5 or 6 Day Greece Trip Help
Apr 24th, 2012, 10:39 AM
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5 or 6 Day Greece Trip Help
I will be traveling to Greece 5/28-6/2. I am traveling by myself and I am a woman in my 20s. I am flying into Athens and won't arrive until 9 pm on the 28th. I am looking to see the main historical sites in Athens, but would also like to relax on the beach. Also, I enjoy adventure-type activities, like snorkeling for example, or that huge gorge that everyone hikes. I like going to restaurants and enjoying good food, but I don't foresee going out to bars or anything like that because I am a young girl traveling by myself.
Can you please suggest for me how many days I should stay in Athens, what other islands I should travel to, if I should plan these trips by myself or order excursions from my hotel/a travel company, how to get from island to island (via ferry or other mode of transportation), any hotel suggestions you may have for me (safety is the most important factor, besides that I would choose location over luxury but I am on a budget so I'm looking for somewhere around $100/night, but can go a little higher for a nice place if you have some place you really loved). I would LOVE a hotel that plans excursions for you.
I would also appreciate restaurant suggestions, any specific activities you enjoyed, and advice on how to get from the airport to my hotel (and getting around to the different historic sites).
Thank you in advance for any advice you can give! I am an experienced traveler, I have traveled to around 40 countries, but I have never traveled in Greece and I am not familiar with any part of it.
Can you please suggest for me how many days I should stay in Athens, what other islands I should travel to, if I should plan these trips by myself or order excursions from my hotel/a travel company, how to get from island to island (via ferry or other mode of transportation), any hotel suggestions you may have for me (safety is the most important factor, besides that I would choose location over luxury but I am on a budget so I'm looking for somewhere around $100/night, but can go a little higher for a nice place if you have some place you really loved). I would LOVE a hotel that plans excursions for you.
I would also appreciate restaurant suggestions, any specific activities you enjoyed, and advice on how to get from the airport to my hotel (and getting around to the different historic sites).
Thank you in advance for any advice you can give! I am an experienced traveler, I have traveled to around 40 countries, but I have never traveled in Greece and I am not familiar with any part of it.
Apr 24th, 2012, 11:40 AM
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According to your arrival/departure days, you will only have 4 full days in Greece.
I am afraid that you will not have enough time to visit any islands, as transfer to an island and back is very time consuming.
You could spend these 4 days in Athens and do some day trips.
I suggest the 1 day tour to Argolis, with visit of Epidaurus, Mycenae and short stop in Nafplio, a lovely city on the sea.
If you want to see some islands, you could do the one day cruise, which will take you to the islands of Aegina, Poros and Hydra.
Both tours are full day tours.
You can book these tours through any hotel, i would recommend walking around at Syntagma Square and ask a few travel agencies for the price. You might get a better price.
Have a look at http://www.keytours.gr/en/default.asp
There are also G.O Tours, Chat Tours, all have similar prices though
In Athens you would need 2 days to visit the important sites, such as the Acropolis, and the New Acropolis Museum, the national Archeological Museum, the Agora, Keramikos and Olympieion as well as the Benaki, Goulandris and the Byzantine Museums.
Plus the Plaka and Kolonaki, both areas where you can walk around have lunch and do some people watching.
The gorge that you mentioned in your post is the Samaria Gorge, located on the island of Crete and very very far away from Athens.... ( 1 hour flight)
Best way to get from the airport to the city center is the metro, which will take you directly to the heart of Athens, Syntagma Square, or you can also take the bus that will bring you to the same square ( and is a bit cheaper).
If you are on a budget have a look at the Attalos Hotel, or Pan, or Plaka, Athos, Achilleas, all of them located in the centre of Athens, near Syntagma Square or near Monastiraki Square, which is on the same metro line ( blue line) as you come from the Airport.
In the evening of course you can go out and sit in one of the many cafes in the Plaka, or at Ermou Street or in Kolonaki.
These are safe areas, you won't have any safety problems as a single female.
I am afraid that you will not have enough time to visit any islands, as transfer to an island and back is very time consuming.
You could spend these 4 days in Athens and do some day trips.
I suggest the 1 day tour to Argolis, with visit of Epidaurus, Mycenae and short stop in Nafplio, a lovely city on the sea.
If you want to see some islands, you could do the one day cruise, which will take you to the islands of Aegina, Poros and Hydra.
Both tours are full day tours.
You can book these tours through any hotel, i would recommend walking around at Syntagma Square and ask a few travel agencies for the price. You might get a better price.
Have a look at http://www.keytours.gr/en/default.asp
There are also G.O Tours, Chat Tours, all have similar prices though
In Athens you would need 2 days to visit the important sites, such as the Acropolis, and the New Acropolis Museum, the national Archeological Museum, the Agora, Keramikos and Olympieion as well as the Benaki, Goulandris and the Byzantine Museums.
Plus the Plaka and Kolonaki, both areas where you can walk around have lunch and do some people watching.
The gorge that you mentioned in your post is the Samaria Gorge, located on the island of Crete and very very far away from Athens.... ( 1 hour flight)
Best way to get from the airport to the city center is the metro, which will take you directly to the heart of Athens, Syntagma Square, or you can also take the bus that will bring you to the same square ( and is a bit cheaper).
If you are on a budget have a look at the Attalos Hotel, or Pan, or Plaka, Athos, Achilleas, all of them located in the centre of Athens, near Syntagma Square or near Monastiraki Square, which is on the same metro line ( blue line) as you come from the Airport.
In the evening of course you can go out and sit in one of the many cafes in the Plaka, or at Ermou Street or in Kolonaki.
These are safe areas, you won't have any safety problems as a single female.
Apr 24th, 2012, 02:08 PM
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Thank you so much! I was thinking I could do everything in Athens on the 29th and 30th, then the evening of the 30th go to an island and stay there over night and wake up in the morning and go to a beach. Then that evening, go to a different island and spend the next day there. Will that not work?
Apr 24th, 2012, 02:53 PM
#5
I like the first posters suggestions. We spent 2 weeks in Nafplio (a super little town) and did day trips from there. Then added on time in Athens and Santorini. There is so much to see in Greece that is unique to Greece that I wouldn't take time for the beach. I know you love it, but there are so many unusual sites to see that it would be a shame to miss them for sand. Spend a couple days in Athens, take a trip to the Peloponnese, visit Mycenae and Epidaurus,(there is a beach in Nafplio if you must), and maybe hit the island of Hydra. The culture of ancient Greece is it's core, don't miss it.
Apr 24th, 2012, 09:15 PM
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Another option would be the following :
28/5 Overnight near the Athens Airport
29/5 Early flight to Mykonos
1/6 Early flight to Athens
3/6 Flight from Athens to your next destination
Have checked flights, Olympic Air has an offer of 148,64 Euro right now. Mykonos is a very beautiful island with amazing beaches and a very intense nightlife. ( very safe for a single female)
On 1/6 you will fly in the morning back to Athens and will have enough time for the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum, plus strolling in the Plaka.
On 2/6 you'll have the whole day at disposal to visit the National Archeological Museum or any of the other museums or just discover Athens.
I think this is the best alternative if you want to visit an island, and spend some time at the beach.
Since you will be arriving late in Athens, you should overnight near the airport, so you can catch the morning flight to Mykonos.
Here is a hotel that offers free transfer from/to Airport and has a reasonable price.
http://www.perishotelapt.gr/
In Mykonos there are plenty of hotels that fit your budget.
Have a look at www.booking.com
Hope you will find this alternative of interest
28/5 Overnight near the Athens Airport
29/5 Early flight to Mykonos
1/6 Early flight to Athens
3/6 Flight from Athens to your next destination
Have checked flights, Olympic Air has an offer of 148,64 Euro right now. Mykonos is a very beautiful island with amazing beaches and a very intense nightlife. ( very safe for a single female)
On 1/6 you will fly in the morning back to Athens and will have enough time for the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum, plus strolling in the Plaka.
On 2/6 you'll have the whole day at disposal to visit the National Archeological Museum or any of the other museums or just discover Athens.
I think this is the best alternative if you want to visit an island, and spend some time at the beach.
Since you will be arriving late in Athens, you should overnight near the airport, so you can catch the morning flight to Mykonos.
Here is a hotel that offers free transfer from/to Airport and has a reasonable price.
http://www.perishotelapt.gr/
In Mykonos there are plenty of hotels that fit your budget.
Have a look at www.booking.com
Hope you will find this alternative of interest
Apr 25th, 2012, 12:28 AM
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<i>I was thinking I could do everything in Athens on the 29th and 30th, then the evening of the 30th go to an island and stay there over night and wake up in the morning and go to a beach. Then that evening, go to a different island and spend the next day there. Will that not work?</i>
The part about doing everything in Athens on the 29th and 30th would work, but after that you come unstuck. Most inter-island ferry stops are in the middle of the day. That makes it difficult to do very much on a day of travel, so you would spend most of your island time packing & unpacking, waiting for the ferry, and travel from one island to another. Ferries travel slowly, so it could take several hours to reach the next island.
The reason for this is most ferries depart their home port (e.g. Piraeus) in the morning and return at night, with island stops late morning to afternoon in-between. There are exceptions to this general rule, but that's what you are most likely to encounter.
If you don't like clausar's first suggestion, consider the second. Your 9pm arrival in Athens precludes a ferry or flight to Mykonos that day, but an early morning flight the next morning would work well. Stay at the airport Sofitel (expensive) and you have only a 5 min walk to airline check-in the next morning. A cheaper alternative would be to stay in the Avra Hotel at Rafina and take the SeaJet 2 ferry at 07:25 the next morning, arriving on Mykonos at 09:30.
Planning your time in Athens for the end of the trip will give you a buffer to insure no delays cause you to miss your flight home.
The part about doing everything in Athens on the 29th and 30th would work, but after that you come unstuck. Most inter-island ferry stops are in the middle of the day. That makes it difficult to do very much on a day of travel, so you would spend most of your island time packing & unpacking, waiting for the ferry, and travel from one island to another. Ferries travel slowly, so it could take several hours to reach the next island.
The reason for this is most ferries depart their home port (e.g. Piraeus) in the morning and return at night, with island stops late morning to afternoon in-between. There are exceptions to this general rule, but that's what you are most likely to encounter.
If you don't like clausar's first suggestion, consider the second. Your 9pm arrival in Athens precludes a ferry or flight to Mykonos that day, but an early morning flight the next morning would work well. Stay at the airport Sofitel (expensive) and you have only a 5 min walk to airline check-in the next morning. A cheaper alternative would be to stay in the Avra Hotel at Rafina and take the SeaJet 2 ferry at 07:25 the next morning, arriving on Mykonos at 09:30.
Planning your time in Athens for the end of the trip will give you a buffer to insure no delays cause you to miss your flight home.
Apr 25th, 2012, 06:01 AM
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Thank you do much for your reply, I like the Mykonos idea very much. Would there be any options for me to go to either Milos, Paros, Santorini, or Sifnos? If not, I am perfectly content with going to Mykonos, I am just trying to check out all my options before booking anything. For example, i read online that you could get to Sifnos from Piraeus in 2 hours on a high speed ferry. Let me know your thoughts. Again, I'm not looking to go to museums or go out to bar at night really, Id like to go to the beach, perhaps go windsurfing (which I've heard is great in Paros), and I would love to visit a hit spring. Thanks again for all your help, I really appreciate it!
Apr 25th, 2012, 06:43 AM
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Milos by plane would be possible with Olympic Air
ATH-MIL on 29/5 very early in the morning
MIL- ATH on 31/5 17:25 - 18:10 arrival in Athens
Santorini by plane is also possible, however cost of ticket would be around 220 Euro
ATH- JTR on 29/5 at 10:30- arrival at 11:30 with Aegean Airlines
JTR - ATH on 31/5 at 18:30 arrival Athens at 19:15
Have checked ships for Sifnos on the 29th, there are no departures in the on line systems, Heimdall might know more about it.
As for Paros, Heimdall has given you excellent advice, regarding the boat from Rafina.
Samo boat ( Seajet2) arrives in Paros at 10:30 hrs
ATH-MIL on 29/5 very early in the morning
MIL- ATH on 31/5 17:25 - 18:10 arrival in Athens
Santorini by plane is also possible, however cost of ticket would be around 220 Euro
ATH- JTR on 29/5 at 10:30- arrival at 11:30 with Aegean Airlines
JTR - ATH on 31/5 at 18:30 arrival Athens at 19:15
Have checked ships for Sifnos on the 29th, there are no departures in the on line systems, Heimdall might know more about it.
As for Paros, Heimdall has given you excellent advice, regarding the boat from Rafina.
Samo boat ( Seajet2) arrives in Paros at 10:30 hrs
Apr 25th, 2012, 07:31 AM
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Just to clarify, the same boat that goes from Rafina to Mykonos stops in Paros? Is that correct? What time does that ferry leave at? And where are you finding these times? I'm sorry to be bugging you about so many details!
Apr 25th, 2012, 07:36 AM
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www.gtp.gr is a very reliable site for ferry schedules. I noted you just opened a new thread tagged on many countries for trip ideas. So is not your trip set? People tried to advice according to your arrival time in Athens and got out of their way to provide very specific info. It is a bit unfair not to mention all your details or options, because advice given might be proved irrelevant. For example you can always check on a direct flight from London Heathrow to Santorini or Mykonos on Aegean and then a return flight from Athens or something like that.
Apr 25th, 2012, 07:56 AM
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Nicole
Yes it is the same boat that goes first to Mykonos and from there to Paros.
As Mariha said, since you now mentioned that you will be coming from London, check flights from there directly to the Greek islands.
Since you now clearly stated that you are not interested in Museums, but more in beach, surfing etc, you could entirely skip Athens, and spend your entire 6 days on an island.
Yes it is the same boat that goes first to Mykonos and from there to Paros.
As Mariha said, since you now mentioned that you will be coming from London, check flights from there directly to the Greek islands.
Since you now clearly stated that you are not interested in Museums, but more in beach, surfing etc, you could entirely skip Athens, and spend your entire 6 days on an island.
Apr 25th, 2012, 08:23 AM
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I did book my flight already, but I bought trip insurance and it seemed yesterday like it wasn't possible to visit another island, so I was considering just switching the trip all together, but seeing that going to an island is possible, Greece is really what I want to do. I just didn't want to spend 6 days in Athens. I would like to see Athens and the major sites there like the Parthenon, but I like open air type sites, not museums. I will check out flights directly to the islands from London though. My flight as of right now is roundtrip London to Athens.
Apr 25th, 2012, 10:44 AM
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Hi Nicole,
SeaJet 2 is based at Rafina, and normally stops at Tinos and Mykonos for about 10 minutes each, goes on to Paros, then makes the return trip to Rafina with the same stops in reverse. This is one case where the ferry leaves Mykonos early enough (09:45) to give you most of the day on the next island. SeaJet 2 arrives on Paros at 10:30, so the trip is only 45 minutes. If you use gtp.gr, some pages have a map at the bottom showing the actual route.
If you are determined to visit two islands, Mykonos and Paros would be a good combination. From Paros the Blue Star ferry takes 4 hrs to reach Piraeus. There is also a small airport on Paros with three flights per day to Athens. All flights are with http://www.olympicair.com/549-en-gb.cmt, and are on Dash 8-100 turboprop aircraft. Tickets for these small aircraft sell out quickly, but there are some still available on the dates you will probably fly.
SeaJet 2 is based at Rafina, and normally stops at Tinos and Mykonos for about 10 minutes each, goes on to Paros, then makes the return trip to Rafina with the same stops in reverse. This is one case where the ferry leaves Mykonos early enough (09:45) to give you most of the day on the next island. SeaJet 2 arrives on Paros at 10:30, so the trip is only 45 minutes. If you use gtp.gr, some pages have a map at the bottom showing the actual route.
If you are determined to visit two islands, Mykonos and Paros would be a good combination. From Paros the Blue Star ferry takes 4 hrs to reach Piraeus. There is also a small airport on Paros with three flights per day to Athens. All flights are with http://www.olympicair.com/549-en-gb.cmt, and are on Dash 8-100 turboprop aircraft. Tickets for these small aircraft sell out quickly, but there are some still available on the dates you will probably fly.
