mlaffitte

I'm planning a trip to Athens and Crete in mid-April with my 11-year-old son who is studying Greek and Minoan history in school and keen to see some of the sights.

Would appreciate suggestions/feedback on the following itinerary...

Day 1, arrive Athens airport late afternoon, take taxi or bus to Piraeus, and take 9 pm overnight ferry to Chania. Question: Any tips on booking ferry, including what class of sleeping accommodation to choose? I don't need the fanciest, just something comfortable, and the Greek ferry website has all sorts of categories I can't figure out.

Days 2, 3 & 4. With rental car, using Chania as a base, explore the area including 1-day hike down Samaria gorge, plus day trip to Knossos. Questions: Is Samaria gorge OK to hike in spring? I've heard it's sometimes closed because of a risk of flash floods. Any suggested areas to explore by car, outside the usual tourist haunts? Also, any suggestions of reasonably priced, kid-friendly accommodation in Chania would be welcome.

Day 5: Go to Athens, either flying from Heraklion or taking ferry from HEraklion or Chania. Question: what are the pros/cons of flying vs. ferry? Ordinarily I would think one overnight ferry ride would be enough, but the last time I visited Crete (20-plus years ago!) I got stranded for a couple of days by an airline strike, finally had to take a ferry back and sleep on the deck.

Afer Crete I plan to spend 2 days in Athens before flying home. I know that's short, but at least enough to see the Parthenon and archeological museum which are my main goals.

Thanks for any suggestions!

travelerjan

Miafitte, if you're wondering about Samaria, why not do a different gorge?? In early May 2001 a friend and I did the Imbros Gorge, doesn't get floods, is beautiful, and deep and has those narrow parts (where u can touch both sides), but NO tourists. We saw maybe a dozen in the 4 hours it took.

You drive south from Vrisses to Imbros town, leave car at Gorge entry... at the end you walk to a taverna that returns u up the rim to your car....if U look on map, u'll see Imbros is also a close shoot to Rethymnon...the "old town" part is mega-touristy, but JUST go to the Fortezzo...the boy will love it!

NOTE: Driving south from Vrisses, keep eyes peeled for a brown/yellow "official site" sign that says "Minoan Settlement". Apply brakes! The ruins are just circled with chicken-wire fence...there's a building with an altar -- he can take pix to show at school!

RE KNOSSOS: Do NOT make day trip from Chania to Knossos, then back to Chania...too much driving time. Bore bore. Do KNossos on your last full day in Greece, and then either take the night ferry back, or stay in Heraklion that night to get flight in thea.m. .

RE FLIGHTS: Try to get the bargain Aegean tickets 19E+tax++= about 50E); their regular fare is 119E! If the bargain tix are gone, Olympic is 88E.

RE FERRIES: Whether you ferry one way or both ways, why not ask an Athens agency (Dolphin Hellas?) to recommend which accommodation, then book thru them? Costs no more, they give good advice. and then u can pick up tickets from agency (I'm sure they have a piraeus office) instead of paying to have them mailed Fedex to u in USA.
E-mail or phone; people on this forum say that someone named ??Uli?? is main one for English-speaking clients.

NOTE: Ferries have all-male and all female cabins for 4 that are v. reasonable; cabins for 2 are more -- but remember, besides your transport, it also is your hotel for the night, so that's a savings.

mlaffitte

thanks so much, lots of good advice!

sheila

Samaria is usually only opened towards te end of April for exactly the reason you identify. They'll tell you at the travel shops in Chania if it's open or not

Go round the Akrotiri; go to Souda. Take your son to the war cemetery at the head of the bay. Go to Aptera, and go up into the mountains.

travelerjan

Oops a reason one should edit. About Imbros Gorge, I meant to say that about 1 km from mouth of gorge is a taverna where you hire a TAXI to drive you up to car.