Desperately need your help with my Greek itinerary
 

At this point I think I've reserved so many hotels I need to start canceling but I'm so confused! We will be landing in Athens 4/30 (evening) and leaving out of Heraklion 5/15 (morning). Here's what I have so far:

Athens, Greece: Which hotel option? Amalia or Astor? We arrive after 9pm on 4/30, take metro to hotel?
4/30, 5/1, 5/2, 5/3 and checking out 5/3 - Amalia Hotel ($673 total)
Checking in 5/3 and checking out 5/4- 360 Degrees ($301)
*I couldn't get same hotel to take us 3 (considering budget too)
OR
4/30- Not booked yet
5/1, 5/2, 5/3 and checking out 5/4- Astor Hotel

We will fly into Santorini from Athens. Santorini:
5/4, 5/5, 5/6, 5/7 and checking out 5/8 - Belvedere Hotel, Firostefani ($1,854)

We will take the ferry to Heraklio and rent a car from the airport to drive to Chania (pick up car from Heraklio airport 5/8 and return 5/13):
5/8, 5/9, 5/10 (and checking out 5/11)- Kydon The Heart City Hotel $600 Euro total (very nervous about parking situation here). Any better hotel options for 3 with car?

Here's where I'm really stomped. 2 options (we love the beach, relaxing and after this long vacation would be nice to just chill but we like sandy beaches too).

Option 1: 5/11, 5/12 (and checking out 5/13) Amira Luxury Resort, Adelianos Kampos $473 (so inexpensive compared to others on this trip) I have not read anything about this hotel in guide books. Seems new. Any thoughts on this area?
Option 2: 5/11, 5/12 (and checking out 5/13) this is I know a long day drive but so appealing, Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection $1,102 (gulp, expensive). There's a private pool which is calling my name because I don't swim in public pools. Is this very long day of driving on 5/11 worth it? Google says it is a 3 hour drive from Chania but if we stop I know it will be longer. Maybe we can swallow a third night, not sure?\

5/13, 5/14 (checking out 5/15 to fly out) Heraklio, Ibis Styles Hotel $346. Can we do a day trip from here to Knossos? Is Parking ok in this area? Thoughts? Better hotel options?

Help please! And thank you in advance.

Why do you wait until now to ask advice?? Don't know if it's fixable, but you have y our itinerary completely backward -- requiring several back-tracks wasting time/money, and resulting n last-day risk of not getting back to Ath & missing your homebound flight. Have you already booked your flights to Santorini & back from Crete? if so, are they the top-level rate (wlhich allows change in date without penaltyl). If so, you could switch everything around -- and do ATHENS LAST. Here's what an experienced Greece-goer would do:

APRIL 30 -- Shuttle (FREE) to lovely AVRA Hotel 25 mins away next to beach, snack/meal/early night - shuttle bakc to Airporf early AM for Flight to CHANIA CRETE
MAY ! - 6? -- CRETE for 6? 7? nights -- 3 Nights in CHANIA ... Rent Car & Drive to HERAKLION area (1 night)... 1 day to see Knossos & Herak Museum, last night in HERAK
MAY 7-8 (Not clear) - 9:30 FERRY to SANTORIN arrive noon - stay 3 nights
MAY 11? -- AM Flight to ATHENS For 4 nights/ 3 full days in Central Athens
MAY 15 - to ATH airport for flight home

THis puts Athens last, after you' ve learned "how Greece works" and have some background to understand & appreciate Athens world-famous landmarks & museum treasures

Thank you for your advice. We are not going back to Athens. We are going back home from Heraklio. We are flying in from another trip so we don't have the ability to change. We also literally just booked our Greece trip 2 days ago.

I'm not seeing an issue. Personally I like to see Athens first and the islands second. Unless I've not read the thread properly, its Athens-Santorini-Heraklion-Chania. If you are homeward bound from Crete, there is no potential issue getting back to Athens to fly elsewhere.

The only thing I would do differently is I would take a taxi from the Athens Airport to your hotel in Athens. Make it easy on yourself. You are arriving at night after 9PM.. Do you really want to lug your luggage on the metro? Maybe I am lazy but that sounds grueling to me. We took a taxi from the Athens airport to our hotel in Athens last May, and the cost was only about $40 -$45. Well worth it to make your life easier.

We didn't stay at any of the hotels you have reserved so I can't comment on that. I am sure they are fine. We did stay in Firostefani based on Travelerjan's recommendation, and we loved staying there. It is quieter than Fira and Oia. You can easily walk to Fira and Imerovigli. If you are younger than us (we are in our 70's), you can probably do the walk from Oia to Fira. We didn't have the time, and probably don't have the stamina:).
You will have a wonderful trip!

Yep. I would have loved to go from Santorini to Chania but no direct flights and no ferry. So, we will go into Heraklio and rent a car. It's ok.

It's so smart to fully book a trip and then ask for help.

Anyone else?

I canceled the Elounda.. and replaced it with the Avra Imperial Hotel in Kolymvari ($803) so we will stay be in the West of Crete. So it's between Avra (Kolymvari) and this Amira Resort (Adelianos Kampos). Anyone familiar with these or their respective beaches???

Option 1: 5/11, 5/12 (and checking out 5/13) Amira Luxury Resort, Adelianos Kampos $473 (so inexpensive compared to others on this trip) I have not read anything about this hotel in guide books. Seems new. Any thoughts on this area?

Thanks KarenWoo- I think you're totally right (and my hubby will probably agree too). I can google this but now I'm wondering if there's Uber in Athens?

We used Uber a couple of times in Athens last May and found it very convenient, also cheaper than the regular taxis. Especially when getting back home after an evening out. The first evening a few taxi drivers quoted astronomical prices and we tried Uber, the next couple of times we stuck with them.

Karen is right, take a taxi to your hotel instead of having to deal with luggage on the metro after a long flight.

As Geetika says, there is Uber in Athens. This may sound very strange, but we have never used Uber. I don't even have the app on my phone. No particular reason why. Just a creature of habit, I guess:)

Thank you for the Uber info. I also saw that it is available in Santorini.

I made some changes based on feedback I received. Kydon Hotel in Chania seems to be the only place I can find that meets what we're looking for. We are 3 people. I'd like to be close to the old town (or in it) but need a clean/comfortable hotel. My hubby is very picky (we also have our adult daughter with us). Any recommendations?

Updated itinerary/accommodations:
Astor Hotel (Athens) - 4 nights (arriving late first night so will uber to hotel)
Cori Rigas Suites, Fira (Santorini)- 4 nights (arriving by flight)
Infinity City Boutique Hotel (Heraklion) - 1 night (arriving by ferry)
Kydon, The Heart City Hotel (Chania Town)- 2 nights (arriving by bus)--> Can someone give me info on using the bus to go from Heraklio to Chania?
Avra Imperial Hotel (Kolymvari, Chania)- 3 nights (picking up car from Chania airport, need automatic) -->using this as our "beach getaway but also want to explore surrounding beaches, any other "more affordable" options?
Ibis Styles (Heraklion)- 1 night (arriving by car, dropping off car at Heraklio airport)

I know this doesn't really allow time exploring Heraklion but to be honest Knossos doesn't appeal to me and Heraklion in general I'm ok with passing through it.