Greece- Santorini Athens need advise
 

Hi, we are 2 adults and a child planning a 6-7 day trip to Greece- santorini athens . I need help with a few questions-
Our earlier plan was to be there from 3 May to 8May, however we may need to prepone it to 24to 30 April.
I know its a difference of just one week but is april a good time to be there?
Does it rain in april and will all restaurants etc be open then was my doubt!

Also, most friends have suggested not to visit Mykonos with a child? Is it only a party place?
Santorini- is oia better to stay or Fira?

We visited Mykonos in September and saw no parties. Santorini has beautiful views from the cliffs overlooking tne caldera. I think it would bore a child. Look at Paros or Naxos instead for islands with nice beaches.

If you rely on one liner recommendations to drive your trip, it would be like "Blind Men and an Elephant." Each observation is correct yet conveys little relevant to you.

>>> good time to be there?

For weather, you can use any of the historical data site. If you don't know how to do this, here is an examle. You can step through several Aprils in previous years.
https://www.wunderground.com/history...eqdb.wmo=WLGSR

End of April is already heading into the peak cruise boat months in Santorini.

>>> Also, most friends have suggested not to visit Mykonos with a child? Is it only a party place?

Depends on who these friends are and where they went, if they have been to Mykonos at all. The main Mykonos town during the day is mostly populated with older cruise boat type of people. After hours are populated with non cruise adults and families. Young people looking for party go elsewhere to the East such as Paradise or Super Paradise.

>>> Santorini- is oia better to stay or Fira?

Depends on what you are looking for. Oia has the kind of scenery you have seen in promotional materials. However, you can pay dearly for that kind of view. These are not the only towns with view. Imerovigli and Firostefani are the other main ones on the rim. If you are after beach, none of these town along the rim would be convenient. However, in April, it would be too cold to swim anyway, so the beach is only good for looking at from a lounge chair or cooling your feet.

With a 6-7 day trip your options are limited, and one island + Athens is all you have time for.

<i>"Also, most friends have suggested not to visit Mykonos with a child? Is it only a party place?</i>"

Have you ever been to a party where no one showed up? That's what Mykonos is like at the end of April and early May! There are few tourists that time of year, and it takes people to make a party. None of the clubs will even be open.

That said, you need to choose between Santorini and Mykonos. There won't be many other children anywhere that time of the year, except the children who live on the islands. I would say Mykonos is more child-friendly than the caldera side of Santorini, but there must be other reasons you chose those two islands. Personally I would rather go to Paros or Naxos, but neither have the "wow factor" of Santorini.

Greece is one of the safest countries in the world even the Over-the-Top Islands of Santorini & Mykonos. They are two of the most popular and heavily-touristed islands in Greece but April should be less so. However, neither island appeals to me.

Naxos, Sifnos, Milos, Paros, Amorgos and a number of other less touristed and more traditional islands would offer a more "Greek" experience but everyone has their own idea of what they want for their vacation.

I would stick to Athens and one island rather than wasting time getting from island to island.

If you are interested in Santorini, we were there 5 nights last October, and absolutely loved it.

"Santorini- is oia better to stay or Fira?"
Neither. I recommend you stay in lodging at Imerovigli. Fira is full of tourists. Oia is pretty, more upscale, but also full of tourists.

Imerovigli is between them, with public transit stops, a small market or two and some restaurants. It is in the middle of the caldera, with sweeping views. There's a beautiful walking path from there, dotted with hotels and restaurants, which is stunningly gorgeous.

How old is your child? We took a day-trip on a boat, with dinner provided and a sunset view. The boat stopped at a couple of places to get into the water for snorkeling, etc. (Not many fish to see, though it was fun to swim.)

PS. You might consider taking the ferry one-way and flying the other way, Santorini-Athens. The 'fast ferry' from Athens to Santorini takes 5 hours. It is a nice boat, but we did not want to take it both ways. The slow ferry takes about 9 hours, I think. The Santorini airport is kind of scuzzy, so don't let that give you a bad impression of the island if you arrive there.

We were very impressed with the hospitality we encountered in Greece. Kids are welcome at restaurants, and we had very friendly and helpful service everywhere.