MoreTravel

We are seeking advices on how to spend 7 days in Greece for a family of three adults.
We are planning to fly from the US to Paris (as a base)and then fly to Athens. After 7 days, we will fly back to Paris to spend another week there before heading back to the US. Here is our plan in Greece:
1) Fly from Paris to Athens and spend to days there,
2) Two days in Santorini, and
3) Two day in Crete
4) Fly back to Paris on the 7th day.
What is the most practical way to get to Santorini from Athens and from Santorini to Crete. Are there any reasonable land packages to match our plan? Beside Santorini and Crete, any other island we should visit?

Many thanks in advance.

More Travel

irecommend

I actually loved Mykonos more than any other island.
You can travel between Athens and the islands on high speed ferries. I would suggest choosing no more than two islands for seven days.

brotherleelove2004

The most practical way to get to Santorini from Athens is to fly on either Aegean or Olympic Airlines if you can get tickets. From Santorini to Crete you can take one of the highspeed catamarans.

You don't have time to visit any other islands unless you eliminate Santorini or Crete. Two days an island really isn't enough time to explore, especially on Crete. You might want to stick to one island for 4 days so you can relax and really have a chance to see it.

repete

Squeezing in a third island would be too much and two days is a bit short for Crete, but still enjoyable.

It's hard to recommend against Santorini if you haven't been. As for the second island, it depends on what you're looking for.

Many North American seem to get into that Santorini-Mykonos lockstep. While they're both fine islands, they share common bond that both are extremely tourism-driven. If that's what you seek, they both have their draws. For me, the best part about Mykonos is its proximity to Delos.

travelerjan

WHEN? WHEN? It makes a big difference if it's in August or May, or September. Have you booked this trip yet? Give us dates, and we can help u more.

PS: with only 2 days don't do Crete. It's not just an island it's a COUNTRY. Better to go to Naxos ... on the way back to Athens any way. And your sequence is wrong

On arrival, don't go into Athens -- stay in Airport and immediately Fly to santorini for 2 nights
= then Blue Star Ferry to Naxos for 2 nights
-then fly Olympic (only 1 flite per day) back to Athens (or evening ferry, so as not to break up an island day).
==Final 2 days in Athens.

Tim_and_Liz

I have an extremely similar question, and we're hoping to go in late May.

Any suggestions on the best island(s) to visit, in combination with Athens? We'll have 7-8 nights on the ground in Greece.

TIA

travelerjan

Liz, we can't be helpful unless we know more of what you are intrested in. Views? Shopping? Ruins? Museums? Authentic villages? Beaches? What?

Santorini has the famous caldera view & expensive shopping -- that's about it plus pretty fair museum (beaches are gritty, ruin closed down)
Naxos has 10-15 miles unbroken of golden sand beaches (if u go late May, water's "brisk" but u can swim)..also has mountains, villages, ruins, great hikes, the BEST museum in Cyclades and is HALF as expensive as Santorini. Here's a slide-show put together by friends who also love Naxos:
http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/552001505EYxVYT
... if that doesn't speak to you, I don't know what else I can say.

I recommend what I did for original poster except change 2 days naxos to 4 days.

U can avoid cutting up a day with your return ferry to Piraeus by taking the 6 pm "Dinner Ferry" on Blue star... gets in around 11:30pm.

Tim_and_Liz

Jan,
Thanks so much for your response.

We'll be traveling with another couple, and we're both in our late twenties/ early thirties. We want to see the ruins in Athens and then just relax on islands with beautiful views, enjoy the sun (at pool or beach), drink some wine, and eat some great food. I am working on reading more about the islands to see what would be best for us.

Right now we're trying to book frequent flier flights May 15/16-24/25.

I think we'll spend 1-2 nights in Athens, 6-7 nights split between islands, and 1 night in Athens at the end.

From what you've written, perhaps 2 nights Santorini and 3-4 nights Naxos? Tim and I may have 2 nights more than the other couple; would you suggest Mykonos or another island?

Again I am ready to do a lot of research, but I truly appreciate your help in where to get started.

Liz

Tim_and_Liz

Oh, and Naxos is gorgeous!! Thank you for sharing the photos.

travelerjan

Liz, did you read my original post?? I wonder if you did, because you said "want to see ruins in Athens and THEN"

-- I recommended and CONTINUE to recommend, doggedly that you not START in Athens. It wastes your precious time to go into athens then OUT again to Islands. See my original message; stay in Airport, fly immediately to you rfirst island, then hop back.

Do ATHENS LAST -- because (a) a travel "glitch" will not result in you being panicked on an island, with a Delta flight to catch! and (b), when you relax first on an island, you get into the wonderful rhythm and mood of Greece and refresh... and then when u get back to Athens, u have some knowledge of ancient greek culture & the Athens sites mean more.

NOTE: since u are planning so far ahead and can look for Aegean Air bargains come January, the flight to an island can be as cheap or nearly so as a ferry &save u valuable time.

ssc2229

Two days, one night in Athens in plenty. At night you really just want to go to see the lykavitos (lee-kah-vee-toh) highest point in athens that overlooks the city. And go out to a taverna and listen to the local bouzoukia.

i agree 2 days an island is not enough. fly to santorini - the ferrys take too long and some of the high speed faster boats, while smaller, can also be a bit scary depending on how rough the waters are. When i have more time we always take the ferry but to mykonos the ferry isn't nearly as long as santorini. you would need 12 hours to take a reasonbly sized boat to santorini.

My two favorite are mykonos and santorini. Crete is a bit farther. mykonos has more nightlife/party island if you will. Santorini is more romantic but both are beautiful and capture quintessential Grecian islands. if you had 7 days I would do 3 nights in each and one night in Athens.

Tim_and_Liz

Geez, Jan, I did read your original post. Sorry. Thanks for the info. We might have time in Athens before our friends arrive; then again I guess we can go to an island first without them.

ssc2229, thank you so much for your insight! I really appreciate it!

brotherleelove2004

"you would need 12 hours to take a reasonbly sized boat to santorini."

Not true...........The Blue Star "Paros" takes 8 hours and it holds over 1400 passengers and 250 vehicles. That's more than a reasonable size. Anything slower is making a lot more stops than the "Paros" or it's in pretty bad shape.

travelerjan

Tim & LIz --

FRom the info you share progressively I now figure(Guess?) that you two have 11-12 days, while your friends, coming 2 days later, will have 9-10 days. Am I right?? And u want to know how to best use your bit of extra time?

Hmmmm...well it depends on what kind of flights you can wangle on your FF credits; usually you can't get the best arrival times. How about this:

YOu & Friends agree to rendezvous on Naxos. YOu arrive at airport on May 15 by noon -- you could get to Rafina port & catch a hi-speed to Mykonos at either 3pm or 5 pm & spend a relaxing day or 2. And then zip 45 minutes to Naxos on one of the many hi-speed ferries available.

On THAT day, your friends will arrive Athens airport at 9-10 am (presuming they don't take FF, they can get early arrival times)& take Olympic's 12:30 flight to Naxos and meet you there.

After 4 days enjoying naxos, all 4 of you take Blue-Star fery to Santorini thus gettng the wonderful cliff view from deck as u enter caldera. At end of your stay, get a "bargain" Aegean flight to Athens (40-50 Euros) for your final 1-2 days.

If you plan well & watch-dog the Aegean website starting 1/09 you can cop those bargain flites for little more than reg. ferry prices, given the (oil-driven) price increase in the latter. And u still get the "ferry experience".

Now I fear u will share additional facts that will make this suggestion not work-able. Alas!

Tim_and_Liz

Thanks, Jan.

Tim and I have booked FF tickets. We'll arrive in Athens at 1:50pm on the 16th and depart Athens at 7:05am on May 25th. So we'll have 9 nights in Greece. Our friends haven't booked their flights yet, but we assume they'll get there late afternoon on the 17th (probably around 5pm) and depart the morning of the 24th.

Unfortunately since we're flying from MSP, 1:50pm is the earliest we can arrive in Athens and 7:05am is the lastest we can depart.

Would our 1:05pm arrival be too late to catch a flight or ferry to Mykonos on the first day?

If not, Tim and I can spend 2 nights Mykonos, 3 nights Naxos, 2/3 nights Santorini, 1/2 nights Athens.

Our friends will likely spend 1 night Athens, 3 nights Naxos, 2 Santorini, 1 night Athens.

How does that look?

Tim_and_Liz

Sorry, this <i>Would our 1:05pm arrival</i> should be &quot;1:50pm&quot;

travelerjan

Yes u can get to Mykonos with certainty on day #1 -- just a question of how long u wd have to hangout at airport, or how long spend on a ferry... you would get your first lesson in relaxing &amp; going wit the flow inGreece

According to the 2007 May schedule fodr the 2nd saturday, there is a 5 or 5:30 pm ferry from Rafina -- but they are not fast ferries... they take 4 hours. SO, big deal. They'd be BIG ferries, like a ship. Have a drink, sit on deck, have dinner, watch the sunset. Funfunfun.

I can't access May 2007 flight skeds ... on Saturdays off-season i.e. sEpt, Aegean seems to fly in the AM then it jumps to dinner-time -- but thre WILL be flights, and if you get on them early in the year they will be at the &quot;promotional&quot; prices... you just have to hawk=eye the sites day by day... no easy way.

Tim_and_Liz

Thanks, Jan.

MoreTravel, I am very sorry for hijacking your post and totally taking it over. I hope your trip goes well.

Once our friends have booked their flights and I have additional questions, I will start my own thread.

Thanks again, all.