Hi All!

My husband and I (both early 30's) are going to Greece the end of August (8/19 - 9/4 to be exact) and I'm trying to plan the trip now - yes, I know I'm super late - please don't rub it in

I've been researching itinerary options and am extremely overwhelmed with all of the information and options - PLEASE HELP!!

We arrive in Athens at 12:30pm on Friday, August 19th.

We were thinking of staying in Athens 3 or 4 nights and then spending the remaining time in the islands. We're primarily interested in seeing the Acropolis and walking around the city, getting acclimated with the city, etc.

Originally, I was thinking of spending the rest of the time in Mykonos and Santorini and possibly 2 days in Turkey and then fly home from Turkey, but:

- Not sure how feasible this is with the amount of time we have
- Is it worth it just to see Turkey for a few days?
- I've also now been reading how overrated Mykonos is. Considering all of this and the fact that we will be there during the busiest and most expensive time of year...

1-Should we go to Athens, Santorini and another island instead? I was thinking Crete or Naxos.
2-What is the best itinerary and amount of time to spend at each location?
3-What is the best means of travel between locations? Are the ferries feasible? My husband is concerned about the difficulties (ferry schedule, we don't speak Greek, etc.)
4-If we go to Crete, is renting a car the best bet? Any car companies you would recommend?


Some things to consider:
-We're most interested in beautiful beaches and scenery. Hiking and other outdoor activities would be fun too. I'd like the island to have a town we can walk around in too.
-We're both active, but it would be nice if the island had a mix of active/relaxation/romantic vibe
-We're not party animals or concerned with the nightlife/club scene, but it would be nice if the island had SOME nightlife (ie, a few bars, maybe dancing) and is not completely dead.

I'm sorry if this is a bit thrown together - so overwhelmed and really hoping the Fodor's community can come to my rescue!!!!

Budget?

You <i>are</i> leaving it late, but not impossibly so. Normally I would recommend flying straight out to the islands upon arrival in Athens, but you are arriving at the end of the busiest week in the calendar. In this case a few nights in Athens at the beginning of the trip may not be a bad idea. The islands will still be busy after Sunday August 21st, but that's the day some Greeks return home after their August holidays, so it may be easier to find rooms on the islands after then. Leave at least one night for Athens at the end of your trip, though.

Not speaking the Greek language is a non-issue. English is the <i>lingua franca</i> of the tourist industry, and everywhere you go except the most out of the way places you will be understood.

Ferries certainly are feasible, but travel time on them to/from Santorini and Crete is 8 hours or more. Check on the Aegean Airlines site to see if you can still get seats on the days you wish to travel.

Naxos is a lovely island, but don't exclude others such as Paros, which some of us prefer. With any luck the new Paros Airport will be open by August, with a longer runway than Naxos, and larger aircraft flying there.

Once you've made your decision you need to get on the internet and start making reservations. You can't be too fussy on hotels, because most of the ones frequently recommended will be booked solid. Go on booking.com to look for vacancies, and be aware of hotel location so you don't end up somewhere too far out of the way. Good luck!

Definitely rent a car for Crete.

Hi, I would agree with Heimdall as far as flying to an island rather than doing all ferries. Also, not speaking Greek is not an issue at all. Learn the basics, hello, thank you, etc. just to be respectful. Greeks don't really expect people to even know that so it's a treat for them when someone greets them with a Kalimera (good morning) or Kalispera (good afternoon) or the simpler Yassou (hi).

You would definitely want a car on Crete. It's a huge island (and one of my favorite). If you choose Crete you would need to choose one area to focus on.

What I usually do is fly from Athens to an island, ferry to the next island, then fly back to Athens. The ferries are incredibly simple to figure out and the travel agents in the different places you are will help you out if you are confused.

There are so many islands to choose from and you really can't go wrong. Naxos is beautiful and has a lot of hiking options. Santorini is one of the most magical places on earth, although definitely touristy but, you can get away from that and really enjoy it. Paros is also wonderful. Mykonos is also beautiful but it definitely more crowded and more touristic and a party atmosphere.

As Heimdall said, the first thing is to get plane tickets. They can go fast and August is pretty busy. Or, you can just stick with ferries but, I wouldn't plan on going too far out from Athens because that will take up so much time.

As far as Athens goes, I would also plan a night there before you leave. It's a bit less stressful, although I have taken an early flight from Chania, Crete many times and made my connecting flight out of Athens that same day with no problem.

I've been to Greece more times than I can count and there are still so many areas I have yet to visit. Keep us posted on what you decide and we can help with more specifics.

If you think you might rent a car and if you live outside the EU be sure to bring an International Driving Permit with you to Greece. If you live in the US/Canada go to your local AAA/CAA office, no test or membership required. Bring 2 passport photos with you to save a few dollars.

I've now heard that the first flight into the new Paros Airport will be July 25th, and Olympic Air will be using the 78 pax Dash 8-400. If that is true, there may be additional seats available for flights to Paros, as the Dash 8-100 that flies into the old airport can carry less than half that number. You can book seats on the Aegean Airlines website.