600Ridgewood

Greetings to fellow Fodorites from the frostbitten Midwestern U.S. Thank you in advance for your interest in the success of our trip. We welcome your insight, expertise, and friendly advice as we near the committal stage of our two-week journey abroad. We appreciate your generous time and firsthand knowledge.

A short intro to us: We’re a married couple from Iowa in our mid-20’s, with an active lifestyle and penchant for life experiences over indulging in luxuries. We’re outgoing, light-hearted and inquisitive travelers, with hope of experiencing a culture by befriending those who know it best. Above all, we’re respectful of the people who host us in their countries, and carry ourselves as examples of young ambassadors from the States. We bring small gifts from the U.S. to give to B&B owners, hotel managers, personal drivers, etc. who make an effort to treat us similarly.

We’re lucky enough to come from families of savvy travelers, who’ve been helpful in the planning process for this trip, as many of them are teachers who chaperone student groups around the world with companies like Education First (EF) Tours, including several trips to Greece.

That’s what brings us to Fodors, as this trip is by design, not an educational tour, but simply, a vacation for the two of us after the chilly winter here in Iowa. We thought this forum could provide more complete perspective on our itinerary, logistics, and accommodations as we approach the decision to book travel and lodging arrangements.

I hope it’s helpful to mention these points:
1. We are budget travelers and internet consumers. We will pre-book flights every time and hotels if we have a specific one in mind. We only pre-book transport if our schedule is firm and it is cost-effective.
2. We get cabin fever. Barring cold weather or rain, our expectations are not to be inside our hotel room while the sun is shining. Our lodging budget is 80€ per night on average. There’s flexibility there, but we’re looking for the best value with positive reviews from fellow travelers, or at least an 85% positive recommendation from Trip Advisor.
3. We are early-risers and night owls. We love activity-filled days, a nap in the afternoon, and a late evening out.
4. We are mobile. We pack light and efficiently. We’ve traveled in cities and countryside by various means of transport. We’re wary of pickpockets and panhandlers.
5. We aren’t traditional foodies. We have every intention of sampling authentic souvlaki, spanakopitas, and ouza, but our daily food budget is 60€ on average. Hotel-provided breakfasts are wonderful, groceries from local markets are great for mid-day picnics, and a relaxing lunch in a café with a view is a treat. Our ideal dinner is an authentic meal around locals with live music in a casual atmosphere, usually off the beaten path. We’ll consult the hotel manager or concierge for recommendations.
6. We don’t use travel agencies or take cruise packages. No bad experiences, no offense intended, it’s just a personal preference.

Finally, we know this is an ambitious schedule and that’s what fits with our travel personalities. We know we won’t see it all, and if we’d stayed another night, we wouldn’t see it all anyways; 4,000 year old ruins aren’t going anywhere and the tourism industry will survive a poor economy. Murphy’s Law is in effect and travel times are always iffy. We always leave time during the day for nothing, and it fills itself in.

A truncated synopsis of our soft itinerary:
Travel dates: Saturday, May 15th – Sunday, May 30th
We’ll be in Italy from the 15th to the 23rd. Our current schedule has us arriving into the port of Patras from Brindisi, Italy by overnight ferry boat on Monday, May 24th (the day after Pentecost, when we’ll be with the flow of traffic as people return to Athens.

Monday, May 24th
Arrive in Patras mid-morning by ferry. Travel to Delphi by bus (2.5 hrs). Enjoy the Temple of Apollo and Delphi Museum. Have lunch in Delphi. Travel to Athens by bus (3 hrs). Arrive at E. Venizelos airport; fly from E. Venizelos to Chania, Crete airport Daskalogiannias (1 hr). Travel to lodging in Chania for the night.

Questions for Fodors:
1. How will Pentecost affect our travels?
2. Is the side-trip to Delphi worth the possible risk of travel difficulty that could jeopardize our flight to Crete?
3. How long does it normally take to get from Delphi to Athens airport by bus?
4. Does anyone have any preference for airlines for flights out of E. Venizelos?
5. How much time should we allow for the check-in and security process in the Athens airport?
6. Suggestions for dinner and lodging in Chania for two nights?

Tuesday, May 25th
Enjoy Chania. Rent a car in Chania. If warm enough, drive west along the cost and visit the beaches, especially Balos, Falassarna, and Elafonissi. If chilly, drive south through the Lefka Ori mountains and go hiking in the Samarian Gorge, then have dinner in Agia Roumeli. Return to Chania for the night.

Questions for Fodors:
1. What car rental service is recommended for western Crete?
2. How long does it normally take to get from Chania to Elafonissi?
3. How long does it normally take to get from Chania to Agia Roumeli?

Wednesday, May 26th
Enjoy Chania. Check out of hotel in Chania. Travel by bus from Chania, through Rethymnon, to Heraklion (3 hrs). Enjoy the Palace of Knossos. Stay in Heraklion.

Questions for Fodors:
1. Is the bus between Chania and Heraklion reliable?
2. What is the best time and method to tour the Palace of Knossos?
3. Are there other suggestions for time spent in Heraklion?
4. Suggestions for dinner and lodging in Heraklion for one night?

Thursday, May 27th
Enjoy Heraklion. Take the 9:45am ferry from Heraklion to Thira port on Santorini (2.5 hrs). Travel to lodging. Rent scooters or explore Oia by foot. Return to Oia, Fireostefani or Imerovigli for the night.

Questions for Fodors:
1. How long does it normally take for the ferry ride from Heraklion to Santorini?
2. Suggestions for lodging in Oia, Firostefani and Imerovigli for one night?
3. Suggestions for a place to watch the sunset and have dinner in either Oia or Imerovigli?

Friday, May 28th
Enjoy Oia village by foot. Check out of hotel in Oia, Firostefani, Imerovigli but ask them to hold our luggage. If it’s warm enough, go snorkeling and visit beaches. Hike the Caldera rim and enjoy Firostefani by foot. Go on a sailing trip around the Caldera and watch the sunset from the boat. Go to Fira for late dinner. Pick up luggage and go to Athinios port. Take overnight Blue Star ferry departing at 12:40am from Athinios to Pireus harbor (5 hrs).

Questions for Fodors:
1. Suggestions for beaches around Oia?
2. Suggestions for sunset sailing tours around the Caldera?
3. Suggestions for dinner in Fira?
4. Has anyone taken the overnight Blue Star ferry from Santorini to Athens?

Saturday, May 29th
Arrive at Pireaus harbor in Athens at 6am. Take Metro train from Pireaus to lodging near Syntagma Square and ask them to hold our luggage. Enjoy the morning in the Plaka and walk to the Acropolis. Enjoy the Parthenon, Temple of Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, Ancient Agora. Walk down Elef. Venizelou Avenue. Go to the Eugenides Foundation Planetarium. Return to hotel near Syntagma Square for the night.

Questions for Fodors:
1. How difficult will it be to get from Pireaus to Syntagma in the early morning?
2. What is the best time and method to tour the Acropolis area so we don’t have to wait in a line?
3. Suggestions for dinner in Athens around the Plaka?
4. Suggestions for lodging near Syntagma Square?

Sunday, May 30th
Enjoy the Plaka district. Check out of hotel and travel by Metro train from Syntagma square to Elefthiorios Venizelos airport for flight back to the U.S.

Monday, May 31st
Memorial Day in the U.S.

Once again, thank you for your interest in the success of our trip. We hope to come across other Fodorites during our travels, and it’s always beneficial to share tips and personal experiences. We look forward to a dialogue on this forum addressing any itinerary or logistics concerns, and especially about your personal suggestions for how to make our time at each location more memorable and unique. Thanks and God bless.

FrankS

1. How will Pentecost affect our travels?
<<

For your vacation, or eternity?

600Ridgewood

Disregard any profundity or existentialism in your interpretation of anything in this thread.

FrankS

Profundity or existentialism? By which 'god' did you 'bless' us with in your valediction?

HappyTrvlr

Check with AutoEurope to see about picking up a car rental at Chania Airport. The drive to the western beaches is beautiful; drive along the coast seeing the beaches and then take an inland raod bcak, driving through the mountains.If it is cold, you may find the Indian Ocean is warmer. Drive to Chora Skfaion and take a ferry to Loutro for a nice change. Hike Tthe Samarian Gorge, taking another ferry to where it ends and hike into the gorge.
We rented a houme in the area but recommend Taman, Well of the Turk and Te Karnagio for great food and atmosphere in Chania.

mes2525

Skip Delphi this trip and concentrate on the islands and Athens. The Chania to Heraklion bus is reliable and runs frequently. I would go to Knossos and the Acropolis in Athens early in the morning and beat the tour buses. Heraklion has an interesting folk art museum but I think only a couple of rooms of the archaeology museum are currently open. You could check their website for updates. Heraklion is a bustling place but there are some lovely churches and I liked shopping there.
I highly recommend the new Acropolis, National Archaeological, and the Benaki Museums in Athens.

600Ridgewood

FrankS: I consider that a discussion for another thread.

HappyTrvlr: Thanks for the suggestions; taking the ferries on the southern side of the island is a welcome alternative if the water's cold. We'll look into those restaurants in Chania.

mes2525: I appreciate the comprehensive answers. We hadn't delved into Heraklion's activities yet, so your experience is well-taken. We've definitely got those Athens sights on the radar.

travelerjan

I tried to swim at Falassarna beach May 19 & 20 in 2007 --- and I'm fairly good with brisk water (swim in NJ, NY, CT), but I just couldn't stay in the water! NOTE: the wind/waves come all the way from Spain to break on that beach. I managed to swim at a north-shore beach about 3 days later. And Matala in the south is a shallower sheltered sunny beach; warmer.

stanbr

600ridgewiid.
Congratulations on your approach. You clearly have already researched you trip very well.

In no particular order here are some thoughts on some of your questions.
Coming into Athens after Pentecost weekend may be a long bus ride with heavy traffic. I would skip Delphi and head to the airport. You may find that as you get close and if you are making good time you might consider jumping off the bus at Corinth and grabbing a taxi to see the canal and even better Ancient Corinth. You can easily do that in an hour. You could also possible find time to see Ancient Nemia which was a sister city to Olympia and has its own stadium, partial temple and a very good museum. Then hop back on the next bus to the airport. That plan is better than Delphi because Corinth is on a direct route to the airport.

Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air both fly to Chania, probably Athens Airways as well. I just read that Aegean may be absorbing Olympic so I would think you might want to use Aegean. They had very good fares to Chania a couple of months ago when we booked.

You will love Chania. On the day you decide to go to the beaches you will need a car. Falassarna is an easy drive. Balos might better be explored on one of the day excursion boats.
The day we went to Elafonissi the coastal road had just been washed out so we took the mountainous interior road. It took about 4 hours to get there and while spectacular was a very long day trip. I am not sure if I would want to try and do all three beaches on one day by car you may need to eliminate one of them.

If you decide to do the Samaria Gorge I would suggest you skip the car and take an excursion bus. The bus drops you off at the top and picks you up at Hora Sfakion to take you back to Chania. This is an all day trip.
If you wanted to just go to Agia Roumeli you will not very likely be able to do it in a day unless you stay there after the Gorge hike. You certainly cannot drive there.

As for accommodation in Chania. You can book ahead but in May there will be lots of rooms available on a walk up basis particularly about two blocks back from the harbour on Theotokopoulou St. We have a small studio with kitchenette booked there May 26 through the 30 for 30 euro per night. You can easily go way under your accommodation budget in Chania in late May.

If you do get south to the Lybian sea the water is certainly warm enough to swim in late May.
Here are some pictures of Western Crete and Chania.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/559511069PIlVxI
http://travel.webshots.com/album/571195659jPcKjK

Have fun planning.

600Ridgewood

traverjan: Thanks for the firsthand heads-up. We're not the Polar Bear Plunge type, so we'll be conscious of the water temperature before we decide to jump in on the beaches of the western shore.

stanbr: I appreciate your best wishes. We're likely going to save Delphi for another trip in light of possible travel congestion. Aegean Airlines has reasonable fares to Chania airport out of Athens. We'll certainly avoid long trips by car if we can avoid them on Crete, and consider the bus to the Samaria Gorge if the weather encourages an all-day hiking excursion. We'll have to be content to save Agia Roumeli for another trip. I'm a fan of the walk-up approach to hotel rooms and will keep Theotokopoulou St. on the radar. You're a talented photographer, thanks for sharing your travel photos.