Hi - It seems that I may actually get to go back to Greece this summer, and I�m getting excited. If all goes as planned 🤞🏻, I�ll be on Paros for 9 nights with another 8 nights to spend in Nafplio and Athens. It seems that I�ll have to ferry (from Paros) and then bus to Nafplio, which is fine, although I wish there was a water route to take� I think it makes the most sense to spend 2 nights in Athens, 4 nights in Nafplio and then 2 more nights in Athens, but am open to suggestions on how to organize those 8 nights. Thoughts?

Paros has an excellent airport, and is the last stop before Piraeus on Blue Star Ferries, so a good choice for getting back to the mainland. To get to Nafplio from Athens by bus, you need to go to Kifissos Station, and take an express bus from there. There is an online booking system which I find difficult to use on my iPad, but you can go to the station and buy your ticket there.
https://eticket.ktelargolida.gr/en/?view=search

To get to Kifissos Station from the airport you can take the X93 express bus, which leaves every half hour or so and takes just over an hour. From Piraeus you can also go by bus, but it�s one of those city buses that makes many stops. From Piraeus it might be better to go to Kifissos Station by taxi if you don�t mind the extra expense. If you are staying in central Athens before going to Nafplio it�s only a short taxi ride to the bus station.

If it's at all possible I would spend your 4 days in Athens before returning home rather than splitting it up.

If you return by plane from Paros to Athens you can take a taxi to the bus station to get to Nafplio.

If you return by ferry from Paros to Athens you can take a taxi to the bus station to get to Nafplio.

A taxi would be the quickest, albeit most expensive option but it will be door to door service.

They'll be taxis waiting at Piraeus and at the Airport so not much time wasted in waiting for a bus.

Most people recommend saving Athens for the end of your trip.

Crazy Horse just saved me a lot of keyboarding! I was just about ready to say the same thing. Would add onlly that I've done that ferry-to taxi - to KTEL station thing, going from Cyclades to Nafplio... and it takes a whole day!! Ferry is 4+ hours, you will be lucky to get the 4:30 (16:30) KTEL Bus ... which takes until nearly 7 pm, more if there's a traffic jam. I remember being on that highway with grumpy "newbie" companions, had to feed them chocolate constantly to mute their whining. If you get an AM plane from PAros, a mid-day KTEL bus ride will be traffic-free, lots of time to explore Old TOwn before sunset on the seafront. BTW, yes, save Athens for end, inefficient & time-waste by spliltting it up.

I wouldn�t recommend a taxi from Athens Airport unless you don�t mind an expensive fare. The X93 is an express bus directly from Athens Airport to the Kifissos Intercity Bus Station, similar to the X95 to Syntagma Square and the X96 to Piraeus. Tickets are only �6 as compared with �38 for a taxi. From the ferry port at Piraeus or central Athens the distance is much shorter, so taxi fares will be cheaper.
http://www.athensairportbus.com/en/

EDIT: I agree with travelerjan that an early flight from Paros would be much better than a ferry. Blue Star, a conventional ferry, normally arrives in Piraeus at 14:45, and I don�t see a highspeed on the timetables that arrives any earlier. Paros has a modern airport with several daily flights on large turboprops. Its longer runway allows flights with Dash 8-400 aircraft rather than the smaller ATR 42 that flies into Naxos and Milos.

Thanks for the tips and information. I planned to ferry from Paros, rather than fly, because I’m flying to Paros a few hours after I arrive in Athens from NYC. I like the idea of mixing up my transportation to get a broader experience. For me, the journey is part of the trip. 🙂. I find it interesting that most believe that pushing through upon my arrival to Athens to go directly to Nafplio is the way to go. In my mind, getting to Athens and racing to catch transportation to get to a bus sounds stressful. I’d rather find my way to my accommodations, dump my luggage, and jump into Athens with my camera. We all have our individual styles of travel, I suppose. Mine is leisurely. ✌🏼

AH, lilly, you have 18 days, so you CAN Be leisurely... so smart of you to allow enough time.

As long as you allow sufficient time back in Athens before your flight home to NYC that sounds like a good plan. That’s what “most” are concerned with.