bornintheusa

I am just in the beginning stages of my trip planning for a trip to Greece in mid June for about 17 days--we are active 50 year olds that enjoy just wandering through towns,enjoy the scenery and people of a country, not necessarily into museums. Only plan to get to Greece once as there are so many other places on my to visit list. I know some of the things we want to see but am wondering if I am missing out on someplace amazing that I want to substitute in and take someplace out--are there some islands that need more days to explore/enjoy than others and if so which are they--also not sure if the order/proximity is correct ---- I know this is ambitious so any help would be greatly appreciated (we did Venice, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Florence, and Rome in 16 days)
1. Fly into Athen--fly out that day to Santorini (3 days)
2. Ferry to Paros- (3 days)
3. Ferry to Naxos (3 days)
4. Ferry to Mykonos-- (2 days)
5. Ferry to Athens--spend 2 days in Athens
6. Rent car and head toward Mucenae, Nafplion, Epidaurus (staying in Nafplion) 2 days
7. Drive to Delphi (2 days) return car to airport and fly home

stanbr

If I were planning a vacation I would pretty much choose to do much of this itinerary so it is a good plan. Remember 3 nights on an island is pretty much the minimum you want to do as each hop will burn at least two thirds of a day as the ferry trip takes much more time than you would expect with checkout from your hotel, catching the ferry the sail then finding your hotel on the next island. So on your trip with the Santorini, Naxos Paros Mykonos Athens hops you will burn the better part of two to 2.5 days in total for all those hops. Your plan is doable but you might want to consider dropping one of those Islands to devote more time to enjoy the rest.
Just a couple of things that would appear to be out of order. The natural progression of Island hops is Santorini, Naxos, Paros then Mykonos as one never wants to backtrack.
Here are some pictures of Nauplion and Naxos to help your planning.
Naxos
http://travel.webshots.com/album/552001505EYxVYT
Nauplion
http://travel.webshots.com/album/551991579dJbWvh
Athens
http://travel.webshots.com/album/570719132pdjjHG
have fun planning

bornintheusa

Stanbr--your pictures are gorgeous and really inspires me to get this trip planned and get to Greece. Of the islands I mentioned which one would be the one to drop, perhaps one that isn't that spectacular??? Also how long does the ferry take from Santorini to Naxos and from Naxos to Paros and from Paros to Mykonos...looking at a map doesn't really give me a realistic amount of time we are talking about riding a ferry. How about any recommendations for a great place to stay on each of those islands that is under 100E. We spend so little time in the room that a budget hotel/B and B that is clean and perhaps with a view is all we need. Thanks so much

Heimdall

Ferry transit times: Santorini-Naxos 2 hrs (conventional ferry); Naxos-Paros 1 hr (conventional ferry); Paros-Mykonos 40 min (highspeed). You can save transit time by flying from Athens to Santorini and from Mykonos back to Athens. Rent a car at the airport upon return from the islands and head straight for Nafplion, saving Athens for the end of your trip. You will lose about half a day each for transit between the islands, but you could look at the ferry trips as part of the adventure.

You will get many different opinions on which island to miss. Personally my least favorite is Santorini (sorry, Lee!) but I would never suggest you skip that beautiful place. That leaves Naxos, Paros, and Mykonos from which to choose for the chop. Since this will be your only trip to Greece, you may want to leave them all in. This board seems to be populated by Naxos fans, and it's a wonderful island. Paros has more variety, especially when you include nearby Antiparos, only 30 minutes from Parikia, Paros' port and main town. Mykonos Town is fun to wander around, and it's trump card is Delos, the spectacular archaeological site on Mykonos' doorstep. Someone is sure to jump in and say you can visit Delos/Mykonos from Naxos or Paros, and that is true, so maybe Mykonos would be the best one to take off your itinerary. You can fly back to Athens from either Paros or Naxos.

travelerjan

Heimdall is exactly right... Mykonos & Delos can be visited on a 1-day excursion from either Naxos or Paros; 2 companies do it, the larger vessel is HM Alexander, you buy tickets at any agency in the island port.

SANTORINI Hotels -- I like Firostephani, away from the Fira crowds, yet walkable to its attractions, and a great sunset view... look at Sunset Hotel, Hotel Mylos, both in your range.
NAXOS Hotels -- a lot of us like to stay in Ag. Giorgios, beach directly adjacent to Naxos Town, not crowdy in June, and easy stroll in for cafes, tavernas, shopping, sights, yet quiet at night: For hotels directly on beach with sea-view balconies, look at Asteria, Glaros, Kalergis Studios, Studios Thomais (Note: latter 2 are studio units with kitchenettes, ask for upper floors). For upscale, check out Nissaki Beach Hotel or Naxos Resort Beach Hotel.
PAROS HOTELS -- Nearest beach adjacent to port town is Livadi, but not the best. If you go a bit farther (taxi or 25 minute walk along the seafront), look at Villas Georgy, 200 yards uphill from a nice beach. Other Paros vets will have more suggestions.

PS: It's good to get a "feel" for ferries, schedules, trip duration etc. THe site that gives the MOST information is http://www.gtp.gr/RoutesForm.asp You have plenty of time before your trip; devote a little while to exploring this -- when you see a list of ferries to your desired destination, click on "More information and reservations" (NO this does NOT put you on a reservation form...I've never reserved on this site)... when you click you will see an interactive MAP with a moving red line on the route, showing its stops along the way , plus a thumbnail photo of the exact vessel, and when u click on that, sometimes u even get the # of passengers & the speed. This will give you what you requested, a realistic idea of what ferry travel entails.

stanbr

Hi borintheusa I am glad you enjoyed the pictures.
It is a very hard thing to do to recommend you drop a specific Island becaus we will all recommend our favourite island. Having said that and forewarned, here is what we are doing next June. Santorini, Naxos,Paros, Pelopponese including Nauplion. Sounds familiar.
I agree with Hemidall Santorini is spectacular and really is not to be missed particularly if you make sure to get a hotel with a caldera view. Santorini is touristy and crowded with cruise ship visitors so Jan is correct head out away from Fira to one of the nearby villages like Firostephani where the hoards normally do not get to.

Naxos is our favourite island and we will be visiting again in June this year for the 9th time. There is something there that just keeps calling us back.
Personally we find Mykonos to be touristy and expensive without Santorini's views and no better than Naxos or Paros for beaches or main towns.

The Delos trip is special and you do get a few hours in Mykonos so I base my observations from only 3 brief experiences on Mykonos.

Since your plan is to only do 2 days on Mykonos anyway it is the logical one to drop particularly given the time required on the ferry to get there.

Here are a few other pictures of Naxos mountain villages and Delos. You will see there are lots of interesting things to see in Naxos and you can easily add an extra day or two there particularly if you do the Delos excursion.

http://travel.webshots.com/album/577950188puzxSj
http://travel.webshots.com/album/552009563QJRIYa

bornintheusa

Stanbr-- it is good to see that great minds think alike and that my itinerary is similar to yours...maybe I should just have you plan my trip!! LOL once again you have been very helpful with your suggestions and I have decided to drop Mykonos but was wondering why you said this "The Delos trip is special and you do get a few hours in Mykonos" Are you saying that if I do a day trip to Delos the ferry also stops at Mykonos??? Should I do that day trip from Naxos or Parps?? WHich one would be more convenient?

TravelerJan-- thanks for all of the great places to stay--will get them all out--some of my research has guided me to stay in Oia in Santorini--thoughts on staying there over Firostephani--how far away are those 2 places from where the Ferry drops you off?? Is there a public bus or taxi???

Heimdall

Let me step back in for a moment. I agree with Stanbr that Delos is special, and yes, you do get a few hours on Mykonos in the same trip. Both excursion boats do the trip on Tue, Thu, & Sun, stop for three hours on Delos, then move over to Mykonos for another 3½ hours in the afternoon. Delos is simply the most spectacular archaeological site in the Aegean. The entire island is an ancient site, and no-one lives or works there except a few caretakers and archaeologists.

From which island is it more convenient? Here's the catch: from either island you will spend a long time at sea in a fairly small boat. The trip from Naxos is longer, because the boats leave there first, stop at Naoussa on Paros to pick up more passengers, then drop them off at the end of the day before returning to Naxos. That adds an extra 1½ hours to the trip for those leaving from Naxos.

If you are staying on both Paros and Naxos, my suggestion would be go from the island you visit first if it fits with your itinerary. The reason is that sometimes high winds cancel the excursions (these boats are much smaller than ferries) and it would be disappointing to miss out. If you have a choice between the two boats, M/V Alexander and Naxos Star, choose the former. Both are the same length (41m), but Alexander is a catamaran with a wider beam. Naxos Star is a conventional boat which rolls more in heavy seas, a problem for those susceptible to seasickness. A little video clip from Naxos Star: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U68He8QjDR4

That's why I prefer visiting Delos from Mykonos. ;-)

KayF

Can I chime in with another opinion? I thought Mykonos was much prettier and more photogenic than Naxos and if going back to one of those islands, I'd choose Mykonos. You can easily do a half day trip to Delos from Mykonos if you want. We haven't visited Paros.

We were in Oia in August this year and were glad we stayed there instead of Thira. We stayed in Thira a number of years ago. Both are fine but Thira gets more crowded and Oia seemed slightly upmarket to me. The bus goes from the port to Thira, which serves as the island hub. You then get another bus to Oia which takes about 20-30 mins.

The place we stayed would be over your budget but if you look on www.tripadvisor.com and select Oia, you will find places with caldera views and hopefully some will be in your price range. Be aware that 'sea' view may not mean caldera view. You want the caldera view. Oia is also the place where everyone flocks to see the sunset which is really beautiful but it was ridiculously crowded when we were there, though it was peak season so that may account for it.

Kay

travelerjan

Not necessarily Kay, I remember vividly a day about Sept 19-20, when the parapet pathway was CHOKED with more than 500 people elbowing each other to take a sunset shot... you see, people come by public bus and car and even bus tours because everyone talks about the Oia sunset ... so unless you have an Oia hotel balcony or terrace where you can watch in seated comfort I don't advise coming to Oia for Sunset. After sunset, the throngs rush to the bus stop where the bus is unable to accommodate the crowds, so sometimes one must wait for 45 minutes to be able to board a bus. One would think that the local bus system would gear up for the sunset crowd, but seemingly not.

Last year we enjoyed a lovely sunset on the large common terrace of Sunset Hotel, FIrostephani, on cushioned wicker loveseats, sipping Santorini white wine, with an unobstructed view of the whole caldera ... the civilized way.

Heimdall

The best views of the sunset on Santorini are when you face away from it, and watch the colors change on the whitewashed buildings. You can see this from any of the caldera villages. Anyone who has watched the sunset at Uluru in Australia will know what I mean. If I were to rank sunsets in the Cyclades, through the Portara on Naxos would be at the top of my list.

travelerjan

Me too, H.

bornintheusa

OK--since I do get really seasick I am thinking do Delos from Mykonos- perhaps stay Mykonos 2 nights (one to visit the island and one to go to Delos)-I am really having a difficult time determining how much time I will need on each island not knowing the size/things to see, etc. Can I downsize Paros and/or Naxos to 2 days?? Which has more to see/visit?? Would you suggest a day trip from Paros to Antiparos or just stay on Paros??
Regarding the drive to Delphi-- can I see most everything there in one full day or will I need more (we walk fast!!)

Same thing for Nauplion--can I see most of the town in one day??


If you had 17 days and wanted to see Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, Delos by Ferry and wanted to rent a car and drive to Delphi and Nauplion from Athen how would you subdivide the days and what route would you take??
Thanks so much for all of your great imput..I am taking copius notes!!

stanbr

I think you are pretty much back where you started from except we have introduced Delos to the mix.
Hemidall may have placed something in you mind by saying the excursion boats from Naxos Paros to Delos are small. Yes they are small compared to the large car ferrys but at 41 meters that is over 120 feet with passanger capacity of 300. These boats are not 30 foot runabouts. Since you are spending 6 days compbined on Paros and Naxos that gives you 2 or 3 opportunities to book the Delos trip. Check out the weather forcast and pick a good day. We have taken that excursion 3 times in June and it has never been rough. Nothing but calm seas. My wife is highly suceptible to sea sickness and she has never had a problem on the Alexander.

By the way I have to agree with Jan and Hinmidall the sunset form th Naxos Portera is something very special and it will not be crowded at all in June. The sunset over Nauplion harbour is also someting to look forward to.

If you want to see everything in your plan you will simply have to push hard but in the end you may very well miss what makes Greece so special: finding a place where history comes alive, where you feelthe vibration of thousands of years of civilization and most of all, where one can slow down and just enjoy a more simple life.
Having said that since you are commuting by ferry and you really do not need reservations in June, I predict that you will get to one island, whichever one it is, and realize it has stolen your heart. Like so many of us here before you, you will simply abandon your planned itenary and will just hunker down to take it all in. I remember one poster saying they planned a night on Naxos and stayed 6 weeks. Now that's flexible.

mariha2912

Hello!
Well, why to downsize Paros/Naxos to 2 days and not Santorini? Obviously your itinerary is a hectic one, and it seems to me you want to take in as many attractions as possible instead of relaxing... Well, Santorini is a tiny island and you go there mostly for the views and for relaxing, while on Paros/Naxos there are more things to see and do. Remember that Naxos is the 2nd larger island on Cyclades,Paros the 3rd larger island (Andros is the largest of all...) .
I would never suggest someone to visit Nafplion only for one day, town its self is gorgeous with many nice walks and things to see, while there are 2-3 important archeological sites in the vinicity too. About Delphi, there are many things to see and do in the area, but with your time limitations, I wouldn't even think about them...Your priority should be the museum and the sites, and yes, if you are there early and depeding on your stamina, you can "do" those in one day. So if you arrive early in the day, you can spend one night in Delphi instead of two.

One think to concider is not to plan everything in the hour, and allow some spare time driving among locations etc. I am not talking only about seen something that catches your eye and do an unplanned stop or something, but just a wrong turn, and you may end up been delated conciderably. I wouldn't risk not to be very near Athens one night before my return flight either. It is of course safer to be on the mainland rather than on an island, but still I wouldn't like to be in a situation where a flat tyre will cause me to miss my flight home.
About the islands, to be honest I wouldn't book accomondation in advance. A ferry delay or cancelation can blow away all your planed itinerary. I stongly suggest to do your homework and have in mind where you want to be based though, not show up unprepared!

Happy plannings,

travelerjan

born.... listen to stanbr! and listen to Mariha!! She's a professional in the hospitality business, from Delphi, and each year spends 9-10 months in management on a different major island, and knows every nook and cranny. When these two say SLOW DOWN, take it seriously ... you do NOT have to see everything, and I totally agree that if you must chop out a day, take it from Santorini .... it is only 12.5 miles long and these days its major feature is the Caldera View. You can take care of that in 2 nights max .... despite the people who say they just want to sit on the balcony all day drinking wine and looking at the view (to me, sorry, that means getting smashed). I've been to all these places multiple times, and I always say 36-48 hours in Santorini... but then, I'm not a honeymooner -- Oh wait! you two aren't either!
And IMHO you can see what you want of Mykonos in a brief visit unless you want to do a ton of high-end shopping (DKNY, Cartier, Hermes, C.Klein etc) and take in after-midnight club life. Sooo... Knock a day off Santorini, do the 1-dayer to Delos & Mykonos ... and you'll have time to enjoy Naxos and Paros, where there is so much more to discover.

Heimdall

Back to where you started may not be a bad thing, and when was Delos not in the mix? Delos is the main reason many people go to Mykonos -- certainly that's the case with me. I would rather just give you the facts and let you make your own decision -- after all, it's your trip.

Now, though, we have introduced the possibility of seeing Delos on a day trip from either Paros or Naxos. You plan to travel in mid-June when the seas are usually fairly calm, but there may be a few days of high wind. The choice is to leave all the islands in your itinerary and have a slightly rushed trip, or to cut out Mykonos as a destination and see Delos/Mykonos much as the cruise ship passengers do, with only a few hours to explore the town.

Stanbr is correct that you will have several opportunities to make the trip during your stays on Paros or Naxos, while from Mykonos you would have only those two days (note that Delos is closed on Mondays). If you take the day trip from Naxos it lasts 10 hours on Alexander and 10½ hours on Naxos Star, with 3½-4 hours on the boat itself. To give you a perspective on size, Alexander and Naxos Star are 41m, while the ferries Blue Star Paros and Naxos are 124m. FlyingCat 4, the Heraklion - Santorini - Mykonos catamaran, is 55m.

Before you start thinking that maybe Delos isn't worth the bother, have a look at http://www.sacred-destinations.com/greece/delos and you will see why I think it is special. I chose that particular website at random - do a Google search for lots of info on Delos.

yiassas

<<<Knock a day off Santorini, do the 1-dayer to Delos & Mykonos ... and you'll have time to enjoy Naxos and Paros, where there is so much more to discover.>>>
Sums up my thoughts too!
2 nights/days on Santorini was enough for me too, we saw the caldera & 2 sunsets, both of which are the main reason for most people visiting, the sunset itself I didn't consider any more spectacular than many other places, the fascination was in the changing colours of the caldera & the buildings as Heimdall says. Get a car (or use the buses)& you can explore the rest of the island, it's sights, wineries & museums, but for me I wouldn't consider returning until Akrotiri has re-opened, mainly because I want places to see, I couldn't spend hours or days just looking at the view.
I have done the Delos/Mykonos trip in June from Naxos, absolutely fine. Although Delos was the main reason for the trip Mykonos was a bonus, seeing some of it without having to stay there at inflated prices.
I agree too that you should listen to mariha, she comes from Delphi & has lived & worked on both Naxos & Paros, you don't get any better 'insider' information than that.

bornintheusa

THANK YOU THANK YOU Wow, you are all making so much sense and now I have it all set with the exception of the land part...should I spend more time in Delphi or Nafplion...which of these 2 areas has more to see? Are they both equal distances from Athens?? Can I go to one first and then drive to the other before returning to Athens for a few days there and a flight home to Los Angeles. Which one should I do first?? You are all my "travel heroes" since I am such a novice at this.

HappyTrvlr

We spent a month doing your itinerary plus Crete. I would take a day from Santorini too..The view is spectacular and the villages pretty but the cruise ships' crowds are a nightmare to contend with. And once you've seen the view, I would move on to a more interesting island.I was happy to leave Santorini but didn't feel that way about the rest of the places in Greece.