Planning roundtrip Greece

Old Jan 17th, 2016, 03:05 AM
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Planning roundtrip Greece

Hi we will be visiting Greece for 3 weeks in May 2016. Our plans are: Athens (4n)- Nafplio (3n) - Monemvasia (1n)- Olympia (2n) - Delhi (1n)- Meteora (2n)- Epanomi (5n) - Palaio Faliro (3n)

I read some of the other discussions and am not so sure about skippng Olympia or Monemvasia
We added Olympia because we like to visit Dimitsana and Langadia
And Epanomi because we are going to visit friends there

We love nature and seeing authentic places, love to see historic places too, but we dont have to see it all if you know what i mean, we love to see the really beautiful and important places and meet with people from the country we visit. And we are romantics
We are fascinated by Monemvasia but are wondering if it is worth the trip and stay just 1 night

We are experienced travelers and drivers

So hope to hear your suggestions
Hermien
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Old Jan 17th, 2016, 03:21 AM
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No islands?
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Old Jan 17th, 2016, 03:29 AM
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Monemvasia is really out of your way. Instead, I would suggest driving to Voidokilia which is already close to Olympia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voidokilia_beach

Dimitsana and Langadia: I think you want to hike through the Lousios Gorge which requires the better part of a day.

If you are romantics, Olympia might have a special appeal to you: it is an important historical place, you can walk through the tunnel into the stadium like the athletes thousands of years ago and you can stand on the ground where the Olympic flame is lit every four years.

Delphi and Meteora will be the highlights of your trip. We stayed two nights in a mountain hotel below Mount Parnassos and, after visiting Delphi, drove and hiked a bit through the mountains. http://www.skamnos.com/eng/

Think about this. I would rather cut a night from Athens.
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Old Jan 17th, 2016, 05:10 AM
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Don't forget Mistras!
Monemvasia is really a detour. But if you like to sleep in a old crusader castle: why not?
What about 1 night spent between Thessaloniki (visit the archeological museum!) and Piraeus, may be in a Pelion village.
http://www.greeka.com/thessaly/pelion/
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 12:08 AM
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Thank you all for your answers
We want to stay on the mainland this time
I think we will skip Monemvasia and look at the different options you provided
We are 65 and 69 and although in good form we will not be doing a lot of hiking just heard that Dimisana and Langadia are worth visiting and we love to be in small villages and enjoy talking and eating And enjoying a glass of wine with the Greek people and fellow travellers
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 02:07 AM
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If you are going to spend there 3 weeks, are you sure you do not want to visit islands? Santorini is amazing place with absolutely unique nature. And it differs from the main land dramatically. You can spend time on the beach or you can hire a car and explore the island. There are planes from Athens and the island itself requires 2-3 days to see everything. Could be a good option.
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 03:24 AM
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Hi John Peter, I do not see how to fit it in our planning
We already booked and paid for the accommodation in Athens
All the rest is optional so we are free to change that
So although I would love to go to an island that will mean that we have to skip something else
Any suggestions?
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 03:46 AM
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Greece is not only islands and islands are not only Santorini.
You could always add a couple of days at Delphi, exploring the surrounding area, that been sea side or mountain side. You have Galaxidi which is often called "island of the mainland" in 35 minutes drive for example while you have Arachova, the most popular winter mountain resort in 10 minutes drive for example or plenty of other options a bit further away...

Palio Faliro is a southern suburb of Athens, ad far as you plan to stay in Athens for 4 nights at the start of the trip, is the Faliro stay about meeting friends or what?
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 04:12 AM
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Three cheers to the OP for deciding to stay on the mainland! Your phrase: "We want to stay on the mainland this time" indicates to me you have probably been to the islands before, and now you will see another aspect of Greece.

Anyone with an interest in ancient sites would do well to concentrate on the mainland, especially the Peloponnese, which is rich in history. Ancient Messini, a huge archaeological site near Kalamata, gets few visitors, and is a joy to wander around without the masses of tourists that some other sites attract. If you are in that area, be advised that it has some of the best sandy beaches in Greece. You don't have to go to the islands for beaches.
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 06:22 AM
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I don't think that beaches can be a issue in May, however.
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 06:43 AM
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The stay in Palaio faliro is because we plan to return the car then and spend a few days doing little and be near the airport
I do regret booking the apartment in Athens for 4 days but I think we will visit Piraeus during that stay
We have been to several island's in greece and like to concentrate on the mainland and in Epanomi we plan to stay in a bungalow at the beach
I like the suggestion to add another day to Delhi
We don't want to be on the way the whole time running from one place to the other but rather really see and enjoy the places we visit on this trip
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 06:44 AM
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Thank you everyone for taking the time to send me your suggestion we now have a good idea for the trip
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 02:32 PM
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Athens could fill in weeks depending on your interests, so do not regret it. Palaio Faliro is a quite residential area with a busy sea side promenade,including Trokadero and Marina Floisvos areas. I guess it is good for walking around and trying different cafeterias and restaurants as any place. And there is always the Battleship Averof to visit. Just not a very common choice, this is why I asked
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Old Feb 13th, 2016, 04:59 AM
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Hello everybody, good day to you
I have another question, which i hope you can help me with: after our stay in Athens we need to pick up our rental carfor the rest of our trip. I am not sure which pickup point to choose: the airport our an adress in Athens.Can you advice?
Regards Hermien
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Old Feb 13th, 2016, 05:39 AM
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If you pick up at the airport, you have to get there, either by public transport or by taxi. From downtown, it will take at least half an hour. And you may pay a higher rate, with an airport surcharge.

So, picking up the car in downtown is certainly more convenient and overall faster.

Don't be afraid of driving out of Athens - it is fairly easy. And there won't be much traffic if you are driving out of Athens in the morning (when everybody rushes in the opposite direction). We have been driving within Athens several times and found it never a problem.
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Old Feb 13th, 2016, 05:52 AM
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I love Meteora and Nafplio. So whatever you remove, I would NOT remove those. I loved Delphi, but we visited as a stop on our way to Meteora--and that was fine for me. We walked around the ruins, had a nice lunch in town, and then continued our journey.

Last year, we took a short trip to Athens and our kids flew in to meet us. We spent 3 nights on Hydra and adored it (I liked it more than Santorini). It is very easy to get to from Athens... just about an hour and a half by ferry.
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Old Feb 13th, 2016, 07:09 AM
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Do not skip Olympia but perhaps 1 night is enough. We were so glad we visited. We also enjoyed Galaxidi.
Santorini does not fit in the type of trip you are planning at all,filled with cruise ship hordes. If you want to add an island, consider Spetses as a day trip from Napflion, small, pretty and green. Your trip sounds perfect!
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Old Feb 13th, 2016, 07:23 AM
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Regarding the pick up of your car, i think the Airport would be more convenient, as it is located on the motorway that connects Athens with Corinth and Tripolis, which means that driving out of Athens would be very easy.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 09:34 AM
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Thanks again everyone
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 09:47 AM
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Just a piggyback off this thread, we are picking up a car to drive to Delphi and then the Peloponnese -- airport or downtown best pickup point? The thought of driving in Athens is a bit scary for us --
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