jc17131

Hi,
For my trip to Greece from Aug. 31 - Sept 9 and will be going to Nafplio, Amorgos and Santorini. I'm wondering how I should be planning the trip.

Day 1: Bus ride to Nafplio from Athens
Day 2: Nafplio
Day 3: Head back to Athens, travel to Amorgos
Day 4: Amorgos
Day 5: Amorgos
Day 6: Santorini
Day 7: Santorini
Day 8: Santorini - then fly out to Athens
Day 9: Fly out of Athens

Do you think I can just go straight to the travel agency when I land in Athens and have them to book my ferries/flights for my entire trip? My concern in doing this is booking hotels. I would like to book the hotels in advance and just hope that the ferries/flights will match up to my itinerary since I figure there must be more than one option to get from one place to another. But is this too risky? What would you suggest?

vayio

First of all I don't think you sould concern about hotels, because you will find plenty early September. Check www.greekferries.gr for information about ferries and online booking. Note that Amorgos has two ports (Aigiali and Katapola), so make search for these two and Santorini has also the name Thira in greek, so search for Thira. I suppose there are many itineraries from Pireus, but I don't know if there is a connection between Amorgos and Santorini. Note also that flights are much more expensive, although by boat you will spend many hours. Search airtickets.gr for domestic flights. (also for info www.amorgos-island.gr and www.travel-to-santorini.com). Have a nice vacation in our beautiful country!!!

Heimdall

I answered your other post about how to get from Athens to Amorgos, but frankly with the travel time to that island, I question whether it would be worth it for only two days. Better, IMO, to spend those two days on Naxos, then go on to Santorini.

However, if you still want to go to Amorgos, FlyingCat 3 has a summer service from there to Santorini which takes only about an hour, and runs every day except Wednesdays: http://tinyurl.com/2ah6w3. Sometimes that link doesn't work very well, and if it isn't showing the ferry, go to www.gtp.gr and input the data yourself.

GH555

I have found that most Greek travel agencies don't want to book just travel (air or ferry) without the hotel. That's where they make their money. I agree with vayio, do it yourself. It's better taking that into your own hands as well.

endlessummer

Hi there - I think it looks doable but you should call the ferry companies in advance. When we were in Amorgos last year, we stopped by the ferry office to book our tickets and found there were many more boat connections than are listed on the official websites. You could also try these guys: www.seajets.gr

You should be prepared to leave from either port on Amorgos, for maximum flexibility. About a 20 minute drive between the two.

jc17131

Thanks for all the great advice!

I've decided to plan and book everything here as suggested.

Heimdall, thanks for the ferry info between Santorini and Amorgos. I'm planning on flying out to Santorini from Athens and then taking the ferry over to Amorgos.

Heimdall

The link I gave you was for Amorgos to Santorini. If you plan to do Santorini first, then Amorgos, the schedule would be http://tinyurl.com/37a693. A word of caution, though: Amorgos is not the best island to leave until the end of your trip. If the winds are strong, FlyingCat 3 and Express Skopelitis, which are both small ferries, could be cancelled. As best I can make out, you now plan to return from Amorgos to Piraeus on Day 8 (Fri Sep 7th). According to gtp.gr the ferry schedule for that period is http://tinyurl.com/2ddhm3. Blue Star Naxos, which sails in all but the worst weather, returns to Piraeus on Sat & Sun, but not Fri.

Endlessummer points out that Seajets has a ferry not on the gtp.gr schedule, but be aware that their ferries are as small, if not smaller, than FlyingCat 3, so would also be cancelled in high winds.

Bottom line is, leaving Amorgos until the end of your island hopping trip is a risk. Personally I would do the opposite of your itinerary, leaving Nafplio until last rather than first.

travelerjan

Exactly why I always visit Nafplio last... also, being a town, rather than an island, it helps you ease back into urban scene, but beautifully.

jc17131

I was planning on changing the schedule so that it's now:

Day 1: Fly out to Santorini from Athens
Day 2: Santorini
Day 3: Santorini
Day 4: Ferry to Amorgos
Day 5: Amorgos
Day 6: Ferry back to Santorini and fly out to Athens
Day 7: Nafplio
Day 8: Nafplio
Day 9: Athens

I'm thinking of getting a roundtrip ticket from Athens to Santorini so that I can take a ferry to Amorgos a couple of days later, then come back to Santorini to fly back to Athens.

I planned the trip in this order since my flight from Athen to Santorini comes in at around noon and the next ferry out to Amorgos is after 8PM the same day. I didn't want to waste a day and worry about luggage, so I decided to stay in Santorini first.

One thing, my flight from Santorini to Athens is 2 hours before my ferry arrives from Amorgos. Which seems like I'm cutting it too close...should I risk the ferry cancellation? Anyone know if Aegean Airlines will put me on another flight if I miss mine?

travelerjan

Why are you going all the way back to Santorini in order to get to Athens?? It seems like backtracking to me.

However, the point is moot. You have picked Wednesday for this crucial travel day. Wednesday is a "Down" day in many ferry schedules.

If you check the "open Seas" ferry site or gtp.gr you will see that the fast-ferry from Amorgos to Thira does not run on that Wednesday. Even if it did -- what a stress-filled day!!

Have u considered the one remaining ferry option? At 6 am the Blue Star Paros leaves Katopola for Piraeus, arriving 15:00 (3 pm). Yes, it's 9 hours but Katopola is the FIRST stop, you will have your pick of seats (actually your ticket should give you an inside reserved economy "airline style" seat where u can doze...or leave to go out on deck when u wish. The hardest part is a 6 am departure -- makes it impossible to stay in Aegali,the more attractive area.

What is it about Amorgos anyway?? Is it to see that cliffside cathedral? I have gone there, but not on this kind of nailbiting short schedule!! Have you considered Naxos or Paros instead, for the 2 days? Either one would be TOTALLY easier & more relaxed with much shorter trip back to Piraeus...either 9:45 or 10:45 on that same Blue Star run.
Please share WHY Amorgos on this cruelly short visit. Inquiring minds want to know!

jc17131

As for Amorgos, I've never been there and my friends wanted to try a new island...somehow we ended up picking Amorgos. There is nothing in particular about Amorgos that drew us in. It could have also easily been Milos, Folegandros or Sifnos. I agree, it seems like it's too much to try to do in such a short period of time. I'm now thinking Naxos, which I've been to before, instead. It'll make the planning not as stressful.

Heimdall

For what it's worth, getting between Santorini and Milos, Folegandros or Sifnos is just as difficult - even harder after the summer catamarans stop running.

If you want a quiet island you have never visited before, think about Antiparos - a gem of an island with great beaches, and only 30 min by bus and ferry from Parikia on Paros. If you went there first you could still fly back to Athens from Santorini.