GREECE - from Italy - HOW TO DO THE ISLANDS???
 

Hello dear Fodorists,

I am drafting my next year trip to Greece from Italy, leaving from Positano/Salerno/Naples

I understand Greece is not famous for the beaches and one of the best could be Naxos.
Santorini has black sands and Mykonos for night life

05 JUNE - Salerno to Brindisi by train then boat to..?

have to find a way to get to Athens maybe through the Corinthian isthmus ?

07-11 JUNE - ATHENS
1 day Athens walking and bike tour and night tour (3 tours)
1 day Naxos and ??
1 day Delfos ??

Or maybe make it easy, take a flight Naples to Athens.
and in Athens find some way to do a 2 days cruise around the islands, maybe day cruises? but
by boat not ferries so as to reach the islands by water

Would like to get into some caverns..or grottos.

Thank you

PS Solo traveller - dont rent car - use train or boats

In June it is often easy to find summer flights out of Naples that go directly to Greek islands, and even more flights out of Rome's airports. You can get a good sense now of what will be available next summer if you go to the websites of the airports of the Greek islands that interest you, and see what flights they have arriving from Italy.

Not trying to discourage you from going to Athens (although are you sure you want a bike tour?) but there might be some advantage to flying directly from Italy to a Greek island and then visiting Athens as your final stop in Greece.

Mykonos has good beaches and we never saw the nightlife you mentio when we were there late September. Our favorite island was Paris. Other favorite places were Chania, Crete and Napflion on Peloponnesean Peninsula.
I highly recommend that you fly to Greece from Italy.

Fly, it will much quicker.

Where on earth did you hear that Greece is not known for its beaches? Why do you think a lot of people go to the islands?

"... by boat not ferries so as to reach the islands by water"

What does this even mean? A ferry IS a boat.

Athens has the Parthenon and several excellent museums. It is easy to fill two days. The mainland, both the north and the Peloponnese is also well worth visiting.
Suggest you spend some time reading this:

http://greecetravel.com

massimop..! what a good idea! I could fly to Crete or Rhodes!

happytrvlr..yes as massimop suggested, I think I should fly...

won't have time to do many islands..so maybe I should choose only one and do a day trip from Athens to Mykonos (I only read it on greek islands descriptions that Mykonos has night life..)

thursdayd... jajaja :) :) yes I know a ferry is a boat.. I mean a boat to take you to caverns and discover the grottos.. or swim on a bay near the beach.....
the sand is not like the caribbean.. according to other travellers... don't worry.. I am not going for the beaches...




Thank you all..

cheers...

I think you may want to have a look on gtp site or similar to get an idea on traveling times. Spending say 5 hours to reach an island on a ferry and 5 hours back, doesn't make a decent day trip, does it now? Or even flying, getting from hotel to airport, adding waiting time, check in,security and so on, even a half an hour flight can easily take 2 hours. There is so much you can do in 3-4 days. I wouldn't try to cover so many destinations on so little time. Where to go and what to do depends on travel logistics and what your priorities are here....
If you plan this for next year, there is plenty of time to research this.

Why a boat to Greece?
When you refer to Delfos, do you mean Delos or Delphi?
Why do you think you want so little time in Athens?

Please consult a few good guide books.

And just to be clear, to answer your question, if you were to select surface transportation, you would rail to Bari, not Brindisi, and then take a ferry to Patras, from there, the Greek railway has a series of bus and rail combos (sounds complicated, but other posters on these boards have observed it all somehow works) that eventually get you to Athens, yes, vi the Corinth isthmus.
This is all explained in https://www.seat61.com/Greece.htm

If you'd like to see the Corinth canal, there is an excursion boat called the ARGO. I do not see many reviews for this option, neither pos nor neg. http://www.spanopoulos-group.com/corinth-canal-crossing

thank you Docdan, mariha and kja,

I spend little time in Athens because it's the time I have to spend in Greece.. I would need more money to stay more days so I am trying to do what I can as best and as much as possible.

Yes coming from Italy by boat and bus to Athens seems complicated and had resigned doing that but I will check the info u sent Docdan....so then I could visit the Corinth canal, do night on the boat and save one more day for other excursions

I found a Milos cat sailing around the island so the draft at the moment is Athens 2 days one full with morning guided walk, and bike tours afternoon and night
A day to Delphi
Next day (unless I can take a ferry when I come back from Delphi) take a ferry to Milos -3hours-. (To Mykonos is also 3 hours..I enjoy not only getting to a place but the going)
Stay in Milos at Adamanas port and next day sail around the island and come back 8pm and go back to Athens not Mykonos because it takes less time going to Athens..the ferry to Mykonos has a stopoverand takes longer
If I can stay one more day in Athens, then do a 1-day tour by myself to Mykonos so I can visit Delos (Yes Delos and Delphi I meant)

So thank you !! I will check seat61 and the link to canal crossing.. this has been awesome information!..

Thank you all!!

Cheers (sorry to reply so late)

IMO, this plan would mean spending a disproportionately large amount of time in transportation in comparison to your time on the ground, when you could actual see or do anything. Maybe that's OK with you; if not, consider cutting one or more destinations. Note that IMO, <u>all</u> of the places you mention visiting could easily take more time than you are proposing, just to see the highlights.

Hi kja...what is IMO..??

This is a draft for Aug even Sep due to high temperatures..and will consider everything suggested and advised

I do not like spending heaps of time in one place. I am not the sort to sit having a drink

The only destination I would cut is Venice and do Florence with the day tours, Rome 3 full days, Positano at least 2 full days and Greece even if it is just for 5 days...
Any place that I find it is worth spending more time I can repeat it if in 2019 I have the means.

At the moment this is a draft for Aug/Sep next year and will try to do all this.. I would never spend USD 1500 for a RT just to see Rome and Florence..for example... I don't do museums...will only consider the Vatican museum...

Dear kja thank you for your concern!... cheers

IMO = in my opinion.

Rather than skimming the surface and spending time getting from place to place, I am inclined to skip some places entirely, even if I am sure I would enjoy them. I’ve also realized that if I can return to a region, the LAST thing that I am likely to do with my time is re-trace part of my original route, just so that I can go back and finally see the things I skipped the first time, because of all the time it would take me to do so. In fact, I might end up not returning specifically because it would mean taking so much time going (again) from place to place! YMMV.

YMMV = your mileage may vary, as in, you might have a very different perspective or experience than me.

Hello lovely Fodorists

Back to planing my trip - Sorted Greece as per all your suggestions // I was told only to choose 2 island

as everyone said I am FLYING NAPLES TO ATHENS...Easyjet at 1000Am have to sort the Sorrento to Naples Airport... Train plus taxi? // Shuttle is soo expensive! EU 80/95

SEP 08 Arrive Athens at 1400hours
Hotel Adams at PLAKA
SEP 08 EVENING half day tour with getawaysgreece to Cape Sounion and Poseidon Temple
SEP 09 Morning half day to Corinth Canal and Ancient Corinth
SEP 09 Afternoon free walking tour at 1800hours
SEP 10 Full day DELPHI

SEP 11 Ferry to MILOS 0730/1300 hours
SEP 11 free afternoon
HOTEL at ADAMAS port
SEP 12 FULL DAY SAILING around the island,,, beaches and caves UNTIL 20HS

SEP 13 MILOS TO MYKONOS
Hotel CASA BIANCA in Ornos
SEP 14 Sailing to Delos with visit and Rhinna Island
SEP 15 One day visit Paros
SEP 16 sailing south Mykonos with Dragonisi Caves
SEP 17 fly to Rome at 0400 hours!! Vueling...

Any comments suggestions are welcome!

Thnak you all!

Cheers, Dolores

I must admit that your entire trip – not just the part in Greece – is much faster paced than anything I would want; your preferences could easily be extremely different than mine.

You are giving magnificent Athens very little time. Personally, I’d skip the Corinthian Canal and Ancient Corinth to make more time for Athens.

And you are spending a LOT of time on the water. I must admit that my tolerance for being on a boat with little to see ends within 2 or 3 hours, but again, that’s just me.

Delos is extraordinary – enjoy!

The way I see it... Too busy and too many organized activities. Don't you like to have at least a day on a place to explore by your self on a slower pace? Barely one full day to roam around Athens for example, half day on Milos, maybe half day on Mykonos itself... But maybe that's your style, so do what you feel comfortable with...

I would skip the "SEP 15 One day visit Paros", even though that's one of my favourite islands. You simply won't have enough time there to justify the expensive round trip by highspeed ferry. Use that day as back-up for your visit to Delos in case winds stop the small boats on Sep 14th. I say that because on my first visit to Delos (from Mykonos) I had to wait two days before boats were running.

Why are doing day trips from Athens to, for example, Cape Sounion and Corninth , and barely seeing the great treasures in Athens? Just touring the Parthenon and the National Archeological Museum would take much more time than a “free walking tour” could possibly cover. I have spent four or five nights in Athens on both of my visits.
I agree that you have too many tours when doing it independently is easy and more relaxing. Hire a guide for the Parthenon if you wish but please give Athens more time. Paros is one of my favorite islands but only one day? The travel time involved merits more time. Enjoy the Chora on Mykonos instead of getting on a boat. And , yes, you may not be able to sail to Delos due to rough seas.

HI everybody KJHA, Mariha, Heimdall and Happy Trvlr, thank you all for your feedback and time to answer!!

I was told that being SEP the best month with less winds that I won't have trouble with the winds or ferry cancellations. WHEN DID YOU ALL GO TO GREECE? ANYONE there in September?

QUESTION The 3 Argentines that have been in Athens told me that I can do it in one day (?) I will be walking distance from the Parthenon, and I could take a night tour on the 10th. Not enough?



ATHENS
QUESTION I like the idea of visiting the canal and ancient Corinth do you think it is not WORTH??
I will have to change and do Cape Sounion the afternoon I arrive. SEP 8
SEP 9 Delphi
SEP 10 Corinth in the morning
SEP 10 afternoon free for the walking tour and maybe take the circumvalecent train? Anyone heard about it?

MYKONOS..
SEP 13 I have the day I arrive to visit the small town.. I arrive at midday..have the whole afternoon until night (?) not enough?
SEP 14 sailing to Delos arrive at sunset so I have time... when I return...at around 1700hs I can do more of CHORA
SEP 15 Paros (?) WILL CONSIDER YOUR SUGGESTION OF STAYING IN MYKONOS
SEP 16 2nd sailing I would love another sailing and doing the Dragonis caves.

PAROS
I was invited. the ferry is 1.30 mins doesn't cost much and someone will be waiting for me to tour the island will have my private local guide free for the day
STILL, I haven't decided it yet ..... it is an opp to visit another island.

Thank you all again for your time!!

Kind regards, Dolores

If you take the earliest ferry from Mykonos to Paros, and the latest ferry back, you will have about 7 hours on the island. The round trip fare will be around €70. You can check gtp.gr or openseas.gr for schedules. I use danae.gr to check prices.

As for wind speeds, September is the windiest month in the Cyclades after July and August. Large ferries are seldom cancelled, but the small boats that go from Mykonos to Delos often are. There are no large ferries to Delos, only excursion boats. https://www.windfinder.com/windstatistics/mykonos

We spent a week in Naxos and ferries were cancelled 3 Of the 7 days we were there in 2011...