First trip to Greece
 

Starting to plan lst trip to Greece for 4 adults the end of April 2010 / beginning of May. Thinking of 3 days for Athens, 3 days for Mykonos, 3days for Santorini & 3 days for Folegandros. Does this sound about right. Any mid price hotel sug? Do you schedule ferry rides before you leave the states & how? Any sug. & tips are welcome.

Ferry schedules aren't as full at the end of April and beginning of May as they are later in the season, meaning you might have trouble making connections from Santorini to Foplegandros when you need it, and you haven't said anything about returning to Athens afterward. I do recommend that you save Athens for the end of your trip to give you maximum flexibility for the return to the mainland in case of mechanical breakdowns or high winds.

You won't need to book ferry tickets in advance for that time of year, as it is off-season and after 2010 Greek Easter. Ferries to/from Folegandros are likely to be roughly every other day, so you will have to be flexible with hotel reservations on the other islands as well, waiting until 2-3 weeks before your trip to finalize. I wonder if Folegandros is even worth it, as it will be <i>very</i> quiet, with many of the restaurants in it's charming square still closed.

For off-season travel it is best to stick with main ferry routes that run year-round - there are daily ferries on the Paros-Naxos-Santorini route even in winter, so it is easier to plan in advance. The FlyingCat4 Mykonos-Santorini connection usually begins in April, so you should be okay there.

I agree with the period you have chosen for your trip: the weather is nice, the islands are not crammed with tourists, the hotel deals are better… However, you should check the ferries itineraries first, they are not so often off season and you might get stuck on an island. You can check http://www.ferries.gr No need to book tickets in advance, you can book them when you will be in Athens – please note that the ferry schedules for the islands are not yet announced but from what I know there are daily connections between Piraeus and most of the islands.

Three days for Athens are enough, but you will have a full schedule if you want to see everything and experience the city life. I think it would be a nice idea to stay a couple of days more and visit the ancient theatre of Epidaurus and the city of Nafplio , which is very beautiful, for a day trip. Another good idea is a day trip to Meteora.

If you plan on visiting any museums, I suggest you go to the Museum of Acropolis and the Archaeological Museum , you can skip the rest – not because they are not good, but because you do not have enough time… Personally, I prefer walking around so as to feel the beat of the city. Ideas for walks you can find here http://www.athens-greece.us/exploring-athens/

<i>However, you should check the ferries itineraries first, they are not so often off season and you might get stuck on an island.</i>

Problem is, ferry timetables to some islands, e.g. Folegandros, for late Apr/early May won't be available more than 2-3 weeks in advance, so checking itineraries first isn't always possible. One exception is Blue Star Ferries, which publishes it's timetables up to a year in advance, but unfortunately Blue Star doesn't serve Folegandros. Stick to the central Cyclades route (Paros-Naxos-Santorini) and you can get a ferry any day of the week, year-in, year-out. :-)

Not so sure about time in the islands...of course just relaxing is good. But more time in Athens might be good especially to see outlying sites such as Epidaurus, Corinth,
Mycenae, Delphi...I really got into this ancient mysteries site, in fact, wrote a paper on it though auditing in a course on ancient Greece. You can easily book a tour covering these in a day.

Ozarksbill [email protected]

Thanks for all your input. Keep it coming.