josh_b

I am planning a Honeymoon to Greece this August/September for 8 nights. What islands would be a must-see for first-timers to Greece? Should we stay in Athens for a couple of nights or skip it all together and straight to Santorini or Crete? If we wanted to settle in somewhere and take day trips to other islands where should we stay? I appreciate any advice or guidance you can give to me. Thanks!

P_M

Personally I much prefer the islands to Athens, but if you've never been there before, I would give it a day or two just to visit the Parthenon and the National Archaeological Museum. Also you might need a day to recover from the jet lag, unless of course, you are coming from Europe.

I've never been to Crete, but Santorini is incredibly beautiful. If you want an island with good day trips, you might enjoy Rhodes, where you can take a day trip to Marmaris, Turkey. I'm sure there are other islands with great day trips too, but I'll let brotherleelove and our other Greek experts address that.

P_M

topping for josh

josh_b

Thank you P_M for the information. My Fiancee and I will be flying into Europe from Los Angeles. When we arrive in Athens the debate is whether or not to stay a night there or go straight to Santorini. I guess alot depends upon time of arrival in Athens. If we were to stay overnight in Athens (1 night), is there a hotel you would recommend?

P_M

On my first trip to Athens I stayed at Hotel Plaka and I was very happy with that. Be sure to ask for a room with a view of the Parthenon.

http://www.plakahotel.gr/

If you want a big honeymoon splurge, there's always Grande Bretagne. On my second trip to Athens I got lucky and found a good deal there. But that was in 2000 and since then it's been refurbished, so it's now way out of my budget. Have a nice honeymoon!!

P_M

ttt for josh

beanweb24

I would recommend saving your stay in Athens for right before you fly back from U.S. It's best to be in Athens the night before your flight back home, as the connecting island flights aren't always 100% reliable. We went to Santorini last year for 6 nights, then Athens for 1 before we flew home...in hindsight, I would have enjoyed 2 nights in Athens.

Santorini is gorgeous, but not a lot to "do" -- focus is on relaxation and the VIEW. Some folks might think a week on Santorini is too long...but we loved it.

If you do Crete, I think most people will suggest you spend the whole week there rather than split with another island.

josh_b

Thank you for the great info. We are definitely looking for a relaxing Honeymoon, and prefer to not "do" too much at all. Would you say Crete has more nightlife and things to do and see than Santorini?

Patty_in_Innsbruck

My husband and I went to Greece on our honeymoon 13 years ago and we loved it. We flew directly into Rhodes and bareboat chartered a sailboat. We love the quieter, less-travelled route. We loved Simi and Kos and also a small abandoned island. Then we went to Athens for 2 nights. I hated it. In August it was unbearably hot (we arrived late Aug.) We went to a museum which was not air conditioned and nothing was available in English (I know, a whiney American tourist), but I found it too hot to really appreciate anything. The 2nd week we went north and climbed Mt. Olympus which was also great. We stayed in a hut (not your typical romantic honeymoon), but it was a wonderful adventure. E-mail me if you have any questions, [email protected]. Good luck.

beanweb24

I can't comment on Crete because I haven't been there yet.

The best nightlife in Santorini is in Fira. Night time activities in Oia are pretty much limited to a long leisurely (and delicious) dinner. We went to Fira twice (very close to Oia, less than 20 mins by taxi) and I am definitely glad we stayed in Oia. The views were amazing from either village, but Oia was by far more beautiful and romantic.

You can read my trip report from last spring here:

http://170.171.252.11/forums/threads...p;tid=34615427

NYerr

A lot depends on how much time you want to spend sightseeing, relaxing at an amazing hotel, going to beaches, staying up late for nightlife, etc. It comes down to individual tastes. We personally start off our vacations with the busier places with more sightseeing and then near the end, just crash at a really luxurious spot. From reading this e3bsite and others I concluded that Santorini is a must see as well as the Acropolis in Athens. We are ending this summer's vacation at the Elounda Beach Resort in Crete. It is interesting to note that contrary to what most posters here have said, the resort in Crete has told me most of their guests never leave the property. Our friends who were there last summer for 5 nights also never left.

We are starting it in Athens where we will be out and about more (staying in the Grand Bretagne). I could never just skip Athens. If you can't afford the Grand Bretange, at least splurge for drinks on the roof.

We have been traveling for many years and have gradually creeped into the higher end of lodging and our expectations increased, too. It depends on what you are used to and what you expect on your honeymoon. And do you need to buy furniture when you get back? We didn't care about furniture. My teenage son can sleep 6 kids in a room and they are happy as pigs in (you know what). Everyone is different, with different budgets.

Planning is fun, enjoy.