Greece 2 week trip itinerary Sept. 2020
 

I'm looking for some suggestions for a 2 week itinerary for Greece. We enjoy moderate hiking, enjoy seeing the sights as well as less know places. Neither my husband or I speak or read Greek. Arrive Athens Sept 19 2020 noon, leave October 4th 2pm. Possible stops: Athens, Corinth, Delphi, Meteora, Zagori, Corfu, Monemvasia, Olympia, Hydra, Ithica.
I wondered if it was worth the time to see Corfu and Ithica-one over the other? We'd like to rent a car and wondered since we can't take it on Hydra, is there a place to park? Are we better seeing Athens and Hydra first, then renting a car? Are there other places en route you'd recommend, or things to eliminate due to similarities? Do you recommend tour/guide for certain sites? (We thought to leave Santorini, Crete,Rhodes, Mykonos for another trip.) We're very happy staying in AirBnB, smaller hotels. Thanks for any suggestions.

I haven't been to all of the places you mention, but must admit that I think it would be exceedingly ambitious to include them all in a single 2 week trip. I could be wrong!

Speaking Greek is not a requirement. Knowing how to say a few civilities (hello, thank you) will go a LONG way! :tu:

If you have to fly out of Athens, try to put all of your time there at the end of your trip to cut down on one change of hotels.

If you are crossing 3 or more time zones to reach Greece, don't try renting a car until you've been there at least a day -- driving after crossing multiple time zones is just as dangerous to you and others as driving drunk. NO distance is safe, and there is NO way to make it safe to drive other than giving your body time to adjust.

Do you have a good guidebook? I'd strongly encourage you to get at least one. The cost will be nugatory in comparison to the cost of your trip, and you stand to learn a great deal that you wouldn't even know to ask.

My guess is that you will get better information as you narrow your focus (or narrow your questions). In the meantime, you might find some useful information in the many planning threads and trip reports on this forum. Here's a link to my trip report covering some (not all) of the places you are considering:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...reece-1460735/

Hope that helps!

To begin with, thanks for choosing Greece as your next trip destination - I am pretty sure you will enjoy our country. Let's get on to your questions!

1. Not speaking Greek is definitely not an issue - most places you have mentioned accept high volumes of tourists every year
2. Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Zagori, Corfu, Monemvasia, Olympia and Hydra are highly recommended - I would skip Ithaca and Corinth
3. If you are into hiking spend some time over Meteora and the lesser-known hiking routes from Kalampaka up to the monasteries through the forests - It's pretty awesome
4. Please do not rent a car in Athens - you can do fine with public transport. Driving within the centre of the city can be a nightmare
5. I would not recommend getting a tour guide - you can easily read all the info the internet or simply ask some locals
6. Santorini and Mykonos should be visited separately - a totally different and much more expensive trip

September is an awesome time to visit Greece - the weather is still warm and you can enjoy the sea (up until the 20th of September).

Athens - Ossios Loukas - DELPHI - Amfissa - Thermopiles - Lamia - Trikkala - METEORA - METSOVO - Ioannina - Igoumenitsa - ferry - CORFU - ferry - Igoumenitsa - Parga - Preveza - Mytikas - Astakos - ferry - ITHAKA - ferry - Kefalonia - ferry - Kyllini - Pyrgos - OLYMPIA - Kalo Nero - Kalamata - Sparta - MONEMVASSIA - Sparta - Tripoli - Argos - Nauplia - Ermioni - passenger ferry - HYDRA - passenger ferry - Ermioni - Epidauros - Isthmia - KORTINTHOS - Isthmia - Athens
is way too much for 2 weeks.
Skip at least the Ionion Islands and Monemvassia.

Wow- that's alot to see.
Like others above i have not been to all the places you list.
I love The Peloponnese - that's where Monemvasia is [and Corinth].
You could easily spend 2 weeks exploring just that region- it is absolutely beautiful and many places are devoid of tourists, or anyone.
There are some amazing gorges and mountains [ you can even ski there in the winter!]

thank you for your reply. After mapping the sites and reading the Fodurite reviews, I've decided to start in Athens, then see Hydra before renting a car. We will cut out Corfu and Ithaca to not be so rushed. Still planning, but I appreciate your input, which made me take a second look at the itinerary. thank you

Thank you nikostaskos, I am really looking forward to my visit, and sorry that I have only 2 weeks. There's so much to see and I want to enjoy it, with out too much rush.
I think we will skip Ithica and Corfu (due to distance from other sites).Vikos Gorge looks amazing, but I think that will we too much as well. I'll make sure to note your hiking suggestion near Meteora, that's something I want to check out.
If we don't rent a car until we leave Hydra en route to Delphi, should we rent in Athens? Is it easy to get from Athens airport to city? from city to ferry to hydra? Should I take a cab?
Except for Hydra, I would like to return to Greece for an Island adventure. That also seems like an amazing trip!
Many thanks

thank you neckervd. Except for Hydra, we're eliminating (on this trip) any ferry rides. There's so much to see that we know we'll need to return. thanks again

thank you grantlyons. I've heard the Peloponnese are amazing. I am looking forward to refining my itinerary and finishing the remaining plans. thanks again.

I would reccomend you to visit Edessa waterfalls and to eat moussaka there

I'd look at doing about a week in the Peloponnese, then split the remaining week among Delphi, Meteora, and Athens. Or, you could easily fill the time with the Peloponnese and Athens and then return the next year for northern Greece (that's what I am doing!).
Last year, we spent ten days in Athens, Nafplio (proximity to many sites such as Epidaurus and Mycene), Kardamyli (seaside, hiking), and a small village near Dimitsana (monasteries, hiking). On the drives in between, we saw Nemea, Mystras, and Messene.

thanks for the suggestion.

I was concerned driving from Athens to Meteora, so wondered, when we arrive in Athens (noon Sep 19th), perhaps take a bus/train to Meteroa or Delphi, then after a few days back to Athens, then to Hydra, then pick up our car for the last 7/8 days in the Peloponnese. Are there easy train or bus routes we could catch at the airport that would take us to Delphi then next day to Meteora? (then Meteora back to Athens). thanks for your help.

We found it helpful to review the Greek alphabet before we arrived. It all came back from college, fraternities and sororities.

KP -- there is not an easy or quick public transit method that will take you to both Delphi & Meteora. There is a 1-day or 2-day train trip to Meteora... and you can do Delphi as a Day trip on Public KTEL (intercity) bus if you take the earliest outbound bus (7:30?) from Liossion KTEL terminal in Athens, and the latest back (6pm? 1800?) or -- my preference -- an afternoon bus up, see part of site or museum, stay at hotel, see the rest next AM before tour throngs arrive. Going to Delphi then to Meteora is complicated and could involve an overnight in between and sitting half a day in a provincial bus station. That is why tour companies that combine destinations make their money.

ALso, do you mind saying why Hydra? It's heavily promoted by Rick Steves tours (because those are 99% mainland, and this gives them 1 island to tack on). If you like swims (and in September, the water is divine), do you know that Hydra has almost no beaches, its small rocky beaches are quite a hike. My Athens friends think of Hydra as a hideaway for rich Greek & celebrities, with villas & pools hdden away ... but TV, novels and a movie or 2 have glamorized it as a destination. In September, there are some lovely beaches just outside Nafplio, with places like this https://www.porto-assini.gr/en-us/photos#property -- just thinking, it might simplify your itinerary.

"Are there easy train or bus routes we could catch at the airport that would take us to Delphi then next day to Meteora? (then Meteora back to Athens)"

Athens (city, not airport) - Delphi resp. Kalambaka (Meteora): many daily connections.
Kalambaka - Delphi is a bit more tricky. There seems to be a new direct bus line, however:
Attachment 3977

necervd-thanks for the information and schedule

Travelerjan-Thanks for the feed back regarding public transport to Delphi/Meteora. Waiting for a bus wouldn't be a good use of our time.
Hydra we added due to guide book recommendations and proximity to Athens We'll likely return to Greece to explore the islands, so may consider adding Hydra for then.