Paulo

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

Monica

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>

curly

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

Peggy

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.

Monica

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?

Martha

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>

Anna

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

Peggy

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

curly

<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

Monica

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>

Celeste

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!

Monica

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>

Tripp

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

Bill Barr

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

Paulo

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

Bill Barr

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

Diane

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.

Celeste

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.

Alee

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?

Monica

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>