12 Days in Greece in October
 

I am starting to put together a basic plan to visit Greece next fall. It has been 18 years since I have been to Athens and the Greek Isles and I can only imagine how crowded it has become, hence my preference to travel mid to late October when most of the cruise ships have stopped visiting the islands and when there are less tourists around. This will be my husband's first visit to Greece and it is a destination he has talked about visiting for years.

Do you recommend this as a good time to visit, understanding that some tourist oriented shops and restaurants may well be closed? Are there islands where this time of year will have less of an impact on local life and activities than others?

We would like to visit 3 islands and then spend a few days in Athens prior to flying home. I remember very much enjoying Rhodes and will likely want to include either Mykonos or Santorini as well as one more island.

We are interested in food, wine, history and architecture and my husband is a photographer so stunning scenery is on the agenda, though I seem to recall there was plenty of that in all of the islands I visited (was on a cruise for that trip).

We really enjoy cafes and public markets and prefer to be active rather than sunning at pool or beach or simply relaxing and looking at scenery. For us, relaxation is best in small doses and that is not why we make the long and expensive trip to Europe.

Will the ferry's be running a reduced schedule at that time? Does it make sense to fly between any of the islands, if flights are running at that time of year?

Does it make sense to start in one particular island rather than another and then work our way from there?

I am thinking 3 nights in Rhodes, 3 in Santorini and then 3 on another island. Based on the time of year and our travel preferences, can you recommend what a good option would be for the third island?

Are there websites you can suggest that will assist me in my research?

Any guidance would be much appreciated!

If you love history drop the 3rd island and spend a few days in the Pelopponese... Corinth, Nemea, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Naplion are all close and you can reach everything based in Naplion for 2 or 3 days. Vastly more of interest than, say, Mykonos out of season.

Cruise ships will still be running in late October, but you may well have difficulty finding ferry connections between Rhodes and Mykonos or Santorini. You may even have difficulty getting between Mykonos and Santorini, even though they are in the same island group. Mykonos and Santorini are on two different main ferry routes, and cross-route connections end around the middle of October. After that you will have to go back through Athens to get from one to the other.

I'm with ParisAmsterdam in that the Peloponnese would be much more enjoyable and rewarding than islands in the off-season. My suggestion would be to pick only one island, either Rhodes or Santorini, and split the rest of your time between Athens and the Peloponnese. Fly to/from the island to maximise your time. :-)

Am I better off looking at late September? My husband has he heart set on either Mykonos or Santorini so I have to include one and do not want hassles with transport.

Thanks for your suggestions so far!

You HAVE to go to Santorini if your husband's a photographer.

...and yes, late September would be much better! Recommend you give Rhodes a miss, go to Santorini, and choose between Mykonos and the Peloponnese. I'm one of those on this board who enjoys Mykonos (primarily because of its proximity to Delos), but still like ParisAmsterdam's recommendation of the Nafplion area better.

Many people who write in to Fodor's seem to think Greece consists only of Athens and the islands. In fact, the Argolid region around Nafplion is far richer in historic sights than any island, and has a coastline. It is far easier to get around the mainland by car than from island to island by ferry. :-)

Santorini, yes, yes, yes! It is without a doubt one of the most photographic places in the world! My husband and I were there at the end of September last year and had a wonderful time. As photographers as well, it was a visual feast, and almost impossible to take a bad photo.

It is a very popular destination, and for good reason -- when we were there, it was busy, but not overwhelmingly so. We stayed in Oia, which we loved, although if you want to avoid crowds, there are other places to stay along the caldera that are beautiful as well.

Still, I was very glad that we stayed in Oia to experience some of the unique "tourist" moments -- gathering in a crowd to watch the sunset (honestly, that was so much fun!); walking down to Amoudi Bay; and loving our stay at the Delfini Hotel.

Paule

I do understand that Greece has more to offer than the islands and Athens, however, this is my husband's first trip, we only have 12 total days and I want to streamline the amount of moving and traveling so that we can enjoy our time there.

In countries we have visited many times and know well, we have moved well beyond the standard tourist tracks - but we started with those on our first few trips and then branched out.

We do not care to rent a car so ease of access using public transport is important.

I will research the areas mentioned and thanks again.

<i>...we only have 12 total days and I want to streamline the amount of moving and traveling so that we can enjoy our time there.</i>

That is exactly what we are suggesting. Nafplion is only about 2 hrs from Athens by road. Santorini is only about 50 minutes from Athens by air. Travel between islands by ferry is time consuming, and there are no inter-island flights.

If you don't wish to rent a car, another option is a mainland tour organised by one of the Athens tour companies. Here are some examples from Key Tours: http://www.keytours.gr/en/packets.asp?category_id=1
There are other tour companies, e.g. Chat and Go, which offer similar packages, including private tailor-made tours. :-)

Thank you for the additional details. I would rather fly between Santori and Athens and then we can look at options for Nafplion.

So kfusto, as we are planning a similar route at similar times we'd be interested in what you've decided.....
cheers
tom+kathy

@tom+kathy, actually, we have decided to head back to Italy (Liguria and Emilia Romagna) instead and will save Greece for another trip. Fall is perfect in Italy and it is very easy to get around.

Fair enough. We toured Tuscany etc. last year and loved it.
Actually flew Rome to Rhodes direct afterwards and then continued on up the Turkish aegean coast.....