Thanks for all the info in this forum ( they're so helpful!) i'm really close to finalizing our itinerary.

Just a few small things missing.

Should we fly / ferry from Athens to Naxos? If we ferry which class should we get in order to be comfortable since the trip could last for 6 hours i think?
Is it a smooth sailing ferry? - worried about sea sickness.

Our itinerary as of now is :
starts at 24 June
2 nights in Athens (not sure yet but AVA hotel looks good from tripadvisor reviews),
8 nights in Naxos at Hotels Galini,
ferry to Santorini
4 nights in Santorini at Ikies
fly back to athens to go back home

Any suggestions welcomed.
Thanks in advanced.

If you travel by ferry - the Blue Star is usually the best option - then I recommend you travel first class. It's roughly double the price from tourist class but worth it. Tourist class means anything from airline seats (which fill up fast) to out on deck; with first class you have comfortable seats round individual tables and waiter service from the cafe. I take this ferry regularly and the little bit of luxury does make a big difference. If you need to sleep, nobody bats an eyelid, there is a large non smoking section and the ubiquitous televisions are kept at a low enough level to not disturb.

If you get sea sick, I'd fly. If you do go by sea do book 1st class as koukoutzaki said and take a sea sickness pill. 13 years of living on Mykonos, Naxos and Samos before there were flights, I know about sea sickness. It can be great little trip by boat if the sea is calm.

The Blue Stars are huge car ferries, and you are unlikely suffer any motion sickness on them. One leaves Piraeus daily at 0725, and arrives Naxos at 1255. There is also a Hellenic Seaways highspeed that leaves Piraeus around the same time, taking about four hours to reach Naxos. Last year it sailed every day except Wed. This is a huge car-carrying catamaran. When I've been on it there was little sensation of movement - you don't realize how fast it's going unless you step out on the deck at the stern.

Naxos has one flight per day (Olympic) that leaves about midday, taking 45 min. If you take the 0725 Blue Star, you will arrive on Naxos almost exactly the same time as the Olympic flight. Go by highspeed and you will beat the flight by over an hour.

Heimdall, I wish there had been the large ferries and high speed catamarans when I was there. One of the ships I used had been a submarine hunter in the 2nd world war. I guess that dates me somewhat.

Regards, Joan

Joan, some of those small ferries are still around. The Express Skopelitis, which does the run between Naxos and Amorgos, stopping at the Little Cyclades islands, is one. Fortunately, the one time I used it the seas were smooth.

Since the Express Samina sinking off Paros in 2000 the Greek government has forced many of the older ferries out of service. Hellenic Seaways now has five large highspeeds plus some smaller passenger-only catamarans. Blue Star has several modern conventional ferries, including Blue Star Paros and Blue Star Naxos, both doing the Central Cyclades run.