Hi,

My husband and I just used our airline miles to book a trip to Greece for the first 3 weeks in June 2005. I am just starting to plan where to go and what to do and would appreciate any ideas. We are both mid 30's and would like to go places to hike, bike, sun bathe, sightsee, etc. We like to go out so nightlife is definitley something we will be up for. We are flying into Athens and think we would like to go to Santorini and Crete for sure but we are not sure where else. Any suggestions on hotels, things to do, transportation (ferries, airlines, car), fun places to go, would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Heidi

Going to the Cyclades islands (Santorini, etc.) is a good idea since there are many to choose from and they're easily reached by ferry, either car ferry or Flying Dolphin.

Be sure to go to Oia on Santorini, the most beautiful and traditional village on the island. Visit Akrotiri, the archaeological site on the southern end of the island. Kamari Beach and Perissa Beach are the most popular beachfront villages, but there is also Red Beach near Akrotiri.

On Crete there's Phaestos and Knossos, the main Minoan Palaces. Heraklion has a wonderful Archaeological Museum as well. Chania on Crete is a lovely seaside town reminiscent of Venice, Italy, and is a good stopping off point if you want to hike the Samarian Gorge. Agia Galini on the southern shore of Crete is a wonderful, quaint fishing village.

Naxos, Paros, Antiparos, Ios, Sikinos, Folegandros, Anafi, Amorgos and Mykonos all have something special to offer.

Be sure to save some time for Athens (but leave it to the end), and maybe a trip to Delphi or Meteora or even down to the Peloponnesos would be worth your consideration.

Here are some links to ferries and airlines:

http://www.greekislands.gr/hfd/

http://www.aegean-air.gr/aegeanen/home/

http://www.olympicairlines.com/

Thanks for the comments Brotherleelove2004. Do you have any idea what the weather is like in June? I am hoping it's nice and sunny and warm enough to swim. As far as getting from one island to the next, is it worth saving the money and taking a ferry vs. flying? I am afraid to get totally seasick and be stuck on a boat for 12 hours. I assume Crete is the farthest island to get to?

Also, any idea money wise what we are looking at? We don't have to stay in luxury resorts but we definitley want to stay someplace nice with a view, pool, etc.

Thanks for you help, I appreciate it!

hklukas, I don't want to highjack your thread, but, was wondering when one can plan travel to less populated islands, like Folegandros....when is the ferry schedule set for the season? We're also looking at 2 1/2 weeks in Greece late May 2005 into early June. I'm finding that, until we know it's possible to get to an island, we can't plan any time there.

June is an excellent month for travel. It's warm but not yet overrun with tourists. All the shops and restaurants will be operating.

If you look at the Flying Dolphin website you'll see that the travel time between islands is much shorter than if you were to take a car ferry, and the ride is very smooth as long as the winds are not high. If you really have trouble with seasickness you'll need to adjust your plans to allow you to fly between islands, but you'll be limiting yourself to those with airports.

You can find rooms to rent for as little as 30 Euros/night, perhaps less, but the more you budget for the better the selection. If you travel by ferry in June you'll be met at the ports by locals with rooms to rent at very reasonable prices, just do some research and be sure of where on the island you want to stay. If no one is at the port from that area, just take a bus there and ask around, you'll find something. June isn't high season so there will be a lot available.

Since you want a pool you're talking about hotels instead of private rooms, so you'll pay more, as much as 100 Euros/night (or more for more luxury). Caldera views (highly recommended!) on Santorini always cost more than other parts of the island.

Judy, the following website will help you figure out an island itinerary, but you'll have to wait until the end of the year at least to get info about May, 2005. Learn to navigate this website and you'll get all the help you need. Just be aware that any published timetable can be changed without notice, so keep as flexible as you can.

http://www.gtp.gr/

Thanks, brotherleelove, that's exactly what I needed to know. I've been using that website and putting in September dates, thinking May & September are both shoulder season and there may have similar schedules, but realizing it may well change.

We're thinking now we'll fly first to Santorini and work our way back to Athens. We can book Oia and Athens early to be sure to get our choice of accommodations and wait for ferry schedules to be published to decide the other stops, ideally Folegandros and Syros.

hi hklukas!
In 3 weeks you can see many different things and it's wonderful that you can come for so long.
My suggestions:

Athens: It's such a pity that most tourists miss the capital. If you know the places to go, it's not such an awful city after all ;-)
From there you can have a one day excursion to Hydra Island. It's very nice and close to Athens.

Cyclades: Santorini, Mykonos, Sifnos, Syros

Crete: Crete is big. My favorite is Chania, (Rethymno is cute too). If you like hiking and walking don't miss the Samaria Gorge.

I suggest that you rent a car and travel around Peloponese. Go to Nafplion, Mani Prefecture and Monemvasia.

Visit Delphi. And have a lunch at Arachova town! (it's the 'hot' spot of greek winter tourism. The ski center is nearby and it's like "mykonos in winter" Don't miss it...it's very close to Delphi)

For hiking and walking etc.. Pelion Mountain has it all. For Winter or Summer. Some lovely beaches, great landscapes, mountains etc.etc. If you have time left rent a car and go there as well. The nature is lovely there.

...So many places...so little time! Feel free to ask anything you like. I'm sure you'll have a great time! June is a very good time to come

Congrats on a great vacation choice! I've been to most western and northern European countries, all three north american countries, and Japan, and of all my travels, Greece was by far my favorite.

I agree with the other travelers about destinations. The Greek islands are fabulous and quite accessible by ferry. However, be prepared for the "Greek way." It is relaxing once you get used to it, but if you are a stickler for precision and planning, you may feel frustrated. Schedules are apt to be broken. For example, we were on a ferry to one island and halfway there the captian decided that he didn't want to continue on; so we stopped at another port and had to take a connecting ferry to our final destination. Never found out if there was a 'reason' for the changed route, and many people were quite upset. We bought our ticket (all of $5 each) and had a glass of wine and snack in a cafe along the port while we waited for the next ferry to depart. Figured we'd seen an additional island for $5 each!

You also may be somewhat surprised by Greek plumbing - which is antiquated and must be handled gingerly. Also, water can be scarce in some of the Greek islands - they actually truck water onto Santorini. At one bed and breakfast, the hostess made sure we understood that we were not to wash our clothes out in the sink because of the water shortage. (Perhaps if you are staying in higher-end hotels, these won't be issues.)

By the way, if you go to Santorini, the town is at the top of the cliffs. When you first arrive in the port (which is at the base of the cliffs), it is a crazy zoo of people trying to get transportation up the hill. Buses are full and taxis go for a premium. If you have the time (which you really should if you are going to Greece), walk across the street to one of the cafes and cool your heels over a beverage and/or snack until the mob clears. Then take a taxi for a reasonable fee up to the town. Don't wait too long, though, because another ferry will come in and the chaos starts again.

Good luck in your planning. With the right mindset, you will have a fabulous tiime.

Great advice here. And, with 3 whole weeks of bliss in the blue Greek seas, I would definitely try to see some of the smaller, less touristy islands.

People will be happy to see you in June, you can expect wonderful dry heat in the 80s, perfect for taking a dip after a long hike to some gorgeous beach . . . (or, just rent a scooter!) . . ..

Definitely do the hydrofoil and ferry thing, some of them are quite reliable (like the overnights to Rhodes & the Dodecanese via Blue Star):

http://www.bluestarferries.com/ENGLISH/defaultmain.htm

I think the Lonely Planet guides to the islands are good, and this website also has some personal takes on island personalities:

http://www.greekisland.co.uk/

HTH, have fun planning!

Judy, Ferry schedules are only set about 2 months in advance, however there is a general trend in ferry routes which can be used for a bit of pre-planning. For Folegandros in late May early June it is roughly 4x/week from Piraeus. Alternatively you can usually go via Paros and get a connection. The exact days of the week are variable so plans have to be very flexible. I have been to Folegandros roughly 4 times in the last 15 years it is not particularly difficult to reach.

Just To Clarify:

Water isn't trucked onto Santorini, it comes from deep wells on the island and is trucked to wherever it's needed. It's expensive, so the locals don't want you to waste it. It's a bit on the brackish side, not fit to drink, but safe nonetheless.

The village of Oia used to be totally dependent on this process (as well as the small amount of rainwater caught in cisterns) until a very wealthy benefactor paid for a desalinization plant to bring water to every home in the village as well as into Finikia next door.

Waiting for a taxi at the ferry port is a good idea, but you should also know that there are buses there when the boats arrive to take the majority of the passengers into the main village of Fira. The bus is also a lot cheaper than a taxi, and there is room for your bags.

Hi:

We were in Greece this year from June 15 to July 9. The weather was hot and sunny every day. We did:

Athens: 4 nights
Mykonos: 2 nights
Paros: 2 nights
Naxos: 2 nights
Santorini: 3 nights
Crete: 4 nights
Rhodes: 2 nights
Athens: 2 nights

We found our itinerary to be pretty much perfect for us. We wanted to see as much as possible but it also gave us a bit of time to relax.

We ferried everywhere except flights from Crete to Rhodes and Rhodes to Athens.

In retrospect we should have spent 1 more day on Mykonos. We had to choose between touring the island and visiting Delos (we chose Delos and were happy with the choice, but it would have been nice to do both).

Paros was a surprise hit. We did not know much about the island before getting there and we found it to be beautiful, clean and friendly.

Another surprise was Athens. It was way nicer than we had been led to expect.

We stayed on the beach close to the Old Town in Rhodes. It was quite resort-y, but for us it was a nice, relaxing way to end the trip.

June is a great time to go. The weather is warm but the crowds are not too nutty!

Hi hkulas,

I was in Greece couple of years ago and it made a lasting impression. I visited Athens, Santorini, Mykonos and Corfu.

Santorini is really beautiful. The scenary is unique. There is a combination of activities in Santorini one can do. You can go sightseeing, go to the beaches, hike and see beautiful scenaries. To me the biggest asset of Santorini was its absoultely beautiful scenary. I thought the scenaries were breathtaking. I did not care for their beaches as much. I thought they were the low point of Santorini. I visited all their beaches. I drove to Oia some days to watch the sunset. I agree with the other post that Oia is a beautiful village. It is the popular spot to watch the sunset. I thought watching the sunset in the Santorini village was as beautiful.

Mykonos is beautiful in a different way. You feel surounded by all the white buildings, red flowers and blue doors that one sees in the pictures of Greece. In addition, it has an active night life. If you like to go to the beaches, Mykonos seems to have more beaches and be more of a place for beach goers. They have beaches that is loud and partying is going on to completely family type beaches. You have a range that you can choose from based on your taste. Delos is nearby and it is a nice boat ride and worth seeing if you enjoy history.

Another Island but this one is north of Athens is Corfu. I was curious about the northen islands. This is a larger island with absolutely beautiful scenary. It has its own character. It was not as crowded as the other two. It has a bit of a urban character because of the size. It has nice beaches. You can always drive to different destinations in this island and you will see just georgeous scenary. As you are driving, you can stop at a beach, swim and continue. You will come across small fishing villages as you get further from the center, you go up on altitude and will see beautiful Cypress forests and multi-color water. It also has some sightseeing and history behind it.

Traveling with boat is very easy. You can easily take the boat between islands. The plane rides from Athens to the islands are available as well. Both are easy to arrange.

After I got to the islands, I would rent a car when I needed one. I felt in Santorini and Corfu a car was more needed than Mykonos.

My suggestion is to leave Santorini to last. Do the hiking and biking, nightlife and beach scene in Mykonos perhaps, then chill out and stare at those views. Ahhh. We were there last June and Oia surpassed our expectations. Make sure you get a hotel with a pool it was pretty hot in June.

Sorry about my misinformation regarding the water in Santorini. I saw the water trucks and just assumed they came over on the ferries. I didn't mean to imply that water is a "problem," just that it is a more valued resource on the island.

About the buses at the port, we did see them and actually tried to board a couple. However, it was a mob scene and, with 7 in our group (including some children), we had trouble getting everyone at the right place at the right time. For us the cabs worked better and the difference in cost was not an issue. However, I agree that a couple traveling would probably be successful jumping on a bus. Also, it may not be so crowded for other travelers as it was for us, at the height of tourist season, in August.

By the way, do the buses return to the port after dropping the first load, as the taxis do?

I know what you mean about the mob scene for the seats on the buses. I've been caught in the rush myself a few times, and once did take a taxi as an alternative. The buses only go to the port just before the boats arrive to drop off outgoing tourists and to pick up the new arrivals. The rest of the time I think they blend back in to the established routes around the rest of the island. Either that or they park in Fira and wait for the next ship.

I didn't see anyone suggest Matt Barretts web site. We were in Greece for 2 weeks last year, and he has a huge amt of info. On www.greektravel.com. Have fun

Thank you all for your wonderful ideas and input! The only problem with using airline miles and booking so far in advance is now I have to wait 10 months before I can go! My husband was wondering if there are any of the islands that have any decent fishing. He loves to fish and would be happy to be able to do a little of that while we are in Greece if possible. I was also wondering about the rates for travelling by boat. I know some are faster than others and I assume cost more, but I was wondering how much to budget for that. How about eating and drinking? Is food expensive? I live in Seattle so things are fairly expensive here. We have already been to Germany (Oktoberfest) and Italy and am wondering how prices compare. Thanks again everyone for all of you input, it's truly appreciated!

Heidi

Here's a link to the Hellas Flying Dolphin website where you can see their prices for inter-island trips in the Cyclades.

http://www.greekislands.gr/hfd/

The Flying Dolphins are twice as fast as the car ferries, but it's an inside ride all the way, no deck space (just so you know).

Hi Heidi - just as an FYI about ferries... my husband is in Athens at the moment and I will be joining him there after the Games are done for a couple of weeks' holiday. He just booked a us seats on a Flying Dolphin to Santorini for early Sept. It was 100 Euros for 1 seat in business class. It takes 4 hours; the larger (car) ferries take about twice as long but are cheaper. I originally wanted that but in another thread I learned that smoking is intrusive on the larger boats.
Here's the link to that thread, which you might find helpful
http://www.fodors.com/forums_reg/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

Also if you want nightlife then Mykonos is a good place to go for that. Also the beaches are good - here's another link
http://www.fodors.com/forums_reg/threadselect.jsp?fid=2