Help with Greece Itinerary - hotels, etc.
 

We are planning a trip to Greece in mid-May to celebrate my parents' 30th wedding anniversary. Our group will be comprised of six adults - my parents, me and my husband, and my two siblings. "The kids" are ages 21-30, and my parents are in their mid-50s. We are working with a travel agency in Greece, and it has proposed the following itinerary:

2 nights Athens, Herodion Hotel, day trip to Delphi
3 nights Mykonos, Princess of Mykonos
4 nights Santonini, Volcano View Villas
1 night Athens, Herodion

Here are my questions:
- Is the day trip to Delphi worth it? Or, would it be better to add a day on the isles? We will likely have to do the tour of Athens on our own (vs. with a guide) if we do Delphi.
- Are these the best hotels for our money? We don't need Ritz Carlton luxury, but want comfortable accommodations, good location/proximity to the action, beautiful pools, and yummy breakfasts. (We like to eat!) Will the hotels chosen live up to this, or are there better suggestions?

Thanks for your help!

Some of this is assuming you're flying in from the US. :-)

You arrive jet-lagged the first morning and make your way to your hotel in Athens. By the time you get settled in it'll be 1:00pm maybe later.

The 2nd day you go to Delphi for a day trip. You'll return late from the day-trip.

The 3rd day you wake up and make your way to the islands.

After spending time in the islands you travel back to Athens. You'll arrive in the afternoon then depart the next morning.

By my calculations you'll have a total of 1 jet-lagged afternoon in Athens the day you arrive plus 1 afternoon the day before your departure.

When are you going to have time to see the Acropolis with Parthenon and museum, Ancient Agora with the Stoa of Attalos, the sunset from Lykavittos Hill, the world renowned National Archeological Museum, the famous guards on Place Syntagmatos? Not to mention the Byzantine Museum, the Museum of Greek Folk Art, the Kerimikos cemetery, the Monastiraki flea market and any number of other sites?

If you aren't into seeing the cultural history of Greece then I don't see a need for a trip to Delphi. You can cut that day trip and tack it onto the islands.

Personally I'd stay in Athens the second day so you can at least see a few things since you're there. But then I like the museums.

Greece is beautiful especially Santorini. You'll have a wonderful time celebrating your parents anniversary there!

Hi,
I agree that you need that second day in Athens. Athens is not Paris, but there is a lot to see and you will want to linger at the Parthenon and the Agora. We spent at least a half day, if not more, walking around the Parthenon and the ancient Agora. Delphi is fabulous, but save it for another trip. Your hotels on the islands get good reviews. I do not know the hotel in Athens. Have a wonderful time.

We stayed at the P of M and VVV in May of '97; liked both of them. P of M had a wonderful, friendly staff, and we had a very large, nicely appointed room. The common areas of the hotel were lovely, also, and the breakfast was great. The restaurant on the hotel premises (separate bldg.) was excellent. (Supposedly Jane Fonda and G.Bush, pere, stayed there--at different times, that is :-) )

The view from our private terrace at VVV was beyond spectacular; hard to imagine a more beautiful view of the caldera. Nice hotel; probably not quite as nice as P of M, but just fine. Larger and less personal, perhaps.

Have you made your arrangements thru Fantasy Travel by any chance? Our experience with them was very positive.

Enjoyed our trip to Delphi, but stayed 3 nights in Athens; worthwhile.

I am planning a trip also to Greece but in August for my husband's 40th birthday. It's been awhile and planning a trip this big takes a lot of time. I was in Greece about 15 years ago and what I recommend most is be sure to have a good pair or two of sneakers. Walking up the hills and sights is a bit exhausting so be prepared. The islands are amazing. If you go to Santorini, definately take the donkey ride up...it's an experience. My parents did it and they were in their 50's at that time. Just don't look down. Athens is very interesting and has some beautiful parts to it. The food is good but the islands were great! The Hotel Bretagna (misspelled, sorry) is where we stayed in Athens. Delphi is very historic and interesting but if you really could care less about that stuff, then go for the islands. Good luck!

You asked:
"Are these the best hotels for our money? We don't need Ritz Carlton luxury, but want comfortable accommodations, good location/proximity to the action, beautiful pools, and yummy breakfasts. "

I have stayed at the Herodion and it does not meet your description. It is a clean and quiet hotel. It has a nice location -- a little out of the mainstream, but still close to the Plaka and Psirri. It's comfortable, but pedestrian, with pretentions that it is something more. The breakfast is acceptable, but nothing more than that. It does not have a pool. I would stay there again, but not if I were looking for a hotel that met your description.

You might be happier at the Electra Palace.

I'd have to agree with others suggestions

- make sure you have enough time in Athens to check out the main sites that they have to offer- especially if you've never been there before. Yes it may not be as beautiful as the islands but when its time to leave you'll feel like you hardly got to see anything of athens.

I've been to Greece several times, and although I love the islands - the mainland is great to.. people just need to give it a chance! I've been in greece for over 6 months (all my trips combined), in addition to when I studied there and I still don't tire of walking through Plaka or taking dinner under the foot of the acropolis etc.

If you're coming from the U.S. the first day will be pretty much lost besides maybe a quick walk through Plaka and a nice dinner due to jet lag most likely.

Personally I would throw out the day trip and spend it exploring athens and taking in some of the activities listed above.

I would spend two days in Athens rather than taking time to visit Delphi. I enjoy Athens very much. I've stayed at the Herodian and the Electra Palace. The Electra was a much more fun ... an easy walk to many sights ... location and the roof garden is wonderful.
As for Santorini ... I like the ambience of Oia. The Fanari Villas are nice. Where are you staying? There's a wonderful little seafood taverna at the foot of Oia at Ammoudi. Hope this is helpful.