Honeymoon in Greece & Norway April/May 2016
Nov 29th, 2015, 09:30 AM
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Honeymoon in Greece & Norway April/May 2016
Hi everyone,
My fiancée and I are planning on going to Greece & Norway for our honeymoon in April/May 2016. The following is our tentative itinerary :
DAY 1 : India - Oslo
DAY 2 : Oslo
DAY 3 & 4 : Norway in a nutshell(overnight at Vatnahalsen & Voss)
DAY 5 : Bergen
DAY 6 : Bergen to Geiranger(train or ferry?)
DAY 7 : Geiranger
DAY 8 : Geiranger to Aalesund to Santorini (Flight)
DAY 9 & 10 : Santorini
DAY 11 : Santorini to Crete(Ferry)
DAY 12 : Crete
DAY 13 : Crete to Athens to Zakynthos(Flight)
DAY 14 & 15 : Zakynthos
DAY 16 : Zakynthos to Patras(ferry) to Nafpaktos(car)
DAY 17 : Nafpaktos to Athens maybe via Delphi(car)
DAY 18 & 19 : Athens
DAY 20 : Athens to India
Please share your opinion about the itinerary and more specifically clarify the following :
- if we depart from india around April 25th, will places in Norway be open especially Geiranger?
- since we'll be going to Geiranger should we skip the Norway in a nutshell and go further north instead(Tromso?)
- what's the best way to travel from Bergen to Geiranger ?
- I know 2 nights at Crete is very less so should I go for a smaller island like Naxos/Paros?
- does going to Folegandros from Santorini for a day trip make sense?
- will the water in Greece be warm enough to swim in May?
- easter in Greece will be on May 1st. Does this mean every place will be crowded and overpriced?
We have backpacked across Europe before, so we don't mind the trip being a little hectic cos we know it'll be worth it in the end. That said I hope we don't end up covering too many places without enjoying them. So Our itinerary is open to any change wherever need be.
Our favourite thing to do anywhere is panaromic view. Not much into partying/nightlife and prefer to go to off beat places without much hype and fuss. Would love to do scuba diving in Greece and maybe paragliding in norway any suggestions for that would be helpful.
Lastly, we would welcome your thoughts on any must do things/see places during our trip.
Thanks,
Deepak
My fiancée and I are planning on going to Greece & Norway for our honeymoon in April/May 2016. The following is our tentative itinerary :
DAY 1 : India - Oslo
DAY 2 : Oslo
DAY 3 & 4 : Norway in a nutshell(overnight at Vatnahalsen & Voss)
DAY 5 : Bergen
DAY 6 : Bergen to Geiranger(train or ferry?)
DAY 7 : Geiranger
DAY 8 : Geiranger to Aalesund to Santorini (Flight)
DAY 9 & 10 : Santorini
DAY 11 : Santorini to Crete(Ferry)
DAY 12 : Crete
DAY 13 : Crete to Athens to Zakynthos(Flight)
DAY 14 & 15 : Zakynthos
DAY 16 : Zakynthos to Patras(ferry) to Nafpaktos(car)
DAY 17 : Nafpaktos to Athens maybe via Delphi(car)
DAY 18 & 19 : Athens
DAY 20 : Athens to India
Please share your opinion about the itinerary and more specifically clarify the following :
- if we depart from india around April 25th, will places in Norway be open especially Geiranger?
- since we'll be going to Geiranger should we skip the Norway in a nutshell and go further north instead(Tromso?)
- what's the best way to travel from Bergen to Geiranger ?
- I know 2 nights at Crete is very less so should I go for a smaller island like Naxos/Paros?
- does going to Folegandros from Santorini for a day trip make sense?
- will the water in Greece be warm enough to swim in May?
- easter in Greece will be on May 1st. Does this mean every place will be crowded and overpriced?
We have backpacked across Europe before, so we don't mind the trip being a little hectic cos we know it'll be worth it in the end. That said I hope we don't end up covering too many places without enjoying them. So Our itinerary is open to any change wherever need be.
Our favourite thing to do anywhere is panaromic view. Not much into partying/nightlife and prefer to go to off beat places without much hype and fuss. Would love to do scuba diving in Greece and maybe paragliding in norway any suggestions for that would be helpful.
Lastly, we would welcome your thoughts on any must do things/see places during our trip.
Thanks,
Deepak
Nov 30th, 2015, 12:06 AM
#2
What a fantastic plan, really off beat and interesting.
April might still be a bit early in Norway but certainly they should be no snow, just not warm.
Yes you are moving to much but I know enough people from the sub-continent to know that i what a lot of your fellows like and since you've been before you know what it is like.
You will find lots of Norway is empty of people. This can be a bit of a shock. Places open, well yes as much as they ever are. Last time out i stood in a bakery for 30 minutes until the owner finally came back from the hills to sell me a loaf (yes he had left the shop open).
Bergen to Geiranger, basically it is a famous drive. I guess you could combo up a bunch of train and bus routes but you are still talking most of the day and not going the scenic route. I seldom recommend driving in Europe but this is a must car journey.
Take a small ball as sometimes you find your up/down awareness just stops.
- easter in Greece will be on May 1st. Does this mean every place will be crowded and overpriced? No. Mainly a family and church affair. Though lunch time restaurants may be booked on Sunday.
April might still be a bit early in Norway but certainly they should be no snow, just not warm.
Yes you are moving to much but I know enough people from the sub-continent to know that i what a lot of your fellows like and since you've been before you know what it is like.
You will find lots of Norway is empty of people. This can be a bit of a shock. Places open, well yes as much as they ever are. Last time out i stood in a bakery for 30 minutes until the owner finally came back from the hills to sell me a loaf (yes he had left the shop open).
Bergen to Geiranger, basically it is a famous drive. I guess you could combo up a bunch of train and bus routes but you are still talking most of the day and not going the scenic route. I seldom recommend driving in Europe but this is a must car journey.
Take a small ball as sometimes you find your up/down awareness just stops.
- easter in Greece will be on May 1st. Does this mean every place will be crowded and overpriced? No. Mainly a family and church affair. Though lunch time restaurants may be booked on Sunday.
Nov 30th, 2015, 02:01 AM
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In April, which is still winter in Norway, there will be plenty of snow on the mountain pass and around Vatnahalsen - unless you really want to play in the snow then perhaps better to stay in Flåm where you'll have a choice of restaurants. Alternatively Finse 1222 is more easily accessible than Vatnahalsen in the snow - http://www.finse1222.no/
Voss is a ski centre and again unless you are skiing you'll find more to do and better choice of restaurants in Bergen.
Geiranger is not easily accessible in winter and will be mostly closed. The tourist roads like Trollstigen don't open until June and the Coastal steamer, Hurtigruten, doesn't start visiting Geiranger until June either. Not a great time to start learning to drive in winter conditions. Perhaps take a tour on the Hurtigruten from Bergen to Trondheim and fly out of there.
Voss is a ski centre and again unless you are skiing you'll find more to do and better choice of restaurants in Bergen.
Geiranger is not easily accessible in winter and will be mostly closed. The tourist roads like Trollstigen don't open until June and the Coastal steamer, Hurtigruten, doesn't start visiting Geiranger until June either. Not a great time to start learning to drive in winter conditions. Perhaps take a tour on the Hurtigruten from Bergen to Trondheim and fly out of there.
Nov 30th, 2015, 02:43 AM
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Seawater temperatures in early May:
Santorini 17 degrees centigrade (63 degrees Fahrenheit)
Zakynthos 16 degrees centigrade (61 degrees Fahrenheit)
I suppose you know that the catamarans between Santorini and Iraklio will start in May only. Arrival time in Iraklio will be late afternoon/evening. So you would have only 1 day in Crete. This may be sufficient if you just want to see Iraklio, Knossos and Malia bet would by no means enable a somewhat decent visit of Crete.
What do you want to do at Nafpaktos (Lepanto)? There is nothing to do or to see.
BTW: there is no need to rent a car at Patras. The Zakynthos - Athens bus usually stops clos to Patras bus station where you can get a local bus to Nafpaktos.
Santorini 17 degrees centigrade (63 degrees Fahrenheit)
Zakynthos 16 degrees centigrade (61 degrees Fahrenheit)
I suppose you know that the catamarans between Santorini and Iraklio will start in May only. Arrival time in Iraklio will be late afternoon/evening. So you would have only 1 day in Crete. This may be sufficient if you just want to see Iraklio, Knossos and Malia bet would by no means enable a somewhat decent visit of Crete.
What do you want to do at Nafpaktos (Lepanto)? There is nothing to do or to see.
BTW: there is no need to rent a car at Patras. The Zakynthos - Athens bus usually stops clos to Patras bus station where you can get a local bus to Nafpaktos.
Apr 1st, 2016, 02:51 PM
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Aalesund and Bergen. Nice places.
- I know 2 nights at Crete is very less so should I go for a smaller island like Naxos/Paros?
-->It depends You can certainly visit Knossos http://www.heraklion.gr/en/ourplace/...s/knossos.html /Museum http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/1/eh151.jsp?obj_id=3327 /Herakleion City and the southeast of the Island. Or again if you go to Chania you can visit Samaria and Chora Sfakion.
Of course Naxos and Paros are lovely too.
- does going to Folegandros from Santorini for a day trip make sense?
-->I would spend the day in Santorini watch the sunset and have a nice dinner in Oia of Fyra.
- will the water in Greece be warm enough to swim in May?
-->Depends what you think of "warm". I don't consider it warm. For my taste waters in Greece become "warm" >mid June.
- easter in Greece will be on May 1st. Does this mean every place will be crowded and overpriced?
-->During Easter many people, especially Athenians will go to their "chorio" which is their parents or grand parents village, to celebrate Easter, as it is the greatest religious holiday in Greece. Yes in some touristic destinations I'd say you have to expect prices to be higher than usual.
- I know 2 nights at Crete is very less so should I go for a smaller island like Naxos/Paros?
-->It depends You can certainly visit Knossos http://www.heraklion.gr/en/ourplace/...s/knossos.html /Museum http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/1/eh151.jsp?obj_id=3327 /Herakleion City and the southeast of the Island. Or again if you go to Chania you can visit Samaria and Chora Sfakion.
Of course Naxos and Paros are lovely too.
- does going to Folegandros from Santorini for a day trip make sense?
-->I would spend the day in Santorini watch the sunset and have a nice dinner in Oia of Fyra.
- will the water in Greece be warm enough to swim in May?
-->Depends what you think of "warm". I don't consider it warm. For my taste waters in Greece become "warm" >mid June.
- easter in Greece will be on May 1st. Does this mean every place will be crowded and overpriced?
-->During Easter many people, especially Athenians will go to their "chorio" which is their parents or grand parents village, to celebrate Easter, as it is the greatest religious holiday in Greece. Yes in some touristic destinations I'd say you have to expect prices to be higher than usual.
