Carol

Trying to plan my July vacations and can't decide which greek island to choose. Is Corfu nicer? Any suggestions from fodorites that have been there? Thanks.

AP

It really depends on what you are looking for. You may know this, but anywhere you go in July will be crowded. My first trip to Greece consisted of Mykonos &amp; Santorini. Mykonos had beautiful beaches, a picturesque main town, and a great day trip option to Delos. It is somewhat a party island if that's your thing. That is also easily avoidable. The landscape is very dry &amp; barren.<BR><BR>Santorini was just amazing. The scenery is stunning. The beaches were nice, but stone beaches not sand. Also not a green island. Lots of great daytrips from here to the volcanic islands? (or islets?). Good wineries. Several nice towns, especially Fira.<BR><BR>Corfu I went to this past August. Very green &amp; lush. Please choose carefully what area to stay in. We unfortunately ended up in party central, it was crazy!! There are a few beautiful beach areas, all on the western side of the island. The buildings in town were very Venetian looking. I recommend a rental car to fully explore the island. Great daytrips from here. Most notably, to me was my day trip to Saranda, Albania. If you do a search on this board you will pull up a posting. Corfu is VERY different from the other two. We also combined this island with a trip to Venice, Italy because you can take a 24 hout cruise to there.<BR><BR>Mykonos is probably what pops into your mind when you think of Greece, scenery-wise.

Gina

I'm sure you'll get a lot of votes for Santorini and Mykonos. We went to Corfu and stayed right in Corfu Town. Its definitely not party central if that's what you're looking for - you'll haveto go to the other side of the island for that. We stayed at Hotel Konstantinopolis in old town - our room overlooked the Ionian Sea. Loved exploring the winding little streets in the market area of old town. Very pretty, very relaxing.

Carol

AP and Gina, thank you so much for your replies. I really don't want much partying I just want nice beaches and a lovely scenary. The only cons I see in Santorini are the beaches, black rock beaches don't appeal to me. Also, checking the net , I understood that Corfu isn't as expensive as Santorini and Mykonos, as far as lodging.<BR>If I decide for Mykonos and Corfu, 4 or five days in each, is it possible to go by ferry from one to another? Many thanks again

pat

You might look at the movie &quot;Shirley Valentine&quot; for shots of Mykonos. A very funny movie too.

AP

There are no ferries from Mykonos to Corfu. They are completely separated by the Greek mainland. You would have to fly, it would probably only be an hour flight. I think even though they are not located in the same island group, that it would be a great combination.<BR><BR>What I did over the summer when I was headed to Corfu was rent a car and drive up the mainland from Athens. We went Meteora, which was amazing. Then we took the ferry from Igoumenitsa.<BR><BR>Another option is to just do the Ionian island group. Zakynthos &amp; Keffalonia are connected by ferries, but then you would have to fly to Corfu. Zakynthos &amp; Keffalonia look amazing.<BR><BR>You should ge the Dorling Kindersley &quot;The Greek Islands&quot; book. I love it, it is my bible when I go to Greece.

Carol

Thanks AP. I looked at the map and you're right, they are very far away.And thanks also for the tip on the book. I'm ordering it through Amazon, I already chcked and they have it.

Annie

Carol, All three are nice it just depends what you're looking for in a vacation. Mykonos is more party-heavy, Santorini is more touristic yet pretty in a barren kind of way, and Corfu can be calm and quiet or party-heavy depending on where you are. <BR><BR>I saw this site: www.greece101.com that has some really good information. It talks about Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu, and also some of the other Ionian Islands. It might help you out. <BR><BR>I do know you can't go direct from Mykonos or Santorini to Corfu.<BR><BR>Driving in Greece can be kind of maddening as the signage isn't great and the drivers are agressive. But if you have the time you will see more of the country that way.

AP

Driving in Corfu appeared pretty easy (I was a passenger in the car). Going through the mainland out of Meteora towards Ionnanina to Igoumenitsa there was many twists and turns, but the scenery was amazing.

Carolina

All 3 are beautiful. I agree with the other posters that Mykonos and Santorini are very different in character to Corfu. They have a different climate, different architecture, history etc. They are also very different in size.<BR>It would be fairly difficult to get from Mykonos to Corfu. There are no ferries so you have to fly, changing planes in Athens.<BR>I think you would be better to choose one or the other, as you could find that you spend rather too long in the airport otherwise. Having said that, both are worth seeing.<BR>For flight timetables and prices, check the Olympic Airways website and that of Aegean Airways. <BR>You would need to spend a total of about $300 on flights if you flew from Athens to Mykonos, back to Athens, on to Corfu and then back to Athens. Not bad value really but check out the timetables to see what would work for you.<BR>If you want info. on Corfu, e-mail me directly. I stay there every year for 2 months, so I know the island very well.<BR>Wherever you go,<BR>Have a lovely trip.<BR>

cocomoe

Carolina- if you're still checking this, I'm heading to Corfu for a few days this summer and would love your input. Thanks!

Alina