bejjie

Going to Greece for the first time with my mom (her first time, too). Want to see Athens and Santorini definitely, but one more island. Not into crazy partying (esp. with my mom!) We will be 9 full days, arriving and departing from Athens. Suggestions on additional island and/or must sees or order of itinerary?

tod

Bejjie, You probably already know that Santorini is part of The Cyclades group of islands. Others are Thirasia, which is very close to Santorini, then moving in a clockwise direction you get Sikinos, Folegandros, Milos, Kimlos, Sifnos, Antiparos & Paros, Kythnos, Kea, Giaros and the big island of Andros and Tinos, then Delos, Mykomos, and larger still Naxos and a few other smaller islands dotted around.

If I were you, try and get your bookstore (or Amazon) to send you the latest edition of Greek Island hopping -Thomas Cook Publishing. Or do some research on the Net about the islands I have mentioned.
Lastly, You will find most visitors tend to lean towards Mykonos.
If you intend going to a completely different group of islands - like Crete, that may take flying/ferry back to Athens first but I'm not sure. Crete is downside of the Cyclades and may just be a ferry away!

travelerjan

bejjie --- WHEN are you coming? August, October, Next Spring?? Our advice may differ a lot, depending. And what country are you coming from?? (i.e. Europe or North America??) -- that will tell us how tired you may be/or not. What is your exact arrival date, AND time of Day ... and at the airport? (it may affect whether we advise you to go in to Central Athens first, or go directly to an island). And what is your departure Date AND Time. You may not think these things matter.... but with your very short trip, every hour matters. AND the date matters -- For example, if you arrive on August 15, that's the biggest Greek holiday of the summer, and it WILL affect everything. Please share these important facts ASAP, so we won't waste our time or yours suggesting things that aren't workable.

bejjie

I am coming from America and land in Athens at about noon on Sept 9 (staying to 18th). We will be fine with traveling to wherever once land in Athens (either by plane or ferry). I am worried that Mykonos will be too much of a party island, so was looking for an another island as an alternative, so thought maybe Crete?

cheryllj

Crete is a huge island and probably needs more time than what you have. I would suggest Naxos or Paros as another island, because they have a lot of ferry connections to/from Santorini, but they offer a different experience. I chose Naxos - a totally different world from Santorini, but I enjoyed both of them a lot.

I also enjoyed Mykonos and the chora (main town) is very pretty, but the emphasis is on shopping and nightlife. With a 62yo mom, I think you would enjoy other islands more. Plus, you can do a day trip to Delos and Mykonos from Naxos, if you want a quick visit to Mykonos town.

cheryllj

PS - You asked for a suggested itinerary. Arrive in Athens at noon, fly/ferry to Naxos (4 nights, do day trip to Delos and Mykonos), ferry to Santorini (3 nights), fly back to Athens (2 nights).

travelerjan

cheryl has given you an EXCELLENT itinerary ... Naxos is relaxing, in September the water will be sublime ...

NAXOS -- I suggest staying in Ag. Giorgios beach adjacent to Naxos town, a 5 minute walk along the water Look at Hotel Glaros for Hotel Asteria or HOtel St. George e-mail all, asking for balcony overlooking the beach; here's a map showing locations & proximity to the attractions of the town http://www.naxos-greece.net/site/gfx...hotels_map.jpg (click to enlarge) it's walkable to Town & also the bus system to other beaches is good, no need to rent a car unless you want to get one for 1 day and do a whirl around this beautiful island; so much to see Here's a slide show by Fodorite Stanbr of the beauties of Naxos: http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/552001505EYxVYT

SANTORINI -- I suggest, rather than staying in Oia with the honeymooner or in Fira with the crowds, look at Firostephani, which is an easy walk to Fira, but no crowds ... our friends stayed at "Sunset HOtel" It has a FAB common terrace with cushioned seating & great view, no need to go to Oia to see a fantastic sunset http://www.sunsethotel.gr/ -- only 9 rooms but hey! you could get lucky, and it doesn't involve a lot of climbing up/down to access it ... no pool, but you'll do your swimming in Naxos anyway...

Marsh

Hope you can keep up with your 62 year old Mom! Ha! Ha! I was 64 years old last fall when I went to Greece with my husband. I have been accused of leading "forced marches"!

cathies

Are you and your mother fit? I only ask because our hotel on Santorini, while having AMAZING views, did involve climbing approx 100 steps from our room to reception!! If you can manage then go for it, otherwise I would check with the hotel before booking.

Hope you have a great trip, we loved Greec!!

cathies

Oops didn't check my typing - I meant' 'we loved Greece!!'

micmic

What cathies says is a concern in many islands. Especially some islands in Cyclades, require a lot of step climbing. Of course one could stay near the sea most of the time, but if you want to explore some villages/choras and get a feel for the place, climbing steps is a must in several islands. Some people don't like that, even if they are physically able to do it.

bejjie

Thanks for the responses! I am starting to get a better feel for what our itinerary might look like. Cathies, what is the name of the hotel in Santorini? Good to know about the steps. Question- my mom is deathly afraid of heights if they are anywhere close to the edge of a cliff, etc. Are the steps on the edge of a cliff in many cases? One more inquiry... Does anyone know a way to get from Santorini right to Delphi without connecting through Athens?

cheryllj

If your mother is afraid of heights and cliffs, you will need to be very careful when choosing a hotel in Santorini.

Many hotels, esp the most "desired" ones, are perched high on the cliffside, with many steps involved in getting down to the room. I have no problem with heights at all, but even I found it a little tricky walking down to my room at night. I stayed in Oia, and highly recommend it, btw. I do think you will want to stay on the caldera side, but just be careful when choosing and ask about the steps.

brotherleelove2004

No one will be in danger of 'falling off the cliff' on Santorini. It's perfectly safe no matter which hotel you choose. There is, however the optical illusion of being suspended directly over the sea, so someone with a fear of heights might not feel safe. And the hotels with the best view of the caldera will require some strenuous step climbing.

Take a look at the Atlantis Hotel in Fira. This is a hotel with a great view but there aren't any steps. http://www.atlantishotel.gr

In Oia take a look at the Aspaki Hotel for the same reason. http://www.artmaisons.gr/#nointro

travelerjan

As I mentioned above, Sunset Hotel in Firostephani has a view that will not have your mom scare, and there are no cliff steps involved in getting to your room or the terrace... you come in from a lane away from the cliff edge. The terrace is large and you can sit far from the rimside wall. click the link to see

cathies

Bejji we stayed in a hotel in Thira called Hotel Loucas - I wouldn't particularly recommend it. The staff weren't all that nice, breakfast was pretty ordinary and despite gorgeous weather they refused to open the bar of an evening despite many, many requests from lots of guests - go figure! We would have spent a fortune there. The location saved it from being a total disaster though - it was absolutely fabulous. I wish I had known about Fodor's before that trip!!

As brotherleelove says, you won't fall off the cliff, but our hotel did have very steep outdoor steps leading to the rooms. You could tumble down them if not careful, the same as you could fall down any flight of steps but you still wouldn't fall off the cliff.

cheryllj

A fear of heights has nothing to do with any actual "danger" or not. It can be a totally irrational fear, but it's still real to the person who has the fear.

Which is why you will want to be careful in choosing a hotel in Santorini, because many of the popular places will have the feeling of hanging over the cliff. It's not because of any danger, but your mother will not enjoy it if she's terrified of the stairs every time she walks to the room.

southeastern

We flew to Santorini, had a prebooked room. We then ferry hopped to any island and looked for people holding up hotel signs and picked one. We were two old gals traveling without our husbands and it worked out beautifully. If you like the place, stay longer if not get on a ferry and hit the next island. Loved Nexos and stayed 2 days, then moved on. I really liked the idea of picking a hotel from the folks standing there with signs. Worked beautifully.