Ash0830

Hi all... So need some advice on a Greek Island trip in June 2017...It'll be 2 couples with 4 kids total ranging from 8 to 13. I was thinking of flying into Athens and immediately flying out to Santorini for 3 nights. After this, it's up in the air as to what to do next... Previous visitors to Greece have told me to go to mykonos, but I've read some forums here that have said to avoid Mykonos. We really want to go to Rhodes since it looks like there has some fantastic 5 star beach resorts there, that look really awesome, and after dragging the kids to ruins and sightseeing and all, I want them to have some beach time at a beach resort.

My question is how beat can I incorporate a 3rd destination to this trip and where. My plan is 3 nights in Santorini, 3 nights in Rhodes and 1 night in Athens the day before we depart. That leaves me 3 nights at another destination, and if we avoid Mykonos, where else can we go that is convenient and has plenty of things for kids to do?

I don't mind flying as much as possible between islands, but it looks like all inter island flights still go through Athens, and that makes it just a little faster than the ferries...

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

artsnletters

Three islands in 10 days is a pretty tall order unless you stick to one island group - for example, Santorini and two out of Mykonos, Naxos, and Paros. That keeps you in the same "family" of islands, where ferry service is frequent. Rhodes is in a different island group, which is why it is so time-consuming to get to. If you're going to add a third island, I would pick one of these, or add Kos, which is near Rhodes.

There is a night ferry from Santorini to Rhodes, but it only goes two or three nights a week. If one of those nights works into your schedule, it will really help.

My personal advice would be to allow more than three days for Rhodes, possibly skipping a third island entirely. It is a good-sized island with lots to see and do. I was there for four and a half days and feel like I needed twice as long. Just in Rhodes town itself there is crusader castle, the walls around the old city, the cobbled old city itself, harbor tours, some ruins, and museums. There's plenty more elsewhere on the island. I'm not a beach person, but I certainly saw some lovely beaches from the road, so I'm sure you could find a great place. You will want time to hang out on the beach, which takes away from the time you'd have available for the considerable sightseeing opportunities.

Incidentally, there aren't a lot of ruins in Santorini, so your kids may not be maxed out by the time you get to Rhodes. There are some good ruins on Rhodes if you are interested.

docdan

Mykonos is a subject that is a challenge to advise folks on, because it really depends on your expectations. 30 years ago, (maybe more) Mykonos was an underdeveloped idyllic island that was nothing but local charm. Many still have this impression, and are then turned off by current development. Also, there are family friendly areas and areas where alternate lifestyles are flaunted. Get on the wrong beach, and you will leave with a less than happy experience. That being said, we ( a <ahem> very family friendly family) visited it 6 years ago, as well as other parts of Europe, and it remains one of our favorite sites to visit. I suggest you would do well to visit Mykonos, but it does require some planning. If you do go, the 1/2 day, side trip to Delos is really amazing. I dare say, anyone who advised against going to Mykonos must not have also gone to Delos.

Also, many people do not understand that the Greek mainland has more coastline than all the islands combined. I suggest you plan a few days in Athens, with a possible side trip to Corinth or some other mainland spot. It is all lovely, but has a bit different "vibe" not found on the Islands, making a ten day trip a more rich experience.

Ash0830

The things I have read about mykonos basically state that while it still has charm, and is worth seeing, there are so many better options out there now, so unless you have enough time, it's better spent elsewhere.

Rhodes is definitely part of the plan, so might look into Kos as an alternate.

Thx for the replies so far....

stanbr

It seems that Rhodes is a definite must do for you. There is so much to see in Rhodes that three nights simply isn't enough time. There are ruined Crusader castles all over the island plus the Acropolis fortress at Lindos all of which the kids are gong to love. Spend your extra three night by adding two days to Rhodes and one additional day to Athens or all three to Rhodes. Every island hop you make uses up half a day so less hops gives you more time to enjoy.
Lindos and Rhodes http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634754696058/

Just my two cents worth on Mykonos. It is beautiful but other islands nearby are just as beautiful at half the cost. There are day excursion boats from Naxos and Paros to Delos so you don't have to go to Mykonos for Delos.

AnthiTs

My opinion is that maybe you should skip Mykonos since you are travelling with kids. It has the rumor to be a crazy party island and very expensive as well. You could have a trip to Syros-Tinos Mykonos though if you wanrt to see for yourself. For something closer to Rhodes, apart from Kos, Kalimnos is also a good idea. Quiet island, hiking destination and the food there is amazing and relatively cheap.

Heimdall

Having been to Kos, I don't think it is worth taking time away from Rhodes, although a day trip from there to the volcanic island of Nisyros is interesting. When on Rhodes you might think about a day trip to the nearby island of Symi, which I'm told is spectacular.

Santorini is an intermediate stop for the Blue Star ferry from Piraeus to Rhodes, and leaves Santorini after midnight. You could book cabins, get a night's sleep, and wake up before the ferry arrives on Rhodes the next morning. You will need to get your timing right, though, because it doesn't run every day.

Tabernash2

We were in Athens and Santorini last month. LOVED Santorini, and wish we'd had more than 5 nights there. I agree with others that two islands is a good plan. Three nights anywhere is the bare minimum in my mind.

We were not wild about Athens.

Take a look at CostcoTravel.com, which is how I organized our last-minute trip to Greece. It includes all your ground transport, your ferries, AND you have a local Costco concierge who will greet you when you arrive at all destinations, and is your local contact if questions. There are several hotels you can choose from. All are high-end, and include special benefits like breakfasts included.

We were so happy we had this concierge, because there was a ferry strike planned for the day we were leaving Santorini, and she had already rescheduled us on a flight instead. Many tourists were stranded on islands because of the strike, and I'm sure we would've been, too, if on our own.

On Santorini, we stayed at the Gold Suites, which we highly recommend. Stay in that area, for the best views, and easy walks to less-touristy restaurants. The town is called Imerovigli. There is easy transportation from there, and it's not busy.

http://www.goldsuites-santorini.com

Ash0830

Thanks all for your responses and insight. Looks like the general consensus is to do santorini for 2 nights, and catch a late ferry to Naxos on day 3,spend 3 nights there, and catch early am flight to Rhodes via Athens, and spend 4 nights in Rhodes, before leaving and spending one quick evening in Athens.... Athens is purely to go see the Parthenon and that's really it.

Since ferry schedules don't get released till much later, we are going to minimize ferry time and just book flights everywhere.

I'll look at trip advisor but if anyone has some great resort suggestions at either place, it would be appreciated. 4 to 5 star places is what we would be looking for.

Thanks to all again!

Heimdall

Just one suggestion: when you say "resort" I hope you don't mean the all-inclusive hotel found in some countries where everything is provided and you are isolated from the community. Look for a nice hotel located in or near a town/beach resort where you can walk into town in the evenings, browse in the local shops, and enjoy meals in different restaurants. That's what Greece does better than anywhere else, IMO!