Hi,

We have a super last minute trip to Greece starting in almost a week. Details (whatever we could scramble and figure out in 5 days, phew!!) below:

Total 15N/15D excluding flights to/fro US

Reach Athens 24 Sep 10:30 am
Athens - 24/25 Sep 2D/2N
Acropolis etc, NAM, Monastiraki, Plaka, etc

Blue star ferry Piraeus to Paros/Naxos 26 Sep 07:25 am reaching 11:40 am /12:40 pm
Naxos/Paros - 26/27/28/29 Sep 4D/4N
Check out main towns/villages, major archaeological sites, chill out and probably do a day trip to Paros/Naxos (depending on which of the 2 islands we stay in for 4 nights)

Blue star ferry Paros/Naxos to Santorini 30 Sep 11:40 am / 12:40 am reaching Santorini 3:10 pm
Santorini - 30 Sep / 1/2/3/4 Oct 4N/4.5D
Check out main towns/village, Akrotiri, volcano hike, cliche sunset, chill out, take walks in beautiful neighborhoods and practice hand at dslr

Blue star overnight ferry (in sleeper cabin) Santorini to Rhodes 5 Oct technically (just after midnight of 4 Oct) 00:35 - reaching Rhodes at 9 am 5 Oct
Rhodes - 5/6/7/8 Oct 3N/3.5D

Fly from Rhodes to Athens 8 Oct evening Ryanair or Aegean Air flight
Athens - check into hotel at Monastiraki and have a nice dinner and take a walk around Plaka with some good views of lit up Acropolis etc

9 Oct 8:30 am fly back to US

Quick questions:

1. General feedback on itinerary (only international flight booked yet, and some refundable hotels booked for being safe). Will endeavor to book other things asap.

2. We are planning to stay in Monastiraki area, close to Plaka / Acropolis / NAM as well as metro connectivity to Piraeus port. Good idea?

3. Haven't booked any ferries. Think it should be ok to buy once we land. Although we should buy the overnight ferry from Santorini to Rhodes as we need a good sleeping class cabin. This strategy ok? Secondly, does Bluestar ferries has an office in Athens center or gotta go to the Piraeus port to buy them? Can we buy online using US credit card and show eticket/printout?

4. Big confusion (despite reading up so much about both islands) - Naxos OR Paros? We are not party people. Husband "would like to see historically important archaeological sites but not enthu to see debris that don't excite after having visited the NAM". We want natural beauty, scenic landscapes, genuine Greek culture and locals, easy on the eyes hotel and hotel locality, walking distance good (vegetarian friendly) restaurants, easy public transportation connectivity to major towns / sites. We won't hire a car. Don't want the stress. I don't drive and husband has a license from DMV and does drive maybe once in a year for a road trip in US but has not had reasons to drive much in life otherwise. Please help - Naxos or Paros. Whichever one we pick, we do want to do a day trip to the other island just to check it out maybe for the next Greece trip (in distant future).

5. I know this is a cliche question but which area of Santorini to stay in? Oia / Fira / Firostefani / Imerovigli? Don't want to be close to day-trippers offloading from cruise ships. But it's our first visit to Santorini so we still want to be in the picturesque yet touristy popular areas. Being able to walk to good restaurants, beach, some main town squares, etc and good public transportation connectivity to rest of Santorini would be nice.

6. Overnight blue star ferry from Santorini to Rhodes - should be ok in a sleeper class cabin, right? This helps us save time because most other inter-island ferries and flights seem to take up half or most of the daytime. Chances of blue star canceling in Sep end / early Oct are rare, right?

7. I know we don't have much time in Rhodes if we compare its size to the Cyclades islands we have chosen. But it reflects our priorities and logistical practicalities for this trip.

8. Flights from islands (in this case Rhodes) don't get cancelled routinely, right? We need to get back to US on Sunday. Is my understanding correct that unless there is a super unexpected weather condition that haults the flights from Rhodes to the ground on 8 Oct, we can expect to be in Athens by the eod?

9. Ryanair vs Aegean Air - at all any preferences or words of caution?

Thanks in advance. Fodorites have always been so helpful.

I would put your time in Athens at the end of the trip so you don't need to worry about missing your flights home or spend time in Athens twice.

I think you are shorting Rhodes, which has a lot to see. You are constrained some, however, by the overnight ferry, which only goes a couple times a week (if memory serves - I took it two years ago). I got a shared sleeper cabin (one other person), and it was very nice. You can buy ferry tickets as you go; the ferries will not sell out this time of year.

I agree with jamikins about saving your Athens time for the end of your trip.

Jamikins, we initially thought of doing the same. Realistically by the end of the trip, to achieve a driven schedule of museums, archaeological sites, etc doesn't seem realistic. It is a pity we have to do the airport transfers twice but I guess it's less of a hassle than being on a tight schedule schlepping across Athens trying to see antiquities and what not. Knowing us, we would end up not doing most of what we want to do in Athens, and get up late and have long lazy brunches instead.

Do you know of domestic flight cancellations from Greek islands such as Rhodes being terribly common?

Artsnletters, I agree. Rhodes deserves more. But I hope we can get a good glimpse in 3.5 days. I double checked the ferry schedule after reading your post. As per bluestar website, it does go on 5 Oct 00:50 am arriving at Rhodes on 5 Oct 09:00 am.

Planning on winging all ferries except Santorini-Rhodes simply because of distance involved and we needing a proper sleeper cabin.

Frankly we considered a few islands beyond Cyclades for some change in scenery, culture and and overall experience. Such as:

Corfu - logistics of Corfu+Cyclades was a nightmare
Crete - too big to even attempt in the time we have
Many other small islands - again, logistical difficulties

WRT Santorini - Rhodes overnight ferry booking, I got the info about cabin configuration. "There are 24 two-berth de luxe (48 people), and 81 two-berth cabins (162 people). In addition, there are 54 four-berth people (216 passengers). There are also two two-berth handicapped cabins (four passengers). This totals 161 cabins accommodating 430 passengers."

As long as we get any one of the two berth cabins, it's fine.

You asked about flight cancellations from the islands, and yes they are very rare. Occasionally the air traffic controllers threaten a strike, but they rarely go ahead. If that were to happen the international flights would be cancelled too. Nevertheless, I agree with the others that it would be better to schedule your time for Athens at the end of the trip.

Regarding Ryan Air vs Aegean Airlines, that is a no-brainer. Ryan Air is an Irish budget airline with all sorts of rules in its fine print that are strictly enforced. Aegean Airlines is a highly rated full service airline based in Greece. For me, Aegean Airlines every time!

Yes, you can wait until arriving in Greece to buy ferry tickets, but I think I would prebook the cabin for the ferry to Rhodes. That is the major ferry from Piraeus to Kos and Rhodes, so it won't just be people boarding at Santorini.

As to Paros vs Naxos, either would be a good choice.

You wrote: <i>"would like to see historically important archaeological sites but not enthu to see debris that don't excite after having visited the NAM".</i>

I don't really understand that, because in the NAM you will be seeing sculptures, frescos, artefacts, etc, while on the islands you will be seeing the archaeological sites where they were found. Many of the statues in NAM are made of Parian and Naxian marble, and the Parian (Paros) marble is famed for its translucence. You can still visit the ancient marble quarries on Paros.

Neither island has what I would call "historically important archaeological sites" to compare with Delphi or Delos (Mykonos). Naxos has the Portara, a huge marble gateway overlooking the harbour, and a few other small sites. Both Paros and Naxos have Venetian castles. Eventually the archaeological site at Despotiko, reachable from Paros and Antiparos, will be an open museum similar to Delos, but excavations are still at an early state.

Another Vote for Aegean, a really good arline.

Aegean it is then, Heimdall, traveler1959.

I'm gonna book Santorini to Rhodes
Cabin pronto. The official blue star ferry accepts American credit cards, right? Any peculiarities wrt the booking process / website?

For santorini, I think any of the caldera view towns is preferable to Fira. The cruise ships come into Fira and many people stay there while in port. Our personal favorite is Oia. But I have to admit this summer it was home to a new luxury brand boutique strip that took away from its charm in my opinion. This was at the start of the pedestrian walkway, but if you chose one of the many accommodation options further along the pedestrian route Oia is still perfect.

Aegean is a better airline, they have more flights to choose from but you may find them more expensive. You still have to pay for luggage, same as FR and you need to be careful on their website to filter for direct flights. FR is perfectly fine if you adhere to their rules esp around luggage. I would not overthink on such a short flight, I'd go with price/schedule & convenience.

Greek food can be veg friendly as meat used to be a luxury years ago. So you will find stuffed vegetables (yemista), horta which are found on Santorini (ie wild greens which are bitter, might not be to your taste), fava beans and many other options (salads, stuffed vine leaves with rice-no meat, pastries with feta and spinach etc). Some dishes might be make with meat stock though, so best to ask.

Particularly because you do not want to drive, I believe that Naxos is a better bet than Paros; I have done both islands without a car, and find that the Naxos bus system is much more extensive & goes where you want to go ... Paros bus system starts in Parikia & (mainly) fans out in separate lines like fingers of a hand. Naxos has 1 line that goes out to all main beaches ... also a line that goes up middle of island to the Top village Appollonia, stops along the way at hillside villages. Furthermore, Naxos has a good day-trip excursion that really covers the high-points of the island, combined with a swim; a noontime stop at Appollonia where u can have a beach hour/lunch hour.

ALSO (and this is just my opinion) Naxos Town, the port, is more beautiful AND interesting, all-round, than Paros' Parikia. In Naxos, if you stay at St. George (Ag Giorgios) beach directly adjacent to town, you have the pleasure of beach views &walks PLUS being just a 10-minute stroll from the enjoyable fall 'buzz' of town, where tavernas, shops, cafes, museums, etc will all be still active. In Paros, from Parikia, you can walk north along the seafront & stay along its town beach but frankly not as attractive & almost no tavernas along that stretch.

Here are a few foto Albums of Naxian highlights:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634605629689/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7632110674306/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094558042/

Finally, I'd take a day off from Santorini & add it to Naxos. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades, and has a wealth of dramatic landscapes plus "fun" discoveries (like, in the Cathedral courtyard, surprise! a 4,500 year old graveyard!). Plus Naxos has at leas 37 great hikes charted by THE Cyclades walks expert http://www.cycladen.be/NaxosEng.htm - who calls Naxos "a Paradise for hikers." Santorini is 12 miles long and has ONE hike. I do think the famous Caldera View is a must-see, but 4 days is enough.

With that extra day allotted to Naxos, you can day-trip over to Paros, compare port town "maze" with that of Naxos, & bus up to Paros' "top village" Naoussa which used to be a fishing village but is now prettified pretend-village.

LODGING in NAXOS -, The only "swanky" hotel that is right on the beach is Hotel Nissaki, if spas & massage are your thing. Otherwise, you can be right ON the sands in center of St. G. Beach with Hotel Asteria, not fancy but comfortable, all 3 floors 40 rooms have sea-view balconies. Next door, Studios Kalergis also has all rooms facing beach -- no breakfasts, but cafes a few steps away. And also next door, Diogenes studios with its own cafe.

LODGING - SANTORINI - Have been to Santorini probably 6x, and Since I discovered Firostephani I always recommend it ... NO crowds there even on Cruise-ship Days ... Fab sunset views of caldera from hotels right on the rim ... AND an easy 15-minute stroll to the heart of Fira town for shopping, dining, museum, etc. PLUS many hotels provide free transfer to/from ferry port. PLUS, rates about 1/2 that of comparable rim-view hotels in Oia. A few to to check out (moderate to splurge): Hotel Mylos, Villa Ilias, Sunset Hotel, Blue Dolphins, Agnadema Apartments, Dana Villas Hotel.

Most are on booking.com; you are smart to have booked refundable hotels so you can be flexible. Good luck and have a wonderful trip!

PS: I agree with you on Rhodes; you can see a lot between Rhodes Old Town and Lindos in 3.5 days, I've done it and without a car.

I'm not going to get into the Paros vs Naxos discussion, but wish to correct travelerjan's statement about Paros buses, no doubt due to her lack of experience on the island.

Paros has a very extensive bus service, and two different hubs: the main one at Parikia, and a secondary hub at Naoussa. The Parikia hub has buses to all the villages on the island, while the Naoussa hub serves buses back to Parikia and to beach resorts on the eastern side of the island from Santa Maria to Drios. I find the Paros bus system to be more extensive than that of Naxos:

Paros was our favorite of the Cycladic Islands. Can't wait to return there.

I can't comment on Paros, but we loved the week we spent on Naxos.

You can see our pics here https://www.flickr.com/photos/pug_gi...57627668851905

Heimdall you are right I have only stayed on Paros Island 4 or 5 times, for about 3 days per time. So I have an inquiry about transport to a beach:

if I were staying in Parikia and wanted to go to Logaras Beach (the one I liked best on the E Side of Paros), would I take one bus up to Naoussa, and then transfer to another bus to Logaras? Do these busses coordinate their schedules, so that there is not a long layover? That would be, of course, if they ran at least 1 per hour in June or September, as on Naxos. As for duration of ride, as I recall, the bus from Parikia to Naoussa takes about 20 minutes, so I'm guessing bus #2 would be 25-30 minutes or so, if it stopped at several beaches en route. So, given change-over, I'm guesstimating about 50 minutes each way? Of course, we got there much faster by car.

Hi Jan,

Yes, as we always tell newbies, it's difficult to get to know an island where you spend only 3 days at a time. I usually spend 2-3 weeks at a time on Paros/Antiparos, sometimes twice a year, and some of my friends stay even longer. Lately my travels have been mostly to South Africa and back to my birthplace in the US, so have cut down on trips to Greece. (BTW, Cape Town ZA at Christmas is wonderful, and the beaches are amazing!)

As an <i>aide memoire</i> I've kept the printed bus schedules from my visits to Paros, the most recent ones for September 2015, which are roughly the same as those for June. It's difficult to be precise, as there is always a schedule change sometime in mid-June and mid-September as tourist numbers change.

The #2 bus between Parikia and Naoussa is the most frequent on the island, running hourly from early morning until after midnight. The #5 buses leaving Naoussa and stopping at Logaras run about every 1½ - 2 hrs. Carefully timing your departure with the frequent buses from Parikia would help you avoid a long layover in Naoussa. There are always printed bus timetables available at the Parikia bus station.

Why not try staying somewhere else next time you go to Paros. A friend who stays on Antiparos always fits in a few nights at Piso Livadi, and this year stayed overnight at Aliki as well. He and his wife love Piso Livadi, and his only complaint about Aliki is that there is no longer a working ATM there.

So final itinerary is:

Athens - 24-25-26-27 Sep (2 days local sightseeing and 2 days visit to Meteora and Delphi hopefully on our own and not package tour)

Ferry from Athens to Naxos on 28 Sep

Naxos - 28-29-30-1-2 Oct (local Naxos sightseeing and chill out and day trip to Paros or any nearby island)

Ferry from Naxos to Santorini on 3 Oct

Santorini - 3-4-5-6-7 Oct

Flight from Santorini on 8 Oct

Night stay in Athens and fly back to US on 9 Oct

Booking hotels, looking into logistics of Athens - Delphi and meteora, day trip from Naxos to Paros or 2 nights in Paros, and so on. Will follow up with more questions after doing further reading and research. Thanks all.

Cutting Rhodes out for now. Don't want overnight ferry, want to focus near Athens and within Cyclades for this trip. Plus Delphi and Meteora are quite appealing. After visiting a lovely monastery in Woodstock in Catskills last weekend, we are all the more keen to visit Meteora.