Flights or ferries from Athens to Naxos
Aug 3rd, 2011, 06:50 PM
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Flights or ferries from Athens to Naxos
Hi all,
My wife and I are flying into Athens at 6pm on Saturday September 17th, and from there we are looking to get to Naxos ASAP (we will be coming back to Athens for a few days at the end of our trip).
What's the best way to get to Naxos? I'm trying to find flights, but I can't seem to find any on Sunday September 18th.
If I go by ferry, what's the fastest/smoothest? My wife gets seasick sometimes, so we want to minimize that as much as possible if we end up taking a ferry.
Thanks!
Laszlo
My wife and I are flying into Athens at 6pm on Saturday September 17th, and from there we are looking to get to Naxos ASAP (we will be coming back to Athens for a few days at the end of our trip).
What's the best way to get to Naxos? I'm trying to find flights, but I can't seem to find any on Sunday September 18th.
If I go by ferry, what's the fastest/smoothest? My wife gets seasick sometimes, so we want to minimize that as much as possible if we end up taking a ferry.
Thanks!
Laszlo
Aug 3rd, 2011, 07:32 PM
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Hi
Olympic Air is the only airline that flies there and yes there are no flights on the 18th. However what you can do is take an Aegean air flight to Mykonos and then its only a 45 minute ferry ride to Naxos. Gets around your wife's issue and you still get a taste of the gorgeous Aegean. There is a flight at 6.40pm on the 17th but you are unlikely to make it and you will have to spend a night at Mykonos (not such a bad thing). Otherwise a night in Athens then the ferry to Naxos. By the way I take a ginger based pill for motion sickness and this seems to help.
Olympic Air is the only airline that flies there and yes there are no flights on the 18th. However what you can do is take an Aegean air flight to Mykonos and then its only a 45 minute ferry ride to Naxos. Gets around your wife's issue and you still get a taste of the gorgeous Aegean. There is a flight at 6.40pm on the 17th but you are unlikely to make it and you will have to spend a night at Mykonos (not such a bad thing). Otherwise a night in Athens then the ferry to Naxos. By the way I take a ginger based pill for motion sickness and this seems to help.
Aug 3rd, 2011, 07:33 PM
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We recently flew from Naxos to Athens on Olympic Air. The plane however is a small one, so motion sickness could be an issue on that plane as well....check out the Olympic Air site for flights.
cheers,
CC
cheers,
CC
Aug 3rd, 2011, 11:11 PM
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Oh OK well check Olympic Air to Rhodes on 17/9. There is a flight at 7pm. You should be able to make this I would imagine. It means not losing a night elsewhere. Check - http://www.skyexpress.gr - for flights from Rhodes to Santorini. Then ferry to Naxos and flight or ferry to Athens.
Aug 3rd, 2011, 11:34 PM
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Either way you will have to wait until next day to proceed to Naxos, as all flights and ferries will have left by then. Normally there are Olympic flights on Sundays, but they aren't shown on the Olympic website after all the seats are sold. I don't see any point in going via another island, as you won't get there any sooner and will only add to expense and travel time.
With ferries usually the slowest is the smoothest, so you will have to choose between speed and comfort. Those who suffer from motion sicknesss should avoid, whenever possible, passenger-only catamarans such as the flying cats and sea jets going between Mykonos and Naxos. A good compromise between speed and comfort is Highspeed 5, leaving Piraeus at 07:30 on Sunday morning, and arriving on Naxos at 10:50. This is a large car-carrying catamaran, normally a smooth ride. Even smoother would be Blue Star, leaving Piraeus at 07:25 and arriving on Naxos at 12:10. This is one of the largest vessels on the Piraeus-Naxos route, and in normal seas there is almost no sense of movement.
With ferries usually the slowest is the smoothest, so you will have to choose between speed and comfort. Those who suffer from motion sicknesss should avoid, whenever possible, passenger-only catamarans such as the flying cats and sea jets going between Mykonos and Naxos. A good compromise between speed and comfort is Highspeed 5, leaving Piraeus at 07:30 on Sunday morning, and arriving on Naxos at 10:50. This is a large car-carrying catamaran, normally a smooth ride. Even smoother would be Blue Star, leaving Piraeus at 07:25 and arriving on Naxos at 12:10. This is one of the largest vessels on the Piraeus-Naxos route, and in normal seas there is almost no sense of movement.
Aug 3rd, 2011, 11:46 PM
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The ferry (Blue Star again) takes on about two hours from Naxos to Santorini. From there to Rhodes is an overnight ferry leaving about every other day. Rhodes back to Athens can be done by large regional jets, either Olympic Air or Aegean Airlines.
I must say, this is a slightly ambitious itinerary for 16 days, and it may be better to stick to islands in one part of the Aegean. Rhodes is in the Dodecanese, while Naxos and Santorini are in the Cyclades. You may also consider spending less time on the islands and extending your time on the mainland. There is much to see in the area around Nafplion, only a couple of hours by road from Athens.
I must say, this is a slightly ambitious itinerary for 16 days, and it may be better to stick to islands in one part of the Aegean. Rhodes is in the Dodecanese, while Naxos and Santorini are in the Cyclades. You may also consider spending less time on the islands and extending your time on the mainland. There is much to see in the area around Nafplion, only a couple of hours by road from Athens.
Aug 4th, 2011, 05:44 PM
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Yeah, maybe it would be better to stick around the mainland and the Cyclades.
Speaking of which, I was able to find an early flight to Paros on Sunday the 18th. I can then catch a 45 min ferry from Paros to Naxos later that day.
But then I was thinking, maybe I should just hang out in Paros instead of Naxos. I was deciding between the two of them anyway. I had decided on Naxos, but this was a while ago, and I forget why. Any thoughts on Paros?
Speaking of which, I was able to find an early flight to Paros on Sunday the 18th. I can then catch a 45 min ferry from Paros to Naxos later that day.
But then I was thinking, maybe I should just hang out in Paros instead of Naxos. I was deciding between the two of them anyway. I had decided on Naxos, but this was a while ago, and I forget why. Any thoughts on Paros?
Aug 4th, 2011, 06:01 PM
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I haven't been to Naxos but can highly recommend Paros. Here's some photos - http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ros/?start=all. I'm not the greatest photographer but it gives you some idea.
Aug 4th, 2011, 10:30 PM
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LaszloJamf, I have been recommending Naxos for years, partly to keep people away from my little island paradise, Antiparos. ;-) Yes, you could take the early morning flight to Paros, then <i>join the same ferry you would have boarded at Piraeus</i> for the remaining hour to Naxos.
Flights to Paros are on small Dash 8-100 turboprops, planes that hold about 30 passengers, and are able to land on its short 700 meter runway. I often use that flight, and am, in fact, booked on it at the end of this month. Normally it is smooth, but could be bumpy in windy conditions. If you are happy with that, you could book flights both ways and avoid the ferries entirely, except for the leg between Naxos or Paros and Santorini.
Naxos vs Paros is an interesting question. I like Naxos very much -- it has it all -- beautiful beaches, lovely inland villages, and a chora (main town) with kastro (castle), winding passageways, and shops & restaurants.
Paros has much the same, with the addition of next-door Antiparos, only seven minutes by landing-craft ferry from Pounta on Paros.
If your original inclination is Naxos, why not stick with it? Either island would be a good choice, but I think Naxos is better for first timers, as it is so easy to get around the island. Stay in Naxos Town and you can walk to all the shops and restaurants, and use the so-so beach at St George. Better beaches (Agios Prokopios and Plaka) are only 15-20 minutes away by bus. You can book a tour or hire a car for a day visiting the mountain villages.
Flights to Paros are on small Dash 8-100 turboprops, planes that hold about 30 passengers, and are able to land on its short 700 meter runway. I often use that flight, and am, in fact, booked on it at the end of this month. Normally it is smooth, but could be bumpy in windy conditions. If you are happy with that, you could book flights both ways and avoid the ferries entirely, except for the leg between Naxos or Paros and Santorini.
Naxos vs Paros is an interesting question. I like Naxos very much -- it has it all -- beautiful beaches, lovely inland villages, and a chora (main town) with kastro (castle), winding passageways, and shops & restaurants.
Paros has much the same, with the addition of next-door Antiparos, only seven minutes by landing-craft ferry from Pounta on Paros.
If your original inclination is Naxos, why not stick with it? Either island would be a good choice, but I think Naxos is better for first timers, as it is so easy to get around the island. Stay in Naxos Town and you can walk to all the shops and restaurants, and use the so-so beach at St George. Better beaches (Agios Prokopios and Plaka) are only 15-20 minutes away by bus. You can book a tour or hire a car for a day visiting the mountain villages.
