Visiting Greece in the fall.

Old Jun 17th, 2013, 07:00 AM
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Visiting Greece in the fall.

In September 2014 my husband and I,
with another couple will be going to Greece and the Greek Islands. None of us have ever been to Greece.
We will have 10 days to 2 weeks.
Our interests include exploring the ancient sites, museums, relaxing, sitting in cafes, soaking in the culture.
We would not be interested in hiking, walking yes.
Would be interested in local tours to make the most of our time.
My husband loves to drive so road trips are not a problem.
The islands are a major destination, but which ones to get the flavor of the Greek Isles.

Is it possible to stay on one island and take day trips to other islands?

I've read about Island hopping tours, are they worth looking into.

My husband and I are going on to Italy after Greece. I've posted in another forum regarding that trip

Any and all information will be greatly appreciated.
Atmrjyj
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Old Jun 17th, 2013, 07:12 AM
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It depends on where you fly into. If it's Athens, then you'll need 2 or 3 days minimum to see all the sites there. Then Crete, which is a big island with lots of all of the things you list.

If you enjoy changing locations regularly then a maximum of 3 towns or cities will be more than enough. (I include two locations on Crete) It'll still be hot in September so you don't want to be lugging baggage around any more than necessary. Bear in mind that each time you change location you'll lose at least half a day and maybe more from your holiday time.

It's a good country to drive in, so don't have any qualms about hiring a car and it's the best way to get off the main roads.
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Old Jun 17th, 2013, 01:46 PM
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Rubicund,

We will be flying in and out of Athens.
Would it be a good idea to break up Athens, seeing sites at the beginning and end of our trip?
Things I have read suggest the island of Crete needs a week to explore.
I thought we would go to 2-3 islands in the Cyclades.
Is there one island in that group that we could stay on and take day trips by boat to others?
I expected that we would have to move but I had not thought that we would lose a 1/2 day with each move.

Thanks for the information.
Atmrjy
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Old Jun 17th, 2013, 11:11 PM
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Hi atmrjr,

Since you want to see ancient sites & museums, and your husband loves to drive, recommend you concentrate on the mainland (Peloponnese) rather than the Cyclades. There are far more ancient sites just in the area around Nafplion than all the Cyclades Islands together. Getting around by hire car is simple — only 2-3 hours from Athens Airport to Nafplion, then another few hours to the south of the Peloponnese (Lakonia & Messinia) where there are beautiful seaside villages dotted along the coast, and more ancient sites.

Too many people on this board think Greece is only Athens and the islands, but that is far from the truth. If you want to visit the islands anyway, I recommend the Cyclades where I go every summer for beach holidays. Major ancient sites are thin on the ground, though — only Delos, near Mykonos, and Akrotiri on Santorini. As you are aware, each change of location eats up the better part of a day, so just getting to the islands and back will cost you two days.

For the islands it makes a difference what part of September you plan to visit. If you were to base yourself on Paros or Naxos you could take day trips by excursion boats to Delos/Mykonos and Santorini, but by the end of the month the trips may not still be running. Probably your best tactic would be dividing your time between Paros or Naxos and Santorini, taking a day trip, if possible to Delos/Mykonos.
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Old Jun 17th, 2013, 11:13 PM
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Apologies — atmrjy !
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Old Jun 18th, 2013, 03:43 AM
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I'm with Heimdall... spend more time on the mainland and less in the islands. If your husband loves to drive wait till he drives in Greece... the Greeks drive with a certain, for lack of a better word... brio. I love driving in Greece.
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Old Jun 18th, 2013, 09:00 AM
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"I expected that we would have to move but I had not thought that we would lose a 1/2 day with each move."

Think about it--you have breakfast, go back up to the room, collect cases, check out. Get transport to port or airport, wait for ferry or plane, travel, collect luggage, get transport, go to hotel, check in, unpack.

It's half a day if you're lucky.
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