Ideas/Thoughts/Advice for 12 day Greece Trip
Jan 25th, 2016 | 08:30 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2016
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Ideas/Thoughts/Advice for 12 day Greece Trip
Hello all,
In late July - early August my then wife would like to go on our honeymoon to Greece. While we have bought a book and done lots of reading on the internet I feel like it's beginning to be a bit overwhelming. I understand it is the high season and almost all of the more popular islands/cities will be crowded with tourists but that is just something we will have to deal with.
We are thinking of a 14 day trip (2 for travel) on a budget of around 6k USD. At the moment that makes it around 5.5k Euro.
The only places we know we want to visit for sure are Athens and Santorini. Since it is our honeymoon we both decided that we would like to relax, be on the beach, see the nice sunsets, etc etc. Basically suckered into it by all the beautiful pictures you see EVERYWHERE. However, we don't want to be stuck on the beach and hotel for our entire 12 days in Greece.
So we decided Athens is another must do, considering I do like my fair share of history and us not wanting to be "stuck". I've read that you can "do" Athens in 2 to 3 days. I'm not sure we would like to be in the middle of a big city for longer than that on our honeymoon.
Now we can head into my 2 main questions. 1) should we look into adding a 3rd stop or destination? Maybe a quick one? I know - at least I think I've understood - traveling from island to island is not as easy as it may seem. So in terms of our length of stay would it make sense to add this 3rd one? 2) kind of goes hand in hand with the first question; a lot of the packages we see that are offered add this 3rd stop, many times Mykonos or Crete and they both look spectacular. So if we add a 3rd stop would it make more sense to just book a package or look into the same sort of itinerary on our own? Something about not having complete control of my trip is off putting.
Like I said before, it's been a bit overwhelming and I would love to hear some of your thoughts. Sorry for the long post, just in need of some help!!
Thank you for any help/wake up calls/advice you provide,
JC
In late July - early August my then wife would like to go on our honeymoon to Greece. While we have bought a book and done lots of reading on the internet I feel like it's beginning to be a bit overwhelming. I understand it is the high season and almost all of the more popular islands/cities will be crowded with tourists but that is just something we will have to deal with.
We are thinking of a 14 day trip (2 for travel) on a budget of around 6k USD. At the moment that makes it around 5.5k Euro.
The only places we know we want to visit for sure are Athens and Santorini. Since it is our honeymoon we both decided that we would like to relax, be on the beach, see the nice sunsets, etc etc. Basically suckered into it by all the beautiful pictures you see EVERYWHERE. However, we don't want to be stuck on the beach and hotel for our entire 12 days in Greece.
So we decided Athens is another must do, considering I do like my fair share of history and us not wanting to be "stuck". I've read that you can "do" Athens in 2 to 3 days. I'm not sure we would like to be in the middle of a big city for longer than that on our honeymoon.
Now we can head into my 2 main questions. 1) should we look into adding a 3rd stop or destination? Maybe a quick one? I know - at least I think I've understood - traveling from island to island is not as easy as it may seem. So in terms of our length of stay would it make sense to add this 3rd one? 2) kind of goes hand in hand with the first question; a lot of the packages we see that are offered add this 3rd stop, many times Mykonos or Crete and they both look spectacular. So if we add a 3rd stop would it make more sense to just book a package or look into the same sort of itinerary on our own? Something about not having complete control of my trip is off putting.
Like I said before, it's been a bit overwhelming and I would love to hear some of your thoughts. Sorry for the long post, just in need of some help!!
Thank you for any help/wake up calls/advice you provide,
JC
Jan 25th, 2016 | 11:12 AM
#2
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,439
Likes: 0
You have a couple of things going for you. First you have 12 days, second you have lots of budget to splurge.The rest of my comments are things I would do in 12 days based on experience.
Since you said you were a bit put off about not having complete control of your trip.
The good news is Greece is very easy to plan your own trip.
Once you determine your islands go to the Aegean Air web site to look for flights to the islands. Go to a hotel booking site like booking dot com and punch in your island and dates and they will provide you with all kind of hotel options availability and prices. They also have lots of reviews so you can get an idea of what the hotel will be like. Hint any rating under 8 probably has something that could be off putting.
We are from the west coast so that transatlantic is a very long haul to get to Athens. Despite this we always try to find a connecting flight at least two hours after we land in Athens. There is no better place to try shake off jet lag than a Greek island.
Always try to leave athens tot eh end of your trip.
Since Santorini is a must see then consider hopping a flight immediately. Aegean has lots of daily flights and they are only 45 minutes.
Santorini is very expensive but this is the place to spend your honeymoon Euros. Book a hotel on the caldera. Santorini is all about the spectacular views so make sure you have a Caldera view. Ocean view isn't necessarily a caldera view.
You are traveling in high season and Santorini will be crowded. We stayed in Firostafani which is really part of Fira town but just far enough away (about a 15 minute walk on the caldera top edge walkway) that most cruise ship people don't venture that far. You get the same Caldera view but you can manage the crowded part of the day by choosing activities that avoid the busy times and places.
Do try to visit one of the traditional villages. Pyrgos used to be the capital and has city walls with great views over the whole island. Finikia is a very quiet village where there are lovely small streets with lots of abandoned homes (probably from the 1959 earthquake). You will see what Greece used to be like. Oia is another village, Not very quaint any more but certainly lovely with magnificent views.
By the way Santorini beaches are volcanic pumice so pebbly and extremely hot. The beaches are not he reason people visit Santorini.
For us Santorini is a 4 day stay. Others love it so much that they can stay two or three weeks. As I said 4 days does it for us.
Santorini http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632154800782/
Next take the ferry to Naxos. It is two hours away and is a perfect companion island to Santorini. It has the same blue and white buildings, great ocean views, wonderful sand beaches, a lovely main town capped by a Venetian era Kastro, mountain villages and all at about half the price of Santorini. It has a small airport so doesn't get jumbo jets nor cruise ships. After seeing the Santorini cruise ship crowds you will appreciate Naxos.
Naxos deserves a week however with your available time I would budget 5 days.
Naxos St George beach is directly adjacent Naxos town so you get the beach vacation plus all the activities of town.
If great beaches are in your plan you can look for a hotel at Plaka beach or Agia Anna or Ag Procopious three beaches strung out over a 4 km stretch. It is serviced by good buses so you can get into Naxos town when you want to.
Here is what Naxos is like.
Naxos Town http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094558042/
A week in Naxos https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645113682278/
Trip around Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634605629689/
If you choose Naxos I can provide some hotel suggestions and more beach info.
From Naxos fly back to Athens for the end of your trip. Remember in a limited amount of days time is more precious than money so flying is the best option. If you choose this option be sure to book your flight asap as they tend to sell out quickly.
This will give you 3 days to see central Athens. The area around the Acropolis is quite compact. You can walk everywhere. Best bet is to look for a hotel with an acropolis view. That will mean you are in the central area. Again booking dot com will give you all kinds of alternatives.
Here is what Athens is like.
Athens http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632121475515/
Having said all that. An alternate plan would be to fly directly to Chania Crete. Crete is very large and in 5 days you will barely see anything. However if you concentrate your activities around Chania that will give you time to visit the city and take a day trip to Rethymnon to visit the fortezza, visit the south coast for some beach time, take the Balos Gramovossa excursion boat trip where you get two nice beaches and a pirate fortress to explore. Perhaps if you are fit you could take the day long hike down the Samaria Gorge.
Logistics are a bit harder for Chania than Naxos because the ferry from or to Santorini dock in Heraklion which is 2 hours commute to Chania. Personally I would do Naxos.
Western Crete http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632115757899/
Chania http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632117917828/
Hope this gives you something to work with.
Since you said you were a bit put off about not having complete control of your trip.
The good news is Greece is very easy to plan your own trip.
Once you determine your islands go to the Aegean Air web site to look for flights to the islands. Go to a hotel booking site like booking dot com and punch in your island and dates and they will provide you with all kind of hotel options availability and prices. They also have lots of reviews so you can get an idea of what the hotel will be like. Hint any rating under 8 probably has something that could be off putting.
We are from the west coast so that transatlantic is a very long haul to get to Athens. Despite this we always try to find a connecting flight at least two hours after we land in Athens. There is no better place to try shake off jet lag than a Greek island.
Always try to leave athens tot eh end of your trip.
Since Santorini is a must see then consider hopping a flight immediately. Aegean has lots of daily flights and they are only 45 minutes.
Santorini is very expensive but this is the place to spend your honeymoon Euros. Book a hotel on the caldera. Santorini is all about the spectacular views so make sure you have a Caldera view. Ocean view isn't necessarily a caldera view.
You are traveling in high season and Santorini will be crowded. We stayed in Firostafani which is really part of Fira town but just far enough away (about a 15 minute walk on the caldera top edge walkway) that most cruise ship people don't venture that far. You get the same Caldera view but you can manage the crowded part of the day by choosing activities that avoid the busy times and places.
Do try to visit one of the traditional villages. Pyrgos used to be the capital and has city walls with great views over the whole island. Finikia is a very quiet village where there are lovely small streets with lots of abandoned homes (probably from the 1959 earthquake). You will see what Greece used to be like. Oia is another village, Not very quaint any more but certainly lovely with magnificent views.
By the way Santorini beaches are volcanic pumice so pebbly and extremely hot. The beaches are not he reason people visit Santorini.
For us Santorini is a 4 day stay. Others love it so much that they can stay two or three weeks. As I said 4 days does it for us.
Santorini http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632154800782/
Next take the ferry to Naxos. It is two hours away and is a perfect companion island to Santorini. It has the same blue and white buildings, great ocean views, wonderful sand beaches, a lovely main town capped by a Venetian era Kastro, mountain villages and all at about half the price of Santorini. It has a small airport so doesn't get jumbo jets nor cruise ships. After seeing the Santorini cruise ship crowds you will appreciate Naxos.
Naxos deserves a week however with your available time I would budget 5 days.
Naxos St George beach is directly adjacent Naxos town so you get the beach vacation plus all the activities of town.
If great beaches are in your plan you can look for a hotel at Plaka beach or Agia Anna or Ag Procopious three beaches strung out over a 4 km stretch. It is serviced by good buses so you can get into Naxos town when you want to.
Here is what Naxos is like.
Naxos Town http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094558042/
A week in Naxos https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645113682278/
Trip around Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634605629689/
If you choose Naxos I can provide some hotel suggestions and more beach info.
From Naxos fly back to Athens for the end of your trip. Remember in a limited amount of days time is more precious than money so flying is the best option. If you choose this option be sure to book your flight asap as they tend to sell out quickly.
This will give you 3 days to see central Athens. The area around the Acropolis is quite compact. You can walk everywhere. Best bet is to look for a hotel with an acropolis view. That will mean you are in the central area. Again booking dot com will give you all kinds of alternatives.
Here is what Athens is like.
Athens http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632121475515/
Having said all that. An alternate plan would be to fly directly to Chania Crete. Crete is very large and in 5 days you will barely see anything. However if you concentrate your activities around Chania that will give you time to visit the city and take a day trip to Rethymnon to visit the fortezza, visit the south coast for some beach time, take the Balos Gramovossa excursion boat trip where you get two nice beaches and a pirate fortress to explore. Perhaps if you are fit you could take the day long hike down the Samaria Gorge.
Logistics are a bit harder for Chania than Naxos because the ferry from or to Santorini dock in Heraklion which is 2 hours commute to Chania. Personally I would do Naxos.
Western Crete http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632115757899/
Chania http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632117917828/
Hope this gives you something to work with.
Jan 25th, 2016 | 11:16 AM
#3
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,258
Likes: 0
IF you want to relax on a beach, you will HAVE to add another island ... Santorini's beaches are n.g., at least IMHO, black lava grit. I thought u said you had a guidebook, and all of them say Santorini is for the VIEw not for beach days.
The Packages add the famliar stops (Mykonos _ santorini - Heraklion Crete) for a couple of reasons: (1) often the package involves a cruise, and there are only 4 harbors in Greek isles that can even TAKE a cruise ship, so that's what they push and (2) They like to sell deluxe hotels (bigger commission), and Myk & Santorini have the highest prices. Packages also get to pad the total by including "transfers" to/from hotel ... which can cost you €€€, whereas you can just wave your hand & get a taxi for MUCH less... or your hotel will supply free transport via their mini-van or a shuttle.
So the answer is YES -- design your OWN trip. (O and BTW, NEVER apologise for a long post -- the more details the better!! If you have already booked your flights to/from, it would help to know date & TIME of your arrival. Why? because it affects what your options are.
Basic advice we "old hands" always give is -- save Athens til last ... it avoids the time-waste of being there twice and you SHOULD be there the day before your flight home. THUS, the standard advice is: Arrive ATH Airport ideally at least by 2 pm -- then 2 hrs or so later, get a domestic flight to your first island. Stay there a few days, then take a Large (Blue Star?) Ferry to next island (ideally not more than 2-3 hours away), stay there a few days, then (fly? even ferry?) back to mainland for 3 days in Athens. WHICH 2nd island would depend on your interests -- is it mainly beachs, scenery, nightlife, or do you like a browse thru ruins & museums, and old villages? If we work out an itinerary that's about discovering ancient Greece, and then find that you hate history, it's a waste of our time AND yours.
2 familiar link-ups in your time frame would be:
(1) Fly to SANTORINI (3-4 days) - Ferry to NAXOS (4-5 days) Flight or 6pm ferry to ATHENS (3-4 days). Naxos has gorgeous beaches, super port town w. night life, great mountain landscapes, ruins, marble quarries etc etc.
(2) Fly CRETE (5 days) to CHANIA! & explore area -- just W of Chania HOTEL AMMOS right on beach AND w. pool (small 30 rooms, fab, 5* with 3*prices) .. fromthere explore area, Old town Chania, Balos day excureion etc... rent car, drive to HERAKLION for daily ferry 9:45-noon to SANTORINI (3.5 days) ...Fly (45 mins) back to ATH airport, taxi to ATH hotel (3+ days).
The Packages add the famliar stops (Mykonos _ santorini - Heraklion Crete) for a couple of reasons: (1) often the package involves a cruise, and there are only 4 harbors in Greek isles that can even TAKE a cruise ship, so that's what they push and (2) They like to sell deluxe hotels (bigger commission), and Myk & Santorini have the highest prices. Packages also get to pad the total by including "transfers" to/from hotel ... which can cost you €€€, whereas you can just wave your hand & get a taxi for MUCH less... or your hotel will supply free transport via their mini-van or a shuttle.
So the answer is YES -- design your OWN trip. (O and BTW, NEVER apologise for a long post -- the more details the better!! If you have already booked your flights to/from, it would help to know date & TIME of your arrival. Why? because it affects what your options are.
Basic advice we "old hands" always give is -- save Athens til last ... it avoids the time-waste of being there twice and you SHOULD be there the day before your flight home. THUS, the standard advice is: Arrive ATH Airport ideally at least by 2 pm -- then 2 hrs or so later, get a domestic flight to your first island. Stay there a few days, then take a Large (Blue Star?) Ferry to next island (ideally not more than 2-3 hours away), stay there a few days, then (fly? even ferry?) back to mainland for 3 days in Athens. WHICH 2nd island would depend on your interests -- is it mainly beachs, scenery, nightlife, or do you like a browse thru ruins & museums, and old villages? If we work out an itinerary that's about discovering ancient Greece, and then find that you hate history, it's a waste of our time AND yours.
2 familiar link-ups in your time frame would be:
(1) Fly to SANTORINI (3-4 days) - Ferry to NAXOS (4-5 days) Flight or 6pm ferry to ATHENS (3-4 days). Naxos has gorgeous beaches, super port town w. night life, great mountain landscapes, ruins, marble quarries etc etc.
(2) Fly CRETE (5 days) to CHANIA! & explore area -- just W of Chania HOTEL AMMOS right on beach AND w. pool (small 30 rooms, fab, 5* with 3*prices) .. fromthere explore area, Old town Chania, Balos day excureion etc... rent car, drive to HERAKLION for daily ferry 9:45-noon to SANTORINI (3.5 days) ...Fly (45 mins) back to ATH airport, taxi to ATH hotel (3+ days).
Jan 25th, 2016 | 11:27 AM
#5
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 18,251
Likes: 22
I second that Santorini is NOT where you go for a beach vacation. The famous caldera views are seen from the top of the cliff. It has been crowded and over touristed both times I visited, late September and early September so be prepared for that. For a nice Greek island experience consider Paros or Naxos.
Chania is one of my favorite locarions in Greece too.
Chania is one of my favorite locarions in Greece too.
Jan 25th, 2016 | 01:09 PM
#6
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,047
Likes: 0
July/August is peak season in Greece. Santorini will be crowded by cruise ship passengers. Actually, I would not go there even if you paid me.
Actually, I would not go to an island. Greece mainland and Peloponnes (which is practically an island) have so much more to offer and are much more easily to travel.
You find there fantastic beaches, unspoiled fishing villages, watersports, scenery, archeology, Byzantine monasteries, medieval castles - just everything you want.
Just an example for one of the many beautiful seaside resorts on Peloponnes (this one is close to Olympia):
http://www.maredei.gr/en/resort/
Or, if you are ready to splurge for a few days:
http://www.westincostanavarino.com/
(Even if it is out of your budget click through the photo gallery - you find more affordable accomodation nearby with equally good access to this wonderful coast.)
Actually, I would not go to an island. Greece mainland and Peloponnes (which is practically an island) have so much more to offer and are much more easily to travel.
You find there fantastic beaches, unspoiled fishing villages, watersports, scenery, archeology, Byzantine monasteries, medieval castles - just everything you want.
Just an example for one of the many beautiful seaside resorts on Peloponnes (this one is close to Olympia):
http://www.maredei.gr/en/resort/
Or, if you are ready to splurge for a few days:
http://www.westincostanavarino.com/
(Even if it is out of your budget click through the photo gallery - you find more affordable accomodation nearby with equally good access to this wonderful coast.)
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Jan 26th, 2016 | 11:03 AM
#8
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 246
Likes: 0
Go to Pylos, Koroni, Finikoundas or Methoni near Kalamata on the Pelopponese. The Costa Navarino resort near Pylos is expensive but nice. Costa Navarino was used in the movie that Richard Linklater directed with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, Before Sunrise, (highly recommended) that was set in the Kalamata/Pylos area.
There are plenty of other resorts to choose in the area that are less expensive and would offer similar services. Also, there are some beach hotels in Kalamata like the Filoxenia that have pools, and on the bay. It would be easy to drive to Pylos, etc., from Kalamata to stay in a different area. I stayed at the Filoxenia and took a local bus over to Pylos and Koroni.
Skip Save the islands for late Sept-Oct when they are less expensive and crowded. I especially like Rhodes, Crete, Chios and Corfu but I never go in the summer.
There are plenty of other resorts to choose in the area that are less expensive and would offer similar services. Also, there are some beach hotels in Kalamata like the Filoxenia that have pools, and on the bay. It would be easy to drive to Pylos, etc., from Kalamata to stay in a different area. I stayed at the Filoxenia and took a local bus over to Pylos and Koroni.
Skip Save the islands for late Sept-Oct when they are less expensive and crowded. I especially like Rhodes, Crete, Chios and Corfu but I never go in the summer.
Jan 27th, 2016 | 05:25 PM
#9
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 515
Likes: 0
Check out this website: http://www.greecetravel.com/. Matt Barrett is an expert on Greece and his website has a plethora of info. He gives good descriptions of the various islands.
My son and DIL went to Greece this past September. They designed their own trip, including time in Athens, Santorini and a little island called Milos. They absolutely loved Milos. Not a well known island to American, intimate, lovely beaches. Have fun planning.
My son and DIL went to Greece this past September. They designed their own trip, including time in Athens, Santorini and a little island called Milos. They absolutely loved Milos. Not a well known island to American, intimate, lovely beaches. Have fun planning.
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