mandalay

Hi travellers
Itinerary suggestion:

Flying into Athens we have 8 days in Greece.

We are a group of 6, and plan to stop in Greece (coming from London) and then fly home to Australia.
Suggestions for possible Itinerary to see Greek islands within the 8 days then to fly home to Australia from Athens.
thanks again.

cathies

Do you plan on spending any time in Athens? Just curious at this stage.

nanabee

I'd spend two days in Athens.
1) Depending on if you like the ancient ruins: visit the Peloponnese and maybe one easily accessible island such as Hydra.

2) two days in Athens then if you like island life and want to enjoy and relax maybe Santorini and or one other island.

artsnletters

I suggest flying directly from London to one of your island destinations (say Santorini, Rhodes, or Mykonos) and saving Athens for the end. It's risky to plan on returning from the islands the day you are flying out to Australia, and since you need to be back in Athens the night before you go, you might as well do all your Athens time then.

PetrosB3

I would recommend you to visit Athens during the last days, don't risk losing your flight. A great trip you can make in Greece by car, is the tour of the Peloponnese. It is a wonderful region with ancient ruins, beautiful towns, great nature, and fantastic cuisine. It also has 5 UNESCO sites. Your trip will go like this: Starting from Athens, head to Nauplion town, one of the most beautiful in Greece. On your way make a stop in the Theatre of Epidaurus (UNESCO) which is the best surviving theatre of the ancient world. Stay in Nauplion for some days. Then head to the medieval town of Monemvasia, the Gibraltar of Greece. On your way visit ancient Mycenae (UNESCO) the leader city of the Greeks during the siege of Troy. Then make another stop in the byzantine city of Mystras (UNESCO) and see the churches and the old palaces. Then stay in Monemvasia for some days. During your stay you must visit the beach of Elafonisos, one of the best in Europe. Then continue to the Mani peninsula and explore one of the most mysterious places of Greece. This once was the core of the Kingdom of Sparta, and its people are called Laconians. Stay in Areopolis as your base. Also visit the caves of Diros, one of the biggest in Europe and you travel it by a small boat. Then head to Messenia region. Home to Kalamata olives (the capital of Messenia is the actual Kalamata) and of beautiful towns like Pylos, the ancient city of Messene and the great castle of Methoni. Stay in Pylos for some days and explore the region and its great beaches. Then head to Olympia (UNESCO), the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Continue to Galaxidi, a beautiful port-town, spend the night there and in the morning head to the Oracle of Delphi (UNESCO). Then return to Athens and a gorgeous island to visit is Hydra. Stay there for a while. And ofcourse explore Athens in the end, seeits wonders and enjoy the vibe.

travelerjan

Sounds as if Petros is typing right off a travel company's tour brochure. Or maybe he IS a tour company trolling for customers???

KayF

If you can fly direct from London to one of the islands you will save quite a bit of time. But be aware that the budget airlines have a smaller luggage allowance and if you are flying home to Australia it will probably not be enough. They are strict and fees are high if you have too much stuff.

One idea is to fly direct to Santorini (usually only available during the summer peak) have 3 or 4 days there then catch a ferry to Mykonos for 3 or 4 days then fly or ferry to Athens. If you want to see anything in Athens then obviously have fewer days on the islands. Another idea is to spend the whole time on Rhodes, you can also fly direct there from London in the summer. Or fly from Athens which will be quicker than the ferry.

Allow plenty of time to get back to Athens, preferably get there the day before. Ferry timetables do change, there is also the weather to consider. If you are delayed leaving an island you could miss your flight home.

Kay

PetrosB3

@Travelerjan Or maybe I just wrote down a basic Itinerary with a small description of what is what. When you write a travel advice you must give a bit description, travel is about inspiration.