Forgot to mention this trip will take place in July 2009. I know. High Season and not the ideal time. But there's nothing we can do about that part. Thanks!

I've been to Mykonos and yes, I would suggest renting a car as the island is fairly large. Of course, this depends upon where you stay. If you stay in a hotel near the center of town, then a car isn't really necessay. As for hotels to stay in, go here and you should be able to find what you're looking for:

http://mykonos-accommodation.com/homepage.htm

There is no clear advantage in flying from Athens to Mykonos, since the ferry journey is relatively short. Flights are obviously quicker, but when you add check-in time, baggage claim, and transfer time, there's not much difference overall. Fastest ferry would be a highspeed catamaran from Rafina, taking about 2.5 hours. Conventional ferries take about 4.5 hours, but allow you to sit on an outside deck, watching the world go by. There is also a ferry from Piraeus, Blue Star Ithaki, which departs daily at around 7:30am, and arrives Mykonos about 1:00pm.

Car rental isn't necessary, as both Mykonos and Santorini have excellent bus systems. Buses won't take you to out of the way places, though, and can be crowded in July. I get along perfectly well with public transport, but you may wish the convenience of a rental car.

trafaelwyr, thanks for the input and link. Seems like there's some useful info on that site. I appreciate it.

Heimdall, thanks to you too. I think it's a ferry for us. More relaxed and scenic than flying. You seem to spend a lot of time on the islands. Care to share any of your favorite spots to eat or sites to see?

Well, for Mykonos, the place to see is the archaeological site on Delos. Ferries depart from several times each morning. Exploring the winding passageways in Mykonos Town is a delight. You can see Little Venice, Paraportiani Church, and the famous windmills.

There are many fine restaurants on Mykonos, some very expensive. A modestly priced, but good restaurant I discovered last June is Marco Polo Greek Taverna on Lakka Square.

Meant to write: "from the old harbor several times each morning."

If you decide to stay in Mykonos town, the Hotel Rochari is a great "budget-ish" choice (it's budget for Mykonos, anyway).

Fabulous location at the "top" of town, overlooking everything, so the views are wonderful, but it's still a pretty short walk to the harborfront (if you can find your way, of course, which can be tricky!). Great staff. Small room and bathroom, but our balcony was almost as big as the room and the view was spectacular.

In Santorini, the restaurants are mainly overlooking the caldera; we went to two nice ones: one was lovely; called something like the Aegean (? or the Archipelago? sorry; it's been 10 years and memory fades). We shared a bottle of Chateau Julia wine (yes, a Greek wine; no retsina in it thank goodness).

Your itinerary seems well paced. I would fly to Mykonos to maximize your time.

Personally, I found buses with the occasional taxi and occasional trek more than adequate when visiting both Santorini and Mykonos. Though admittedly taxis on Mykonos are in high demand. I decided to hoof it between several destinations in Mykonos and enjoyed the scenery - though if you go this route bring water and a hat - it gets hot and there is no shade. Both islands are heavily touristed -so buses are frequent and English is prevalent. I think I would have been uncomfortable driving in parts of Santorini.

I stayed at a place my guide book recommended Hotel Philippi - it was basic but right in the heart of the Hora and very affordable - lovely courtyard - great pick. I'd choose to stay in Oia on Santorini by the by.

I highly recommend a daytrip to Delos from Mykonos - excursions are easy to book at any travel agency in town.

Have fun,
Naxos

Mykonos and Santorini at this time are busy especially on weekends so make your resavations for the hotels asap.Try to leave Athens for the r/t trip to the mainland as winds can sometimes hold the ferrys from running on time. Leave for the islands as soon as you arrive in Athens trainride from the airport to Pireus Try this site it seems good http://www.ferries.gr/booking/ but there are many others as well. The ferries from Lavrio takes less time but you need to take the bus/train from the airport to central Athens then a bus again to Lavrio ( I dont know if there is a bus direct from the airport to Lavrio )that would take another hour and then the boat sounds and is a problem when you have to carry baggage as well.
Check this link http://www.mykonos-hotels.info
Santorini has everything you desire it all depends on how much you whant to spend - The cheapest area for hotels would be Perrisa Hotels are between 30 - 50 euro nice places but no Caldera view. Some of the cheapest hotels that overlook the Caldera are in Imerovigli eg www.uranoshouses.com and many others as well. Most of the hotels have tranfer as well when you arrive - ask for it - http://www.santorini.com/
Some of the best located and cheapest Tavernas are in Acrotiri on the beach eg Nikos Cave right on the beach and also the Tavernas on Perissa beach are just good.
Don t forget to take a sunset cruise. I had a great time with these guys and i can defiantly recoment them. http://www.santoriniyachting.com/
Hope all this can give you a bit more help

Terrific information everyone, thanks so much. We're going to book a room with Strogili hotel in Oia Santorini. It seems well recommended on the boards here and tripadvisor. The photos too look just spectacular.

cheryllj, thanks for the Rochari recommendation. I'm going to take a look at it now.

Please keep the ideas and suggestions coming. We're getting really excited!

ruechapon: Coincidentally, I also stayed at Strogili Houses in Santorini in May 2008, the same trip in which I stayed at the Rochari in Mykonos.

I would definitely recommend Strogili -- it's a real bargain for Oia imho. The only caveat is that the hot water was sort of scarce, but if you know that ahead of time, it's not that big of a deal.

Also, it doesn't offer much in the way of "concierge" type services -- don't expect them to give you a lot of tourist info and book tours for you and that sort of thing. You're renting a room/apt, not staying in a full-service hotel, but if you don't mind that (we didn't) it's great.

I think most of the small hotels have the same hot water situation. The water heaters are very small, only about 5 gallons, so if you take short "navy" showers you won't run out. There's always been a chronic water shortage on the island, so they're very conscious about wasting it.

Good to know, thanks. By the way, it was the info provided by cheryllj and brotherleelove2004 that led us to the
Strogili Houses. So thanks so much.

I emailed Rochari for rates and info. If we book we'll be replicating your trip cheryllj.

Now the real question. We have 7 night on the islands. Would you do 4 on Myknonos and 3 on Santorini or the reverse?

If it were me I'd choose Santorini _OR_ Mykonos, skipping the other altogether, and choose another island that has something different to offer in terms of atmosphere and sights to see. Going to both of them and no other island is a bit redundant, as both are very similar in many ways including the intense influx of cruise ship and charter flight passengers which clog the streets and alleyways, especially in the Peak-Season July madness. If going to Delos is on your agenda you can get there from either Paros or Naxos on a daytrip excursion boat which will also include a stop on Mykonos for a couple of hours. If you choose Paros you can also take a daytrip to Antiparos on the frequent daily local shuttle boat.

I would spend more time in Santorini.

I loved Mykonos town when we first arrived, it was just so adorable . . . but the crowds of cruise shippers clogging the streets really got old, fast. We were happier in Oia, where everything was much more peaceful and less crowded (except for 1-2 hours around sunset, when the cruisers ship in, but they're gone quickly).

When you arrive at Strogili and see the view from your terrace, you won't want to leave. The photos aren't lying.

brotherleelove2004, interesting idea. I didn't realize the two islands were so similar. Our impression was that while Mykonos crowded, crazy, hectic Santorini would be more relaxed, relaxing, etc. That is sort of the mix we're shooting for.

cheryllj, just hear back from Rochari and unfortunately they're booked for our dates.

Been to both islands as a port of call on a Med cruise and much preferred Mykonos. The town is busy as they both are, but classier. The harbour/beach area is much nicer too.

Avoid the donkeys in Santorini that the local owners force to climb or descend the cliff up to the town from the harbour, carrying tourists. There's been a lot of bad publicity for the donkey masters here in Europe because of the loads(people) they are asked to carry and the steepness of the path they use.

Use the cable car instead, it's faster and kinder.

Lifeman: I'm not sure what "town" you are talking about on Santorini, but it sounds like you are referring to Fira.

I agree that Fira has much in common with Mykonos town as both are pretty crowded and frenetic, and filled with the cruise shippers looking for souvenirs.

ruechapon - If you are staying in Oia (it sounds like you've already booked at Strogili), then that is quite different from Mykonos town imho. Oia can get crowded around sunset time but earlier in the day, and at night, it is sooo lovely and peaceful. VERY different from Mykonos town which is go go go all the time. After staying in Mykonos town (which we loved - for one day anyway, but in July I imagine it would be a zoo), we were so very happy to be in Oia instead of busy Fira.

Also ruechapon -- if you are arriving by regular ferry in Santorini, you can take a taxi from the port to Oia (Strogili will book it for you ahead of time so the taxi is waiting for you when you arrive and you don't have to scramble to get one).

The cable car vs. donkey debate is only for the port where the cruise ships dock.

cheryllj, thanks for the good input. We have booked into Strogili in Oia and my impression and hope was that Oia was quite different from Myknonos.

Since Rochari is booked do you have any suggestions for hotels on Mykonos? Thanks!

When I was looking at hotels in Mykonos town, we considered Vencia Hotel and Hotel Tagoo before choosing Rochari. Obviously I didn't stay in the other places but they get rave reviews on Trip Advisor.

If you can afford it, the Belvedere looks fabulous. It's only a couple of doors down from the Rochari and I love that location overlooking the town.

If you are interested in the beach, there is also the option of staying in one of the beach resorts on Mykonos rather than the town. The beaches on Santorini (Kamari and Perissa) aren't nearly as good imho, at least from the brief time I saw them -- they're dark and rocky. Santorini is all about the caldera view from the top of the cliff, not really the beaches, which are on the other side of the island (away from the caldera).

Ruechapon-

Mykonos is definitely busier than Santorini, but only by a small degree in July. Both will be extremely crowded. If you want variety and a relaxing mix then follow my advice.

ruechapon

I echo cheryllj's comments about Rochari Hotel. I've lodged there many times over the years and it is a great pity they are fully booked.

I'm always hesitant to comment on other hotels particularly if I have not been a guest, but here goes. The Vencia's location will ensure wonderful views over Mykonos town. However, the busiest (and noisiest) road on the island wraps itself around it. The hotel must pick up some of that disturbance. I've just read their reviews on Trip Advisor and a few have commented on it.

Hotel Tagoo that cheryll mentions has many return visitors and is loved by many. Also, here are a few other town hotels with good views to check out. Their rates in July 09 are close to e200.

www.poseidonhotel-mykonos.com/

http://www.petasos.gr/petasos_town/home.htm

Bill

Brotherleelove, thanks for advice. we really appreciate it. I think we are going to do Mykonos and Santorini. Hopefully they will be different enough for us. And we go always return to find more out of the way locals. But we do appreciate your input -- and we picked Strogili based largely on your suggestions from other threads.

billbarr, thanks for the recommendations. Tagoo seems like a great deal. And they have room for us. So I think that's the winner.

Just a quick follow-up to my previous post and a new question. We've actually decided to add a two-day trip to perhaps either Paros or Naxos.

Brotherleelove, we pretty well decided you were right and it's worth it to see a different side of the isles.

Two things are confusing me though. First, I guess I'm having a hard time grasping the ferry routes and the geography of the islands. It is possible to ferry from Mykonos to Santorini, right? And if we were to also go to Paros or Naxos is there a logical ordering of where we go first, second, third? Or are these islands easily connected by frequently running ferries that it doesn't matter?

As always, thanks for the help with this.

ruchapon: I visited Naxos as part of my trip in May 2008.

Here is our 2-week itinerary, and it worked really well for us. Paros could easily be substituted for Naxos, and it probably has even more ferry connections b/c it's sort of the "hub" of transport in the Cyclades.

Day 1: arrive in Athens, overcome jet lag
2: Sightsee in Athens
3: Fly to Mykonos (3 nights)
6: Catamaran to Naxos (3 nights)
9: Blue Star Ferry to Santorini (4 nights)
(the Blue Star is a huge boat and very comfortable, we made a lot of Titanic jokes)
13: Fly to Athens
14: Fly home

From Mykonos to Naxos, I know we took a high speed and I think it was a catamaran, but I'm not sure I will remember the specific one. Flying Cat maybe? On the day we arrived in Mykonos, we just went to one of the ticket agencies at the harbor and asked "how do we get to Naxos on X day?" There were only 1 or 2 choices so it was easy.

We did the same thing on Naxos to get to Santorini, but I knew ahead of time we'd be taking the Blue Star. Ferry schedules are posted a month or two in advance, and I had checked out the possibilities before leaving home.

Most people will tell you to save sightseeing in Athens for the end, and that's probably good advice. But we were so jet lagged when we first arrived, and I'm glad we stayed in Athens that first night at least, before heading off to the islands.

PS: Regarding the order of visiting the islands -- from north to South, it's Mykonos, then Paros/Naxos (next to each other), then Santorini which is the southern most of all the Cyclades.

If you want to visit 3 islands, it makes sense to either start in Santorini and work north (first Naxos/Paros and then Mykonos), or start in Mykonos and work south.

Most people say to start south and work north, but we wanted to save Santorini for last and we were VERY glad we did. I think we would have liked the other islands much less if we had gone to Santorini first. As it was, we loved every island as we arrived and thought each one improved upon the last.

I'm glad you changed your mind. I think you will be too.

The Hellenic Seaways highspeed FlyingCat 4 travels between Crete and Mykonos with stops at Santorini, Ios and Paros before continuing on to Mykonos. Take note of the no-sail Wednesdays.


http://www.ferries.gr/hfd/

Although Mykonos is one of the Cyclades islands, it's actually part of a different ferry route other than the FC4. That may be why you were having trouble understanding the locations.

http://www.greeka.com/cyclades/cyclades-maps.htm

If you choose Paros you can conveniently take the local shuttle boat over to Antiparos for a daytrip. It's a very nice little island, and there are ferries that connect Paros with Naxos and Mykonos as well. From both Paros and Naxos you can catch a ferry back to Athens/Piraeus.

cheryllj and brotherleelove, thanks for the info. You two are helping us out so much and we appreciate it. So, here's how our itinerary looks:

Athens - 2 days
Mykonos - 4 days
Either Naxos or Paros - 2 days
Santorini - 4 days

One last question (I promise!) cheryl, you just bought ferry tickets on the same day you wanted to travel. Do you think this is advisable in July? Or is advanced purchase the way to go.

Cheers again!

forgot to finish the itinerary: after Santorini either fly or boat back to Athens. Stay the night somewhere close by ATH and then catch flight home next day. So, our 10 day vacation has turned in 13 days. No complaints.

It's advisable to purchase your ferry tickets ahead of time in July if you want to take one of the faster highspeed catamaran ferries, but the car ferries are huge and there's always room on them. If you do opt for the regular car ferry, spend the few extra euro for an indoor lounge airline-style reserved seat so you can be comfortable. You can still get up and wander around, no problem.

Here's a link for a small hotel near the airport that provide free airport shuttle between 7 AM and Midnight.

http://www.perishotelapt.gr/#

The St. Thomas B&B offers some transfer services as well.

http://www.stay-in-athens.com/services.htm

to answer your questions about transportation - we stayed in aspa villas in santorini which I don't think is too far from strogili. we thought the bus service from oia to fira (where the main bus tour is to the other beaches) was quite good and easy.

we really enjoyed taverna mou near aspa in santorini, i think it was a brotherleelove recommendation. i still dream of the fried tomatoes in santorini!

Kak, thanks for the ideas. We appreciate it and look forward to the tomatoes.

Brotherleelove, thanks for the great recommendations and for being so free your expertise. You're a champ. Let me know if I can ever repay the favor. I know France pretty well.

I didn't book my ferry tickets the day of travel -- I booked 2-3 days ahead of time, usually the day I arrived on the island I was planning to leave in a few days.

As BLL says, I would definitely book a few days ahead in July when the ferries can be more crowded.