Greece in April - help
Jul 9th, 2008, 09:40 AM
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Greece in April - help
I am planning to visit Greece in mid April (11-18). We want to do 1 night in Athens and then go to Santorini and maybe one other island. No particular order necessary.
What does one do on the Islands when it's chilly (I'm assuming we won't get sunny beach weather)?
Do the ferrys run at that time of year?
Thanks!
What does one do on the Islands when it's chilly (I'm assuming we won't get sunny beach weather)?
Do the ferrys run at that time of year?
Thanks!
Jul 9th, 2008, 11:08 AM
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Nutella --- are you Stuck on those specific dates?? Have you already booked flights?? Did you look at a calendar of Major GReek Holy Days? I'm betting Yes to the first 2 questions, no to the last one.
Orthodox Greek Easter -- THE big holiday of the nation -- is April 19. It is very hard to find people around at their businesses to concentrate on tourists for a few days before and after Greek Easter. If I were going, I would either want to avoid the pre-Easter week or else stay for a couple more days to be able to celebrate with a big feast somewhere.
What does one do on the islands in chilly rainy weather? Not a lot. That's why we try to visit islands a bit later in the year....or if stuck with April, go somewhere on the mainland, like Nafplio, where there are historic sites, shops, indoor stuff to enjoy in uncertain weather, or Athens -- which really has enough treasures to occupy you for weeks!.
Let us know whether u have a little flexibility on your dates & maybe we can think of some
Orthodox Greek Easter -- THE big holiday of the nation -- is April 19. It is very hard to find people around at their businesses to concentrate on tourists for a few days before and after Greek Easter. If I were going, I would either want to avoid the pre-Easter week or else stay for a couple more days to be able to celebrate with a big feast somewhere.
What does one do on the islands in chilly rainy weather? Not a lot. That's why we try to visit islands a bit later in the year....or if stuck with April, go somewhere on the mainland, like Nafplio, where there are historic sites, shops, indoor stuff to enjoy in uncertain weather, or Athens -- which really has enough treasures to occupy you for weeks!.
Let us know whether u have a little flexibility on your dates & maybe we can think of some
Jul 11th, 2008, 04:56 AM
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I, too, have started a plan for Greece April 11-25. Santorini and Mykonos are on the list. Did not know Greek Easter is April 19. So, weatherwise, are the islands not a good choice for that time of year? Thanks!!
Jul 11th, 2008, 05:06 AM
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No, April is NOT a good choice for an island unless you have some special reason (an uncle living there).
Can you do May? Then by all means do it. Do you plan to swim at all? Then make it late May-early June. The crowds will still not have arrived, and the water will be a bit warmed up.
About weather, holidays, water - I HOPE you guys will do just a little bit of research before you go booking air tickets. It is SO easy - google is your friend; use it. Also, an old-fashioned thing-- how about a guide book. You will be spending THOUSANDS on your trip, why not a few pence on a book? Or go into a Barnes & Noble, sit in a chair, take some notes.OR go to the library and take home 3-4; don't look at the prices if the edition is a couple years old, just browse for an overview.
A teensy bit of homework can pay enormous dividends, because asking questions online, when you have NO background info, cannot get all the useful advice you need.
Have a great time planning, and a wonderful trip!
Can you do May? Then by all means do it. Do you plan to swim at all? Then make it late May-early June. The crowds will still not have arrived, and the water will be a bit warmed up.
About weather, holidays, water - I HOPE you guys will do just a little bit of research before you go booking air tickets. It is SO easy - google is your friend; use it. Also, an old-fashioned thing-- how about a guide book. You will be spending THOUSANDS on your trip, why not a few pence on a book? Or go into a Barnes & Noble, sit in a chair, take some notes.OR go to the library and take home 3-4; don't look at the prices if the edition is a couple years old, just browse for an overview.
A teensy bit of homework can pay enormous dividends, because asking questions online, when you have NO background info, cannot get all the useful advice you need.
Have a great time planning, and a wonderful trip!
Jul 11th, 2008, 01:39 PM
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All the ferries will be running around Easter week. Even the highspeeds will be brought out of mothballs for Easter, then sit at the docks again until late May or June.
Islands easy to reach from Athens will be busy. What does one do on the Islands when it's chilly? Eat! Greeks can easily make a meal last three hours or more.
Islands easy to reach from Athens will be busy. What does one do on the Islands when it's chilly? Eat! Greeks can easily make a meal last three hours or more.
Jul 11th, 2008, 01:51 PM
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April is a great time to be on the mainland, either the Peloponnese or the north. The wildflowers are out, and it's not too hot. Definitely not the right time for swimming and sunbathing, though. I certainly wouldn't head for Santorini in April unless I just wanted to admire the views. For my April trip to Greece see www.wilhelmswords.com/eur2006.
Jul 12th, 2008, 09:31 AM
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I guess one just never knows about the weather. My husband and I were in Greece (Crete, Santorin, and Athens) from April 10-20th and had gorgeous weather..........warm and sunny everyday. We actually had to do some laundry as we hadn't packed enough summer clothes!
Maybe we were just lucky?!
Maybe we were just lucky?!
Jul 12th, 2008, 11:44 AM
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Bettina222, you just can't predict April weather in any temperate area, and that includes Greece. You were indeed lucky.
For those who enjoy weather data, here are the records for the last several years on Crete. Scroll down the page and you can see actual temperatures for Apr 10-20 since 1997:
http://tinyurl.com/6jubxg
For those who enjoy weather data, here are the records for the last several years on Crete. Scroll down the page and you can see actual temperatures for Apr 10-20 since 1997:
http://tinyurl.com/6jubxg
Jul 12th, 2008, 11:55 AM
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The earliest we have been to Greece was when we arrived on 28th April and has rain for the first couple of days. Saying that, as the last poster pointed out, if you check the wunderground site "trip planner" for various places, you will find a mixture of warm spring sun and showers - ideal for sightseeing, not so for the beach. The wild flowers will be a bonus at that time of year. I'd go for it and maybe choose the Peloponnese or somewhere else where there are plenty of places to visit if the weather isn't so good.
