Greek Islands for oldies?
 

Hi everybody
We (self, hub, son) have 12 days in Greece next June. We fly in and out of Athens. I'm the type who likes to get organised and have already booked flights and accommodation for our trip (accommodation can easily be cancelled/changed). At the moment, we are booked for 1 night Corinth (our flight doesn't land until 5:30pm), 3 nights Nafplio, 2 nights Monemvasia, 1 night Mani, 2 nights Gialova, 3 nights Athens. And this is a wonderful trip! However, I have this niggle that tells me we should make even more of our trip and see a couple of islands. But then there is another niggle which asks, 'is it worth the hassle?'

My husband and I are in our early sixties - reasonably fit, but lazy. Our son is in his mid thirties, so useful for carrying bags etc! :) I'm thinking of (from Nafplio), returning to Athens, flying to Santorini, spending 3 nights there - and then taking the ferry to one of Naxos, Paros or Mykonos and spending 3 nights there, before flying back to Athens for 2 nights. Would it really be too much hassle for us - or should we go for it, as this is likely to be our only trip to Greece? I hate that the domestic air schedules/prices and ferry timetables/prices won't be available for ages, because, as I said, I like to have things booked. I wonder too, whether it might work out too expensive for us.

Thanks for any comments and tips.

You are imagining problems that don't exist. ;-) There are multiple daily ferries/flights to Naxos, Paros, and Mykonos, with easy availability except for Pentecost weekend, which is June 11-13 in 2011. Apart from that weekend, ferries in June will always have empty seats, and you can even buy tickets on the day of travel (that's what most people do). You will have to book flights in advance, though. Since you are concerned about cost, suggest taking the ferry, and go to Naxos or Paros rather than Mykonos. Most island hotels haven't even opened their books for next summer's reservations, and won't until after the New Year.

If all you want is an island experience, perhaps it would be better to choose Aegina, Hydra, or one of the other Saronic Gulf islands, easily accessible from Athens.

I have to say that Greece is a country for which planning is best left as late as possible, except for the month of August. Compulsive planners get frustrated when something changes, as often happens. :-)

Hello Heimdall - thanks v much for your reply and the information on ferries. I'm really inclined to 'go for it' for the experience as well as the islands themselves. With our current itinerary, I have pencilled in Paros and Elefonisoss (sp?) for an 'experience' but I can't get those beautiful pictures of the Cycladian Islands out of my head!

I will try to be patient and wait until the New Year to make any final decision (we won't be there during Pentecost) - although there are plenty of hotels available to book, on all the islands, on booking.com right now.

Thanks! :)

Hi again,

I don't claim any knowledge of Elefonissos, but know it is off the southern coast of the Peloponnese (and off the main tourist track). It looks like an interesting choice, and could fit well with the rest of your itinerary. Another of our posters, Yiassas, lives in the Peloponnese and may have something to say on the subject when she is next on the forum.

Paros is four hours from Piraeus by conventional ferry, and just under three hours by highspeed. I go there once or twice a year (usually in June, sometimes in late Aug-early September) and stay on the nearby island of Antiparos.

Since you won't be there during Pentecost, there is absolutely no problem waiting as long as you like to make a final decision. You could wait until getting to Greece to make your reservations, or even find a room when you get off the ferry. I am in my 60s and have no hesitation doing that. Sometimes I make a short-list of accommodations and call a day or two ahead on my cellphone. :-)

BTW, don't worry too much about spelling Greek place names - you will often see several variations in English, all of them correct. That's due to transliteration from the Greek to Latin alphabet. The suffix <i>nisi</i> or <i>nisos</i> means 'island' or 'islands' in Greek. ;-)

I think I'm in the majority when I say the islands are really the best part. The ferries are wonderful and even in July they weren't crowded. I also like to book things in advance, but maybe not quite so far in advance as you. I studied peoples trip reports and the previous years ferry schedules so I knew approximately when and where ferries would be running. I booked hotels after the first of the year. They were among the best value hotels of anywhere I've ever stayed (that's over 20 countries). On Santorini, Naxos, and Paros we got very nice rooms for 50€ or less. The only ferry we booked before we left was the one from Santorini, and we certainly could have waited till we got there. There are places to book them on all the islands.

Here's the link to my trip report - http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

And here are my photos: http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/greek_islands

http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/greek_mainland

That could work out well, if you are driving FROM the airport and BACK to the airport ... with 3 people, cost-effective & hassle-free highway drive avoiding athens. I just have a few "tweaks" to suggest:

ARRIVAL NIGHT: You might consider staying at this cute ST. Thomas B & B 15 minutes from airport.. in an olive grove, has a small pool, collapse, swim, eat sleep, rise EARLY & zip back to airport and start trip full of VIM! http://www.stay-in-athens.com/ (they may pick u up from airport, ASK). Another place nearby 1/3 less room rate - http://www.perishotelapt.gr/ no pool but 1 Km from sandy beach & tavernas, and does pick up & return to Airport. Advantage of this approach... u start out early, with pep, on the way can stop to see Corinth ruins if u like, Sacred game site of Nemea, still arrive Nafplio by noonish.

ISLAND TIME ALLOCATION - Depending on arrival time, I'd vote for just 2 nights (2-3 days) at Santorini, and add the extra time either to Naxos or Athens, unless your wish on Santorini (as it is for many who post here) is to sit on a balcony & gaze at the caldera all day. The view is the main thing about Santorini, whereas the others have many other aspects to consider.

ISLAND BOOKINGS -- I agree with Heimdall about island bookings, but you don't have to "fly blind" or take a chance. Yes, do the advance planning you enjoy, choose the area on each isle you want to be in, and make a list of lodgings in your price range. Then, when you are in Greece get on a cell phone & start dialing. in Santorini in June Bridezillas may very well book up the pricey luxe places in Oia, but you'd probably rather be in Firostephani anyway, with bachelor son: it's quiet but walkable to/from Fira nightlife and much less €. This year we stayed in Firostephani, on May 20 ferry from Crete we met a couple with NO reservations, we found them a super hotel (€60) 100 yards from ours, on a walk-up. They followed us to Naxos, where we also found them a room, balcony on the beach, €55, as a walk-up.

ATHENS HOTELS -- exception is, if you are looking for a moderate-price hotel in Athens, good idea to book in early Spring to get something at €90 per double or so.

Agree -- that's what I meant by "make a short-list of accommodations and call a day or two ahead on my cellphone."

It's a good idea to book Athens hotels well in advance, even outside the main tourist season. Sometimes there are conventions or other events that draw many visitors to the city.

Isabel wrote "I think I'm in the majority when I say the islands are really the best part." I won't argue with that, as I spend most of the time on the islands myself. The mainland is much richer in historical sites, though, and your itinerary will take advantage of it. Until this year <i>Blue Guides</i>, the 'bible' for historical sites and museums, didn't even bother covering the islands (except for Crete). Now, happily, they have published an Aegean Islands edition. :-)

I would stick with the Peloponnese if I were you, it's delightful--Napflion makes a great base. If you want an island experience, you could try one of the nearby Saronic islands, like Poros, Aegina or Hydra. Poros is a simple boat ride from the mainland, and the other islands can be reached from there by high-speed ferry.

Sorry, I meant that Poros is a short boat ride from the mainland of the Peloponnese, by the way (a hour's drive or so from Napflion.)

WWanderer has a good suggestion. Poros would be easy to reach from Nafplion, as would Elefonissos from Monemvasia. There is nothing quite like Santorini, though, so you may not want to pass it up. Going back to your original post, it would be easy to fly from Athens to Santorini, spend three days, and then take a ferry to Naxos or Paros. Flying time from Athens to Santorini is 50 minutes. A conventional ferry from Santorini takes 2½ hours to Naxos, 3½ hours to Paros. Each change of location eats up most of a day in travel, transfers, and checking in and out of hotels, so take that into consideration.

I think I'm in the majority when I say the islands are really the best part.
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I so agree! If you don't think you'll ever get back to Greece, IMO, the islands are a must. We found Santorini simply breathtaking with it's extraordinary geological formation. There are so many to choose from, but if I had only one choice, it would be Santorini without hesitation.

Thank you, everybody, for your very interesting 'food for thought' I've been trying to resist Santorini - because I felt it was 'disruptive' to our plans - almost a nuisance! But resistance is futile! It's the very uniqueness of the island which I can't resist (particularly as I'm a geologist of sorts ..) - and, if, instead of just 'sacrificing' 3 days of our trip to an island - we make half the holiday island(s), then it becomes less disruptive! Does that make any sense whatsoever?? LOL! I'm not sure which other island though - Naxos probably has the most appeal, although Mykonos is possibly the most touristy, it's a bit expensive and we have to watch our pennies.

travelerjan - thanks for the hotel links. But the reason for staying in Corinth is so that we can take the boat trip up the Canal in the morning. (This year's timetable) It leaves at 10:00am, so we'd need to be close. And I've already booked the Athens hotel - I got a very good deal at the Herodian! :) Oh, and I don't want to sit on a balcony and look at the Caldera, I want a boat trip out to it! I think 2 full days would be nice - but will think about it some more.

Heimdall - I'm not sure I'm brave enough to leave booking hotels until we get there! We'll need triple rooms, so I don't generally like leaving home without bookings. But I could always try to break the habit of a lifetime!

isabel - wow! I've had a very quick look at your photos and they look wonderful. I'm going to have another, more thorough look, tomorrow when it's quiet (and when I can drool in private!) Thanks!

WW - yes the Peloponnese looks beautiful - but I can't help thinking of 'sameness' in that there are so many (perhaps too many) antiquities. I'm thinking that our son might become bored out of his wits (me too!) and crave a bit of 'action'! I'm not one for too much touristy stuff myself, but he will certainly enjoy that aspect of Santorini. Also, it would be nice to be able to just relax for a couple of days, at the beach - which the 'other' island should provide. Also, the ferry ride would be an 'experience'. The Peloponnese trip risks becoming too much 'touring' and driving around, rather than relaxing. We don't mind that - in fact, we love it. But, for example, although we've enjoyed several holidays touring the USA, probably our favourite trip was to Hawaii, where we chilled! :)

I will think some more - but not make a final decision until airfares/ferry schedules are available. BUT, thank you so much for your comments. 'The islands are really the best part.' is what is sticking in my head! :)

I think combining Athens and Nafplio with one or more islands is an excellent idea. As a geologist I'm sure you'll find Santorini fascinating, and it doesn't hurt that the views are spectacular from the cliffs. It's easy to then move on to either Paros or Naxos in just a couple of hours by ferry. Unless you're interested in expensive shopping, nightlife and sunbathing I think your time will be better spent on an island other than Mykonos, and if you want to go to Delos you can still do so by daytrip boat excursion from either Paros or Naxos, with a short stop in Mykonos Town for a quick look around.

Despite what detractors might say, there's lots to see and do on Santorini, and you might enjoy visiting the Institute for the Study and Monitoring of the Santorini Volcano while you're there. http://ismosav.santorini.net

It's also possible that by the time you get there the Akrotiri archaeological site will have reopened.

Try to arrange your itinerary so you leave Athens for the end of your trip. This allows you to have a couple of extra days to return to the mainland from the islands, just in case of any unforseen delays/cancellations. There's nothing that will ruin your trip faster than the stress (and extra expense!) of missing your flight home.

Hi WBY,

I'm not saying you <i>should</i> wait until getting to Greece to book your hotels -- just that it's possible. Rather than looking for triple rooms on the islands, think of apartments or studios. You won't be climbing all over each other, and can save money by preparing some of your meals. You don't have to be a slave to the kitchen while on holiday, but can buy a few things in the supermarket and send hubby or son out to the bakery each morning for fresh bread & rolls. ;-) Evening meals are best while sitting at a sidewalk cafe, preferably somewhere scenic, and where you can watch the people walk by.

For what it's worth, I think you are on the right track. How to split your holiday between mainland and islands is a personal decision, and each of us has our own opinion. :-)

WBY, many islands have "studio units" that consist of a separate bedroom, a main room with a kitchenette niche, a small table, one or 2 "studio couches" that serve as seating and as beds at night, plus a balcony or veranda. SO much better for your family, more room etc. YOu don't necessarily have to do any Cooking -- make coffee perhaps to have in the morning with the yogurt & pastry you pck up at a nearby shop ... and keep sandwich stuff in the little fridge that all island rooms provide ... and lots more room AND privacy both for you and your son (not a t toddler, he's over 30!!). easy type of housing to find on naxos or Paros, and in Santorini if y ou look. All 3 of you are past the stage of triple rooms.

Guys - yes, it's the studios or apartments I try to book (which is why I don't like to leave it to chance). If necessary, I will book suites, because son is expert at sofabeds - LOL! 2 bedroom or even 3 bedroom places are best - husband snores and son has been found asleep in cupboards and on balconies before, to get away from the noise! Ideally, a 3-bedroomed house with private pool! But that's a rare thing in Greece - they always want a week, unfortunately. Are the studio couches comfortable? I'm wary of the 'hard' beds I keep reading about in Greece.

Back to X-Factor! :)

Don't know how you can avoid hard beds, except by staying in expensive international hotels. I usually stay in budget accommodation, but a couple of times have checked into the Athens Airport Sofitel. The beds there are soft and comfy.

Oh, can't afford the Sofitel! :) I might take an inflatable bed so that I can sleep on the floor, just in case! Can you imagine dragging that (and the pump!) onto ferries?! I always take my own pillow! :)

Sometimes I ask the hotel for extra pillows when the bed is too hard. Sofitel is an occasional luxury, and only when I have an early flight.