In those other forum posts you've read, no doubt you've seen requests from the 'regulars' for specific information pertaining to your travel dates, hotel budgets, likes, dislikes, interest in nightlife, etc. These are all very important, especially dates and budget. I will add a request that you mention places you've already researched that you definitely DON'T want to visit so we aren't wasting your time and ours.

With only 2 weeks you don't have time for much more than Athens and 2 island stops. Keep in mind that you will lose a minimum of 1/2 day for each change of location from checking out of your hotel, getting to the ferry port or airport, travel time between islands, finding your next hotel and settling in.

Save the mainland (Athens, etc.) for the end of your trip so you don't have to scramble back to the mainland at the last minute for your flight home. This way you eliminate all the stress and worry pertaining to missing that flight because of last-minute cancellations or delays.

As to traveling dates, I'm we're actually flexible, but I'm thnking May or June depending on the weather and when the spring blooming season is. Budgetarily speaking we're in the middle somewhere -- Prefer smaller places with flavor, but still do want nice hotels. Nightlife is not an interest. We're keen on views. As in sitting at the hotel and watching teh sunset etc.. love smaller towns where we can poke around in the shops, sit and have a long leisurely lunch or sit by the waterside with a glass of wine. We love historical sights. And at the moment, have no "no's" . I started the research--was a bit overwhelmed and then wound up here reading another post from a few years back. The information was really helpful, and so I guess I was looking for guidence as to what was reasonable for a two week trip (originating in the US). We've traveled extensively in Europe and definitely understand that biting off too much for a trip just dilutes the entire thing.

Hello Dee!

Do you mean 2 weeks in May or June 2011? Getting started quickly is a good idea... If you have had this as a lifelong dream, surely you've looked at a Guidebook or 2? If not, today run right over to nearest Barnes & noble, Border or other biggie bookstore, find a seat & browse thru something like HK's "Eyewitness: the Greek Islands (+athens)" ... the best QUICk visual overview of the highlights of each island, shown in the island groups, with a back-page ferry map that shows the ferry routes, so you'll see whats workable/feasible without backtracking or time-wasting. Please don't try to plan without some Guidebooks ... they help you in the work of "winnowing" which you need to do fairly promptly.

Ideas to keep firmly in mind, for a dream trip of just 2 weeks, besides the vital tips of Brotherleelove above:

(1) FIRST DAY -- Try to choose a flight that gets in in the AM, then Fly immediately to farthest island, then "hop" back with Athens at the end. Other reasons Why? u get to spend your first night &sunset on a lovely isle ... you avoid the expenditure of precious hours going into Athens for a stay both at the start and end of trip ... Your island stay will energize you for the busy-ness of Athens & you'll also be more at home finding your way around... also, being immersed in Greece for even just a few days, the famous Athens landmarks will resonate with you so much more.

(2) TIME CHOICES -- Please try to spend at least 3 days per island, and 3 in Athens, and don't count the MINIMUM of 1/2 day to relocate from 1 isle to another even very close by.

(3) TRANSPORT, FIRST -- Before u solidify plans for hotels or sightseeing, make sure that u have feasible ferry schedules looked up, and/or domestic plane tix booked. If you go in late may/early June you'll have plenty of lodging choices, and without having to pay advance deposits either (beware of these-- places should reserve just on y our credit-card info). It's so distressing to read on these forums from desperate newcomers who have paid nonrefundable big bucks up front for luxe hotels, and then find they cannot get there on the day booked.

As for gladioli... I just googled "Gladioli Blooming Season in Greece" and came up with this gem from Crete: http://www.completely-crete.com/field-gladiolus.html - it says the season extends through June... and may be longer, in more northern places than Crete. Actually Western Crete is heaven in May for wildflowers and other plants. I remember walking down the Imbros Gorge and feeling as if I were in an oven, with a leg of lamb... because I was so surrounded by overwhelming perfume of Thyme bushes...

"....in the middle somewhere" is just too vague. When I wrote that your room budget is important, I should have said, "Please state your maximum daily room budget in euro."

With so many lovely islands to choose from, please do some more research and come up with a short list of your top choices. And with only 2 weeks to spend it's best if you choose islands within close proximity to each other. The island groups for you to research are Sporades, Cyclades, Ionian, Dodecanes, Saronic, NE Aegean.

If wildflowers (that is, blooming in the landscape rather than in pots) are central to you, it may be important to look at at least one island that has enough water to be fertile & green in some areas -- many of the Cyclades, beautiful in other regards are dry & sere. If a flower person, I do suggest Western Crete, where the mountain areas abound in flowers. As one of my guidebooks says "wild flowers are one of the island's crowning glories...1500 different species, including 130 Endemic (unique to Crete) species.... bloom at the same time, in general between March to June". I would suggest the last week of may first week of June for ideal weather, swimmable, yet still catch the flower season.

One idea: Fly to Chania, spend a day around that beautiful Old town, rent car, drive inland, south perhaps to PaleoChora... many choices! On day 5 or 6, be in Heraklion for ferry to Santorini... 2 days there, fly to Athens AM, get car, drive to Delphi in afternoon, see lower site (no admission or fenced-in) next AM see main site, noon drive back to Athens -- Metro to a hotel in Plaka, then spend 2 -3 days in Athens. Not enough time, but a start!! You'll be back.

Thanks all of you for some great ideas and starting points. We're planning the trip for 2012. So I still have plenty of time. I'm off to order the suggested book now. And do so appreciate the link to glads. And ideas for places to start researching. As a young woman I fell in love with Mary Stewart novels. Many of them are set in Greece. And from that moment on, I've wanted to visit. And to see the flowers and windmills and wild climbing coastlines that she describes. I'll check in again as I get further along in my planning and have more specific questions. Again thank you!

A ton of books... all available in Paper, or from the Library.

"Rough Guide to Greece" -- No pictures but best overall Guide to Greece; this is the one to Buy (not Lonely Planet, which now is just about logistics). A bonus feature of Rough Guide ... it is laid out so that -- with care -- one can pull out a relevant section (i.e. Crete, or the Cyclades), and "bind" the spine with duct tape. Voila! a pocket mini-guide! No need to take the Big Fat Book along.

"GREEK ISLANDS" -- The Cadogan Guides series. Dana Vacaro writes like an ANGEL, her prose is infused with the spirit of Greece, it's perfect bedside or hammock reading ... I don't know if there's been a new edition since 2003 or so, but it doesn't matter, you're not reading this for the latest hotel prices, but for the ancient sites & landmarks and those don't change that fast!

Fiction -- Go to Used bookstores or Amazon & get paperbacks of all of Mary Renault's books, not romances like Mary Stewart but gripping enthralling historic adventures. The Must-read for a cretan visit: The King Must Die. The follow -up is Bull from the Sea. About Classic age in Athens -- The Last of the Wine. Interested in rise of theatre? Mask of Apollo. The pre-classic era of poet-singers (HOmer on): The Praise Singer. All are superb.

Modern Memoir -- Eurydice Street.

I found this page on the Dodecanese islands. simple description of all the islands with photos and some information. worth checking out www.12islands.net

I am in the beginning stages of planning a trip to Greece for this June for my husband and I. Have any of you traveled their recently and how safe is it with the riots. We recently saw on the news that several fires were set by rioters in Athens and this has my husband concerned. We have already pushed this trip back 2 years due to other events occurring in our lives and I'd really hate to push in back again. Any suggestions/pointers would be greatly appreciated right now. This trip is a life long dream of mine and we'd really love to go before starting a family next year.

Although there is an occasional outbreak of violence in Athensm that won't affect a vacation in the rest of Greece. Those incidents are limited to the Syntagma Square area around the Parliament Building in Athens as well as in Thessaloniki. What MIGHT affect your vacation are strikes that can cripple air traffic as well as ferry, bus, taxi and Metro train movement. This is something that can't be predicted. If you do decide to go to Greece try to keep as flexible as possible and keep an eye out here for Strike information: http://livingingreece.gr Clik on the "Strikes" icon for updates. Typically, strikes are scheduled in advance and usually happen mid-week, so changing locations is less-likely to be a problem if you do it over a weekend.

The Consular Section of the US Embassy in Athens has a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Consular-Section-US-Embassy-Athens/149676861734131. This is another good source of information on strikes, demonstrations, and other happenings in Athens.

While on the islands you are very unlikely to be affected by strikes or demonstrations. Hotels, restaurants, shops, and local ferry services normally don't participate in strikes.

The best way to avoid problems, IMHO, is to return to the mainland three days before your flight home. That will provide a buffer against the 24 and 48 hour strikes that occasionally stop ferries departing from Piraeus and Rafina. There is plenty to see and do in Athens to keep you busy for a few days. Most of the major sites and museums in Athens are in a small pedestrianised area, so even if the metro and buses are stopped you can still get around on foot.

The day before your flight home check for any announcements on transport stoppages. It is rare that metro, buses, and taxis are all on strike at the same time. Even if they were, you could still arrange for a private driver to take you to the airport, but that must be arranged in advance.

Lastly, remember that the vast majority of trips to Greece are completely unaffected by strikes.

You would be well advised to bring lots of cash (dollars of euros). If the country does declare bankruptcy, the banks will probably have to close for a while and the ATM machines will shut down, also for a while (impossible to know how long).

Hi all,
We are spending l0 days May in Greece; arrive 9:30 am and planned to fly immediately to Santorini; however the flights are 11:10 (not enough time to make the flight according to most); the other is not until 5:50 pm!

Any ideas on what we can do for the day - can we take a taxi somewhere as I just cannot imagine sitting in the Athens airport 6-7 hours when I was hoping to be having lunch in Santorini...I'd go crazy esp. after l8 or more hours flying from home. We will only have carry-on baggage.

I even thought about changing my reservation in Santorini to the next day; spend the first night in Athens but that only leaves us one night at the end of trip and everyone advises at least two (esp. these times!) in case of strikes, delays, etc. as a buffer.

Any suggestions? Bummed out about the WAIT! Olympic and Aegean Air both told me via phone they would not be adding flights early May. Such a waste to spend a day in a terminal.

Thanks!

Check in for the Santorini flight straight away, dropping off your baggage and obtaining boarding passes. That way you can proceed directly to the departure gate upon return to the airport. It's possible, if you are early enough, you could even be transferred to the earlier flight. That would be a long-shot, but worth asking anyway.

A layover from 9:30 to 5:50 allows you enough time to take a quick trip into Athens if you wish. Metro takes 45 minutes each way, and would give you enough time for a walk around Plaka and lunch.

Another possibility is bus or taxi to Rafina, the port only 20 minutes from the airport. There are some good fish tavernas there, with views over the harbour. I've heard people recommend the Attica Zoo, which is also near the airport. If you have an interest in Swedish flat-pack furniture (just kidding!) you could visit the Ikea store near the airport. I understand it has a good restaurant. In any event you will need to return to the airport an hour before your flight to Santorini.

I'd have asked a somewhat different question - how much of a night owl are you and do you want an active or quieter time in the islands? If, like me, you enjoy a late dinner and sunsets then the more tranquil islands are your best bets. Santorini is one of the most hectic of the big nightlife islands but the views are stupendous. So if you want quiet there, stay in Oia which is predominantly pedestrian only and very beautiful and rent a motorscooter to get around if you are adventurous but a car is far safer there. Other islands we liked were Folegandros and Astypalea. Folegandros is reputed to have the best sunsets in the Mediterranean and we agreed and there are sweet B&B's there near the sunset view at the top of the island. Astypalea is reportedly where all the Athenians go on vacation. We also liked the island of Milos for a sort of half-way active/reflective location. Can't recommend any lodging as we chartered a sailboat and stayed on it at night.

Heimdall,

Thanks - I will hope we make the early flight - won't count on it, so will take a taxi to the Rafina IF weather cooperates - that will be a nice, outdoor lunch to get over jet lag.

Appreciate it. We are so looking forward to our first visit!

MB
Sorry for the hijack - just realized this was a '11 thread!

sssteve

I hope your post was the last of that kind in this forum.
The issue of a bankruptcy of Greece came to a final solution during the eurogroup summit , and it is 100% sure now, that the EU will support Greece with all the funds needed to recover from the crisis. ( we are talking about Billions of Euros).
Last year Greece reached as per latest official statistics the all time record number of 16.427.247 visitors, which was an increase of 9,6% compared to 2010.
For a comparison Greece has a population of approximately 11,8 Millions.
So, NO Greece will not default and Yes the banks will continue working without any problems. Greece will continue having the Euro !!!
The eurozone agreement will have as a result possibly less strikes and demonstrations, as definitive answers were given to all the matters that were causing these strikes .

The Plaka would be a good place to walk around and spend 4-5 hours, you could lunch at one of the many cafe restaurants. I wouldn't worry too much about the political situation, for the most part tourists aren't affected, though you'll do well to get back to Athens 48-72 hours prior to your departure as others have suggested. Yes, Santorini is full of tourists, but it's still one of the loveliest islands I've been to and quiet once the day trippers leave, a caldera-view hotel at Oia would be perfect. Your going to love your Greek getway, happy planning

Clauser:

I'm glad you are so certain and I hope that you are correct.

ssssteve, your "bring lots of cash" was probably the worst bit of advice I have ever read, but probably music to the ears of Athens pickpockets.

thanks for the advice. This really sets me at ease.