Greece, April 2005
 

My husband and I are going to Greece for our honeymoon, part II on April 2nd and need some advice. We will be there for 11 days. We narrowed it down to the islands we want to visit, but feel we will be moving around too much. What do you think? Fly to Rhodes(2 hotel nights)- Ferry to Symi (2 hotel nights)- Fly to Athens (2 hotel nights)- Fast ferry to Naxos (2 hotel nights)-Fast ferry to Santorini (2 hotel nights)- Fly to Athens and on same day, off to visit friends in Paris.

We've researched these islands and these are the ones we are interested in visiting for now. We fear this is too much moving around. If it is, I think we will have to do Athens-Naxos-Santorini and just return to do Rhodes and Symi another time. You just want to get it all in now b/c you never know when you'll be back.

In addition, does anyone have any hotel recommendations for these places.

a) Rhodes
b) Athens
c) Naxos
and/or
d) Santorini (in Oia)?

We're looking for clean, moderatley-priced hotels and since it is our honeymoon, we do not object to splurging on some hotels -- thanks!

Another thing: Should we not bother with hotel reservations now and just find ones when we arrive?

Any information is greatly appreciated!

If it feels like too much it probably is. Follow your instincts. 4 islands and Athens including time going and coming is a lot to accomplish in 11 days. I suggest you either eliminate the Cyclades islands or Rhodes and Symi unless you have specific reasons for choosing them. Limit yourself to islands that are grouped close together and spend a bit more time on them instead of so much time travelling in between. The fast ferry in the Cyclades makes them a very good choice for this plan.

This website offers many excellent hotels in Oia as well as elsewhere on Santorini:

http://www.santorinihotels.com/hotels.php

There is nothing quite like approaching Santorini by ferry, so I like the AThens-Naxos-Santorini itinerary. You can then fly back to Athens from Santorini to allow more time.
Vera

Vera says it: "There is nothing like approaching Santorini by ferry."

Hello Sora!
I think your itinerary is doable but i have some suggestions. Symi is really lovely but i think that April -almost- everything will be closed. I would go to Rhodes and have a oneday trip to Symi.
From this itinerary i think i would miss Naxos probably...

Thanks everyone for your posts. My husband and I decided on sticking with Athens (2 days)-Naxos (4 days)-Santorini(5 days)with possibly a day trip to another Cyclades island or two. We want to relax and don't want to be running around.

Rhodes-Symi and Turkey will have to be another trip.

Once again, does anyone have hotel recommendations for these places:

a) Athens (we were thinking the Attalos hotel; we desire a nice rooftop to view the Acropolis)
b) Naxos (Hotel Grotta)
and/or
d) Santorini (in Oia - Chelidonia Villas)?

Thanks for your input!

I can recommend the Chelidonia Villas as long as you don't require a swimming pool. I used to rent a house right next to the property they developed so nicely for this business. It's as central as it can get in Oia, just below the main square.

I've also stayed at the Attalos and can attest to the great view from the rooftop lounge.

The Attalos is not a very nice hotel, it is cheap and conveniently located but that's it.

If you want a room that is quiet and has an incrediblee view of the Acropolis, plus is reasonably priced, you might want to stay at the Adrian Hotel. Although it is right in Plaka, if you have a room at the Adrian in the back with an Acropolis View (I think you pay 10 Euros extra for this) it is very quiet. We stayed there in Sept 2004, and were enchanted by being able to lie in bed looking at the lit-up Parthenon at night. It was very convenient to Psyrri, where we like to eat and to the Monastiraki metro station, which made getting around Athens very easy. The room we had was comfortable and well-proportioned, and we enjoyed our breakfasts on the roof garden with the incredible view of the Parthenon. Mind you, this is not a luxury hotel, more on the utilitarian side, but I think is a good value for the price, although it does cost more than the Attalos. But I'd rather pay a little bit more, and enjoy my room.

The whole Attalos thing is a big mystery to me, as I find it to be completely lacking in anything that makes me want to stay in a hotel. The bathrooms are miniscule, the street it is on is dirty and full of heavy traffic, the beds are uncomfortable, the TV tiny and barely functional, and in general not much to commend it other than price. Although it has a roof view, so do most of the other hotels in the area. It is cheap, so I guess that is something it has going for it. My theory is that Matt Barrett, who has an excellent guide to Greece and Athens on the internet, has a personal relationship with the owners (this is apparent from his website) and has promoted, promoted, promoted the Attalos. Mind you I am not criticizing his relationship with the Attalos, I'm just saying that human nature being what it is, his opinion may not be the most objective. Of course, maybe mine isn't either!

So here's my background: I live part-year in Greece, and have gone to Athens several times a year for almost 25 years, and have stayed at a variety of different hotels, always looking for the ideal location (a search I hope to never end).

Other places you may want to consider in Athens are:
Grande Bretagne: If you can afford it, this is an amazing place to stay and would make a honeymoon very memorable. Everytime I stay at the GB, I leave feeling happy and coddled and at one with the world. But it is definitely pricy.
Electra Palace: Also nice, and another good honeymoon location. Very conveniently located, nice rooms, and good service. Costs more than the Adrian, but it is also more upscale that the Adrian.

Thank you Eleni for your detailed post. It's funny that you mention the Adrian b/c I am actually leaning towards that hotel vs. Attalos. My husband and I are low key so we don't need a lot to make us happy in regard to a hotel, but want it to be clean and moderately-priced. How much is the Adrian and what is the best way to go about getting a reservation there? Through the hotel itself? According to this website (http://www.douros-hotels.com/rrates.asp?hotel_id=2), a double room with an Acropolis view is 145 Euros! Is that correct? That's more than what we're paying for our Santorini hotel. I would appreciate any guidance that you could give.

I agree with you in regard to Matt's recs on his website. I don't even follow them b/c of course, they're biased for one reason or another.

Thanks again.

I concur with brotherleelove. Too much in too little time. Rhodes doesn't have much to see and to get to where the colossus WAS supposed to be it takes about 45 min. by bus or taxi from the city port. There is a good bit to see in Santorini beside Akrotiri.

On the Adrian, we made our reservations directly on their website, because I wanted something directly from the Hotel in my hot little hand that we would get the Acropolis view room. I did as thorough a search as I could, and didn't find a cheaper price for the Adrian. We did pay 145 Euros -- most of the hotels in Athens really jacked up their prices for the Olympics and they don't seem to be coming down any time soon, which is very frustrating, particularly when coupled with the Euro/Dollar valuations.

In my experience, hotels in Athens cost more than anywhere else in the country, or at least everywhere I have been, especially post Olympics. Similar to hotels in New York City, London, Amsterdam and most other big cities, Athens costs a lot of money.

A somewhat cheaper hotel that is on the outskirts of Plaka on a small quiet street just down from the Acropolis is called the Phillipos. No particular view but very peaceful.

Another friend of ours who lives in Greece likes staying at the Cecil Hotel, particularly since its recent renovation. But he said to only stay there if you can get a room in the back with an Acropolis view. The price certainly looks good, but like the Attalos is right on Athinas street which, as I mentioned before isn't the best street for a hotel, but is definitely convenient, a very close to Psyrri where you can consistently find some of the best food and music in Athens. Here's the website: http://www.greekhotel.com/athens/cecil/home.htm
But as I say, I haven't stayed there so don't have an independent basis for comparison.

The Attalos is nothing special, it's just inexpensive and has a very convenient central location. My room was clean but small. I will say that the desk clerk was very helpful and gracious, a real professional.

sora-where are you staying in santorini?

What is the website for Adrian Hotel? I have googled it and come up with many reservation sites, but not the hotel website itself

Several years ago I stayed at the Attalos for several nights. I was on my way to Rhoades to sail the islands for a week. Found the bed uncomfortable, bathroom smelled and very, very thin walls. I was quoted a price that included breakfast but when I checked out they wanted to charge for my two breakfasts. I had made a copy of their e-mail and showed it to them so was not charged. The price certainly was great but would not recommend this hotel for a honeymoon. Congratulations and I hope you have a wonderful lifetime together.