We have 3 weeks in Greece in may/june 2007 (I'n in NZ).

We are thinking 1 week in athens, including day trip to Delphi

1 week in pelopponese (this may be too long??)

1 week on an island. We are NOT nightlife people, we get up early, 6am, and like to walk about, swim etc... we like nice food and peace and quiet. I have look at Skyros, but you know, there are SO many to choose from. We are 40 and 47 years old. Please bear in mind that for us the currency is weak against the euro so we spend 2 of our dollars for 1 euro. We do not want cheap and nasty... but... we are looking at maybe 500euro per week on accomodation?

Hi merlinnz,
We depart for our 2 week Greece trip on Saturday. We plan to spend about 4.5 days in Athens (5 nights). There is a lot to see and we think it's likely we will miss at least one or two museums (which just means we'll have to come back!). So I think 5 to 6 days might be just about right.

When we did all of our trip research we decided to spend a bit more on hotels in Athens to be in good locations and spend less on the Pelopponese (rates were cheaper there and the villages are smaller so there are not many true "bad" locations). In Athens we are staying at Adrian Hotel in the Plaka area (close to the Acropolis). We used Uli from Dolphin-Hellas to book our room and we got a substantial discount. Our double bedroom with an Acropolis view (A/C, breakfast, bathroom in room, balcony, telephone and tv, etc.) is 126,26€ per night. Dolphin-Hellas' rate for a double room with just a normal street view is only 112,10€ per night.

Here is a link to our hotel:

http://www.douros-hotels.com/view_hotels.asp?hotel_id=2

And here is the contact info for Uli:
Uli Perschau [[email protected]]

She is highly recommended on this website

We spent almost three weeks in Greece a couple of years ago. You might like to see the photos of our trip which should give you some ideas of what you would like to do. We flew from island to island so we could spend several days in each place. For Pelopponese we took a 3 day bus tour ... very worthwhile. My photo site is at:http://homepage.mac.com/photofoot/TR...toAlbum14.html

I week is NOT too long for the Peloponnese. You could honestly drive around there for many, many weeks without seeing all the sights -- it is my favorite part of Greece by far. But you certainly ought to rent a car while there.

Perhaps look into Kythira for your island. It's accessible from the Peloponnese, which makes it a very simple proposition. Good for quiet, walking, etc.

I know what you mean about there being so many islands to choose from! But May/June 07 is still a long way away, you have lots of time to do research and read up on the different islands!

Also Lefkada and Kefallonia are good for swimming, but have more nightlife than Kythira (not that there would be a lot in May/June, or that it would interfere with you at all. It's not that kind of nightlife). Both are also accessible from the Peloponnese.

Thank you all so much for your replies. I also read somewhere else about accessing an island from the pelops...I will definitely look farther. I am hoping to have an american friend join me, she knows how to drive on the wrong side of th e road (wink)

If you like walking and swimming you may consider Pelion as a great area for this. It is green, lush and mountainous with very pretty villages, great beaches (marble pebbles and very clear water). There are inexpensive bed and breakfast type accommodations, including one called the Old Silk House run by an English lady. There are old donkey trails that you can walk along, time of year you are going it would be filled with flowers and not too hot to walk. Most of the guests there were from Europe and were on walking/birdwatching holidays.

If you start your itinerary in Athens, then go northwards to Pelion, after that to Meteora to the monasteries, southwards to Delphi and on to the Peloponnese.

I second the Pelion area. Over the last few years in Greece it has become our favorite. We'll be there in August this year.

Ok, let's say I wish to base myself for 5 days in the peloponnes, and that I don't have a cra and must rely on tours or transport... where would you recommend I base myself?

I really, really recommend an overnight in Delphi, not a daytrip. I arrived around 4:00pm on a weeknight passing endless tour busses leaving Delphi. I had the temple almost to myself from 5:00pm onwards. The next morning driving out of Delphi I passed another round of endless busses heading into Delphi. Those daytrippers can overwhelm and kill any sense of ambience.

On the Peloponnesian peninsula the rail makes a circle around the "island." Basing somewhere in the eastern half would give you easy access to Napflio which has some well known ruins nearby. It might be better to move around the rail "circle" and pick a couple of locations.

Hi Merlinnz -- I just got back from an 8-day trip to Greece. I'm jealous that you're going for 3 weeks - you're going to love it. We spent a couple days in Athens; rented a car and drove through Corinth (Acrocorinth was amazing)and spent the night in Nafplion, which was so beautiful it deserved more time than we could give it. We drove back to Athens the following afternoon and flew to Santorini. We stayed in Oia, which is much quieter than Thira. We spent a couple days there. One day we rented a car and drove from beach to beach -- don't miss the red beach if you choose Santorini. We flew back to Athens and drove to Delphi and spent a couple days there. I echo the other responses -- it's worth staying there so you can visit the ruins when they're not crowded. It was a highlight to explore the ruins as soon as they opened -- it was quiet and there were wildflowers everywhere -- really memorable. While in Delphi we took 1/2 day trips to nearby Arachova and Galaxidi.

Have you checked out Matt Barrett's website -- www.greektravel.com? I referred to it a lot in planning our trip. Based on his recommendation I contacted Uli at Dolphin-Hellas and she booked all of our hotels. We also rented our car from the agency Matt recommended, which worked really well. The car was significantly cheaper than the international chains & the guy who brought the car to our hotel drove us to the outskirts of Athens.

We stayed at the Attalos Hotel in Athens and I thought it was a great value: $70euro/night for a double room, and though we didn't have a view from our room the rooftop patio had a perfect view of the Acropolis. We started and ended our days up there. The breakfast wasn't fancy but was good for the price. It was a short walk to the Plaka and to a Metro station, so we liked the location of the hotel, too.

If you book your hotels through Uli she'll send you an electronic brochure of all the hotels they represent and there is a broad range of prices. I'm sure you'll find something that works. But if you stay in Delphi I wouldn't stay at the Olympic Hotel. It was cheap and clean, but mainly cheap (we didn't bother to eat the sparse breakfast -- we went to a cafe). And if you decide to splurge anywhere on a hotel, consider the Amphitryon in Nafplion. It was $177euro and worth every cent.

Good luck planning your trip!

Hi merlinnz,

I am in the southern Peloponnese right now (Sparta to be exact)! Personally, I could not have spent a week in Athens - 3 days was plenty and I was rearing to go. It didn't take nearly as long to see the museums/sites as I thought it would. I would steal some Athens days and put them in the Peloponnese. My highlights so far have been Mystras (amazing) and Monemvasia (1 full day will suffice).
Aeropolis and the Dirous Caves were a nice day trip from Gythio where I am staying. I am on to Kardamyli and Pylos next. In total I am in Southern P, for just short of two weeks and this has been a nice pace, there is lots to do.

I would consider having a day or two cushion in Athens before your flight home - just incase the ferrys cancelled etc, to you ensure your in Athens for your plane home - maybe save all of Athens for the end?

So far my Lonely Planet (sorry Fodors) guide has not lead me astray for accomodations and I by myself have been paying around 20-35 Euro/night most often this is a double room.

Let me know if you have any questions! If your not renting a car I can give you some tips on the bus if you like.

Murphy

My husband and I went to Greece last year in the same time frame. We focused on a couple islands/places we wanted to see cause we only had nine days.
Here's what we did.

Flight from US to Mykonos
Mykonos to Santorini (hydrofoil)
Athens

Mykonos- we loved mykonos. went to visit some neighbouring islands (delos) saw pedros the peliquin - hee hee and drank a lot of frappes. Mykonos was just whta i needed to start my vacation.

Santorini- I can't even describe it. I loved santorini. we took the hydrofoil and would have like to stop at naxos if we had more time. But Santorini is just gorgeous. They have some great beaches and excavations etc.

Athens- two days there was plenty. We walked everywhere. Think I lost a lot of weight there - Also went to see cape sounion.

Out of everything please see Santorini!

Thnk you all SO much for your advice and itineraries. I was thinking, after reading many of your posts, that perhaps 3 days upon arrival in athens... it's a 30 hour trip for us so we will be tired, and return to athens with a day to spare to match our outgoing flight.

Thanks for the delphi tips, will definitely bear that in mind, and with only 3 days, maybe in athens, it's do-able.

Murphy

Thanks so much, can you give me a list, and websites, if they have them, of any places you stayed for 30 eruo for double?

I will visit matt's site, so thanks tot he person who recommended that. I must wait until may to know if I have an american friend travelling with me, who can comfortably drive on the greek side of the road, driving is my choice, because I enjoy the freedom to meander, to stop, or to move on at my own leisure, but time will tell on that one...

You're all making me VERY excited!!!

Hi merlinnz,

sorry for the delay in response - the kids in this town use the only internet access to play online games....

I don't have my book with me but from recall:

-Athens: sorry I stayed in the Student Travellers Inn hostel here. But a hotel called John's Place was recommended to me for 30E/night (might have been a single room - I will grab my LP guide next time I visit the computer).

-Santorini: Delfini Villas 35E/night - excellent 2 beds. www.delfinivillas.com
This was the off-season price, no view, 25Euro hotel transfer from airport for a couple (or one person unfortunately).

-Monemvasia: Hotel Akrotiri for 25E/night - I had a single room though - very basic, good location, clean. Right across from the Bus drop off.

-Gythio: Xenia Karlatis Rooms to Rent -excellent. I am in the cheapest room for 20 Euros/night. Considered the most famous lodging in Gythio I am told. Can't beat the friendliness.

I am still in Gythio - never made it to Kardamyli got way laid. It has made a good base for me though as I am using public transportation for this leg of the trip.

My hotel for Pylos is 12 Gods hotel for 35E/night - I'll let you know how it is.

In Koroni I was booked to stay in Hotel Diana for 30E/night, but Koroni has been turned into a day trip on my itinerary.

Though I picked these straight from my book, there seems to be alot of accomodation in this price range in the Lakonia. I gather this from some conversations with other travellers.

Cheers,

Murph

Also,

My 3 days in Athens did not include Delphi which I am visiting another time.

In 3 days in Athens I did the following:

Day 1: Acropolis and all associated sites (Roman Agora, Southern Slope etc) - no problem done by 3:00 in afternoon (got an early start).

Day 2: Archeological Museum, Kerimakos Cemetary (I think I may have been in the wrong cemetary though), the site of the first Olympics, Various wandering, pictures of the Athens University.

Day 3: Temple of Zeus, Walk around Filipanos and neighbouring hills (great view, great pictures of Acropolis from Filipanos) - Lots of leftover time. Walking through Monastriaki.


My plans were scattered so maybe don't follow the form, I just want to give you an idea of how much I accomplished in a day. I am sure there is more to do but I felt satisfied by this. An ongoing garbage strike in Athens didn't help. I stayed in Plaka - I think this is the place to be for sure or maybe around Syntagama which is near by.

Hope that helps,

Murph

Just wanted to mention that we also used Uli at Dolphin Hellas to book some of our hotels. However, we first contacted all the hotels by e-mail to check prices. Some were less expensive booking directly and some were less using Dolphin-Hellas. Also, if you would have to cancel your trip for some reason, you lose less money booking directly.

I agree with the previous posters that 3 days in Athens is plenty. We enjoyed Paros last June. We stayed in Lefkes, a medieval village which is inland. It was very quiet; only the sound of birds in the morning. The hotel where we stayed (Lefkes Village Hotel) had beautiful views and good hiking on the Byzantine Trail. You are a short drive from the beach. Close to Paros is Santorini, which to me is a must-see. We loved getting up early in the morning and gazing at the caldera from our hotel patio. The hike along the caldera from Oia to Fira is fabulous, and we didn't pass another hiker the entire trip.

Don't be afraid to rent a car. We drove to Meteora, Delphi, and around the Pelopponese without any problems. We picked up a car at the Athens airport so that we wouldn't have to deal with getting in/out of Athens. A car will make your time in the Pelopponese much more enjoyable and will save lots of time.

We are not nightlife people either, and we loved Greece! Have a great trip!

I was in Athens for 2 nights and the better part of 3 days, and saw plenty...I would think that a week might be stretching things out a bit. You might try 4 or 5 days in Athens and use the other two for additional time in the islands.

We loved Samos (we took an overnight boat from Athens) just off the coast of Turkey.

Happy travels,

Jules

digbydog, are you a Brit? I have no experience driving on the other side of the road... I will take the plunge if our american friend can't join us. Thank you all again, so much!

photofootp

Your photos are FABULOUS!

No, I am American. I have to admit I would be chicken to drive on the "wrong" side of the road. I made my husband drive when we visited Scotland. However, there was very little traffic in the Pelopponese.