Starting to Plan a trip to Greece - a few questions

Hi Alice,

A few of my own thoughts are:

1. Athens - I'd spend no more than 3 days (without day trips) - its great but you have limited time and 2.5 days I think is perfectly sufficient for the city itself. You could add a day trip to see Nafplio or a long day trip to Delphi if that interests you.

2. June is nice - its just off high season so not yet chalked to the brim with tourists and the weather should be quite warm. The sea will still be cold but you can swim and scuba dive etc.

3. Islands - there are a ton of choices here. For a Rhodes/Santorini combo you will likely have to fly from Santorini to Athens then to Rhodes (and vice versa) - in my experience there are not great connections from the Cyclades to the Dodecanese Islands.
But maybe this has changed since I was last in Greece?

4. I don't think a car rental is necessary in Santorini. Public bus is easy and in English considering the number of tourists around. Consider a nice little boat trip to the volcano - its pretty and relaxing. I can't speak to car needs in Naxos or Rhodes. Lots of the cars for rent are Standards so keep that in mind.

5. You can do a day trip to Turkey from Rhodes if you want. It should be easy to join an organized excursion offered by the numerous tourist agencies around.

6. Greece is easy to travel in. I don't think an agency is necessary at all personally. English is everywhere - especially where tourism is prevelent - and it is were you are thinking of going. A good guide book (I would use a Lonely Planet in conjunction with some other book, Fodors etc - sorry Fodors) should give you all the info you need. Its polite and helpful to learn a few key phrases but I wouldn't worry at all.

Greece is lovely and a lot of fun. Enjoy!

Naxos

If it was me, I'd save Athens for last! Its a great city! try to get 3 nights there at least. I don't know where you are flying in from, but de-lag is easier on an island! If you fly into Athens, why not just keep going. Waking up in Old Town Rhodes, or overlooking the Caldera in Oia, Santorini is magical. This way you can rest up, I think Oia is perfect for your first 2 nights. Cars are readily available in June, you can shop one of the local offices. Since you sound like an independent traveler, I'd check out Olympic and Aegean Airlines websites (register on the Aegean site and sign up for specials, they offer some great specials on some super cheap fares).
You cannot fly from Santorini without going through Athens on the 2 major carriers, but Sky Express does a daily from Santorini to Rhodes (and back), so if you do not mind a small plane, you can check out that option, I'd skip a trip to Turkey on this trip, if its only a day trip, as you will want to maximize your time. If your budget is medium and not tight, there are lots of lodging options. I like Strogili House in Oia, (but BLL is the expert on this stuff) it is at the edge of the village, and kind of removed with fabulous views. It is not a luxury hotel, but they do have an adjacent pool, and I would say it is comfortable and ecclectic.
In Rhodes, check out the Spot Hotel in Old Town, the owner Lee,will hook you up with a rental deal, and give you great direction on what to see. I'd say minimum 3 days. Rhodes Old Town makes a good base, unless you want to be beachside every minute. I have not been to Naxos for years, so cannot comment, other than to say I remember it being lovely..but they all are! I think 3 nights at the end of your trip will be the bare minimum for Athens. IMHO. My next trip to Rhodes, I am going to discover Karpathos, which a good friend that I trust tells me is fabulous, There is a daily flight form Rhodes, as well as boats. If you want something totally different and less touristic
(which I crave). Just a few ideas.
Have fun! and do the trip yourself (if you get into the planning..)whats the worst thing that could happen?!
Virtually everyone speaks enough English to help..and Greeks are usually helpful. You are going to love it.

It's been many years, but we took an overnight ferry from Paros to Rhodes. The ferry stopped in Karpathos where my friend spontaneously got off and we met up on Rhodes. Maybe they don't offer the ferry any more. We had a first class cabin and dined in the first class dining room with only two other passengers. Many people were traveling second class. The cost of the first class cabin (this is in 1990) was the same as a low priced hotel room.

Why do you want to go to Rhodes? Not my favorite island and a bit out of the way if you are concentrating on the cyclades. I haven't been to Crete, but I would substitute Crete for Rhodes. Should be easier to get to Crete from Santorini than Rhodes.

My favorite island is Mykonos. Did you rule out Mykonos for a reason? Or perhaps Paros?

I think 2 or 3 days in Athens is fine. I also agree that Crete might be a good subsitute for Rhodes..makes it much easier to get around to Santorini and Naxos. Crete is fantastic with much to see and do. We rented a car in Naxos to drive around the island and was glad we did. Didn't bother to rent a car in Santorini. I dont think you need to use a travel agency. Very easy to make all arrangments over the internet. Enjoy your planning and the trip.

Okay, some good suggestions - I very much like the idea of ending up in Athens, rather than starting there. A number of years ago on a trip to Italy, we started in Tuscany and ended in Rome, sort of the same idea.

I feel better about planning this myself, and it's good to know English is not a problem. No car on Santorini seems to be the consensus. And you've confirmed my plan of going the first 2 weeks of June.

I'll consider Crete instead of Rhodes, although I've always thought that Crete could be a whole trip by itself. Why Rhodes? Lots of history, there's a Jewish quarter that I'm interested in, proximity to Turkey... But nothing is in stone yet. Crete is certainly closer to our other destinations. I didn't pick Mykonos because it sounds like more of a party island. Mykonos sounds like it's more for a younger (than we are) crowd. Is that a misconception on my part?

Thanks for all your good suggestions, I'll do some more work and very likely come back with MORE questions.

Alice

Rhodes was on the top of my list for our last trip, but the transportation logistics meant we would lose too much time getting there and then onto the next destination. We spent about a week on Crete and one could defintely spend more, but I think in 5 days you could see a lot. It's a short hop from Athens and then u can take the ferry to Santorini and then on to Naxos or reverse. I never found Mykonos to be as compelling as other places and agree that its great for late night outs. Great beaches though.

I know Mykonos is known for its nightlife, but I'm not and never have been a nightlife person. Having been to Mykonos twice, I enjoyed the quiet mornings wandering while the night revelers slept. I watched the women dressed in their black garb sweep their sidewalks while the many cats searched for their breakfasts. Both times I stayed in Plati Yalos (1989 and 1999). My cousins (in their 50s) just returned from Greece and said their favorite island was Mykonos. An alternative to Mykonos is Paros, and Paros might be easier for transportation. On Paros we stayed in Naossa (I'm pretty sure I'm spelling that wrong) when it was still a small fishing village. Not sure that description would still apply.

I was asked recently how I deal with stress. My answer was, "I close my eyes and I take myself to Mykonos." I've been many places, but Mykonos has a special place in my heart.

I love Rhodes, I have been traveling to Greece since I was a child. I think Rhodes is the place you find the greatest diversity of things in one place, with the best weather in Greece. Crete is fab, but to do it justice, I think a week
is needed. In Rhodes the magic of Old Town and the Knights of St John, the beaches at the far end of the island where it is still possible to find a deserted special place, The driving in Rhodes is the most civilized in Greece (thats a relative thing though! ,and the roads are in good shape. The Acropolis at Lindos is breathtaking,
and the baths at Kalithea have to be seen! There is plenty to do. If you need restaurant suggestions, let me know. I visit a new island each visit, but never forego at least 3 nights in beautiful Old Town. We like to travel around in a car during the day, and return after the cruise ships have left, and Old Town is so romantic. Have fun!

luv to travel -- on Paros, Naoussa is mainly touristic, the fishing boats are just for photo-taking now I think. But there ARE places on the island that are more serene ... Naxos also is big enough that it's not as impacted by tourists, and going in June Alice will beat the high=season crowds.

Last time i was in Mykonos overnight (forced to, en route from Samos, in order to get a ferry to Naxos) even in Mid-May, the crowds of white-haired cruise people buying jewelry and costly designer clothes was almost oppressive in Mykonos town. ALas.

I've been to Mykonos in June and really enjoyed it - for what it is to be specific. Its relaxing to wander around the pretty car-free streets and look at all the shops. It wasn't yet brimming with toursits in June, but there were enough for plenty of people watching. Nice beaches are all over and Delos makes a fantastic day-trip. I am not a party animal in the least - but found Mykonos perfectly fun for a few days (no more than...4 I'd say - 3 would probably be fine too).

Naxos

I'm sorry to hear about Naoussa. I've been to Greece four times -- the last time in 1999. I want to go back, but I'm concerned about how much it has changed. Next year is Italy, but I was thinking about going back to Greece in 2010. After visiting six other European countries (mostly cities), I found Greece to be the most "unique." The people, the food, the music, the architecture. I even adjusted to no shower curtains. Each time I go back it seems...more modern somehow.

Sorry...don't let me sway you away from Greece. I live in California and it is a long way from here. There is a reason why I keep making that long trip and why I keep dreaming of those beautiful islands.

I have a few suggestions. I went to Greece 2 years ago during the second two weeks of June, which I thought was the perfect time of year to see Greece. It wasn't too crowded yet, prices were still lower, but it wasn't cold either.

Itinerary-wise, I visited Athens, Naxos, Ios and Santorini. I would say spend maybe 2-3 days in Athens, 3 days on Naxos (it is a relaxing island, and you may need a car, but not for all of the days), and 4-5 days in Santorini. Santorini was my favorite island, and if you're daring, I recommend renting scooters or an ATV instead of a car. The views while driving are breathtaking, and the island is small enough that you can easily go around it in one day on a scooter. You also must take a tour of the volcano! You can easily take a ferry from Athens to Naxos, and then from Naxos to Santorini. There are the slower ferries which are pretty cheap, and then there are high speed hydroplane ferries, which are a little pricier, but save a lot of time.

As for booking rooms, I recommend waiting until you arrive for the islands. You may want to book a hotel in Athens, but I found there were always rooms available on the islands during this time of year, and the prices were very reasonable. People will be waiting at the ferry terminals to show you rooms for rent, and you can see the room before you decide to take it. This gives you a lot more freedom too, in case you get tired of one island, or want to stay on an island longer. You can also buy ferry tickets the day of, or night before you go to another island, as they rarely fill completely during this time of year.

As for language, I didn't have any problems. Many people speak English, maybe because many of the television programs are actually in English. Have a wonderful trip! I look forward to returning to Greece sometime soon.

So many good suggestions! I'm glad most folks like Naxos, and I think I'll stay away from Mykonos this time, the vision of the cruise ships scared me off.

I'm still considering Crete because of the distance, but johnnieb is making me lean back towards Rhodes... are flights between islands unreasonable?

I don't know about waiting to book hotel rooms until we're there (other than Athens), I usually like to have everything arranged ahead, so I don't have to think about it. I've found that some people can go with the flow and some (like me!) need a little more control. I AM glad to hear that June is a good time to go, I'm pretty settled on that.

Maybe starting in Rhodes, then Santorini, then Naxos then Athens? Does that sound reasonable? 4 days, 4 days, 3 days, 3 days?

Alice

Be sure of your timing. Ferries between Rhodes and Santorini are scarce, only once or twice each week in June, and you would have to have it all planned out in advance to make it work. That ferry is also quite slow. Crete would be a much better option in terms of frequency of ferry traffic.

www.skyexpress.gr offers flights between Rhodes and Santorini.

By registering with Aegean Airlines website, and getting on their e mail list for specials, I was able to book r/t to Rhodes for about 100 euros (worth the splurge)this fall.
(its an hour flight). On most occassions, we visit most islands by boat first, return to the Athens airport, where we check our newly purchased goodies, (and some dirty laundry lol!) at Pacific Travels 24 hour a day baggage check, and then jump a plane for Rhodes, on our way back (we always leave Athens for last), we pick up our stuff and head into the city for our last few days..Rafina is close to the airport, so if you return to the mainland via Rafina, you can get to the airport quickly by bus. No matter, crete or Rhodes you are sure to have fun. I love the era of the "Crusaders" and find that Old Town of Rhodes incredible. Happy planning!

Alice
The good thing about your decisions are there are no WRONG decisions. You're going to have a great time no matter what islands you choose.

We enjoyed Athens but IMO unless you are taking side trips I would spend more time on the islands and less time in Athens. Rhodes was probably our favorite, the old walled city is great to explore and Lindos is just beautiful! We also loved walking the small,narrow,white streets of Mykonos and the many olive trees on Create was a special sight. The views from Oia,Santorini is some of the best views I have ever seen! However, I personally would not spend a lot of time on Santorini because I have bad knees and every place I walked, was UP and it hurt.

If you have time and can do a day trip to Ephesus, Turkey, the ruins are amazing. Walking the street there I saw St John, St Paul and Mark Anthony and Cleopatra walking the very same stone street. Awesome.

I don't have any real opinions on your itinerary since everyone has given you good suggestions - definitely do a boat trip to the crater if you're on Santorini. BUT, don't fly Olypmic. Agean is a much better choice, even if it happens to be a little more expensive. My father lives in Greece and he and his wife refuse to fly Olympic b/c they're always cancelling flights at the last minute and the customer service is so terrible.
Personally, I think there are other islands than the ones mentioned that are more enjoyable/"authentic" (Hydra, Folegandros, Andros, even Spetse holds a special place for me but only as a quick beach getaway) than the usual suspects of Santorini and Mykonos. It doesn't really matter though, b/c as someone said you'll have a great time no matter which island you visit.

In terms of the flights Aegean runs some really good specials. We paid somethng like $20 from Athens to Crete. Watch the web site regularly if you want to grab one of them.

Okay, I signed up for the Aegean Airlines newsletter, good idea, johnnieb. I'm going to start monitoring airfares to/from Athens, and also start investigating ferries, so I can get a real itinerary with dates and number of days each place. I'll be sure to run it buy you experts, thanks VERY much for sharing all your experience, it's so helpful.

I LOVE planning trips. My husband leaves it all up to me, and doesn't even open a tour book until he's on the plane. (Well, he IS interested in how much it's going to cost!). All the anticipation makes the event itself more special, I think. And doing your homework ensures a smooth trip, no nasty surprises (the museum is closed on the only day you've allocated for it). If only we could control the weather, it would be perfect! (I DO, however, look to see what months are best weather-wise as part of my planning).

Thanks again everyone,
Alice

Good news for travelers between Santorini and Rhodes! Blue Star has announced three ferries per week both directions for the coming season. See: http://www.danae.gr/news.asp?id=171

ALice, heimdall REALLY has good news for you!! It looks as if the Ferry companies -- at least Blue Star, which is probably THE most reliable one -- are looking beyond the needs of Greek residents-only, to the interests of the nation's biggest current source of revenue, its tourists.

This ONE move will make your original thoughts about Naxos Santorini, Rhodes VERY feasible. Rhodes is MUCH more do-able than Crete as a short stay with a 2-week tour.

YOur timing idea of first 2 weeks of June is GREAT. As for itinerary, you now have several options. I would suggest:

RHODES (3 days) Fly there immediately on arrival. 1 day for Old Town, 1 day island-exploring, a wrap-up day, then off at Midnight to Santorini, arrive 7:40 (cabin=your hotel for nite)

SANTORINI (2 days) mid-morning on day#3 take "regular ferry" to Naxos (deck lets u see caldera view)

NAXOS (3-4 days): your big Beach, Hike, Antiquities time. To get to Athens (5-hr ferry) w.o. cutting up a whole day, take 6-11:30pm ferry.

ATHENS (3+ days)Seeing Athens at the last saves extra trip to/from ports; ALSO, by then you're more attuned to Greek culture, history, more adept at getting around, site-seeing etc. PLUS if there's any delay you don't risk being stranded on an island and missing your internationa flight.

Well, I hadn't checked this thread for a few days, what with getting ready for the holiday, and what good news I see! Heimdall has made my day with the news about the ferry. And travelerjan has good suggestions for the itinerary. I see this trip is coming together.

I guess the next thing is to map out some dates and look for airfare (I always do that first - sometimes a day one way or the other can make a big difference in price). Any advice on when to book? Is it too early? I tend to wait until after the first of the year.

Once that's in place, I can start looking at ferry schedules, and hotels. I'm sure you will hear back from me when I get to that phase!

Again, thanks SO much, you all are so helpful.

Alice

ALice, I don't know where exactly you're coming from, and that affects advice about flights. Here are some thoughts:

-- Right now may be a good time to check ... oil prices have dropped, the $/€ has not gone back up too much, who knows what the future holds?? I did use to wait until Jan-Feb, but I bought this month.

-- If you are planning the time-efficient route I suggested, or some variation, it means catching a "bargain" domestic flight out, immediately on arrival. To be safe on a connection, it's good to have 2 hours between international arrival, and takeoff of domestic flight. Typically there's a flight in early afternoon and then not one until 7 pm or so Thus, to get the earlier flight, it's wise to arrive by noon or before.

-- I would advise checking a multi-search engine such as Kayak or Mobissimus (which search 100s of sources). On Mobissimus you can "sort" by price, OR departure time OR arrival time OR airline.

-- My approach: putting in my dates & city, I sort by arrival time, and see what is available in the 9 am- 12 am window. I check the airline(s) in that time-frame an identify the 1 I hope for, usually too expensive.

-- Then I check back every day sorting by that airline. Usually price changes/drops come on Wed or Thurs. When u see a drop, pounce.

If searching doesn't work, I want to find this thread by clicking on my name, so ttt.

Thanks, travelerjan, I will start looking now. I've used Kayak but not Mobissimus, I'll have to check that one out. I frequently book through Cheap Tickets. I hadn't thought about current oil prices, good point. So I need to get my date possibilities in order right away.

I was looking at holidays during the period we want to travel and I see that June 8 is Holy Spirit Monday - is everything closed that day? Is that a good day to travel (ferry) because most other things are closed? Or are the ferries closed too?

AND Mimar - what is ttt? I see that periodically when I read the forums? What does that mean, why do you do it, and HOW do you do it?

Thanks,
Alice

Alice, there are codes used by a number of Fodorites that they never explain, you just have to catch on. Personally, I shy away from them, because it tends to make newcomers feel out of the loop, as I did for all too long ... there should be a "read this first."

TTT = "to the top." It means when someone adds to a thread, it makes it go to the top of the message list, and keeps it from falling into the great maw of old Threads. Sometimes people just say "topping." If I should ever do it, I would say, "I'm adding to this thread, so that it will go back up to the top and more people will see it." I find that to be more courteous for new readers.

Other expressions which can be puzzling, are very often in trip reports. I find them cutesy in the extreme. They are most often perpetrated by female Fodorites. They include:

DH = Dear Husband
DD = Dear Daughter
DS = Dear Son ... and even, god help us,
DDIL and DSIL.
-- once I even saw DSO (Dear Significant Other??

Interestingly male fodorites never nickname their spouses DW. It's just "Helen" or maybe "Mrs. B". And nobody seems to say DM for Dear Mother; they find it easy enough to just say Mom.

Another thing is GTG. = Get-Together. I'm all for this kind of jolly meeting. It's just the unexplained abbreviation that gives me pause.

TravelerJan,

Hi and thanks for the explanation of the "codes" I did guess correctly what they meant, but came up with other translations (some 4 letters..) for the "D" part. I thought it was some kind of texting thing but, dare I say it, I don't own a cell phone! Off subject sorry

Back to Greece planning (again!)
Carla

Travelerjan, thanks for clearing up the mysterious ttt! And I guess that's exactly what I'm doing now!

Alice

Alice9 - I'm currently planning a June trip for DH and myself, and was considering of all places Rhodes, Santorini and Naxos! Of course I'm interested in Chios and would love to work in Ephesus, but there's always more to do than time for on a first trip! Anyway, would love to correspond directly with you re: trip plans since it seems we are kindred spirits. Interested?

>>I was looking at holidays during the period we want to travel and I see that June 8 is Holy Spirit Monday - is everything closed that day? Is that a good day to travel (ferry) because most other things are closed? Or are the ferries closed too?<<


I'm usually on the islands on Holy Spirit Monday, and hardly anything that affects tourists is closed except museums and ancient sites (most museums close every Monday anyway). All the ferries will be operating.

The entire Pentacost weekend is busy, particularly islands popular with Athenians, e.g. Mykonos. Ferries leaving for the islands at the beginning of the weekend, and those returning to the mainland on Monday, are heavily booked.

So Pentecost weekend is the one leading up to Holy Spirit Monday? I was thinking of traveling on that Monday, arriving on Tuesday to avoid that weekend entirely. Sounds like a safe bet.

I'm still doing my daily airfare check ready to pounce if something good comes up. The recommendation to fly direct from the US could be an impediment. I'm seeing better fares from some European Airlines, with stops in Zurich or somewhere else in Europe. Does it make that much of a difference if I go nonstop from New York or Philly rather than from a European city?

ALso, I'm pretty sure I'm right, but in June there should be daily ferries from Santorini to Naxos, is that right? I looked at the ferry schedules which are a little cryptic, but that seemed right.

And Aegean flies several times a day from Athens to Santorini, so if I get to Athens in the morning, I feel like I should be fine flying to Santorini in the afternoon, even with a possible delay.

Alice

Hi Alice,

If you are travelling out to the islands on Mon, most of the traffic will be heading back to Athens, so you will have no problem with ferry or hotel bookings.

There are daily ferries 12 months of the year from Santorini to Naxos.

Hi Alice,

The islands you will be visiting are good ones.

Personally I both Like Crete and Rhodos both offers different values.

Rhodos, Kos, Samos, Chios are the islands having frequent ferries to Turkey and a combo could be interesting.

During my travels in Greece ( I have a lot more complicated itineraries within limited time due to business ) I trust to use services of Travel agents and in times when a ferry or plane cancelled I am learning the first and have possibility to re-schedule easier. Ofcourse it is a choice to make. Have a great time

Murat

Alice, choices involve time or money. If you save money on your transatlantic flight, you may have to pay a bit more for your Aegean flight.

Why is that? Because nonstops from Eastern US all leave the East coast from 4:30- 6pm and arrive in the morning between 9-10:30. If you decide on a cheaper option, which changes in Frankfurt, Paris, etc, most of those flights do not arrive until about 2 pm or later

You need about 2 hours between your international arrival, and the domestic flight departure (less, if you do carry-on & do not have to wait at luggage claim).. The domestic flight closes 45-60 mins before takeoff.

I checked Jun 9 for Aegean flights to Santorini. Their 2 flights after noon are 16:15 (3:15) and 19:20 (7:20). the first one costs €99.48, the 2nd is €114.48.
There is also a flight at 10:50 am at €54,48 ( a limited # of seats).

Those are your choices -- you can keep them in mind while looking for a transatlantic flight.

Hi Alice,
We are going to Greece in June also and I just bought our airfare from Economytravel.com.

We are flying from Des Moines Iowa to Athens and then home from Rome to Des Moines.

We paid $1530.00 per ticket including taxes. I have been watching and waiting for fares to go down. Originally, prices were about 1750.00 for my tickets, so when they dropped, I purchased.

Economytravel.com may have some less expensive tickets for your route also.

Have a great time!
Laurie

Thanks, travelerjan, I HAVE noticed that the US-Athens flights arrive earlier in the day than the Europe-Athens flights. And earlier gives me more leeway for catching a flight to Santorini.

And Laurie, I will definitely check out your website for airfare.

At some point (as always) I will decide airfare is what it is and just book. I'm just not at that point yet!


Alice

Alice, in all your requests for advice about getting a good transatlantic fare, you have NOT shared where you live, and unless we know that we cannot judge what would be a good fare for you. To get the best advice, you need to share more, and be more specific.

You're right, travelerjan, I should have given more information. We're in the Washington DC area, the Maryland suburbs. We have 3 local airports, Dulles, National, and BWI. Philadelphia is a few hours away.

Dulles and BWI are both international airports. And we'll use whatever airport gets us the best rates.

Alice

ps It took me a while to post a reply, Fodors has really been having problems with their logins.

You got THAT right, Alice! Glad to hear I'm not the only one who is being treated like a stranger by the Fodor software. I've been posting on this forum for FOUR years, and as of this week, Fodor's pretended it didn't KNOW me ... kept popping up that log-in form. And -- altho one checks off the box "remember me on this computer", nooooo it doesn't.

Do you suppose this is a purposeful glitch by a (Bush loyalist) employee, like those departing Clinton workers who disabled the"W" on White House keyboards??

I have been a member of this forum for much longer than FOUR years and seldom post. We are well traveled, especially in Greece, and since Santorini and Mykonos are not our favorite destinations there, I seldom respond. Many times I do give up in replying as it can be frustrating to do so. Yes, they have never remembered me either on when logging in. So what?

Now, my question is this. Does this last post by Traveljan indicate that our present President, Mr Bush, is responsible for this log in problem and that perhaps a more socialist bent to policy will rectify all posting problems on Fodor's Travel Talk as of tomorrow. I know he promised change, but to this site????? Did I miss read this?

Alice 9,

Have a super trip. You have some great tips so far!

gogo, you are right. When in doubt, blame Bush.

Okay, I know you guys must be sick of me by now, but I haven't booked airfare yet - I hadn't seen any changes for weeks. BUT, I do see some slightly better fares in the second half of May now. We were originally thinking first half of June - is there any reason it would be better or worse to go the second half of May? The airfare is about $250 cheaper per person, with decent times and layovers.

Is the weather much different? Do the ferries run less often?

Thanks,
Alice

Lodgings are somewhat cheaper, ferries are a bit more chancy, of course fewer people.

A lot depends on the SWIM factor -- I do love to swim evry other day or so, but being from the N.E., and having spent lot of time on L.I. sound, I can deal with "brisk" water, which it is, in May.

I really think it depends on how you can work out your transport for what I recall is an ambitious itinereary spread across the Aegean. If you can get that rationalized, go ahead.

Most of the time it is perfectly okay in the last half of May, but the weather doesn't really settle down until June. I have been on the islands in mid-May when it was too cold to eat outdoors in the evenings, and there is still a chance of rain until the end of the month.

Last year I waited until June for my spring trip, and it was getting very hot by the time I left, so this year I will go earlier.

I usually go back to the islands again in September, and that's when I do most of my swimming. May is okay for sunbathing and quick dips in the sea.

Just to close the loop and let you all know how I ended up. We decided to go the latter half of May rather than the first half of June for several reasons - airfare was cheaper, and we had less conflicts on our calendar AND I could use the Memorial Day holiday and so take one less day of vacation.

I booked our airfare through Vayama (first time), and paid a little under $1,000 a person. Which I still think is high but it's the best I could find without having to have VERY long layovers, or extra stops. Convenience is worth something, I think.

So I'm onto finding hotels, and will be checking into all your recommendations for Athens, Naxos, Santorini and Nafplion.

Thanks so much,
Alice

Good find on the airfare, Alice --- I DO hope that if your connection is in Paris (CDG) that you have AT LEAST TWO HOURS, preferably THREE for the transfer. CDG is the Airport from HELL ... requires bus to go between different "arms", no ENglish spoken, no help given ... you must go through security again tho u don't leave the airport. If u doubt me, google CDG complaints. I hope that instead your change is anywhere else in Europe... I have tried them all.

Actually, we're not going through Paris. We're flying over on SAS, stopping in Copenhagen. On the way back, we're using Lufthansa, stopping in Frankfurt. The first layover is about 2 hours, the one on the way back is about 3 1/2 hours, but my other choice was 1 hour which isn't enough.

I've never used Vayama, but they definitely had the best rates. Mobissimo pointed me there.

Alice