Hi chrizninja - how lucky you are! As far as your plan for Greece, you have lots of time to visit several locations. Yet, picking 2-3 places as base of operation and then taking trips in the surrounding area would be a nice way to get a feel for the region. My husband and I go for 4-5 weeks and we select no more than 3 places each trip. Also, you are shortchanging Athens and the mainland. First of all, Athens is definitely not boring, and there are so many wonderful areas to visit within a short distance. It would be helpful to tell us a little more about what you want to do while there. Are you interested in the historic sites and museums, as well as food and beaches? Personally, I also think you have too much time set aside for Santorini. It is a breathtaking place, but there are nicer beaches and interesting things to do elsewhere. You might spend more time on Paros and visit Antiparos. Crete is wonderful and needs 5-7 days because it is so big. Rhodes is also a very interesting island with its medieval castle and the beach at Lindos is one of my favorites. You can take a boat up to Symi, where you'll discover the idyllic Venetian town. There are multiple itineraries for your chunk of time. Greece has areas within the mainland and in island groups that are very distinct. You'll want to organize the trip so you are in a logical pattern for transportation. Best practice is to read lots of books and decide what you really want to explore to help narrow the scope. Then tell the forum some more of your hopes for your visit.

You are indeed lucky to have a month to spend in Greece. I have been to all the islands on your list, save Ios, more than once, Paros and Naxos many times. They are all great, and have their own individual charms, but you will be getting much the same experience on each.

The islands should be part of your trip, but you will be shortchanging yourselves by omitting sights on the mainland. There is far more to see in the Peloponnese, especially the Argolid area around Nafplion, than all the Greek Islands put together. The Peloponnese has beaches better than those on the islands, especially in Lakonia and Messenia.

Other sights worth seeing on the mainland are Delphi and Meteora. Just last month my daughter spent a couple of nights in Kalambaka, near Meteora, and exclaimed on the beauty of that area. My daughter, btw, is doing something similar to you: taking a mid-career break and travelling overland from London to Cape Town.

I suppose Athens may be boring to someone not interested in history or ancient sites, but it has much more than that. Athens is a vibrant city, with culture, nightlife, and fine restaurants. Just a couple of metro stops from the tourist haunt of Plaka is the fashionable district of Kolonaki, where well-heeled Athenians prefer to go. One of my most memorable evenings in Athens was strolling up Apostolou Pavlou and stopping for a cappuccino freddo in a sidewalk cafe overlooking the Acropolis as the sun was setting. Later I had a wonderful meal in a nearby restaurant called Stavlos in the Thissio district.

What I would recommend is to spend two weeks on the mainland and two weeks on the islands. That way you will get a well-rounded experience of Greece.

Oh, and if you are interested in food, check out this Athens tour: http://www.athens-walks.com/#!athens-food-tour. This tour, and others on the website, are run by Athenians who can take you to parts of Athens most tourists miss.

I would also recommend spending more time on the mainland. We spent time in Pelion after visiting Meteora (Meteora monasteries are in a stunning location). Pelion is not mentioned very much, it is a unique area of Greece, very lush and green with cliffs down to the sea, beautiful beaches (Damouchari, Milopotamos for example), perched villages with interesting architecture.

If you were to follow your original itinerary, you would only see Athens and 4 Cycladic islands, not Greece......

Greece is very diverse, there are lots to see and do, and every area is different..

Most people on this side, know only the Argolis area and Athens on the Mainland and Santorini/Paros/Naxos/Crete from the islands, while Greece is much more....

Heimdall's and Odin's recommendations are excellent, having a car would give you the possibility to explore Mainland Greece which is fabulous.

Thanks so much for the replies!

It sounds like the mainland has a LOT more to offer than I originally thought.



Heimdall - We are trying to avoid renting a car but it sounds like that is the only option if I want to spend a few weeks on the mainland. Are there buses that go to these destinations you mentioned, Delphi and Meteora and Nafplion?

I did some quick searches on those 3 areas and they look absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for that recommendation on the food tour too.

Even though you can reach even the tiniest village of Greece by bus, the connections are not always convenient, and not all cities are connected to each other....

Yes you can visit Nafplio, Delphi and Meteora with a public bus, however you will have to go via Athens from Meteora to Nafplio, or you will have to change several buses to get from Nafplio to Delphi or vv.

I think a rental car is the best solution, to see these main attractions and even more that are on the way, at your own pace...

There are wonderful seaside villages everywhere, or nice places for lunch on your way, where you could never stop otherwise....

Since you have plenty of time, you could do a great tour of Mainland Greece including, Pelion mountain, Meteora, Delphi, Olympia, Napflio and back to Athens......

Driving a car in Greece is easy and the roads are in good shape....

I'm so jealous, looks like you're living the life!

If you don't want to rent a car, consider taking one of the tours offered by the Greek companies http://www.chatours.gr , http://www.keytours.gr/en/default.asp , or http://www.gotours.com.gr.

Actually one of the plus points of touring the mainland is: you aren't tied to ferry schedules, and don't have to worry about cancellations due to weather or strikes. If you take one of the above tours you will still be regulated by someone else's timetable, and that's not for everyone. With a car you can come and go as you please, stopping to see something of interest whenever you wish. If your driver's license is from outside the EU (US for example) you will need in International Driver's Permit (IDP) at the very reasonable cost of $15 in any AAA office.

Confession time: I do a lot of driving at home, but have never rented a car in Greece. Last September I took the express bus from Athens to Kalamata, and spent some time in the southern Peloponnese. The bus ride was quick and pleasant — I would do it again. I had the advantage of friends who picked me up at Kalamata and drove me around, but had they not, a car would have been advantageous. One day they drove me up to the huge archaeological site of Ancient Messini, and there were only about six other visitors on the entire site! That's quite a change from the well worn tourist trail in Athens and on some of the islands.

Sounds like the bus routes would definitely limit us on the mainland, but we are just very feaful of driving in a foreign country (unjustifiably so) that we've never been to. I'm going to look into the tour companies and see what options are available there. You guys have more than helpful and it is greatly appreciated!

Several years ago we spent 3 weeks in Greece. We were in Nafplio in an apt. for 2 weeks and did day trips (and 2 overnights) to different sights. We then went to Athens and spent 2 nights, went to Santorini for 3 nights and back to Athens for 2 more nights. There are so many amazing sights to see in Greece. Santorini was beautiful, but after 2 days I was ready to leave. With a month to visit I would suggest you spend some time on the Peloponise Penisula, Athens, Delphi, and a couple days on Santorini and a couple days on maybe another island or so. By the way, driving was not that difficult. There are more mountains then I expected which means you have some interesting roads and fellow drivers, but we only got lost once, and for us that's a record. Greece has such an amazing collection of history that it is mind boggling. Take advantage of all you can.

By the way, Nafplio is a wonderful small town with a fort, beaches, and tons of restaurants. Stay in the old part of town.

It sounds like it's a toss up between Peloponnese or the Meteora area. Which is preferred?

We will probably rent a car and take advantage of more mainland Greece, but want to maximize our time out on the islands. We currently live in the gloom capital of the world (Seattle) and beaches/sunshine is what we seek the most.

The Peloponnese is a huge Penninsula, while Meteora are monasteries build on the top of huge rocks.....

The Meteora area could be combined with the Pelion mountain, which is on the way and it is one of the nicest mountains of Greece, with quaint villages and nice boutique hotels everywhere, but it also has to offer some very nice beaches.

Mainland Greece has many great beaches, especially the West coast ( Kyllini) and the South Peloponnese ( Voidokoilia, Elafonisos are amongst the nicest beaches of Greece).

This is a part of Greece that one should explore, personally i don't see any meaning in visiting a bunch of Cycladic islands, that all more or less look the same.

Spend some relaxing days on 2- 3 of the islands ( Paros or Naxos and Santorini would be ideal as combination) and dedicate the rest of the days to the amazing Mainland.

Since you have plenty of time, Meteora and the Peloponnese are doable with a car.
Start with studying the map first to see where all these places and islands are located. Looks for all the places that have been mentioned here plus a few more on the Mainland such as :

Olympia, Delphi, Galaxidi, Nafpaktos, Kalogria Beach, Epidavros, Monemvasia, Elafonisos, Kalamata, Kardamili, Dirou Caves, Gythio, Mystras .

These could be the highlights of a Mainland Greece tour

Wow, thanks clausar! This is all overwhelming right now. A month sounds like a long time, but we want to stay put in a few places (hence the first go at a list of having 10 nights in Santorini)

What do you think about flying into Thessaloniki and making our way south to Meteora, Pelion, then Athens and ending with the Peloponnese?

Is there a ferry or airport from somewhere in the Peloponnese to the Cycladic islands?

It's great that you are taking ideas from the forum. I have always wanted to drive from Thessaloniki to the Peloponnese. It would be a great road trip. I think the mainland has so much to offer - villages, beaches, historical sights, mountain vistas - and we have not found driving a problem. I have also taken a bus in various places - you just have to be more patient and flexible. A couple of places to emphasize - Delphi feels spiritual, and Naufplion with its surrounding area is a must.You do not want to miss the Cyclades though - the islands may have similar qualities - yet they are magical and there is a reason why some folks (myself included) get addicted to them. I was also looking at ferries from the Peloponnese - not so easy by the looks of it - more limited destinations, but others with more experience should answer that question. Meanwhile, I'm thinking about some of our favorite months in Greece:
#1: Athens w/daytrip to Delphi (5 days), take flight to Rhodes (5), take flight to Crete (7), ferry to Santorini (3), ferry to Paros (7), ferry back to Athens (3).
#2: Athens with day trip to Delphi (5 days), take car to Nauplion area (6), back to Athens with day trip to Sounion (3), fly to Santorini (3), ferry to Paros (7), ferry to Mykonos (4), ferry to Athens (2).
Enjoy the planning!
Both of these routes are great trips. But currently we like to go to fewer places so we can nestle in a bit.

Meteora was wonderful! We very much enjoyed our Ike there!

Not sure how that happened...lke = time

The idea of flying to Thessaloniki and from there towards south is actually a very good one...

Thessaloniki is another nice city with many interesting places nearby, that are ideal for day trips.....

You can plan your trip to end in Nafplio, from there Athens is only 150 km away... since there no ferries to the Cyclades from the Peloponnese. ( there are connections only to nearby islands such as Poros, Hydra Spetses and also Kythira/Crete in the south).

From Delphi you could continue to Olympia, via Galaxidi and Nafpaktos, cross the Rio- Antirrio bridge and continue to Olympia, one of the nicest archaeological sites of Greece.

From Olympia you would take the mountainous scenic road to Nafplio, from which Piraeus is only 2,5 hours away.

Based on the input from this forum, we have changed our list to the following. We want to make sure we have enough time to properly get the best Greece experience so we may end up doing Greece in 40 days.

1) Fly into Santorini from Rome
2) Ferry down to Crete
3) Flight to Thessaloniki
4) Drive to Meteora (not sure how long to stay or if it's just a days visit to see monasteries)
5) Drive to Pelion (how many days?)
6) Drive to Delphi
7) Drive to Galaxidi
8) Drive to Nafpaktos
9) Drive to Olympia
10) Drive to Lakonia
11) Drive to Navplion
12) Drive to Athens
13) Fly out from Athens

We really want to experience the islands, but also want less crowded beaches. We are thinking to do Santorini in early June, Crete for the rest of June to soak up the beaches, and then head to the mainland for half of July to see the sights there. Is 40 days enough time for all of this?

Also, how long would you guys spend in Crete? It looks to have a number of great beaches (which is our number 1 priority). Is 2 weeks on Crete good?

You now have an excellent itinerary! Just in case you don't get enough beach time in Crete, have a look at this beach in Lakonia: http://images.world66.com/el/af/on/elafonisos_lakonia_galleryfull

Frankly in June you won't have crowded beaches anywhere — that doesn't occur until July and August. I don't have much of a feel for how long a driving trip would take, but think I would leave more than two weeks for the mainland. Since the mainland has beautiful beaches as well, it would be nice to break up your driving tour to give you some time to relax in between sightseeing days.

Having a look at your itinerary here are some thoughts :

1 overnight in Meteora ( Kalambaka) should be enough.

You would arrive early enough from Thessaloniki and would have the whole next day at disposal.
You should take a look at the opening hours of the monasteries, not all of them are open every day, but you will certainly be able to visit some of them.

Pelion: 2 nights should be enough
Main city is Volos, but i think you should overnight in one of the beautiful villages of Pelion, like Makrinitsa or Portaria.

Galaxidi and Nafpaktos are on your way from Delphi to Olympia, you can see them as you pass by.
( have spent several great weekends in Galaxidi )

Olympia : 1-2 overnights should be fine. There are many nice sandy beaches in the area.

From Olympia i would continue to Messinia to see Pylos, Methoni, Koroni and Finikounda, there are venetian and byzantine castles to see, great beaches, especially Voidokilia !!! When in the area i love to stay in Finikounda.

From Messinia you will continue via Kalamata to the Messinian Mani ( Kardamili and Stoupa are nice sea side villages on your way) and then to the Lakonian Mani, where you can visit the Dirou Caves and overnight in Githio, which has some great sandy beaches.

From Gitio you can either visit Monemvasia as a day trip or even spend a few veeeery relaxing days in Elafonisi, which has an amazing caribbean like beach, or continue towards Nafplio with a stop to see the byzantine Mistras.

Crete is a huge island, it does have many great beaches... but to give you an idea of how big the island is... the distance from west to east is about 350 km.

Crete is actually much more than just beaches, it is an island full of history with so many things to do and see....
Having 2 weeks to spend on the island would give you plenty of time to see more than the average visitor.....

All of these replies have been absolutely inspiring. I spent the night with my wife exploring how amazing the mainland of Greece really is. We were both hell bent on doing the island trek but the more and more research I did I found them all to kind of be the same experience. It sounds like Crete is well worth a 2 week visit. We are most definitely going to do Greece for at least 40 days to have flexibility.

Have any of you guys had an experience driving on Crete? sounds like we will need a car on the island to explore everything, or just rent one a few days while there since we have a few weeks there.



clausar - thank you SO much for the thoughtful recommendations. These are going into my research and just looking at photos of these places you mentioned give me goosebumps!

Having a car in Crete i think is essential, due to the size of the island.
Driving on Crete is not different than driving anywhere in Greece... i have been exploring Crete by car several times, but i think after so many times, that i have been there, i still haven't seen everything.....

I certainly agree with clausar in his recommendations for Messenia. I visited many of those seaside villages myself in September 2011. Here are just a few of the photos I took while there: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heimdall_1/sets/72157627739427148/

Great photos Heimdall

Gorgeous photos Heimdall! The photos just take you back in time to where all these smart phones and computers are absolutely irrelevant and you can just get lost in the beauty. I will definitely give that area a visit as it looks amazing.

Now that I'm well informed of the mainland and what it has to offer, would you guys recommend any other islands besides Crete and Santorini?

Elafonisi sounds divine. How long a stay is warranted here?

chrizninja83

Elafonisos is a tiny island in South Peloponnese, while Elafonisi is a similar beach plus an even tinier island on Crete. ( in the south west part of Crete, near Palaiochora)

Elafonisos is the perfect place to relax, do nothing but enjoy the amazing water and eat great food and fresh fish at a nearby taverna

You will be glad to have a chunk of time in Crete and I definitely agree that you need to rent a car. There is so much to see and do there - lots of amazing beaches and interesting sites. Be sure to stay at least part of the time on the south coast. We love the Plakias area as a base. At the same time, it would be a pity if you did not build in a few days to visit another island on your trip to get a sense of a more typical Cycladic island, like Paros or Naxos. Your mainland tour, Santorini, Crete, plus a third island would present a more ideal itinerary.

1)I need to point out that hiring a car in one part of Greece (Thessaloniki) and drop it on another (Athens) is less common than on other countries and usually there are large fees for doing so. It might be a bit easier to do so on for those particular cities as starting/ending point, but I would look very closely on that before planning anything else! Maybe other members could advice on that one?
2) As I replied on your identical thread in other website forum, as this is part of a 6 months long trip , your stamina levels might be low... It is a personal thing, but very fast paced trips work only for quick get-aways, not when traveling week after week! I think moving destination every couple of days trying to take everything in, will leave you knackered and does not leave space to really get a feel of a place. Experiencing and creating memories of where you've been, is more important that ticking places of a list. Just my opinion!

Last time i checked the surcharge of picking up a car in Athens and dropping it off in Thessaloniki ( or vice versa) was 150 Euros..

This amount would be very high for a short rental, but for a rental of a longer period, it would pay off ( instead of renting a car in every city)

Of course on Crete or other islands, it makes more sense to rent a car on the spot.

I agree that a car gives you the ability to see more places at a faster pace but buses are pretty good in Greece. We have travelled extensively with them, albeit some time ago. It does force you to slow down a bit. At times, we rented a car just for a few days, eg. at Ionnina, Volos, Chania, and drove locally.

We don't enjoy driving (and parking!) in an unfamiliar place, with rules and a language we don't understand, on the other side of the road and we're happy to enjoy the pleasure of going more slowly.

I have rented a car in almost every country i have been to, without regretting it.
On the contrary the flexibility of stopping where i want when i want, is what motivates me not to chose public transportation.

I have been to many great places that i wouldn't have seen if i had used a bus !!

Driving is Greece, and especially in the countryside is fun, there are many scenic roads and personally after having driven in many different countries, i don't see a problem in parking, or paying attention to any rules. ( there are no special rules that only apply to Greece)..

I didn't notice the time of year this trip is to take place, but if you want to see great beaches, in Pelion go to Milopotamos and/or Damouchari or the beach at Ayios Ioannis (google some images, also some scenes of Mamma Mia were filmed in the area). The beaches are white pebbles with water that is very clear, beautiful for swimming.

As for driving, cannot agree more, a rental car is recommended, note that some areas of Pelion are mountainous. Without a car, we would never have stumbled upon Galaxidi during a trip to Delphi or other small towns.

Here is an introduction of Greece from an aerial perspective, of both the islands and the Mainland.
I found it on you tube and it's amazing... Many of you will recognize islands and places you visited
Length is 54 minutes....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhVMd8iXHMo&feature=watch-vrec

and the same in english, in 5 parts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJK19Z4ADk0&feature=rellist&playnext=1&list=PLC7AF0C3B4884BCF4