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.

Wildblue, I we mentioned studio units because (see above) you specifically mentioned needing triple rooms ... we can only go by what you type, not what you mean in your head.

Hi travelerjan - yes, my fault - but for me, 'triple rooms' are anything that sleep 3! I realise that was confusing. Sorry.

brotherlee - thanks very much for the link to ISMOSAV, which I've just been looking at. There is certainly much to interest me in Santorini.
Hmm. Another possibility. I've brought Crete into the equation ... Now thinking along the lines of, 2 nights Corinth (can 'do' Mycenae and Epidaurus from there, perhaps), fly Crete 5 nights villa rental (3 bedrooms), ferry Santorini, 3 nights, fly Athens, 2 nights. This seems to be pleasing my son and hub ... but, tomorrow, probably another plan! There is SO MUCH to Greece!

I don't think the Peloponnese would be boring because it's all the same. I can't see why someone in their 30's would be bored by Epidavros and Mycenae--both very special places. Napflion is a wonderful little city, and quite different from the average Greek destination (Venetian). And elsewhere on the peninsula there are great typical Greek towns and beaches.

Crete also would be a great idea.

Secretly I'm happy when folks believe the islands are best, because the parts of the Peloponnese are much more like the Greece I discovered in 1971 than many of the islands are now. I admit I'm kind of afraid to go back to Crete to find it completely spoiled (I know it's not, at least not completely.)

Take the two nights from Corinth, one night from Santorini and stay in Napflion for three nights.Or just switch Corinth to Napflion Our Greek friends told us that Napflion and Chania,Crete are Greece's two nicest towns/cities. After visiting them, we agree.

Hi WW and Happy
Well, finally, afer MONTHS of dilly-dallying around I had to make a decision, because I found a 3-bedroom villa (with pool) near Rethymnon, which the owner would rent for only 5 nights, which would still give us time to tour around a bit. So, everything is booked - phew! (Except for domestic flights and ferries, which worries me a little!) I hope it won't be too much - I don't think it is - after several trips to the US where we travelled or large parts of most days! Looks like this:

Day 1: Fly London-Athens. Pick up car. Drive to Corinth. O/N at Kalamaki Beach Hotel (triple room - sorry travelerjan, but we really don't mind sharing a room!) Dinner included at hotel.

Day 2: Corinth Canal boat trip - then drive to Mycenae. If we've time (doubtful) we can drive to Epidaurus. Overnight at Omorfi Poli Pension in the centre of old Nafplion - so we will have time to look around there a bit.

Day 3: Back to Athens for an afternoon (I hope!) flight to Crete. On arrival at Heraklion, pick up hire car and, if time, visit Knossos. Or straight to our villa nr Rethymno.

Days 4, 5, 6, 7: free to laze around pool or visit places in Crete - I still have a lot of reading up to do on that!

Day 8: To Heraklion. If not already seen Knossos, do that - if we have, then drop off luggage at hotel (Lato Boutique - triple room :)) and drive to Ag Nik. I think that's doable.

Day 9: Morning ferry to Santorini. Arrive around midday. Hotel booked in Kamari as it was so much cheaper and we like the idea of the close proximity of beach. Maybe take a trip to the caldera in the afternoon.

Day 10: Free in Santorini. We'll hire a car.

Day 11: Morning flight to Athens. Taxi to our hotel, Herodion. Acropolis this afternoon, perhaps - then stroll the Plaka in the evening.
Day 12: Free in Athens.

Day 13: Fly back to London.

It seems a little hectic now I've typed it out - lol! But I think it will be perfect for us (hopefully) with a bit of everything, including relaxation.

Thanks again, everybody.

One detail to keep in mind when making your final plans. The morning highspeed ferry from Heraklion to Santorini normally has 2 or 3 "No sailing" days every month on Wednesdays, presumably for scheduled maintenance. You can check this website for those dates once the timetable for next year has been finalized, which will be sometime next April: http://www.ferries.gr/hfd

Sounds lovely!

This year, on a "No-sail wednesday" for the 9:45 fast-ferry(arrive 11:45), there was an 8:50 alternative, a "regular" ferry that arrived at 12:15... open decks, can walk around, delightful, we met some fun people that we subsequently spent time with on both Santorini & Naxos.

brotherlee - thanks for reminding me! I've been using this site http://www.cretetravel.com/To_and_fr..._Santorini.htm and it does mention the Wednesdays on there, but I'd forgotten. Luckily, we should be travelling crete-santorini on a Sunday, which I hope will be ok - if not, I'll have to change something last minute!

ooh, travelerjan - now I wish we were going on a Wednesday - sounds wonderful! We once (back in the early seventies!) took a hydrofoil over from Jugoslavia (as it was then) to Venice and we were so disappointed not to be able to go 'on deck'! Can you see much out of the windows of the catamarans - and, as it says on the site I was looking at, is it really worth paying the little extra for business class?

WW - you really like? Think it will work? As you can tell I'm so full of confidence - lol! My big worry at the moment is how to do 'bank transfers' which is how the owner of the Crete villa wants me to pay the deposit... not a clue ... never done that before ... ! Oh and my next big worry will be how to 'pack light'! :)

With only 2 nights in Santorini, remember that the island is why you are changing your original plans. I am quoting you when you said you were going there because of the island's "uniqueness" I realize that this is a popular forum for Santorini, but keep in mind that the view is the "uniqueness", as it does not really personiphy Greek culture the way it used to. The beach can be enjoyed on the day when you rent the car. Of course, if you enjoy hot, black sand with a flat view than stay at Kamari.( I think that Kamara is black sand) Many do enjoy it, but for us it was only something only worthy of a quick look. If you want a pool there are 2 bedroom, 2 baths apartments with the best views on the island in Imerovigi on your own patio, or by the pool. There are even a few lower price alternatives with view, pool, 2 bedrooms, two baths. If you have a car, it would be perfect. The views are better, it is less expensive, quiet, and if you have a car for a day, you can do the island, Kamara, Oia, and elsewhere and still have time to spare. We were there with our bachelor son last year, who spent a late nite in Fira , took a taxi back in the early hours and had a great time by the pool. By the way, both of us have over 15 years on you, and our son the same age difference as your son. I can recommend a place, should you desire. Reasonable price for the caldera. Steps are involved. I am eager to hear about the villa rental in Rethymon. We stayed there one year, and is a good area for ouring, Chania is our favorite. and try not to miss it if you have tiem.

Sorry about the typos, I meant to "preview", but hit "submit" by mistake. Will be looking for a trip report on your return. We have lost count on trips to Greece,(well over 30) but never pass up the chance of going back.

Hi gogo

Oh, there is plenty of time for me to change hotels (!) - the only thing I can't change is the 5 nights near Rethymnon, because I've paid the deposit. I'm hoping that 2 nights will be enough, seeing as the ferry lands quite early on the first day. We can always add in a day, by taking out the night in Heraklion, although that would mean having to get up really early to drive from Rethymnon to catch the ferry. I've looked at lots of accommodation with views of the caldera, but, to be honest, the steps and some reports of dampness, put me off the ones we could afford. I think of the whole of Santorini as being unique, not just the view. And one thing I do love is to be able to access a beach in the morning (black or not) and walk alongside the ocean. I doubt we'll move from Kamari. We should have plenty of time to admire the caldera views.

Over 30 trips to Greece - wow - you must really love it! I feel as though we must've missed out by not visiting before. We've been to most of Western Europe many times - but always by car. It's only in the last 10 years that my husband has agreed to fly! We try to take our son to as many places as possible, because he won't be capable of doing it once we're gone.

I will certainly write a trip report! This year, I wrote my report as a little book for my other son's birthday - we took them all (daughter-in-law and all) to the USA. I wrote the report in the form of a postcard to my cat! :)

If you are only in Santorini for a couple of nights, Kamari might not be the best base.

Somewhere on the caldera side (Fira, Oia, Imerovigli etc) will allow you savour the lovely views. I've stayed in Kamari before when we had 5 or 6 days in Santorini and it was fine, but if you're only there for a short time I would recommend changing this aspect.

I think you'll be very surprised how intoxicating the caldera is. Think real estate...location location location. We stayed 3 nights and never spent one second of it lounging at the beach or pool on Santorini. We spent our down time on the other islands.

Hi littlejane and SOCALOC - I do understand what you're saying, but we are aleady going to have to pay approximately £500 more for our holiday, because of the additional flights and ferries. We would love to have a nice room overlooking the caldera, but we simply cannot afford it. I don't care to spend too long sitting around a pool or on a beach (30 minutes max. before I get bored) - I prefer to walk around places. I imagine I would be the same in that I wouldn't want to look at the caldera for long stretches of time - so would it be worth the extra money?

If you can find me a clean room/suite/apartment/studio, overlooking the caldera, with three beds, a fridge, not-too-hard mattresses, not too many steps for 200 euros or less for 2 nights (total), then I'd be more than happy to consider it. There are a couple at Akrotiri - but there is precious little else around - at least with Kamari, there are restaurants nearby - and, with a car, Oia, Fira etc are within easy reach.

Here you are -- http://www.santonet.gr/hotels/remv

the 2010 rates are €81 per triple until June 14, €94 per triple June 15-July 25. Rate http://www.santonet.gr/hotels/remvi/will probably go up a bit for 2011, but still under your 100 per night limit. So there.

Includes continental breakfast, served in the room & free transfers to/from port or Airport. There is a well-regarded restaurant on the premises.

I do not believe it has bed turn-down and chocolates on the pillows. But hey.

Pardon, one letter was left off the link: http://www.santonet.gr/hotels/remvi/