Greece in mid July
 

We are going to fly from Rome to Athens - what is the cheapest flight you think i'll be able to fly??? We plan to stay in Athens from July 9th-11 and then make our way to some of the islands. Our flight home is on the 17th so we only have 6 days to play ;-)
Any suggestions on where to go, how to get theere and which hotels to stay at. thanx!

To save time, fly to an island with an airport like Santorini, Crete, Rhodes Mykonos or Skiathos. On Santorini stay in the village of Oia for the best experience. There are hotels there in every price range. Make sure you have confirmed reservations in July for your hotel as well as your flight. Do it soon or you won't get a flight.

I agree with the previous poster. Look into flying directly to an island. Then you can take a one way flight back to Athens and see that for a day or two before your flight home.

In my opinion, Santorini is a must. It is a very beautiful island with a very interesting history. There are lots of wineries you can tour, many great restaurants, a volcano to hike, black sand beaches, and the most beautiful sunsets. I suggest spending 3 nights there (great towns on the caldera with a sunset view to consider include Fira/Thira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, or Ia/Oia), then 3 nights on another island. What do you want? Something relaxing? Something fun? Other great islands close to Santorini include Paros, Naxos, and Mykonos. I've been to all three and liked them, each for their own reasons. You can get a one way flight from these islands back to Athens on either Olympic or Aegean airlines. I suggest the latter. When you get to Athens, definitely stay in Plaka (the old part of town) right next to the Acropolis.

www.greektravel.com
www.santorini-greece.biz
www.mykonos-greece.biz
www.paros-greece.biz
www.naxos-greece.biz
www.naxosnet.com

I looked on Olympic and Agean Air for a flight from Rome to any of the islands and there are none. Are there any other airlines that that you can suggest?

The only flights from other countries directly to any of the Greek islands are charter flights. Look for travel charter company websites to see if there are any from Rome to the islands and if the dates match what you need. Otherwise, you have to fly to Athens, change planes and fly to the island of your choice. Aegean and Olympic will take you from Athens to the islands.

By chance, do you have any names of the charter flights? You guys r the best!

You could also fly into Athens, then board the next flight on Aegean to an island. I just suggest saving Athens for the end of the trip instead of before the islands since you will have to fly into Athens anyways to get home....

that sounds like the best plan, but i still cannot find a flight from rome to Santorini or Mykonos...any ideas?

Try www.expedia.com.uk

They have good flights from ROM to ATH, or go to the Alitalia website and check, as well as the Olympic Airways website.

http://www.olympicairlines.com/

http://www.alitalia.it/

Or call the airlines' customer service numbers. I don't know what country you're in but you should be able to find them easily enough.

When using an internet booking service like Expedia, use the initials ROM for the Rome Airport, ATH for Athens, and JTR for Santorini (also known as Thira).

On Expedia UK, the flight is about 120EUR and goes thru Athens and is a 5 hr journey on Olympic. Any shorter and CHEAPER alternatives?

Just back from Athens - beware! Prices will be high this summer for the Olympics - they are already. Be sure to plan the better part of a day to explore the Central Market - an area where everyone shops that is incredible. Products are arranged and grouped together, ie. the meat market, fish market, fruits, vegetables (olives!), including a whole street devoted to doorknobs, locks, etc. Staying in the Plaka is a good idea.

Hows the city looking ? All clean and gleaming yet. Also how is the traffic situation to and from the airport ?

What about skipping greece and going to another country or should i extend the time in Italy? any suggestions?

Danak, if you can get from Rome to Santorini for 120 EUR, get that ticket as soon as you can. It's not going to get any cheaper, and there will be a limited number of seats available at that price. Do it now.