Greek island in September
 

Which island are you recommending for early september? we want something that will not be overcrowded, especially not with wild teenagers; but still will be fun and interesting with places to see not just hang at the beech and also easily accecible to/from athens, and within the island itself. (we will not have a car). oh, and off course not very expensive.
Thanks

follow up question, we were thinking of Mykonos, will it be suitable for the above conditions?

In September Mykonos will still be crowded with wild '30-Somethings'. Check out Paros or Naxos instead. Plenty to do on these islands. If you ride motorscooters you can enjoy some independence and have fun exploring., but both islands also have bus systems. Also check out Santorini.

An island that a lot of people may not consider is Kos. If you stay in Kos Town, it won't be too busy and there are numerous Roman ruins you can visit for free (the road ('Wally') train is well worth a go and almost every travel agent do island trips. Also might be worth visiting Kalymnos for the day by Flying Dolphin.

We are going to Greece from Sept. 6-16 and where wondering if we needed to make hotel reservations. The islands we plan on visiting are Santorini, Mykonos & any other island that two single girls in their 30's can have fun. We appreciate any feedback we get.

You'll save time and confusion by booking your rooms ahead of your arrival, but in September it's not a necessity as long as you don't mind the search and you're willing to take what you can get when you arrive.

I was told by a client that we would get a better deal if found a place to stay when we get there. Would you agree or disagree? Both of us want to stay in a nice place within walking distance from the beaches and nightlife. Do you have any suggestions?

With some diligent searching you should be able to find something cheaper once you arrive as opposed to limiting yourselves to what you can find on the internet. You will be met at the ferry dock by locals with rooms to rent, and there's usually at least one room-finding business close by.

Is there anything we should watch out for when approached about a room to rent?

Do some research and have some idea where on the island you want to stay. Print out a map to take with you and ask them to point to where their rooms (domatia) are located. If they're not where you want to be then try the next person. If they don't speak English "Poo domatia soo?" means "Where are your rooms?"

And what do you do then with an explanation in greek?

You either agree to take a chance and go with them to see their rooms, or you move on to the next person. Chances are they will speak enough English for you to be able to communicate with them.

We are planning on going to Santorini, Mykonos and Ios. We would like to stay within walking distance of the beaches and nightlife. Is that possible? If so, do you have any suggestions?

On Santorini there is nightlife at Perissa and Kamari Beaches, but they're too far apart for walking. The main area for nightlife is in Fira where most of the "action" is. Unfortunately it doesn't get going until late at night after the buses stop for the night, and buses get scarce after midnight.

Ios is small and most of everything is in or near the main village where the ferry docks, so you will be close to whatever you want.

I meant to say the _taxis_ get scarce after midnight. Also, the buses stop running about 10 PM.

Brotherlee, mind if I jump in here?
I'm trying to book a room just for myself the first weekend of September in Hydra. Got no reply to e mails and so far no reply to faxes. I'm wondering
1.if I need to bother booking at all
2.if they are reluctant to commit to just one person
3.if they just don't feel like replying!
I know you don't usually comment on Hydra, but any advice?

Hi vacationgirl I was in Ios in May of 2004 (I am a 23yr old student)...it was small but it was a blast. We stayed at the Far Out Beach Hotel, and it only cost 40euro for the night for 4 girls. It was a huge room with a patio and right across from the beach. When we wanted to go into town a bus stopped right in front of the hotel and took us up to the village, and for then nights when we were at the bars passed 10pm when the bus stops, there were plenty of taxis to take us back down to the hotel...it only cost 6euro for the taxi ride back to the hotel. There are also plenty of good restaurants in Ios in the village, we liked Ali Baba's. Hope this helps! Enjoy your time there, I loved it!

Gertie,

I don't really think it's necessary to book in advance for Hydra in September. Unless you plan to arrive when Greeks from Athens might want to go there for a weekend getaway you should be able to find a room with no problem. But if you want a specific hotel then you should keep trying. See if there are any booking websites other than what's on the hotel's website that you can use in case the hotel never responds. My guess is that eventually you'll be able to get a reservation.

I really believe that mykonos is a very good idea for september.Will still be a bit crowded but with families mostly.Is the only time of the year that you can enjoy this amazing traditional greek island.Another good idea more relaxing is Skiathos,a very beautiful greek island ideal for relaxing holidays especially during september.
You can find infos for mykonos at www.go2mykonos.com and for Skiathos at www.travelskiathos.com .They are both very good travel guides for the two islands

Thank you for the links. We'll check them out. If you have anymore advise we would love to hear it.