karenw

Does anyone know what the water/weather is usually like in late May-early June in Greece (Athens and the islands)?

Also -- any recommendations for islands to visit?

thanks
-karen

Bill

Should be hot and smoggy in Athens. Nice on the islands. Mykonos, Rhodes.

fiona

Rhodes or Crete would be good choices.

Ang

My first trip was in early June, perfect time for swimming if that is your interest. Please tell us more about what your interests are. Usually most people recommend Athens/Mykonos/Santorini for 1st timers. That is an itinerary that combines lots of sightseeing with the good beaches in Mykonos. If pure relaxation is your thing, you may want to do the Ionians. I did an Athens-Meteora-Corfu/day trip to Albania and 24 hour boat to Venice itinerary most recently. Tell us more about what you want, length of time you will be spending, budget considerations, are you interested in renting a car, etc. Then we can give you more specific recommendations.

Carolina

Ang: would you reccommend a day trip to Albania? I spend a lot of time in Corfu every summer and would be interested in your comments on Albania.
Thanks
Carolina

Re. original post: late May / early June is a lovely time to visit Greece. The water can be a little chilly in some parts but the islands are beautiful and less crowded than July and August. If water temp is very important to you, I would reccommend going south - Crete is a good suggestion, and Rhodes, especially round the Lindos area which is usually much warmer than the north of the island.

Jennifer

I'm looking for similar advice. Flying in & out of Athens in mid June for 9 nights. We want to see the sights in Athens & then relax a bit on the islands. Santorini sounds like a must, but I'm not sure about Mykonos. Since we don't have ALOT of time, should we try somewhere closer to Athens?

Ang

I would definitely recommend a day trip to Saranda, Albania! When I get home today I will find the pamphlet for the company that does the organized day tours. They sell the tickets right at the port in Corfu Town. The people that I traveled with like to do things the hard way, so we took a boat that all the Albanians use to go back & forth. Then when we got to Saranda, we hired a taxi to take us around. The archaeological site at Butrinti was beautiful. It is obviously a very poor country, and the area is just starting to be developed. If you like rugged landscapes, and don't mind seeing poverty, it is really a worthwhile experience.

Heimdall

Greek weather in May and June is almost perfect. Warm during the day, and cool enough in the evening to need a sweater or jacket. The islands of the Cyclades are well served by ferries from Piraeus and Rafina. You can get to Paros by high speed ferry in under three hours. From there you can go just about anywhere in the island group, including Naxos, Santorini, and Mykonos.

Irene2003

Traveling in Greece around May is a really good time. If you want someone to show you around the city I would recommend Spiros' taxi service. I used him last summer and he is really good.
You can find him on the web at http://www.athenstaxi.net