lanaroberts99

Hi, and help please! I am an absolute Greece novice and am looking to arrange 9 days in Greece and the islands. Arriving in Athens around mid-day on 4th August departing evening of 13th. I'd like (with my signifcant other) to go to Rhodes, Santorini and Naxos and return to Athens for flight out, just spending a couple of days in Athens as I believe it is going to be very hot.

I don't know what baggage allowance is on local flights and what is the best way to get between the islands. We will have been flying internationally so I will have a slightly larger carry-on than my domestic one. Will this be a problem?

travelnut265

Hi
Your can fly from Athens to Rhodes using a few carriers eg. Aegeanair,Olympic Air or Jetstar.The basic allowance is 20kg but always check each airlines for conditions.
From Rhodes you can ferry around to Santorini and onto Naxos.Flights between islands go back to Athens then out.
I have always bought my ferry tickets before leaving home and never had any problems with weather or schedule changes.You will have choice between fast and slower ferries the main difference being price verses time.
Santorini to Naxos can take 2.5hours but Naxos to Pireaus(Athens port) can take up to 6 hours.Faster ferries may sell out quicker in peak season.
These websites may be of interest to you.
www.gtp.gr
www.openseas.gr
www.paleologos.forth-crs.gr .
I buy my ticket through this site and have always happy with service .

Enjoy Greece ,I'm planning for my next trip in 2014.

Mimar

So you're going 4 places in your 9 days. Is that 9 full days/10 nights or less? Two nights in one spot gives you 1 full day and maybe another half day. That's really not enough for any of these destinations. I suspect you will need to drop one of the islands. Rhodes, in particular, is quite big. And you will need to do some flights rather than ferries to fit it all in.

Conventional wisdom says to fly directly to an island destination upon arrival in Athens airport, leaving your time in Athens to the end of your trip. That allows some wiggle room if something goes wrong during your trip, and you're delayed. There's plenty to see in Athens; don't skimp there. Just get an air-conditioned hotel.

Most European airlines specify a smaller carry-on than is allowed in the US (if that's where you're from). Check the airline websites for the actual measurements.

Weadles

Great advice above. I do think you need to cut out one of the destinations since you have limited time. Santorini and Naxos are on the same ferry line, so it's easy to travel between them. However, to maximize your time, I'd strongly suggest booking a flight back from Naxos to Athens. There are only a few of these each day,and they tend to sell out in the summer months, so do it soon if you are interested.

Finally, pack a smaller bag than you would normally take. You shouldn't need much in August, anyway. European airlines will charge you for extra weight and in some cases refuse to take a larger bag on board.

lanaroberts99

Thank you everyone. I think you are right, I'm trying to do too much in a limited time. This was supposed to be the "relaxing" part of our trip, so I'd better go back to just two islands. Thinking Santorini and Naxos. I'm thinking I'd probably be better with the ferries than the planes if my/our luggage is going to create problems. Is Jetstar the same carrier as Jetstar in Australia?

travelnut265

Hi again
I might have been thinking of Easyjet not Jetstar with regards to Rhodes.If you are going to fly to Santorini, boat to Naxos and fly Naxos to Athens using the same airline the only one that does both is www.olympicair.com. I'd suggest you book really soon as I have just checked availability around your dates and flights are filling.Alternatively you could fly www.aegeanair.com and catch ferry back.Luggage on Aegean allows for 20kg and you can pay for extra online at a reduced rate.
I have travelled around Greece for a month with a suitcase weighting 10 kg. You are going in summer,clothes dry really fast and dressing in the islands is casual.You will appreciate a light suitcase when you carry it down the flights of stairs on the ferry.

lanaroberts99

Thanks for the update on the ferries and the flights, I'll look ASAP. 10KGs luggage??? Must be a man (or a woman with very few shoes). We will be on the road for 6 weeks and different continents so I'll have a few more clothes than usual. Do you have any ferry tips? And are Olympic and Aegean vigilant about cabin luggage? I know I've flown in the US and it seems to be that if you can carry it on board, you CAN. I had one ugly trip with a bunch of uni students studying medicine and their books were extremely heavy and absolutely everywhere on the plane. I can hold the large luggage down to 20kgs initially but it's the carry-on which is a stresser.

travelnut265

Dare I say ,even being female ,it is not a fashion competition and you can do with less clothes than you think.You have to be very smart packing and not to pack "just in case" items.I love shoes but all you need are walking,casual and evening.This goes for both sexes. Which other continent are you traveling to?
All airlines are viligant about bag weights I just try to wear or carry my heavy items .I have posted items back home just to lighten the load but this has taught me to be pack smart and it really is worth the trouble.
The ferries are very simple to use. Boats are marked clealy by name and ports to stop at .Buying a deck ticket (cheapest)allows you to sit outside or inside at the cafe etc.Seats are not numbered or reserved. Inside is air-conditioned ,outside can get very hot and windy.Don't be worried about leaving your luggage downstairs take only valuables with you.Goodys is like Maccas.The ferry ride between Naxos and Pireaus is long......

Heimdall

Santorini, Naxos, and Athens would be a good combination, and would work well with the time you have for Greece. EasyJet doesn't fly between Athens and Santorini, but has direct flights to the island from some other European cities during high season. If you happen to be in or near one of those cities it would save a lot of time to fly there directly rather than going through Athens.

If, as it sounds, you've already booked your flight to Athens, then look for a connecting flight to Santorini with Olympic Air or Aegean Airlines. I believe the weight allowance for domestic flights is now 20 kg. I've never has my carry-on checked at Athens Airport (except the security check at the gate), but it's a good idea to make sure you comply. If you wish to leave some luggage behind, Pacific Travel has a luggage storage facility at the airport, but charges are steep.

The flights between Naxos and Athens are on small Dash 8-100 turboprops with only about 34 seats, and some of the dates in August are already sold out. Personally, after trying both flights and ferry, I don't think there is much advantage in flying back to Athens from Naxos. Although flights are quicker, when you add check-in, the wait for luggage after landing, and transfers to/from the airport, you haven't saved all that much time.

With a ferry there is no advance check-in — you just get to the port about 30 minutes before departure and hand over your ticket as you board, stowing your bags in the compartments on the car deck. When the ferry arrives at Piraeus you go back to the car deck, grab your bags, and disembark as soon as the ramp is lowered. The metro stop is across a footbridge right next to the docks where the ferry stops, and trains to central Athens take only about 20 minutes, as compared to 45 minutes from the airport.

Weadles

I'm not a fan of the long ferry ride between Naxos and Piraeus. Did it once and never again. At the end of the ride, there was a big rush for the door and it was chaotic both getting on and off with our luggage.

As noted above, if you're interested in flying, pack LIGHT and book ASAP. Many flights are already sold out, even though the summer is still months away.

lanaroberts99

Thank you everyone, you've all been a great help. It's amazing how many helpful people are out there.

Heimdall

In August there is a daily Hellenic Seaways highspeed, taking only 3hrs 50min from Naxos to Piraeus.This is not much more than the overall time of a flight when you include check-in, wait for luggage, and transfers. These are large car-carrying catamarans, normally just as smooth as conventional ferries.

I go business class on Blue Star, which has comfortable sofas & chairs, and waiter service to the tables. Business class on Blue Star costs about the same as economy class on the highspeed. Blue Star takes 5½ hours, and you have a choice of morning or afternoon sailings.

Somehow time seems to go faster to me when I am on the move rather than sitting around an airport terminal. If you do wish to fly, you had better book quickly, as all seats for Aug 11th appear to be sold, and as I write there is only one seat left on the 10th.

lanaroberts99

Thank you Heimdall. I have been trying to get a timetable from Greece Ferries, but they say "only 2 months before" which is useless if I am trying to decide between a flight and a boat. The Blue Star business class sounds good as does the Hellenic Seaways for the return, so I think that's possibly the way to go. We are meant to arrive in Athens at 12.45 pm. Do you know the departure time for the afternoon sailing(s)?

lanaroberts99

I've checked the Blue Star and Hellenic Seaways and they don't suit for departure to the islands (it's Sunday) so it looks like a flight and then ferries around and return.

Heimdall

This morning there were 8 seats left at €98.64 each on Sun Aug 4th. All tickets on flights to Naxos are semi-flex.The flight is due to depart Athens at 2:00 pm, which gives you only 1hr 15min layover time. That is very tight, but just doable providing your flight arrives on time and there are no luggage delays. If you are coming from another Schengen country there won't be passport control to go through. If you check in online and have printed boarding passes you can leave your luggage at the Olympic drop-off point next to the check-in counters and dash for the departure gate.

It's your decision whether or not to risk such a short layover time. If you miss the flight there won't be another until next day. Worst case scenario is that you will have to catch the 5:30 pm Blue Star at Piraeus and try to get a refund for the flight. Ferries are heavily booked in August, but you will be travelling on a Sunday when more people are returning from the islands than going out, so there's a good chance tickets will be available on the day. If it comes to that, check with Amphitrion Holidays ticket counter at the airport.

Heimdall

According to the Olympic fare rules there is a €30 fee no-show fee if you miss the flight, so if that happens you should get most of your money back. If that is an acceptable risk you can take a gamble on the flight.

The checked baggage allowance is indeed 20 kg. "Economy class passengers may have one carry-on baggage up to 8 kilos and with maximum dimensions 55cm x 40cm x 23cm."

lanaroberts99

Hmm. I thought I saw some tickets on a 4 pm flight to Santorini booking through edreams. I can't remember the airline, but I'm waiting on a response regarding pre-purchase of overweight/oversize luggage. Life is never simple.

Heimdall

My apologies! You are returning from Naxos but flying out to Santorini, so ignore what I wrote about flights to Naxos. Yes, you should be fine on the flight to Santorini.

I found these references on excess baggage:
http://en.aegeanair.com/e-services/t...guide/baggage/
http://www.olympicair.com/Default.aspx?a_id=631

Mimar

Just to clarify, if you arrive at Athens airport and want to take a ferry to Santorini, you'll have to transfer to the port Piraeus and find the ferry. It would be so much easier just to fly on.

Whereas flights from Naxos to Athens might be filling, I'd be surprised if flights from Athens to Santorini are full. Just allow plenty of time in case your incoming flight is late.

Returning from Naxos to Athens/Piraeus by ferry, you can take the subway into Athens. The subway also runs to and from the airport. The Greeks built a nice subway for the Olympics.

lanaroberts99

Yes, flying INTO Athens at 12.45pm and looking to fly OUT to Santorini on 4 pm flight same day. I hope this allows enough time to clear customs and hopefully we wouldn't have any delays getting into Athens. I recall a later flight too, but I don't want to spend any more time hanging around airports than is absolutely necessary. Thanks for the link to the excess baggage site, 12 Euro for pre-booked extra bag is just great, I'll do that as an insurance measure. Happy to return to Athens by boat from Naxos or Santorini to avoid airport. Thanks for the tip about the subway, I had no idea.