Honeymoon in Greece
Dec 16th, 2013, 07:27 AM
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Honeymoon in Greece
My fiance and i are planning a 2 week honeymoon in greece in June 2014.
our planned itinerary is 1 night in athens, 7 in mykonos and 6 in Santorini.
We are people who love to relax and don't need a lot of action. We chose this because we don't want to be packing and traveling every 3-4 days.
My travel agent just told me she does not advise spending so much time in each place and has never once planned a trip like that.
Can anyone advise?
thanks!
our planned itinerary is 1 night in athens, 7 in mykonos and 6 in Santorini.
We are people who love to relax and don't need a lot of action. We chose this because we don't want to be packing and traveling every 3-4 days.
My travel agent just told me she does not advise spending so much time in each place and has never once planned a trip like that.
Can anyone advise?
thanks!
Dec 16th, 2013, 07:34 AM
#2
They are very small islands. You may want to add an island like Paros or Naxos which offer a more real look into Greek life. They also have very nice beaches.We couldn't wait to get away from Santorini, over run with cruise ship tours.
Dec 16th, 2013, 07:45 AM
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Groan, find a smarter travel agent. Some people happily spend all their lives on one island.
Neither Mykonos (party island) or Santorini (scenery and not much else) would be my personal choice for an island or islands to spend time on but that's up to you.
For my money I would spend the entire two weeks on ONE island with a bit more to see/do than either Mykonos or Santorini offer me. Perhaps Paros or Naxos as Happy sugggests or one of the bigger islands like Rhodes or Crete where you could spend months without getting bored.
I would NOT under any circumstances start breaking down your two weeks into even smaller parts.
Neither Mykonos (party island) or Santorini (scenery and not much else) would be my personal choice for an island or islands to spend time on but that's up to you.
For my money I would spend the entire two weeks on ONE island with a bit more to see/do than either Mykonos or Santorini offer me. Perhaps Paros or Naxos as Happy sugggests or one of the bigger islands like Rhodes or Crete where you could spend months without getting bored.
I would NOT under any circumstances start breaking down your two weeks into even smaller parts.
Dec 16th, 2013, 07:45 AM
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Groan, find a smarter travel agent. Some people happily spend all their lives on one island.
Neither Mykonos (party island) or Santorini (scenery and not much else) would be my personal choice for an island or islands to spend time on but that's up to you.
For my money I would spend the entire two weeks on ONE island with a bit more to see/do than either Mykonos or Santorini offer me. Perhaps Paros or Naxos as Happy sugggests or one of the bigger islands like Rhodes or Crete where you could spend months without getting bored.
I would NOT under any circumstances start breaking down your two weeks into even smaller parts.
Neither Mykonos (party island) or Santorini (scenery and not much else) would be my personal choice for an island or islands to spend time on but that's up to you.
For my money I would spend the entire two weeks on ONE island with a bit more to see/do than either Mykonos or Santorini offer me. Perhaps Paros or Naxos as Happy sugggests or one of the bigger islands like Rhodes or Crete where you could spend months without getting bored.
I would NOT under any circumstances start breaking down your two weeks into even smaller parts.
Dec 16th, 2013, 08:59 AM
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Congratulations on your forthcoming wedding!
Ditch the travel agent and do the planning yourself. Spending two weeks on one island is the norm rather than the exception, and one week each on Santorini and Mykonos will fly by. You've already had some good advice on your other threads, and it's easy to make bookings over the internet, so why not do it yourself?
June is still middle season, and most hotels, ferries, etc aren't full during that period. That makes it easy to prebook. Santorini is at the top of most first timers' must-see lists, and a great place to start your honeymoon. June is a wonderful time to go to Mykonos, as everything is open but the island hasn't yet gone into full party mode — that happens during July and August. Both of those islands have lots of top end hotels and restaurants (better than a villa unless you want to self-cater).
Now, if you want to squeeze a third island into the mix, Naxos and Paros (and my favourite Antiparos) are between Santorini and Mykonos, so you could stop for a few days en route. Save the last night in Athens for the end of the trip.
Ditch the travel agent and do the planning yourself. Spending two weeks on one island is the norm rather than the exception, and one week each on Santorini and Mykonos will fly by. You've already had some good advice on your other threads, and it's easy to make bookings over the internet, so why not do it yourself?
June is still middle season, and most hotels, ferries, etc aren't full during that period. That makes it easy to prebook. Santorini is at the top of most first timers' must-see lists, and a great place to start your honeymoon. June is a wonderful time to go to Mykonos, as everything is open but the island hasn't yet gone into full party mode — that happens during July and August. Both of those islands have lots of top end hotels and restaurants (better than a villa unless you want to self-cater).
Now, if you want to squeeze a third island into the mix, Naxos and Paros (and my favourite Antiparos) are between Santorini and Mykonos, so you could stop for a few days en route. Save the last night in Athens for the end of the trip.
Dec 16th, 2013, 10:34 AM
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I spend close to a month at a time on Santorini and it's just about right for me. Everyone's different but a week on any island will fly by. That said, I recommend you choose either Santorini OR Mykonos and then go to another island close by to your first choice that offers a different sort of experience. Logical choices would be Naxos, Paros, Antiparos, Tinos or Andros.
Dec 16th, 2013, 12:21 PM
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I agree with the other posters. The time will fly by, so ditch the travel agent! I could easily spend time on almost any Greek island while doing very little other than enjoying the gorgeous scenery,sightseeing, eating wonderful food, and swimming.
I absolutely love Santorini, although I much prefer the town of Oia to Fira. I think for a first-timer Santorini is a good choice. We didn't like Mykonos, but we visited in the middle of July when it was overrun with party people. If you decide to go there, will you have a car? It can be hard to get around the island without one.
If you decide to try something other than Mykonos, I would highly recommend Paros, and especially the area around Nauossa. Again, you would want a car there so that you can take advantage of all the island has to offer- a trip to Parikia, Lefkes, Golden Beach, etc. And a day trip to Antiparos!!
Once your itinerary is set, you should try to make reservations. June is a popular time of year in Greece, though not as busy/crazy as July/August. And yes, I agree with the other posters who suggested visiting Athens at the end of the trip.
I absolutely love Santorini, although I much prefer the town of Oia to Fira. I think for a first-timer Santorini is a good choice. We didn't like Mykonos, but we visited in the middle of July when it was overrun with party people. If you decide to go there, will you have a car? It can be hard to get around the island without one.
If you decide to try something other than Mykonos, I would highly recommend Paros, and especially the area around Nauossa. Again, you would want a car there so that you can take advantage of all the island has to offer- a trip to Parikia, Lefkes, Golden Beach, etc. And a day trip to Antiparos!!
Once your itinerary is set, you should try to make reservations. June is a popular time of year in Greece, though not as busy/crazy as July/August. And yes, I agree with the other posters who suggested visiting Athens at the end of the trip.
Dec 17th, 2013, 07:02 AM
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I guess I am doing nothing but joining the chorus here because I agree with the advice you have received. Here is my take.
Santorini and Mykonos are the most heavily promoted islands by travel agents and they come up often on the forum because thats all that is recommended by the agents.
I believe that Santorini is a must see particularly for first timers and even more so for honeymooners. It will be a stunning backdrop for your memories of the honeymoon.
For me 4 days is enough for Santorini but others like brotherlee a month is the right number. For sure a week will go by quickly.
So the issue now is what else should you consider doing. In my opinion there is nothing in Mykonos that you cant find on Naxos Paros and Antiparos. The same charm and architecture but at a much more affordable price. I am biased and would chose Naxos as my second island but you cant go wrong with Paros or Antiparos either. They are all perfect compliment islands for Santorini. And they will give you an opportunity to have a more realistic Greek experience as they have permanent populations so the people who run your hotel or your taverna are probably from that island. That means you are going to experience Greek hospitality from people who are motivated to give you a great experience and a desire to see you come back.
As for your travel agent indeed many people love ot island hop and would consider 4 days in Santorini 4 on another island and 4 on Mykonos with the rest in Athens. That is a common trip plan and it does work. The problem with it is you don't get a chance to immerse yourself into the island and you waste a half day for each island hop so less islands is a more rich experience.
I also agree you do not need a travel agent to book your hotels. Once you have decided on an island there are lots of very experienced people on this forum who have been there and can give you good advice on where to stay, hotels and tavernas.
My last point is leave Athens to the end of the trip so you are on the mainland before your flight home and Athens is definitely worth 2 days to explore. Step back into history it has a rich culture.
Trip around Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634605629689/
Antiparos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632126687570/
Athens http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632121475515/
See what we are talking about.
Santorini and Mykonos are the most heavily promoted islands by travel agents and they come up often on the forum because thats all that is recommended by the agents.
I believe that Santorini is a must see particularly for first timers and even more so for honeymooners. It will be a stunning backdrop for your memories of the honeymoon.
For me 4 days is enough for Santorini but others like brotherlee a month is the right number. For sure a week will go by quickly.
So the issue now is what else should you consider doing. In my opinion there is nothing in Mykonos that you cant find on Naxos Paros and Antiparos. The same charm and architecture but at a much more affordable price. I am biased and would chose Naxos as my second island but you cant go wrong with Paros or Antiparos either. They are all perfect compliment islands for Santorini. And they will give you an opportunity to have a more realistic Greek experience as they have permanent populations so the people who run your hotel or your taverna are probably from that island. That means you are going to experience Greek hospitality from people who are motivated to give you a great experience and a desire to see you come back.
As for your travel agent indeed many people love ot island hop and would consider 4 days in Santorini 4 on another island and 4 on Mykonos with the rest in Athens. That is a common trip plan and it does work. The problem with it is you don't get a chance to immerse yourself into the island and you waste a half day for each island hop so less islands is a more rich experience.
I also agree you do not need a travel agent to book your hotels. Once you have decided on an island there are lots of very experienced people on this forum who have been there and can give you good advice on where to stay, hotels and tavernas.
My last point is leave Athens to the end of the trip so you are on the mainland before your flight home and Athens is definitely worth 2 days to explore. Step back into history it has a rich culture.
Trip around Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634605629689/
Antiparos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632126687570/
Athens http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632121475515/
See what we are talking about.
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