My plans for Greece May 2001: would like hotel, island advise.
 

Hi everyone, <BR> <BR>Well, I've been reading about the various islands and have decided for our two week trip to Greece is to fly into Athens for 2 days, then head out to the islands, maybe an overnight boat to Santorini?? We want to hit Santorini and Mykonos (with a 1/2 tour to Delos). I know we can fit one more island and I'm interested in Paros or Naxos. <BR> <BR>I would love to hear your comments on these islands (esp. Paros and Naxos). <BR> <BR>Also, I would like to know which hotels you stayed in on these islands (as well as Athens; Attalos and Acropolis seem to be popular choices). I prefer inexpensive hotels (under $100 per night) with private bathroom. Would love to have a sea view, so am willing to pay a little more if needed. <BR> <BR>Thank you very much!!! <BR> <BR>Monica <BR>

Hi Monica! Well we stayed at both the Attalos and the Acropolis view and they were both wonderful, Attalos was the less expensive of the two and was a point or two upscale in terms of presentation and true to it's name the room did have an outstanding viewof the Acropolis. Attalos was also a wonderful hotel with very nice employees and a couple of the rooms also have an Acropolis view, but they must be requested in advance. In terms of the Plaka access Attalos was definately the winner as it was only a 4 minute walk away. The Acropolis view was on the otherside of the hill. <BR>About the islands many people will recommend Oia as a better(*less commercial) place to stay. However we enjoyed Fira (night life and all that) and had a terrific room on the Caldera including b-fest and transfer for around $70.00 per night in October this year. I would highly recommend the Loucas the view brought tears to my eyes it was so lovely. Nice pool also and friendly staff. We ended up flying to the islands for time and price so I can't comment on the ferry. We took the tour to Delos please make sure you get with a guide it adds so much to it, we ended up gloming onto another tour group and really enjoying it. The ferries leave throughout the day, and are very inexpensive. I would not recommend the hotel we stayed at on Mykonos since it had no sea view (nice staff though). On Santorini we took a day tour that took you to a local winery, up to the highest point on the island, to the diggings at Ankotiri and to the black sand beach for a swim. Unfortunately there was nothing telling us to take our bathing suites so we enjoyed laying around on beach chairs trapped on land. If you take a tour bring that bathing suit! Bon Voyage!

Sorry Monica, my opening paragraph was a little unclear... Acropolis View is a point or two upscale of the Attalos, though both hotels were very nice and I would stay at either again.

We spent a week in Naxos a couple of years ago (rented small house) in September. Pretty harbor, incredible scenery, a couple of kouros, nice beaches. Save your water bottles and fill up at the olive oil station; they make a liqueur from lemons called kitron (it makes yummy adult lemonade); beautiful jewelry. Good restaurants (especially the little roadside places).

Thanks Thyra and Elvia for your comments. I'll have to check out Loucas. I spent the day on the internet (3 hours) looking for hotels on these 4 islands. Lots to choose from, but want to pick them based on recommendations from others. <BR> <BR>I'd love to do the wine tour on Santorini. How did you hook up with the tour? <BR> <BR>Thyra, what exchange rate did you get while in Greece? <BR> <BR>Elvira, is the Kitron similar to Limoncello of Naples, Italy? I make Limoncello and home and LOVE it! <BR> <BR>Can we get around these islands by bus? Or do we need to rent a car? I don't really want to if there is good public transportation. <BR> <BR>Thanks!

Monica <BR> <BR>I can't answer your questions directly (unless you divert to Crete) but I sumbled on this web site, and other than that the guy is somewhat full of himself, you may find it helpful <BR> <BR>http://www.greektravel.com/index.html

Like many others, we also stayed at the Attalos in Athens. Good deal for a budget hotel and the location can't be beat. <BR> <BR>I really enjoy Naxos - the beaches are great and the port town is fascinating. There are lots of Venetian homes with the crests over the doors dating from the 16 and 17 Century. We spent an afternoon exploring the old town. We also rented a car and drove to Apirathos, a town that is almost all marble. We have some wonderful pictures of old wooden doors. This was my second trip to Naxos (the first in the 70's) and it definitely lived up to my memories. We stayed at the Hotel Grotta, which is just on the outskirts of the main town. It was very reasonable ($60 CAD for 2 people - that would be about $40 USD). The only disadvantage was that it was a little noisy because of the marble area between the buildings. <BR> <BR>I wasn't crazy about Santorini. It is stunning, but it really doesn't feel very Greek. Lots of tourists. I stayed near Akrotiri which was very quiet, but we rented a car and drove to Oia and Fira. Oia was overrun with tourists at sunset (and frankly, the sunset in Naxos was just as good). I personally felt we had 1 or 2 days too long in Santorini (we were there 4). I would have preferred another day in Athens (yes, I'm one of those odd people who actually enjoyed Athens). <BR> <BR>Greece is wonderful and I'm sure you'll have a good trip whatever you chose.

Since you've have some comments about Naxos (which I have also heard is great), I'll throw some in about Paros. It was one of my favorite places. We were sailing, so we arrived in Paroikia, which is okay. But we rented a car for a day and drove to Naoussa (charming little fishing village-- maybe slightly over the top in picturesque-ness, but great just the same!) and then into the hills to a village whose name escapes me, but which is near an old Roman road. It was totally different-- quiet and peaceful. We also visited the home/studio of a ceramicist who does beautiful work. I'll check my notes for names, if you like. <BR> <BR>Anyway, I highly recommend Paros, but especially (maybe only) if you get a car or a scooter and go exploring!

I don't know about the other islands but buses got us everywhere we wanted to go on Santorini.

Were I to travel to Greece in May, Monica, I would play it completely by ear. I would reserve the hotel for my first and last (day before departure) night in Athens, and would take it from there. I can't see why one should commit oneself when travelling in May. All you have to do is to have a list of recommended hotels in each of the islands you may wish to visit and choose in person. You may even change hotels in the same island if you find a better property while you're there (or you may use a 2nd hotel offer as leverage to lower the rates at the hotel you're in).<BR><BR>Get to Athens, relax, see what your transportation options to Santorini are and move on when you feel like it. Once there's daily ferry service between Santorini/Naxos, Naxos/Paros and Paros/Mykonos, you don't have to worry. When you feel it's time to depart Santorini to the next island just pick up your things and go. It's very difficult to determine how long one's supposed to stay in a particular place based on opinions of other. There are people that with 2 nights in Santorini have had enough. Fore some people a week isn't enough!<BR><BR>Regarding transportation in the islands you may use the same approach. We started off in Santorini with public transportation. We then decided that a car would work out better for us (and it did). The point is that renting a minicar (there were 4 of us and it worked ok) is not a big deal. You don't need reservations, there's no bureaucracy (it takes 10 minutes to rent a car) and you shouldn't pay more than about $40/day if you don't take the first deal that's offered. (that was our average with rentals in Santorini and Rhodos). <BR><BR>Paulo<BR>

Monica, in July 1999 we went to Athens (2 days was good there to see Acropolis, views and open markets), Santorini, Paros, Mykonos, in that order. I'll have to check my records for names of hotels, all of which were great. We used an agent at Amphiterian (I'm sure I spelled it wrong but it was something like that -- I can check on that too) and they met us at every stop and made sure got got to where we were supposed to go without any trouble. Santorini was lovely and very much fun. Favorite by far was Paros -- it was heavenly, and from there took a sail across to Naxos (not a great idea -- very rough water); Mykonos was not so great -- it seemed to be a vacation place for the very glamourous, young and rich of Europe, which wasn't a great didn't sit well with us 40-something Americans. However, we did go to Delos from Mykonos which was worth it. We took hydrofoil between islands, which worked out fine, and then flew from mykonos back to athens.

Thanks for everyone’s suggestions and comments. I was hoping to hear strong comments (between Paros and Naxos) on one island over the other so I can choose. Both sound great! <BR> <BR>Paulo, is May considered “low” season? My Frommer’s book (it’s a 1999 guidebook – the next one comes out 15 April) mentions low and high season, but does not clarify which months are low season. If May is low season, I agree with you that I could just relax and make my reservations and plans as we move along our trip. I think it would be more enjoyable to have that flexibility when traveling around the islands. <BR> <BR>Barbara, yes, I would like the information on the hotels you enjoyed while on your trip. You mentioned how you liked/disliked the islands you visited with the exception of Naxos. How did you like it? We do want to visit Delos for a ½ day trip. It seems that most islands have something to offer and not just a beach scene. I want to do a little of everything. <BR>

The Greek islands are really packed from mid July through mid September. The 1st half of July and 2nd of September are considered middle/shoulder season and June/October, low season in most hotels. A few hotels aren't even open yet, in May! Of course, if you look around in the net, you'll realize that policies change from hotel to hotel but the 1st half of May should be considered low season in at least 95% of them, and the 2nd half of May should at most be shoulder season.<BR><BR>See for yourself, for instance, at<BR>http://www.greekhotel.com/cyclades/santorin/imerovig/home.htm<BR><BR>We went in the 1st half of July and Santorini wasn't packed yet. I'm sure we would have had a hotel rate at least 25% lower if we had showed up and negotiated on the spot :-(<BR><BR>Paulo

Further to Paulo's comments it may be worth mentioning that over at least two weekends in May every year Greek students travel to Mykonos to celebrate the end of their university/college term. <BR> <BR>When we visited at that time last year a friend there estimated that over each weekend at least 5,000 students arrived off the ferries. Those lads and lassies tend not to travel out of Mykonos town so be warned that it gets pretty crowded and noisy there. We didn't sleep much! <BR> <BR>If you intend to visit Mykonos in May 2001 I recommend that you try and arrange to be there mid-week as accommodation during those weekends may be a problem i.e. those hotels that are open are normally full. <BR> <BR>Bill

Monica, I will go home tonight and try to find the name of the tour company we took around Santorini. I must say that our guide really knew her stuff and kept up a running commentary in English throughout the tour and in Ankotiri as well. We got the tickets the night before at a tour office on the main street in Fira. Pretty easy to find, but I will try to get the exact name. It was not terribly expensive either, I don't remember the exact price but I remember thinking it was very affordable.

Hi Monica, <BR> <BR>I too am planning to visit the islands of Santorini and Myconos after visiting Crete. One thing to consider is that the ferry to Myconos from Santorini does not leave daily. I checked a website for a rough idea of the schedule and found that it leaves on Thursdays and Sundays. The ferry from Naxos to Myconos leaves on the same dates as well.

I visited Santorini in Sept 1997, and it was beautiful. Athens was nice, although very dirty. There are two different ferries that take you down to the islands, one is a 10 hr trip to Santorini, and the high speed boat is about 6 1/2 hrs or so. Oia is really nice - it's exactly what you would picture Greece to be - windy cobblestone roads, with small ethnic shops along the way. <BR>We only stayed on one island for about 8 days, which was a little too long. You should try and visit one island every few days. I hear Rhodes is the most beautiful island.

Monica, I can't say anything about Naxos -- we sailed there and back and didn't see anything -- everyone too green from rough seas. Everything else was great. Athens, 2 nights Electra Palace, Santorini 3 nights Villa Chromata -- built into the side of the cliffs, 3 nights Astir of Paros, was outstanding, Hotel Santa Marina in Mykonos was also beautiful but we didn't love Mykonos (half day tour of Delos from there was enjoyable), and then one night at Hotel Fenix (actually, a Best Western!) near Athens airport. we rented a car in Paros and Mykonos and drove all around the islands, different beaches and hikes every day. Hotel, ferries, transfers, car rental, half day tours in Athens and Delos, for two, about $4,000. Travel agency Amphitryon, was terrific. Hope this helps.

Regarding ferries, Theodora and Monica, one has to wait and see what happens. Ferry frequency in winter has always beem pretty low. <BR><BR>In May last year there was a daily catamaran service from Rafina to Mykonos and to Santorini (via Paros and Naxos) and back, besides the car ferry between Santorini and Mykonos (calling at Naxos and Paros) twice a week.<BR><BR>Since, there was a major shookup in the Greek ferry scene:<BR><BR>a) Minoan Flying Dolphins bought roughly 1/3 of the Greek ferry fleet and is now operating under two flags: Minoan Flying Dolphins with the fast boats and Helas Ferries with the car ferries;<BR><BR>b) the sinking of the Hellas Ferries Express Samina (ex Golden Vergina aquired by Minoan Flying Dolphins) may have a bearing on the ferry scene this year because of millionaire law suits (and eventual arrest of assets meaning ships docked); also, after the ferry sinking, the Greek Government suspended 65 ferries for not complying with fire safety regulations; though most of these ferries are back in service, some are obliged to shorter routes<BR><BR>Nobody knows yet what Minoan Flyng Dolphins/Hellas Ferries will be doing this year from mid spring on, into the high season<BR><BR>Monica will certainly have no problems getting to Santorini and from there on to both, Naxos and/or Paros. From Naxos/Paros to Mykonos it remains to be seen what the frequency will be ... one more reason to have a flexible program :-)<BR><BR>Paulo

Thanks again to everyone who has responded! <BR> <BR>Theodora, I had called the Greece National Tourist office in NYC and the gentleman told me to check their web site for ferry schedules. Which web site are you using? I would like to have it so I can figure out which islands to visit first. I wanted to do an overnight to Santorini, but seems like a lot of people say to arrive in the day to enjoy the view. Is this true? Maybe I could start with the other islands and end up on Santorini and boat or fly back to Athens. <BR> <BR>Thanks Bill for the information on the Greek students. I’ll definitely keep that in mind and plan to visit Santorini during the week. <BR>

That would be Mykonos, Monica :-)<BR><BR>The site referred to by the Greek National Tourist Office most probably is<BR>http://www.gtpnet.com/topeng.asp<BR><BR>One other site that gives ferry schedulles is<BR>http://www.ferries.gr/domstep1.asp<BR><BR>If you pay around with both, you'll see that there are quite a few inconsistencies.<BR><BR>For instance, the 2nd site shows the 2 ferry frequencies that Theodora mentioned above. This is not shown by the first site :-(<BR><BR>Hopefully, Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Ferries puts up a site with the schedulles of their vessels before you start your trip.<BR><BR>Paulo

Thanks Paulo for correcting me! I'll check out those web sites. <BR> <BR>Now that I have narrowed down the trip, I'm starting to get excited. Now to look for inexpensive airline tickets! <BR> <BR>Actually, the man at the GNTO told me that their web site will have the summer ferry schedules up on line after the 15th of April. I'll have to check out the web sites you have provided here. <BR> <BR> <BR>

hi, <BR>i spent my last holidays on paros and it was the best! i stayed in sakis-rooms and it couldn't have been better. the people running it are adorable. just go and have a look at their guestbook and their site, you'll be amazed... www.paros-online.com <BR>have fun... <BR>curly

Hi Monica, <BR>I am also planning a trip this spring from April 20th to May 5th. I have been searching and printing everything I can find regarding the islands, hotels, travel tips etc. I still have not purchased my airline ticket yet. They are very high and hope to find something cheaper. The responses you received on your inquiry were very good and I am "bootlegging" them for my own benefit. Have a great trip....If I see anything that think you might use, I will email it to you.

Hi Peggy, <BR> <BR>What are your trip plans? If you are "in the area" when my husband and I are, maybe we could get together for drinks! I have gotten together with many other fodorites since May 1999 and have a great time meeting people on this board. <BR>I would be interested in hearing about the hotels you have reviewed if they are for any of the islands I'm interested, as well as Athens. <BR> <BR>I still haven't decided between Paros and Naxos. Seems like they are both popular and have good reviews. I might choose Naxos, but Paros is on the main line for boats, which would make life easier to get to the next island. <BR> <BR>Curly, what did you pay for your hotel in Paros?

Monica - <BR> <BR>I stayed at the Loucas Hotel in Fira on Santorini last June and loved it. The views and sunsets are breathtaking from the balconies. There are lots of local tour shops in Fira - so you can decide on any local tour and book the day before. I stayed in the Attalos Hotel in Athens and also found it to be very convenient and clean. <BR> <BR>Have a great time. <BR> <BR>Martha <BR>

I've read through the other postings and I'm still not sure what island besides Samos to visit. We're taking a tour of Turkey which ends on Samos on Friday, June 8th. Our flight home leaves Athens on Monday the 11th around noon. We're looking for suggestions on which other island we should go to or if we should just hang out on Samos until Sunday. We think we'll fly to Athens to save time. Should I book flights here or can I wait till we get there? We'd also like suggestions on places to stay, it'll be right after our anniversary so we could splurge a little. <BR>Thanks! <BR>Anna

Hi Monica, <BR>My sister and I are meeting in Athens on April 21. We will be seeing the sights there for a couple of days and then going to an island (unknown at this point) until April 29th when she goes back to the mainland and boards a sail boat for a diving trip for two weeks. I will stay on until I return to the States on May 5th. Meeting for drinks sounds great. I just don't have any set plans yet. I do know that we are at least going to have a hotel reservation in Athens before we leave the States and I will let you know the details. Stay in touch. <BR>Peggy

<BR>hi monica, haven't been around for a while. <BR>i don't remember the exact price but i think it was around 27 US-$ per night, very cheap anyway and good service. clean rooms, fantastic view. great people i must emphasize! <BR>have fun <BR>curl

Hello Peggy, <BR> <BR>We're planning to arrive in Athens on the 2nd of May and stay for two nights before heading to the islands. I've decided on Santorini, Naxos, and Mykonos, probably in that order, but it will depend on what I find out with boat schedules later on. I've also decided, with Paulo's suggestions, to book my island hotels when we get there. For Athens, I'm going to make reservations for 2 nights at the beginning and 1-2 nights at the end of our trip. Have you decided on a hotel yet in Athens? Please let me know if you find a good deal on airline tickets. I'll start calling around tomorrow. I'll be in touch with you later on. <BR> <BR>Thanks Curl for the information. I'll keep it in mind incase my island plans change and I end up on Paros! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

My daughter (18) and I will be in Greece from May 6-13 and plan to spend two nights in Athens, one in Mykonos (so we can visit Delos in the morning), two on Naxos, and one again in Athens before we leave. Maybe we can see some of you there!

Hi Celeste, <BR> <BR>That would be great if we could meet up. Will you be flying home the 13th or morning of the 14th? We’ll probably be back in Athens the 12-13th. I have been researching boats schedules, but as others have stated (as well at the Greek Nat. tourist office) it won’t be out till 15 April. Been told to make island plans as we go along. Seems that schedules between Naxos and Mykonos is very limited (1 on Thursday and 1 on Sunday, according to www.ferries.gr/) Of course, it’s probably an old schedule. So, I’m looking at other islands for options, in case we can’t get from one to another. We too want to do Delos in the a.m. I’ll be in touch when my plans are more firmed up. Where will you stay while in Athens? <BR>

Santorini and Mykonos are both spectacular, I'm sure you'll enjoy them. On Santorini, we lucked into two incredible hotels both in the small town (I forget the name) about a mile from Thira. This is kind of ideal because it is much quieter at night up the hill. The first place is called Astra Apartments. The second is Hotel Heliotopus. Both are on top of the cliffs looking to the west (incredible sunsets) over the Sea. Astra has a pool with the same view, and both have wonderful rooms. I'd give Astra the edge just because of the pool but you can't go wrong with either. Might be a little pricey, I don't remember. <BR> <BR>Tripp

Monica <BR> <BR>During the high season the ferry route between Naxos and Mykonos can be busy. Also, years ago there used to be a service, Naxos - Delos - Mykonos and I'm trying to find out for you if it still operates. Check your email box. <BR> <BR>Bill

In high season there'll be a daily service between Mykonos and Santorini, with stops in Paros and Naxos for sure! The problem, Bill, is that mid May hardly qualifies as high season :-( Also, with the big comapny takeover mess of last year one has to wait till the spring schedules are out to get the picture. <BR> <BR>Once you've decided to play it by ear, Monica, I would think that starting it by Santorini is indeed your best bet. Without strain, when you feel it's time to go, just ferry over to Naxos. Depending on how you feel in Naxos you may either stay longer or cut it short, hopping over to Paros. Once in Paros, the worst that may happen is that there isn't a convenient ferry/hydrofoil/catamaran to Mykonos ... but one may always take the longer route through the Piraeus (unfortunate but not exactly a nightmare! From Paros to the Piraeus it should be 2 hours and from the Piraeus to Mykonos 3 hours, both trips on a Flying Dolphin catamaran). <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>Paulo

Paulo <BR> <BR>I am aware that mid-May isn't High season. We usually visit the islands at that time though and sometimes it damn well feels like it! <BR> <BR>Last year in May, there were daily services between Mykonos and Naxos. I have emailed some friends on the island to try to get some information for Monica re ferries operating between those islands during that month last year. This really is just to let Monica see what was available and also give an indication what may be this year at that time. <BR> <BR>You know as well as I do that there actually was very little change each year to some timetables, High (June, July, August and September) or Low season although as you correctly point out this will probably not be the case for the period ahead. Mind you, with a resulting loss on earnings on some of those profitable routes I personally feel any High season changes will be minimal <BR> <BR>Speaking of public transport, just arranging internal flights with Olympic Aviation this year has been unusually difficult for us. Get booking now folks for the summer of 2001 and don't leave it too late. <BR> <BR>Bill

Last year I stayed at Sun Rocks Villas on Santorini, and at Petasos Beach Hotel on Mykonos. Both were wonderful. You can see photos of both hotels at my website: <BR>http://sites.netscape.net/dmykonos <BR> <BR>Two weeks in Greece will go quickly. Many people go over there for a month or more. My recommendation is to fly to Santorini and take ferries from there. There's a long distance between Athens and Santorini. <BR> <BR>You might also consider using a travel agency in Greece to help with flights and hotels. I used Dolphin Hellas and would do so again. They are located near the Plaka and all the correspondence was done via email. They helped with inter-island flights and some of our hotels. <BR> <BR>I was on Paros in 1990. I sure it's changed a lot since then. We stayed in Naoussa, which at that time was a small fishing village, and took the bus to Parikkia (spelled wrong) sometimes for dinner or shopping. Back then Paros was considered a lower-cost version of Mykonos. We rented a motorcycle for day and rode around the island. <BR> <BR>All the islands have an individual feeling, and all are wonderful. Really, you can't go wrong. No matter where you go, you'll want to return. <BR> <BR>Have a great time.

Monica (and everyone else!), <BR> I have communicated with Dolphin Hellas Travel and they also are unsure about ferry schedules at this point. I asked about Naxos to Delos boats and they said it would be better to stick to the Mykonos-Delos boats, then travel to Naxos afterward. <BR> We plan to stay at the Attalos Hotel in Athens but our Island plans are not firm other than we MUST see Delos and will probably spend one night on Mykonos and two nights on Naxos before returning to Athens on 5/12 and flying home on 5/13.

Hello Monica- <BR> <BR>I too am planning a trip in May, but the last two weeks in May. These responses have helped me narrow my trip to Naxos, Paros and Santorini. My question is, then, what are the best, most unforgettable things to do on Naxos and Paros? I think we've decided to rent a car on these two islands. But when we get the car, where should we go?

Well, it’s been a couple of days since I’ve seen the posts here. <BR> <BR>Tripp, thanks for the hotel information. I’ll check them out on the internet. When you say “pricey” can you give me a ball figure? <BR> <BR>Bill, got your email and I look forward to hearing from you. Read your other posting too. I better get cracking with getting airline tickets. <BR> <BR>Paulo, my plan is to start in Santorini, with maybe an overnight boat trip (save on a hotel bill). I think the problem with the limited schedules is between Naxos and Mykonos (or Paros and Mykonos). I really want to visit Mykonos, but am now thinking if I can’t get there on the day we want to travel (playing by ear), we may just do a day trip to Delos and the town of Mykonos, if we can from Naxos. That would be a long day to go from Paros, to Piraeus to Mykonos, but I’ll keep that in mind. <BR> <BR>I have been corresponding with a woman in Greece who works for one of the Greek tourist offices and she said she would research boat schedules for May, if possible. I’ll post here what ever she provides for all of you. <BR> <BR> <BR>Hi Diane, I’ll check your web site out! Someone else recommended Petasos Beach H. What did you pay? <BR> <BR>Hi Celeste, I just booked at Hotel Attalos. Gave my credit card number and number of nights. I did tell them that I may subtract a night at the beginning and end of the trip, depending on visiting the islands. She was fine with that and just asked me to provide her with information when I can give it to her. I’ll do that in mid April when the summer boat schedules come out, unless Bill’s friend comes thru with information (or the woman from the Greek office). Maybe we could meet on the 12th if we are back from the islands. <BR> <BR>Alee, when do you plan to arrive in Athens? Maybe this can turn into a nice fodorites get together! I don’t know a whole lot about the islands except what I’ve read in my guidebook. I plan to enjoy the port towns, any archeological sites (Delos and those sites on Santorini), enjoy the taverns, maybe some villages, the winery on Santorini, and going to the beach. We’re going to be pretty flexible with the islands, so I may or may not rent a car. Some say the bus service is pretty good on the islands, so we’ll see. Maybe someone here can provide Alee with some specifics. <BR> <BR>