BAHItaly

Active Parents and 26 yr old daughter traveling in May/June.
I have not experienced either one, or perhaps another phenomenal location.
Like some history, hiking, views, food.
Been to Switzerland, France and Italy, little of Spain and Portugal. ( I know, Im most fortunate)
Thank you!

yorkshire

They are comparable in that both have an abundance of natural beauty, but flights can be a pain, so I would check that first and see how they compare in that way.
Late May/early June is a fantastic time to go. The sea is a bit cool still, but it should be fine.
How many days do you have?

BAHItaly

Im now leaning toward Greece. Our daughter has been to lovely Croatia.
We can go 10-12 days.
Towns appear a good distance from one another.
Corfu looks fascinating. I'm sure Athens is must see.
What towns are in route?

yorkshire

It took me years to get to Greece because I found it so overwhelming. The Bradt Guide helped tremendously--it covers the mainland really comprehensively if you wanted to make an overland journey. Nafplio and Delphi would make good stops--you could spend up to a week in Nafplio easily.
I did not make it to the north yet, but Ioannina region looks fascinating.

BAHItaly

Ill check that out.
Perhaps there are various ways to Corfu.

yorkshire

Of course--you can fly if you are not exploring the in-between.

Heimdall

Travelling from where? If you are located in Italy, as your screen name suggests, Corfu would be a good choice, as there are flights and ferries direct to Corfu from Italy. But if you are flying from the US that’s another matter. Flying into Athens gives you the choice of mainland, islands, or both. Do you have a special interest in Corfu, since you have mentioned it twice?

Yorkshire gave you some good ideas, especially if you are interested in history. Athens and Nafplio, a small city in the Peloponnese, would put you at some of the most important ancient sites in Greece. Athens needs no introduction, as there is much written about the city, but perhaps you have never heard of Nafplio before. This website describes it better than anything else I have seen:

http://www.visitnafplio.com/

As for islands, They come in several different groups spread around two seas, the Ionian and the Aegean. Corfu is in the Ionian, and the Cyclades, Dodecanese, Crete, etc are in the Aegean. Many Americans travel from Athens to the Cyclades because they have heard of Santorini and other islands in the group. In summer there are ferries between Santorini and Crete, another popular destination.

Do a little research before you decide where to go, and seek your daughter’s opinion. Whatever you decide is a good choice.

KarenWoo

Nafplio is an excellent choice! It is a beautiful small city located on the water. It's filled with bougainvillea!!! And it's an excellent base to visit ancient ruins such as Mycenae, Epidaurus and Mystras, and many others. Mystras is my favorite - Byzantine ruins spread across the steep slopes of a mountain, filled with castle ruins, churches, a monastery, etc. I would love to return.

Last May we visited Greece for 16 nights. Our itinerary included Santorini, Naxos, Nafplio and Athens. Haven't been to Corfu so can't comment.

I would definitely spend 3 or 4 nights in Athens. So much ancient history and ruins and awesome museums! Fish market, meat market, flea market.

BAHItaly

Flying from the US. Fascinated with Corfu because a belove show, The Durrells of Corfu; looks astonishing but maybe off beaten path for US traveler.
I could consolidate to a smaller circle to areas noted above.
llI look to see if Karen Woo has itinerary notes.
Need fun activities for 26 yr old daughter.
We like charming accommodations when able, perhaps a larger place in Athens.
Practical item, need laundry facilities at some point.
Really Appreciate Your Thoughts!

FTOttawa

If you do decide on Nafplio, and at a suitable moment in your trip, I can recommend Archontiko Kolokotronis, an adorable, conveniently located apartment with room for three and laundry facilities. Cons: a bit of a climb to the third floor and church bells. Pros: super hostess and decor, and a private balcony.

Heimdall

Ah, The Durrells, I enjoyed the series, and much of it was filmed in Corfu. You might be interested in seeing the real life locations of the series:

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece...ells-in-corfu/

KarenWoo

BAHItaly, I do have a trip report on Greece from last May. You can click on my name to find it, if you haven't already done so. I hope it is helpful to you.

BAHItaly

(I adore Arch.Kololotronis, albeit, could be a bit remote for our daughter.)

2weeks-Considering
-Athens
-Paros
-Nafplio
-Athens

Any ideas?
I need to determine how to traverse from one location to next.

Heimdall

BAHItaly, from Athens you can reach Paros either by ferry or flight. The best ferries are Blue Stars, which reach Paros from Piraeus in about 4 hrs, but usually leave only twice a day, at 07:25 and 17:30. There also might be a morning highspeed ferry, saving you an hour at twice the price. Check for ferries on openseas.gr.

Flights from Athens to Paros take about 40 minutes. The best airlines are the two Greek carriers Aegean Airlines/Olympic Air and Sky Express. The flights are more expensive than ferries, but are spaced throughout the day, making it easier to fly straight to the island upon arrival in Athens.

https://en.aegeanair.com/
https://www.skyexpress.gr/el

It's best to leave Athens and the mainland for the end of your trip so severe weather or other problem’s don’t cause you to miss the flight home. You don’t need a car for Athens, as there is very good public transport, and finding a place to park in the city would be a problem.

You can book a car for the trip from Athens to Nafplio, which would allow you to visit the many sites outside the city without relying on buses or taxis. If you prefer not to rent a car for the trip to Nafplio you can book a private transfer or take an express bus.

BAHItaly

Starting to fine tune days, hubby and 26 yr.daughter, all very active, MAY.
Athens- Paros(5 nts) -Nafpilion( 5 nts)-Athens(2 nts) All Adjustable, perhaps 6 on Island and 4 on Nafpilion.
Should I consider Antiparos as base or day trip,( This one is for Heimdall.)
Many Thanks!!

KarenWoo

We spent 5 nights in Nafplio which was perfect for us. Allowed us to visit the ruins we were interested in seeing; had time to fully explore beautiful Nafplio, and also drove down the Argolid Peninsula to Port Heli and Ermioni.

But I do think you could use at least one extra night in Athens. There is so much to see in Athens including of course the Acropolis and Parthenon and Acropolis Museum. But there are more ancient ruins and museums to visit in Athens along with browsing through the Athens Central market, flea market, Changing of the Guard, etc. So perhaps take a night from Paros OR Nafplio and add it to Athens.

yorkshire

Karen makes good points. I admit we gave Athens short shrift--I will for sure be returning to Greece, and so I justified that I would see more of it the next time since most flights require passing through. I only spent four nights in Nafplio but could have spent twice that and not run out of things to do.
Late May weather was outstanding and the big sites (Epidaurus, etc.) were not crowded.

layanluvstotravel

It appears you’ve made your decision! Have fun. We’ve been to Croatia and loved loved loved it. In a few weeks we are headed to Greece. I guess when we are done I’ll have a better idea as to which country I prefer

HappyTrvlr

We liked Croatia a lot but loved Greece!

michaelpianko

I have not been to Croatia. I spent 13 nights in Greece - I was in Nafplio (I hiked up close to a thousand steps to the top of a Venetian fortress and took the bus tomEpidzvros and Myccenae), Crete (but I only gave myself 2 nights {1 whole day and most of 2 other days}, which wasn't enough to,see Crete properly; I would have been as happy if I had skipped Crete and seen Olympia in Western Greece, although on Crete I saw Knossos and ancient Greek coins at the archaeology museum in Chania), Delphi (I spent a night there, this is the location of the ancient Delphi Oracle charade, also there may be good hiking trails in the surrounding mountains and forests), and Athens (one day in Athens the state-owned museums were closed due to a strike but I still saw 3 non-state owned museums).