so you will spend much of your time travelling and waiting for ferries.
If you wish to go from Rhodes to Santorini, there won't be any direct flights, so you will have to fly via Athens. There is a direct route by Blue Star ferry, which departs Rhodes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 5 pm, arriving on Santorini at 00:40 am that night.
Likewise, ferries from Santorini to Milos aren't necessarily daily after the end of September. A Sea Jets catamaran does have daily service until Oct 2nd.
The good news is: travel on the mainland is much easier, and you can choose to go by rental car, bus, or private tour. "Famous George", btw, is a taxi driver and not a licensed tour guide. Most of the main sites in Athens are in a pedestrianized area, so taxis aren't much use.
My recommendation would be to keep it simple and stick to one or two islands (Rhodes and/or Santorini), then the rest on the mainland at the end of your trip. Meteora and Delphi would be good choices, as would Nafplio and the Argolid. You could fly directly to Rhodes upon arrival in Athens, stay there for a few nights, then take Blue Star to Santorini. After a few nights in Santorini fly back to Athens for the mainland segment of your trip.
May 19th, 2011, 10:41 AM
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Talking about romantic places....
Greek honeymooners have Rhodes as their typical destination..
Rhodes is a very romantic island, with Rhodes medieval town and the castle, or Lindos a beautiful must see village in the south.
End of Sept, beginning of Oct. i would probably skip Milos, as i am afraid it would be too quiet and perhaps a bit boring ( but always beautiful)
Greek honeymooners have Rhodes as their typical destination..
Rhodes is a very romantic island, with Rhodes medieval town and the castle, or Lindos a beautiful must see village in the south.
End of Sept, beginning of Oct. i would probably skip Milos, as i am afraid it would be too quiet and perhaps a bit boring ( but always beautiful)
May 19th, 2011, 05:36 PM
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Heimdall,
I appreciate you taking the time to look over my itinerary. I knew I was pretty ambitious with the number of days and sites. While I originally would have preferred that we see the mainland first then island hop for some R&R, I never considered the reduced availability of ferries through the early parts of October. Again, glad I had an expert review things.
With that in mind, I'm wondering if I should just skip out on Rhodes, as it seems like I'm stretching Greece to get in both Meteora and Rhodes in a 12-day itinerary. Do you think it's a site I should not miss? I may only get one chance at Greece as it's a very expensive trip for me, and I want to see the must-sees.
If I abandon Rhodes, we could try to hit the islands immediately from Santorini, spend a solid 3 or 4 days there. (Can we take day trips to other islands from there? or is there so much to see on Santorini that I will be pressed for time to fit it in 4-days?)
Maybe we could slowly take the ferries/boats back towards Athens from Santorini, and staying perhaps in a more centrally-located island that is conducive to day trips, or filled with enough stuff to fill another 3-days.
Finally we head back to Athens for the last 5 days, get in a 2-3 day excursion out to Delphi and Meteora (I just like the juxtaposition of the decadent islands and the spiritualized mountains on the trip). I've seen bus tours that do a big span in 4-days, hitting the major sites up to Meteora and returning (although we are skeptical of being on a schedule with the buses).
If you have any thoughts, I'm open to hearing them. I appreciate how much help you've been so far.
I appreciate you taking the time to look over my itinerary. I knew I was pretty ambitious with the number of days and sites. While I originally would have preferred that we see the mainland first then island hop for some R&R, I never considered the reduced availability of ferries through the early parts of October. Again, glad I had an expert review things.
With that in mind, I'm wondering if I should just skip out on Rhodes, as it seems like I'm stretching Greece to get in both Meteora and Rhodes in a 12-day itinerary. Do you think it's a site I should not miss? I may only get one chance at Greece as it's a very expensive trip for me, and I want to see the must-sees.
If I abandon Rhodes, we could try to hit the islands immediately from Santorini, spend a solid 3 or 4 days there. (Can we take day trips to other islands from there? or is there so much to see on Santorini that I will be pressed for time to fit it in 4-days?)
Maybe we could slowly take the ferries/boats back towards Athens from Santorini, and staying perhaps in a more centrally-located island that is conducive to day trips, or filled with enough stuff to fill another 3-days.
Finally we head back to Athens for the last 5 days, get in a 2-3 day excursion out to Delphi and Meteora (I just like the juxtaposition of the decadent islands and the spiritualized mountains on the trip). I've seen bus tours that do a big span in 4-days, hitting the major sites up to Meteora and returning (although we are skeptical of being on a schedule with the buses).
If you have any thoughts, I'm open to hearing them. I appreciate how much help you've been so far.
May 19th, 2011, 11:47 PM
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<i>I think Meteora is a 'do not miss' site! It is amazing.</i>
I passed up on a visit to Meteora, and have regretted it ever since. Trouble is, there are so many 'do not miss' sites in Greece, you can't see them all in one trip. I tend to agree that Rhodes may be an island too far, and omitting it will give you more time for other sites. Santorini is stunning, so keep that in your itinerary. There is lots to do on Santorini, but day trips to other islands (apart from Thirassia) aren't practical. Ferry travel is slow, and even the high speed vessels do only about 40 mph.
It's tempting to suggest a second island, e.g. Naxos or Mykonos, both which are on the way back to Athens, but 3-4 days on Santorini is about right, and splitting your time with another island will waste time in travel. There is lots to do on Santorini, including wine tours, volcano tour, Ancient Thera, and caldera cruises. There is an outside chance that Akrotiri will be open by the end of the summer, but looking less likely. Botherleelove (Lee) is our Santorini expert, and is on the island right now. If he sees this post he may chime in with some excellent suggestions.
Look upon this as your first trip to Greece, and remember that there is time to visit Rhodes, Delos, Nafplion, and other sites in the future. I go once or twice a year, and still have much to see.
I passed up on a visit to Meteora, and have regretted it ever since. Trouble is, there are so many 'do not miss' sites in Greece, you can't see them all in one trip. I tend to agree that Rhodes may be an island too far, and omitting it will give you more time for other sites. Santorini is stunning, so keep that in your itinerary. There is lots to do on Santorini, but day trips to other islands (apart from Thirassia) aren't practical. Ferry travel is slow, and even the high speed vessels do only about 40 mph.
It's tempting to suggest a second island, e.g. Naxos or Mykonos, both which are on the way back to Athens, but 3-4 days on Santorini is about right, and splitting your time with another island will waste time in travel. There is lots to do on Santorini, including wine tours, volcano tour, Ancient Thera, and caldera cruises. There is an outside chance that Akrotiri will be open by the end of the summer, but looking less likely. Botherleelove (Lee) is our Santorini expert, and is on the island right now. If he sees this post he may chime in with some excellent suggestions.
Look upon this as your first trip to Greece, and remember that there is time to visit Rhodes, Delos, Nafplion, and other sites in the future. I go once or twice a year, and still have much to see.
May 21st, 2011, 06:31 PM
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pwaters 1983,
You have received very good advice from Heimdall. My opinion is a little contrary to others, as I think that if you have never been to Greece, should start in Athens at the Acropolis and museum, the Agora and Plaka. I always spend a couple of days there at the beginning and end of my trips to pay homage to the ancient sites and relish the antiquities. However, if you are anticipating exhaustion after your nuptials and travel, getting right out to an island to relax is not a bad idea. In any case, the romantic spots in Greece are limitless. Definitely go to Santorini for relaxation surrounded by the spectacular views. But I also recommend you go to another island. Paros will give you a taste of island life and you can easily get to it via ferry on your way back from Santorini. Rhodes is further away and is a fascinating and different island. There is a lot to see in the old town plus the village and beach at Lindos are a romantic spot that my husband and I adored. It is important to limit your itinerary for your time frame. My recommendation is to choose Athens (2 days in main city area)>fly to Santorini(3 days)>ferry to Paros(3 days)>ferry to Athens(3 days w/Delphi, Meteora). If you have an extra day add it to either Santorini or Paros.
You'll want to come back as there are so many enticing places to visit. But, rest assured, whatever itinerary you choose it will be wonderful. Just resist jumping from one place to another every two days. The experience of Greece requires a slower pace and an allowance for transition time. Enjoy!
You have received very good advice from Heimdall. My opinion is a little contrary to others, as I think that if you have never been to Greece, should start in Athens at the Acropolis and museum, the Agora and Plaka. I always spend a couple of days there at the beginning and end of my trips to pay homage to the ancient sites and relish the antiquities. However, if you are anticipating exhaustion after your nuptials and travel, getting right out to an island to relax is not a bad idea. In any case, the romantic spots in Greece are limitless. Definitely go to Santorini for relaxation surrounded by the spectacular views. But I also recommend you go to another island. Paros will give you a taste of island life and you can easily get to it via ferry on your way back from Santorini. Rhodes is further away and is a fascinating and different island. There is a lot to see in the old town plus the village and beach at Lindos are a romantic spot that my husband and I adored. It is important to limit your itinerary for your time frame. My recommendation is to choose Athens (2 days in main city area)>fly to Santorini(3 days)>ferry to Paros(3 days)>ferry to Athens(3 days w/Delphi, Meteora). If you have an extra day add it to either Santorini or Paros.
You'll want to come back as there are so many enticing places to visit. But, rest assured, whatever itinerary you choose it will be wonderful. Just resist jumping from one place to another every two days. The experience of Greece requires a slower pace and an allowance for transition time. Enjoy!
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