vic_jola

We are a couple in our mid 70's planning a trip of approx. 3 weeks to Greece, first time for both of us, timing: either before high season (May/June) or after (early October). Our chosen flight carrier out of Vancouver arrives Athens via Paris early pm. Having read other posts by experienced Greek aficionados on this forum we understand it is preferable to get to the islands first and in Athens prior to returning home. Flights from Athens to Naxos on arrival not as numerous as flights to Santorini so we thought we would chill out on Santorini to get over the jet lag. Santorini sounds very pricey and touristy but easier to get transport from Athens. We will likely only stay in Santorini maximum 3 -4 days followed by roughly a week in Naxos and then not sure where else to go before ending up in Athens for a few days prior to flight home. We are not party animals, we appreciate small, comfortable, not over the top cost-wise quiet hotels with decent service away from throngs of cruise ship visitors. We are interested in culture, easy hikes, beach walks, and local colour. Thank you in advance for any useful information such as where to stay in Santorini, how best to get to Naxos and perhaps suggestions for another island that would be a good stop and from which we could fly back to Athens.

Heimdall

The only way to get directly from Santorini to Naxos is by ferry. If you are flying from Athens to Santorini you won’t get the stunning view of the caldera because the airport is on the opposite side of the island. Some will no doubt recommend you take a highspeed ferry (e.g. Champion Jet 1 or 2), but instead of sailing through the caldera they go around the island of Thirassia, and you will be seated inside, possibly not near a window.

Recommend you take the Blue Star ferry, one of the newest ships in the Greek ferry fleet. You can stand or sit on the outside deck, taking in the views as it sails past Fira and Oia high on the cliffs above. That, IMO, is one of the best sights in Greece, not to be missed. Some highspeeds have small outside decks at the rear, but you won’t get those same views. After leaving the caldera the ship sails past the islands of Ios and the small Cyclades, then up the strait between Paros and Naxos. As the ferry approaches Naxos harbour you may spot the huge Portara gate, and then it is time to go down to the car deck to find your luggage and get ready to disembark.

vic_jola

Heimdall, A big thank you. You have solved the first part of my travel planning deliberations. Blue Ferry from Santorini to Naxos. If I may a followup question: We have three weeks so we thought we would do it in a more leisurely manner. After Naxos would Paros be a good third island stop or alternatively something like Milos or Folegandros? If so, would you know if one could fly back from any of those to Athens?

Southam

You might be able to make air connections from Vancouver to one of the islands you want to see. I flew from Toronto to Crete without going through Athens. Instead I changed planes in one of the European gateway cities, flying on partner airlines with a single itinerary. There are flights to the islands from Paris, too. After visiting the islands you could spend time in Athens and fly home from there. Use a major internet travel site and the multi-destination search function for information, then book directly with the originating airline. The site with the most information is matrix.itasoftware.com but it does not sell tickets. There are also short-hop flights around the islands and the budget airlines may not show up on usual North American search sites. I rely on www.skyscanner.com and then buy from the airline. Some of the holiday flights are seasonal and you will be on the edge of summer in either of those months.

neckervd

As above. SWISS for example offers Saturday flights Vancouver - Santorini with only 1 intermediate stop at Zurich. OW fares for the random date of June 13th start at 470 USD.

vic_jola

Southam: Thank you, I am aware of skyscanner but very interesting info on matrix.itasoftware. Reason for going through Vancouver -Paris-Athens is that currently there is a very decent bus. class fare. My husband who is 6ft.4" is now refusing anything but Bus. class.

vic_jola

Neckervd: Will check out Swiss, had no idea they flew out of Vancouver! If their Bus class is not in the stratosphere that might work. Thank you.

Heimdall

I can't think of a better city to change planes for the Greek Islands than Athens. The airport is small by international standards and easy to negotiate. Athens International Airport was built in time for the 2004 Olympics, so is modern, with multiple flights each day to islands with Aegean Airlines and Sky Express. Aegean Airlines consistently wins "best regional airline in Europe", with many domestic flights performed by its equally good sister airline Olympic Air.

Vic_jola, Paros is the next stop after Naxos on the Blue Star route between Santorini and Piraeus, so would be a very easy transfer. I actually prefer Paros and Antiparos to Naxos, so admit to being slightly biased. Antiparos is a little island only 7 minutes by ferry from Paros, so the two can be visited together. Archeologists have been excavating a site on Despotiko, an uninhabited islet just south of Antiparos. You can visit by boat from Agios Georgios aka San Giorgio, a small settlement at the south end of Antiparos. Captain Sargos, the boat owner, can also take you to the sea caves.

Milos and Folegandros are also worth a visit, but aren't well connected from Naxos, as they are on different main ferry routes. The cross-route is served by small Sea Jets catamarans that stop by the end of September. Should you wish to visit them it would be better to forego Paros and Naxos, which are on the central Cyclades route. Folegandros, Milos, and Sifnos are on the western Cyclades route, and two of those three would be a good combination after Santorini. Milos has an airport, but Folegandros and Sifnos do not.

Heimdall

If stanbr sees this thread he may come in with some good advice on flights. He lives in the Vancouver area, and is a frequent traveller to Greece.

vic_jola

Just a p.s. We would be inclined to bypass Santorini if we find a flight to get to Naxos easily. However a ferry trip from Santorini described by Heimdall sounds most appealing.

kja

I'm unlike many Fodorites in that I was not wowed by Santorini. I loved Naxos.

If you haven't already seen it, you might find some useful information in my trip report:
With Gratitude for a Glorious Solo Month in Greece

vic_jola

Heimdall: You have now planted an interesting idea with respect to which group of islands to visit Naxos Paros etc or Cyclades. We need to do a bit more thinking before deciding which way to go. You seem to be particularly partial to Paros. Perhaps a good solution would be to go to Santorini and recover for a couple of days, then on to Naxos for a week, Paros and Anti Paros for a week and then back to Athens with some side visits on the mainland???

kja: I was exhausted reading your delightful comprehensive TR and am full of admiration for your energy and stamina. Thank you, very inspiring. I have not been impressed with what I have seen in terms of accommodation in Santorini which seems to be very poor value for $ but your digs in Santorini (Smaro Studios) would suit us if we could get a large enough bed without footboard (tall partner).

kja

Looking into the Smaro Studios makes sense if you're going to include Santorini. It had some nice features, and as you note, isn't quite so pricey as most accommodations in the area that have private balconies.

Heimdall

“Perhaps a good solution would be to go to Santorini and recover for a couple of days, then on to Naxos for a week, Paros and Anti Paros for a week and then back to Athens with some side visits on the mainland???”
That sounds like a good plan!

Vic_jola, Naxos and Paros are in the Cyclades, so it’s not a case of either/or. Although it’s one island group, there are three main ferry routes from Athens: the Northern Cyclades route includes Andros, Tinos, and Mykonos; the main islands on the Central Cyclades route include Paros, Naxos, and Santorini; the Western Cyclades route includes Sifnos, Milos, and Folegandros. I’ve only mentioned the most popular islands for first timers, but there are many others.

Naxos has many fans on Fodor’s and TripAdvisor who are quick to recommend “their” island. For some reason Paros doesn’t get as many mentions, but was voted the best island in Greece for 2017 by Travel and Leisure magazine readers, and Milos came first for 2018. Antiparos is a little island next to Paros with an atmosphere all of its own. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson come there every summer to stay in their villa.

Heimdall

Look for #9 of the world’s best:
https://www.travelandleisure.com/wor...=679504#679504

neckervd

TO HEIMDALL:
The question is not whether Spata is a easy airport or not. Because there are no direct flights from Vancouver to Athens, the OP has to change planes somewhere (in USA or Western Europe) anyway. If he flies to a Western European airport with direct fllights to Santorini, he must change planes only once.
I suggested Zurich because ZRH is a small and easy airport and because both flights are operated by Swiss: only 1 ticket and luggage checked through from Vancouver up to Santorini.

OverIt

I probably have little to add, but here's my two cents. We've done Boston to Naxos three straight years. The first two years we did Boston to Zurich to Santorini on Swiss Air, spent two nights on Santorini (Laokosti Villas in Oia and Costa Marina Villa in Fira), and ferried over to Naxos. Last year, we flew Boston-Zurich-Athens and then flew to Paros, spent a few nights in Antiparos, and ferried over the Naxos. All three times we ended in Athens and flew back from there.

I much preferred flying to Santorini than flying into Athens and the taking a flight to the islands. The flights from Athens to the Islands are chaotic and I was stressed about making the connection. We spent a ton of time waiting around. Santorini airport is tiny and much easier. If you haven't been there, it is worth seeing I guess but it's so crowded and expensive that it's not "fun" to spend more than a day or two there.

FWIW, this year we are flying in and out of Athens then taking the ferry that day to Naxos then taking an evening ferry to Athens and heading over to Napflio and back to Athens. I wouldn't recommend that to a first timer but I am looking forward to the ferries and skipping the small flights. They are convenient and affordable but I find boat travel so magical! Just hearing the waves for hours restores me...

vic_jola

Overit: Your approach for getting to Greece sounds more than sensible. Thank you for sharing your experience. I haven't checked out the Swiss Air flight that both you and Neckervd suggested. Ideally Vancouver to Zurich will arrive in time to connect to Santorini. Thanks also for the flying versus ferry comment. My husband and I both love boats and will have enough time to take ferries to skip the stress of airports. You must have had a split ticket on Swiss that allowed you to return from Athens as opposed to having to go back to Santorini. I appreciate your sharing where you stayed in Santorini. If you had agreeable digs in Naxos, Paros and Antiparos, would you be kind enough to share them.

vic_jola

Heimdall, Your clarification on the different routes to the islands most helpful. Antiparos sounds wonderful and may warrant a stay of a couple of days split with Paros. Need to find good hotels. I also need to digest all this wonderful information starting with routing from Vancouver. Your knowledge and experience has certainly helped to make my planning easier.

To: Neckervd, kja, Southham et al, Thank you all for your helpful input. So impressed with everyone's incredibly solid ideas.

Heimdall

Vic_jola, for hotels on Antiparos recommend you have a look at a website maintained by a Dutchman who travels frequently to there and to other Greek Islands. I met him while staying at Mike’s Place, and agree with his choices. Unless you have a rental car, recommend staying in one of the hotels in Antiparos Town. The islands of Paros and Antiparos are so close together it’s not necessary to split your stay between the two, as you can easily commute from one to another, just as you would travel between different towns on Paros itself. The website has pages on Paros and other islands as well:
Antiparos Greece hotels, apartments, studios, holiday houses and villas