please help with greece trip
 

We are two couples in our early 50's. the men enjoy being around the water and boats and the ladies enjoy shopping. We have traveled in Europe to Italy many times and many other countries. We have always wanted to go to Greece and would like to do that this summer. We can only be gone 2 weeks due to our husbands work. I have looked for a cruise so we can see the most in a short time on our first trip but cannot seem to find one that doesn't have lots of days at sea and little time in ports. We are open to doing it by land but don't know where we should go. There are so many islands. Should we start in Athens - then pick 2 other islands and concentrate on them ?? Does anyone know a cruise line that spends lots of time in the ports and not so much at sea ?? Any help would be appreciated. We're thinking of going in June or July. Thanks

If you want to visit Greece, there's no point in spending time on a cruise ship with other foreign tourists. Get a good guide book (I prefer the Rough Guide, though I shouldn't say that on this forum) then go to the places that interest you. I'm in my early 50s and last visited Greece in October: I went to Crete and visited the island of Gavdos, then went to Mikonos. I had nothing booked in advance but had no problems finding accommodation or booking berths in cabins on overnight ferries. The best strategy is to head straight for whichever island you fancy, and leave Athena till the end of your trip.

Some years ago we combined a few days in Athens, an island cruise (Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete, Kusadasi, Turkey, and Patmos) and then another day or so in Athens before flying home (most on the cruise went directly to the airport after docking and we chose not to do that). I don't know if the cruise line (Dolphin Hellas) exists any longer, but I'm sure you will be able to find a cruise from Athens for either four or seven days.

Incidentally, the Olympics will be held in Athens this summer, so hotel space might be difficult to find at this point. There are also wonderful places to visit out of Athens, Adelphi, Meteora, etc. Since you have two weeks (we had less time than that) you should be able to work up a great itinerary.

Your tastes in traveling seem to run very close to my family- so here are my suggestions. I would go with the previous suggestion, and combine some land sightseeing with a cruise- perhaps of 3 or 7 days (i think those are the offerings)

Even though you are with a lot of tourists on the boats, the islands are very enchanting and part of the Greece experience. Plus I actually think that the most fun and unique shopping can be had on the islands, while the husbands can occupy themselves with enjoying the boats.

I have been on two cruises of the greek islands, the first on the Costa Classica, which is an Italian-run ship and for this reason had few Americans. You might try them, it was a very good experience. here is a website that, although it's from 2001, has some great information about the different cruise lines. http://gogreece.about.com/library/weekly/aa021201a.htm

In terms of what to do on the mainland, I combined a cruise with visits to Athens and Thessaloniki. If you are looking for a beach that many of the Athens natives go to, try Voulagmeni (sp?)- we had a great time there, and even stopped alongside the road to enjoy some local food.

But if you want a really unique trip you might consider visiting Turkey in the same trip. Some cruises of the Greek islands visit Ephesus, where you will see an ancient Roman city preserved much like Pompeii, without all the tourists! They also makes stops at the breathtaking Kusadasi. Really, you should experience this beautiful Turkish coastline that is astronomically less touristy than the Greek islands, and absolutely manageable and gorgeous. Turkey has GREAT Roman ruins- and you'll be surprised at how safe, beautiful, and friendly the country is.

I personally love Roman ruins, and that is why I originally was drawn to Turkey, and if you want to really experience something a little different, I would go for it. Not to mention the great shopping in turkey!!

Hi there -

I'd avoid Athens in the lead-up to the Games and go straight to the Islands. From both London and Amsterdam there are charter flights that go straight there . . . always easier than Piraeus.

See http://www.transavia.com/
You could always take flying dolphins or ferries between islands - it's high season so there will be plenty of boats.

I'm another fan of the Rough Guides series: 'Greek Islands' is what I used last summer & their take on things is right on.

BTW it's $100 for a visa into Turkey; if they'd drop that charge then maybe I might consider visiting. In the meantime there's just too much to experience within Greece.
HTH, good luck finding a short cruise : )

We (who are in our 50's and 60's) went to Greece and Turkey a year ago. I highly recommend going to Santorini and staying away from Athens. Also - you really should go to Turkey - the ruins at Ephesus are as good as any in Greece and the people are much friendlier. My favorite part of Turkey was Cappodocia.

I am planning a trip to Crete in May, leving from London. Ealing_calling mentioned charter flights from London. I would appreciate any information. Thank you.

From London Gatwick you can get charter flights direct to Heraklion or Chania on Crete and about 12 other islands, at least during the summer May-October.

Was in Athens in Januaary and prices are already sky high for the Olympics. I can't imagine how bad they'll be by August! The shop keepers, etc. just shrug their shoulders and say "the Olympics are verry expensive!". Keep that in mind as you visit Athens should you be there for any length of time.