Some random questions for all the helpful and knowledgeable Greece folk:

1) We will have about 7 hours free our first day between arrival at the airport and the night ferry to Santorini. How can we use that time? Is there anything nice to do near Piraeus? Will we have time to go into Athens for a few hours? If yes, what can we do with our luggage?

2) In Crete, is it better to stay in Chania the whole time (3.5 days), or start out in Heraklion to see Knossos and then go to Crete? How do people feel about staying in Chania old town as opposed to a beach resort nearby? Any hotel or resort recommends?

3) We want to go to Elafonisi beach, but we don't need to spend the whole day there. Can we combine that with a drive through the mountains?

4) Any recommendations for a Samaria gorge tour company?

5) How does one get to Allou Fun Park, in Athens, at night?

and finally,
6) Any Day Tour to Delphi recommendations?

Thank you!

CRETE: We stayed near Chania and took a day trip to see Knossos. We loved Elafonissi and stopped there after spending time at Falassarna beach to the north. We took a route from Elafonissi back to Chania through the mountains. The two beaches are totally different and both are wonderful to visit.
I would prefer to stay in Chania rather than at a beach resort outside of town but you might prefer the beach resort.
SAMARIA GORGE:We drove south to Chora Skafion and took the ferry to the southern end of the Samaria Gorge and hiked into it. I didn't see any hikers on group tours while we were there.Most hikers take a bus to to the beginnng of the gorge and hike down, then ferry to bus..
We did Delphi independently as part of our driving tour of the Peloponnesean so can't help you with tours. It is a beautiful place in addition to its incredible history.

HappyTrvlr - would you recommend the hotel you stayed in, in Chania?

Chanad,

If you haven't done so already pose your questions over the the Greece forum at TripAdvisor as well.

There are more native Greek members there than here at Fodors.

I just happen to have my file from Greece nearby. I did a 5 day tour with Chat Tours and at the time, I think they did day tours to Delphi.

On Crete, I stayed both in town and on the beach. In town, I was traveling alone andI stayed at the Amphora. It was well priced (for me); it faced the harbor, had a good breakfast and a nice outdoor deck. One negative it got loud at night. I moved to the beach when my sister was joining me and she preferred to a beach stay. We stayed at Ammos and it was wonderful. We went back into town everyday.

We took a couple of day trips. One was to the Elafonsi and Paleohara beaches, maybe we were in the wrong place, but I didn't like them--there were wall to wall umbrellas. A trip I really enjoyed was a boat trip to a nearby Island--I can't read my writing, but it is something like Grandvousa Isle. I chickened out on the samaria gorge trip. The warning that once you start you can't turn around was enough to forego it, but I do regret that decision. There are lots of tour brochures at the hotels and the hotel people were excellent at suggesting tours.

Crete again... you needa whole day to do Knossos and the Archeological museum in Iraklion, so if it fits your trip stay over in Iraklion. If it doesn't just do it as a day trip from Chania.

The Old Town is lovely to say in. The beach resorts are not.



As to Samarai, do it yourself. early bus to Omolos, walk down, ferry and bus back. The extra over cost (when we did it) was about €5. And you get what you pay for.