we are very excited to be going on a two week trip to Greece this October. I have a stack of travel books to read, and I plan on pouring over all the posts here on Greece. But is there any tips anyone can give us on what to see and do? Special things we may not read about.

We are going on a preplanned trip, so our Air, hotels and ferries are carved in stone, but we are on our own while there.
We have 1 full day in Athens ( also the afternoon we arrive, but I'm thinking we'll be very tired).
Then we go to Mykonos for 4 days, Paros 2 days, SAntorini 3 days and Crete 3 days.

WE'd like to enjoy the best of each Island, perhaps stopping to smell the roses a bit, but certainly not laying on the beach the whole time. We are going in Oct, so that might not be an option anyway.

Any advice would be great.
ALso, are we best to take public transit, or is renting a car a good idea on any of the islands we'll be visiting. Also we might consider doing tours to maximize our time. Is this a good idea? and are they really expensive? Or should we just poke around on our own?

It'll certainly be warm enough to lie on a beach in Crete in October.

Where will you be staying there?

We are staying at Appolonia Beach Hotel. The description we have says it's on a sandy beach in Amoudara, 8km from Heraklion.
Since this is the last stop on our tour, it's nice to know we may be able to relax and catch some sun.

It's looking really good right now, since it's a freezing cold day here in Toronto!

hello kodi

If you let me know teh hotel you stay in here on Mykonos I will attempt to give you more information about its location for walking to good places.

Also, please tell me when in October you will be visiting. Is it first two weeks or final two weeks of month.

When i have inforamtion I will come back to you.

On Crete, from there, I suggest yuo take a day to visit the palace at Knossos and the Museum in Iraklion; and another to go up into the plateau of Lassithi. The other day, I'd go to the beach. Maybe another Minoan ruin- Malia or Gornya

On Paros, definitely rent a car and drive into the interior of the island. Wonderful village there whose name escapes me, but it's easy to drive on this island. Have fun!!!

Thank you all so much. I really appreciate it.
Sheila, we are interested in the Minoan ruins. I've got a lot of reading to do before our trip.

Thanos, we are staying at K hotels Complex. The book says it's 800 metres from town, perched on a rise overlooking the town of Mykonos and the sea. And it says it's near Ornos and Platys Yialos beaches.
We are leaving Canada on Oct 5 and Mykonos is our first stop after Athens.

Cooncat, renting a car will be an experience! I'm terrible at languages and so I'm very nervous about understanding road signs.

Kodi, Knossos and the museum are a full day. If you can go on a Sunday- it's free!!

I found Gornya, which I just found onanother site spelled Gournia, fascinating because it's on a more human scale.

I just stumbled on this site:-

http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/minoan/

Kodi - No worries on the car. Your hotel will be able to arrange it for you. All you have to do is drive. There isn't much traffic. You'll do just fine! (It wasn't very expensive, either...but that was back in 2001!)

Sharon

Kodi,
I'm freezing in Montreal & dreaming about my trip to Greece 2 years ago in September.Parostayed in a family run hotel highly recommended across from the beach in Parikia called Apollon www.hotelapollon.gr. It was only 27 euro !!Too bad you can't change your reservation.Walking distance to centre of town as well.Owner picks you up at ferry dock.Take local bus or scooter to Naoussa.Swim at Martselo or Faragas Beach. Highlight was a scooter ride around the island holding on to my husband for dear life (we're in our 60s).Thought we were kids again.What a thrill.Santorini: 3 days is too much.I'd switch (if possible) Paros for 3 days & Santorini for 2 days.Santorini view is gorgeous but beaches aren't great & restaurants expensive.Take the donkey ride back up if you walk the steps down to the beach in Oia.Crete: Ah, my favorite. We preferred Phaistos for its raw archeology.Rent a car & drive southwest through the Kourtaliotiko Gorge to Plakias. The Imbros Gorge is a much shorter walk than the famous Samaria Gorge walk.If you'd only have more time in Crete to also see Chania in the north,etc., etc.We're off to Slovenia & Croatia in the fall & are very much looking forward to going. Enjoy.

Sheila, what a great site! That's me, little knowledge of Minoan society. A great starting point.
I just checked out itinerary and we won't be in Crete on a Sun. We'll ahve to pay.

Cooncat, Ok, I'll take your word for it!! I love driving, it was just the language thing that bothered me. SOunds like fun.

Syl, we've booked with Nolitours, so our itinerary is carved in stone. I suppose one of the disadvantages of a package tour. But we got a good price, and we didn't want to have to worry about hotels, air or transfers. Everything is looked after . So we can concentrate on what we want to do.
The Gorge looks like a good bet. I'd love to hike the Samaria Gorge, but I'm not up for an 18km hike. Is it possible to do part of it? and if so, which section?

Wow, have a good trip. I was in central Europe last Sept and loved it.

The first bit of the Samaria Gorge, the Xyloskala (wooden stair)is vertical, so the only way to do a wee bit is "Samaria the easy way". You come in on the ferry to Ahia Roumeli a the bottom of the gorge and walk up as far as the Iron Gates.

If one is walking down, this is pain in the ass, because the path is dead narrow and all these lazy people get in the way, when the end is in sight.

There are lots of other smaller walks.

Have a look at www.explorecrete.com. It's got some good ideas for walking.

As I stated, we did the Imbros Gorge & loved the walk. It's definitely doable as you get a ride to the starting point at the top & walk takes about 2 1/5 - 3 hrs.

Syl, yes that's what I meant, that the Imbros Gorge looks like a good bet. And Sheila, to do part of the Samaria Gorge would be great.

Thank you both.
I don't think I can ride a donkey. I feel too sorry for them. I know it's the thing to do, but I'd rather not.

Kodi with respect to your concerns about road signs, it really doesn't matter if you are terrible at languages, just ask yourself who but a Greek can read Greek road signs? Virtually all the Greek Road Signs have an English translation. You will do fine.

kodi

The 4K is owned by a major company with other hotels here. It is made of four small hotels all together around a pool.

Please know that your are not in town but on hill high above in area Vrissey. To walk to town you will be maybe 20 minutes, slow walk. I am uncertain but it is maybe 2km distance. What is good is that road from hotel first reaches town at little bus station where local services operates to the beaches and other parts of island.

To Ornos beach you walk down hill at other side of hotel and it it perhaps 15 minutes, maybe a little more. The hotel was wrong to say you are close to Platis Yialos. The company has hotel called Ambassador that is next to that beach but you would need to take bus from town and journey will be about 15-20 minutes.

Of course, you must take trip to Delos. Boats leave harbour before 10am daily but not Monday sometimes. The journey time is 25 minutes and you have 4 hours to visit island.

The town also has museums. They are easy to locate. I think the Folklore Museum and Naurical Mueuems are the better.

If you have some time then also try and visit Tinos. It is one hour ferry time but contrast very different to Mykonos. If you allow more time the island Syros also is good to visit.

I recommend Agios Ioannis area on Mykonos. Very beautiful and colours are fantstic of sea. Easy bus connection from town, maybe only about 15 minutes stopping first at Ornos beach. Also, Kalo Livadi or Ftelia beaches is best if you perfer beauty and quietness compared to some noisy beaches.

There is also an island tour that takes you to most beaches plus village of Ano Mera where there is a very old monastory, this is very popular.

If you like I will find prices for some tours. Let me know and I will return with details.

Early October is good. Maybe some more wind but still warm and good for swimming plus not so busy. Easy to find tables at restaurants.

Thanos, thank you so much. I really appreciate your help. Delos seems like something we'd really like to do. All your suggestions are great.
In reading my tour books, it seems that many tours end in September. Will we have trouble finding tours in Oct? When we go to Delos, are we ok to tour around on our own?
We would really like to do some tours, but we don't want to be spending hundreds of Euros on tours. We are on a budget and must choose which tours are really important .

It would be great if you could do some research for us and recommend some tours and let us know the price.
We arrive Mykonos on Oct 8 and are there Oct 9,10,AND 11. We leave for Paros on the 12th.

The winter season for Delos begins 15 October. So, when you will be on island the summer details are still operating. The tciket for entrance to the ancient site is 5e, the boat trip 10e (some operator more, some less). There are tours with a guide that can be purchased locally but those start at 35e. I think is better to do alone without tour guide. The boat from Mykonos takes maybe 20/25 mins and they will return for you four hours later. There is now a very small unit with water and some little books and museum but no guaurantee it will be open. Some days yes some days no. It is best if you take a guide book with you and water also as if it is sunny and clear it can be hot with little shelter. I recomment on first day you take walk down to the harbour and you will see boards advertising next day times and costs for this easy trip. No problem and no need to book in early Otcober.

The is a guided walking tour around Mykonos town. It cost aabout 20e. You easily can do this with a good guidebook in hand. Also there is a Mykonian Night in a hotel on beach on south of teh island. Is expensive at 50e. I recommend not to do this. The island tour which is by guide is approx 22e. It will take you to most beaches but for maybe 5 or 10 minutes each and Ano Mera where you have time to visit monastory. Total time is half day. This might be good way to see and have information of Mykonos but, I think maybe too much money. You have to decide, I think.

Never forget the local small buses are cheap at 1, 2 and 3 euro. You can travel on routes to all island and maybe a lot of fun for you. From the little bus station in town you easily travel to Platis Gialos and Psarou, Ornos and Agios Ioannis, Tourlos and Agios Stefanos, and final service is to Ano Mera, Kalafatis and Kalo Livadi.

If you have questions please let me know.

thanos

We were charter sailing the Greek Islands and had one day in Athens at the beginning of the trip and one day at the end...we hired Jordan Daioglu
http://www.athens-tours.gr/index_a.html
to pick us up from the airport and to take us touring on both days in Athens. He took us where we wanted to go, made some good suggestions of other places to see and showed us the BEST gyros places all over Athens. We saw so much more than we could have if we had gone on our own...a real time saver. Honest, trustworthy and FUN! If you use him tell him Danny's aunt from Dallas recommended him!

Thanos, thank you so muich for all the wonderful information. I really appreciate it. I will print this out, and talk to my friend and we'll decide what is best.
I'm sure I'll have more questions as the time gets nearer.

TXreed, I've already been in touch with Jordan! SO I'm glad to hear such a good recommendation. FOr sure we'll say hi.