Athens or So. Spain in winter
Jun 15th, 2016, 08:06 AM
#1
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Athens or So. Spain in winter
The trip will be in December. Before and after Italy, we can't decide where to go.
Day 1 Arrive Brussels
Day 2 Fly to Athens or Krakow
Day 5 Fly to Venice (second visit)
Day 7 Train to Rome (second visit. We want to be there for Xmas)
Day 10 Fly to Seville or Lisbon
Day 15 Fly to Brussels
Day 17 Fly back to the US
Will the other islands in Greece be accessible by ferry in December?
We are mostly interested in culture and history. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you.
Day 1 Arrive Brussels
Day 2 Fly to Athens or Krakow
Day 5 Fly to Venice (second visit)
Day 7 Train to Rome (second visit. We want to be there for Xmas)
Day 10 Fly to Seville or Lisbon
Day 15 Fly to Brussels
Day 17 Fly back to the US
Will the other islands in Greece be accessible by ferry in December?
We are mostly interested in culture and history. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you.
Jun 15th, 2016, 08:19 AM
#2
Regarding "culture" in Greece, a current thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...reakfastso.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...reakfastso.cfm
Jun 15th, 2016, 08:22 AM
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If you are interested in culture and history do not travel to the Greek islands. The islands are mainly beach destinations and in Decemberyou will find everything closed there. And limited culture and history.
Besides Athens, one of the best archeological sites in Greece is Delphi. Also, the Peloponnese is very attractive and easy to reach by rental car from Athens.
Unfortunately, you have only 3 days for Greece which is a pity.
I see, after Italy you have one day more. Better go to Greece after Italy and to Andalusia before.
Besides Athens, one of the best archeological sites in Greece is Delphi. Also, the Peloponnese is very attractive and easy to reach by rental car from Athens.
Unfortunately, you have only 3 days for Greece which is a pity.
I see, after Italy you have one day more. Better go to Greece after Italy and to Andalusia before.
Jun 15th, 2016, 08:32 AM
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Every inhabited island is accessible by ferry in December, just as they are every other month of the year. The Greek ferry system supplies islanders with food, clothing and other necessities, and provides transport for them to and from the mainland.
Were it me I would stay on the mainland, though—you only have Days 3 and 4 for sightseeing, and that's barely enough for Athens.
Were it me I would stay on the mainland, though—you only have Days 3 and 4 for sightseeing, and that's barely enough for Athens.
Jun 22nd, 2016, 07:28 AM
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Since when do the Greek Islands not have culture. Crete, Rhodes, and Santorini have some of the oldest archaelogical sites in the world and are open year round but you will not be able to swim in December.
If you only have a few days, it is probably not worth the trip and better to go when the weather is warmer.
If you only have a few days, it is probably not worth the trip and better to go when the weather is warmer.
Jun 25th, 2016, 04:50 PM
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We are re-thinking this trip. It probably is best to concentrate on Italy at this time.
Day 1 Arrive Brussels
Day 2 Train to Paris (our 6th time;son wants to go back)
Day 5 Fly to Venice (second visit)
Day 7 Train to Cinque Terre ???
Day 9 Train to Rome (second visit. We want to be there for Xmas)
Day 10 Train to Sorrento ???
Day 15 Fly to Brussels
Day 17 Fly back to the US
We need help in the logistics of going from Paris tp Venice to Cinque Terre. By train, it takes more than 5 hrs from Venice to Cinque Terre. Will it makes sense to fly somewhere else from Paris (Milan? Genoa?) to get to Cinque Terre? Should we focus on the Northern Part of Italy and do the Amalfi Coast at some other time?
Day 1 Arrive Brussels
Day 2 Train to Paris (our 6th time;son wants to go back)
Day 5 Fly to Venice (second visit)
Day 7 Train to Cinque Terre ???
Day 9 Train to Rome (second visit. We want to be there for Xmas)
Day 10 Train to Sorrento ???
Day 15 Fly to Brussels
Day 17 Fly back to the US
We need help in the logistics of going from Paris tp Venice to Cinque Terre. By train, it takes more than 5 hrs from Venice to Cinque Terre. Will it makes sense to fly somewhere else from Paris (Milan? Genoa?) to get to Cinque Terre? Should we focus on the Northern Part of Italy and do the Amalfi Coast at some other time?
Jun 25th, 2016, 05:34 PM
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Have you checked the weather in thee places in Dec? Brussels and Paris are in a true winter although not likely to have much snow.
South of the Alps will be somewhat warmer, but still likely to be chilly. (A friend of mine went to Venice in Dec for 6 days and it rained 5 and snowed the other one. This is not likely - but is possible. You can get snow as far south as Rome.)
As for the AC - this is off season and many hotels and restaurants are closed for the season. Most of the ferries don;t run at all and even those from Naples to Capri can be shut down if the seas are rough. Certainly you can visit Pompeii and Naples (esp the archeological museum) and Capri is usually possible - but often you can;t get into the Blue Grotto - since that is possible only when the sea is perfectly flat). Not sure of the attraction of a beach resort in off season.
Similarly the CT - you would need to check to see which of the hiking trails are open (I believe several are closed now due to mudslides) so not sure how much there would be to do in the winter.
South of the Alps will be somewhat warmer, but still likely to be chilly. (A friend of mine went to Venice in Dec for 6 days and it rained 5 and snowed the other one. This is not likely - but is possible. You can get snow as far south as Rome.)
As for the AC - this is off season and many hotels and restaurants are closed for the season. Most of the ferries don;t run at all and even those from Naples to Capri can be shut down if the seas are rough. Certainly you can visit Pompeii and Naples (esp the archeological museum) and Capri is usually possible - but often you can;t get into the Blue Grotto - since that is possible only when the sea is perfectly flat). Not sure of the attraction of a beach resort in off season.
Similarly the CT - you would need to check to see which of the hiking trails are open (I believe several are closed now due to mudslides) so not sure how much there would be to do in the winter.
Jun 25th, 2016, 05:45 PM
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We had visited Venice, Florence, Rome, Amsterdam, Paris, and London in the winter. We somehow prefer the lesser crowd and the winter weather as summer temperature could be too intense.
We don't plan to hike the trails at CT. We intend to take the milk train...
If we take out the AC, then we are back to Seville/Cordoba/Granada option unless there are any suggestions from the experts.
We don't plan to hike the trails at CT. We intend to take the milk train...
If we take out the AC, then we are back to Seville/Cordoba/Granada option unless there are any suggestions from the experts.
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