martinabyrne

Looking for ideas for a trip to Greek Islands. Thinking of flight from Dublin to Athens on Sat 25th Aug and would need to return home on Fri 7th Sept. Like nice food & wine, walking, taking photos of beautiful sunsets and scenery and shopping. 2 Adults in early 50's - won't be looking for nightlife and not into water sports. Won't be hiring a car. Never been to Greece before.
Any suggestions?

KayF

It seems you like similar things to us, and similar ages too. We've been on quite a few trips to the Greek Islands, it's a real favourite. If you can fly direct to your first island, that would save time getting another flight, or transferring to the ferry port, from Athens. There is not a lot of shopping on any of the islands we've been to, but Rhodes might fit your requirements. There's a lot of history there, we stayed in the old town and walked easily to a lot of places.

Sunsets are famous from Oia in Santorini - it's down the tip of the island and has some spectacular views. Maybe see if you can fly into Rhodes direct, then either ferry or catamaran or fly to Santorini. Getting the ferry to Santorini is better in some ways as the island views as you approach are amazing but flying is quicker. Mykonos had some lovely small shops but most things are aimed at tourists. Mykonos town was really pretty, I think we stopped on every corner to take a photo.

From Rhodes we did a day trip to Symi, another island which is quite different but really lovely. If you are going to ferry between islands, check first that it will work, without going back to Athens. The ferry routes tend to operate in island groupings.

I guess you know it will be extremely hot in August in Greece. Normally we never bother with airconditioning or swimming pools but on that trip, we would have found it difficult to sleep without some way to cool down the room. If you don't like it really hot, can you go slightly later? By October everything seems to wind down and it might feel a bit 'dead' in some places but September should be OK.

Kay

Kay

martinabyrne

Hi Kay, Thanks for your advice. Yes, I was speaking with someone today who told me not to go in July or August as it would be too hot. She also recommended Paros and Santorini and advised me not to go to Athens unless it was really necessary so I think we might try to postpone our holidays for a couple of weeks and see about flying to Rhodes instead of Athens. I think I have a lot of homework to do!!!
Thanks again, Martina

isabel

It will be cooler and less crowded if you wait and go a few weeks later, but check ferry (and flight) options before you make that decision. I'm not sure when the ferries (and flights, and buses) switch to their off season schedules, but when they do you may find that instead of daily (or multiple times per day) your option decrease to once every other day, etc. I think most of September is still high season but check.



The combination of Santorini, Naxos and Paros is a favorite - and for good reason. With two weeks you could also easily add in Crete.

Mimar

What's the matter with Athens? The Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum are some of the best sights in Greece -- or Europe for that matter. Worth a trip according to the Michelin Guide. And there's lots more to see in the city and surrounds.

The usual advice is to put a few days in Athens at the end of your Greek stay -- in case you have transportation trouble getting back to Athens.

Heimdall

Where to fly depends upon connections from your local airport. I live in the UK, but have no idea where non-stop flights from Dublin go to in Greece. You really need to spend the last night or two wherever you are flying home from, as people are finding with the 24-hr strike that cancels ferries throughout Greece tomorrow (30th May).

If you can get a non-stop flight from Dublin to Rhodes that would be a good choice, but then it would be best to pass up Paros and Santorini, instead sticking to islands in the Dodecanese, e.g. Symi. If you want to see a volcano, there is one on Nisyros that is better than the volcano on Santorini.

martinabyrne

Thank you all very much for your replies. Yes, I would like to see Athens while we are there and will definitely spend a night or 2 there before returning home, if we fly into Athens. I will check out flying directly into Rhodes or Crete also. Unfortunately, I don't think it is going to be possible to postpone our holiday even for 1 week to enable us have 2 weeks in early September instead of 1 at end of Aug and 1st week in Sept so I hope it will not be too hot!!! I'm quite busy in work at the moment also so I don't have that much time to research our trip so we might have to do with an organised trip somewhere else in Europe this time and leave Greece until we retire although I hope not ...... every photograph I see is enticing me there!!!!

Heimdall

Last week of August and first week of September is one of my favourite times to be on the Greek Islands. While Athens will be hot, winds in the Cyclades keep temperatures about 10C lower than the mainland. Any island with an airport is less than an hour from Athens, so you have lots of scope.

Going back to your post #3, Paros and Santorini are good choices. Paros won’t be as busy as Santorini, so that’s the place to relax. If that is your choice, fly directly to Santorini upon arrival in Athens, then after a few nights there, take Blue Star Ferries to Paros. Paros has a good airport, but it’s only 4 hrs by ferry back to Athens, so either would work well.

martinabyrne

Great, thank you. That's good, I think we could manage those lower temperatures! I've had a quick look at flights and I think we will have to fly to either Athens or Corfu as there are no direct flights from Dublin to Rhodes. I like the sound of Athens, Santorini and either Naxos or Paros, or both. If flying to Athens, is it better to fly directly to Santorini or get a ferry and if ferry is better, is it far from the airport and approx. how long is the trip?

Heimdall

Conventional ferries from Athens (Piraeus) to Santorini take about 8 hrs, and highspeed ferries a little less, but are twice the price, and uncomfortable in rough seas. Most ferries leave between 07:00 and 07:30, so international travellers often arrive too late for a same day ferry. It takes about 1-1½ hrs to get from the airport to the Piraeus docks. I've often taken the 07:25 Blue Star which stops at Paros and Naxos before Santorini, but that means an overnight flight from London arriving in Athens around 04:00.

There are flights from Athens to Santorini from early morning to late evening, so it's usually possible to get a same day flight with only a few hours layover at Athens Airport. No point, IMO, in staying overnight in Athens when you can get a 50 minute flight to Santorini. I prefer the Aegean/Olympic flights, buying Flex tickets: https://en.aegeanair.com

KayF

Timewise, you'd be better off flying to Santorini, if you are already at Athens airport. Another thought is to fly Dublin to one of the London airports, then fly direct from there to Santorini. Just make sure it's in to, and out of, the same London airport, otherwise you'll spend hours travelling between the two and trains are expensive.

If you end up getting a ferry from Santorini to another island, try and get up on deck as you leave the island. The views are amazing. I think it looks like white icing over a chocolate cake.

Kay

aliced

I agree with a previous poster, "what's wrong with Athens?" as we spent 5 nights there before jumping on a 7-day cruise of the islands on Azamara, which was wonderful. Less than 700 passengers, great food and entertainment. As to Athens, the cradle of western civilization, we loved our Plaka hotel location which put us in a fairly easy walk up the Acropolis. We then passed on Hydra, but saw Mycenae, Napflio, Corinth and Epidaurus on a day's outing; other days were spent in the Acropolis Museum, walking other areas and taking the funicular up to Mt. Lebetticus, which afforded spectacular views; another highlight was the National Archeological Museum, where just the first floor takes you from 1500 B.C. to 1 A.D. It was truly fabulous to see the wealth of splendor of these early civilizations, not seen anywhere else. The islands we saw were: Mykonos (our favorite as to its walking areas-- shops & restaurants, and its gorgeous beaches, some just 10 min ride from town -- don't miss them), Rhodes, Patmos, Crete (the other favorite), Rhodes, Santorini and Ephesus. While Santorini views were spectacular, there is not that much to Oia other than the pictures seen everywhere of the blue & white rooftops; the town Ferra (sp?) where your boat tenders and from where you must take funicular and then taxi to Oia was very touristy and unremarkable. If going to Santorini, I'd recommend an overnight in Oia in one of the many "cave" resort hotels nestled into the steep side of the town -- very cool. You really to read up on each and every of your possibilities. We went in early October and weather was perfect, water was warm.

martinabyrne

Thanks everyone! I've only had a chance to get back to this this evening.... I see that we can get a flight from Dublin to Athens with Aegean Airlines which arrives into Athens at 5.15am on Sunday 26th Aug.or one with Aerlingus that arrives in Athens at 12.00 noon on Saturday 25th.
We can fly direct from Athens to Santorini at either 7..00 or 7.15am or 15.40.
So far, I'm thinking that the one arriving in Athens at 5.15am and heading to Santorini at 7.00 would be a good choice. That would give us most of Sunday and all day Monday there and then look for a ferry to Naxos. Would that be enough time in Santorini? and any recommendations on where to stay bearing in mind we won't be hiring a car.

Would 3 nights be enough in Naxos before heading to Paros for 4 nights and leaving Paros on 4th at 16.05 to fly back to Athens for our return flight to Dublin on Fri 7th Sep at 8.15am.

I also need recommendations for accommodation in Naxos, Paros and Athens please. Doesn't have to be too fancy but would need air conditioning, private bathroom etc. and close to public transport.

My other option would be to take a package holiday to Rhodes and take a few day trips to other islands from there. I had a look online but nothing is showing up for the dates I entered but might phone the company and see what they have. I was thinking that it might work out better financially but I would appreciate your thoughts on this also. The day trips I saw included trips to Symi, Halki and Kastellorizo and Lindos, which I think is on Rhodes itself was highly recommended.

Heimdall

My first two trips to Greece from the UK were package holidays, but after that I've gone DIY, and would never go back to package. Your DIY plan sounds good to me. My preferred airline for flights from London to Athens is Aegean Airlines, and if you book with them from Dublin you can book your Athens - Santorini flight on the same ticket. Since ROI and Greece are both EU countries, you should then be able to send your luggage all the way through to Santorini (confirm with the check-in desk at Dublin). You will still have to go through passport control at the first point of entry into Schengen, which in your case will be Athens.

I never make hotel recommendations unless I have actually stayed in a hotel, but can suggest what I feel are the best locations on the islands. For Santorini the main choices are the caldera villages where you get the best views, or the beach side of the island which is cheaper. Fira is on the caldera side, and is also the hub for the Santorini bus system. Unfortunately it gets very crowded with cruise ship passengers. I prefer Oia, which is very quiet first thing in the morning and again after the sunset peepers get back on the buses to Fira. There are a couple of villages in between Fira and Oia which would be quieter than the two. Many people prefer the beach side, with the two main villages being Perissa and Kamari. Everything is cheaper there, and the beaches are black volcanic 'sand'. You can still catch a bus to other parts of the island for sightseeing.

For Naxos either stay in the Agios Georgios (St George) district of Naxos Town, or one of the SW beach resorts of Agios Prokopios, Agia Anna, or Plaka (Agios and Agia mean saint in Greek, Agios being masculine and Agia feminine). The advantage of St George is that it has a beach but it's only 10 minutes walk into Naxos Town where all the best restaurants and shops are located. The beach resorts are about 15 minutes by bus from town.

For Paros the two main settlements are Parikia (the port) and Naoussa, a picturesque former fishing village. There are lots of smaller beach resorts all round the circumference of the island, e.g. Golden Beach, Piso Livadi, and Aliki, the latter two probably a little quieter at the end of August.

I like to stay on Antiparos, a little island across a narrow strait from Pounta on Paros. It's actually closer to the Paros Airport than the main resorts on Paros itself, and there are buses direct to the airport from Pounta where the Antiparos ferry arrives. The ferry between Antiparos and Pounta leaves every 30 minutes from 06:30 until after midnight, and takes only seven (7) minutes to cross. Many people commute to work and school every day between the two islands.

Heimdall

BTW, all the islands I mentioned have good bus systems, Paros probably having the most comprehensive network. The buses on Santorini get very crowded. Naxos has frequent buses to the beach resorts, but fewer buses to the mountain villages, serving mainly the people who come into town for work and school. Antiparos has buses to the stalactite cave and to Agios Georgios at the south of the island where you can take a boat to the archaeological site on Despotiko or to the sea caves along the southern coast.

martinabyrne

Thanks Heimdall,
So far, I'm looking at either Oia or Firostefani for Santorini and in Naxos, I'm thinking that St. George would be a good option for us. In Paros, I'm thinking either Naoussa or Antiparos but I'm leaning towards Naoussa and doing a day trip to Antiparos. Would you think it better to do a day trip to Mykonos from Naxos or Paros as this could mean adding a day to Naxos and reducing our time in Paros by 1 day. Is it better to fly from Paros to Athens or take a ferry?
Thank you all for your suggestions so far, it's been really helpful.

KayF

Hi, I think your flight idea of arriving Athens 5.15am and departing for Santorini at 7.00am is cutting it too fine. If your flight into Athens is even half an hour late, you would probably miss your onward flight. If it was me, I'd allow more time. You could be OK but could also be stressful (and expensive).

I think either Oia or Firostefani would be fine but I'd choose Oia. We've stayed in Fira on one trip and Oia on the second trip and Oia is lovely. It's a bit quieter but still with lots of places to eat and small shops. The island is not very big so you can always get a bus into Fira to explore. The sunsets from Oia are pretty famous, everyone seems to head down there to watch but the buses stop running quite early. When we stayed in Oia we just wandered down from our hotel, it was more relaxing than worrying about missing the last bus.

You will pay more for a caldera view but the view is sublime.

Kay

Heimdall

No question that doing a day trip to Delos/Mykonos is better from Paros, especially if you are staying at Naoussa. The excursion boats start at Naxos, then travel at sea for 45 minutes to pick up passengers at Naoussa. At the end of the day they drop off passengers at Paros before returning to Naxos. That means from Naxos you spend an extra 1½ hours at sea on a boat even smaller than the smallest of inter-island ferries. Naxos Star is a monohull while Alexander is a catamaran with a wider beam. Both are the same length, but I'm told Naxos Star rolls more in rough seas.

I think for a first-time visit to Paros Naoussa would be a good choice. Most of us who love Antiparos are veteran island hoppers who go there to relax among friends. You can see a lot of Antiparos on a day trip, but the town itself is very quiet during the day. In the evening the town comes to life, with everyone coming for drinks and dinner.

After the 1st of September Antiparos begins to get quiet, but this is what Antiparos is like in July (documentary produced by the islanders themselves):

martinabyrne

Thank you Kay and Heimdall. I've just had a quick look at accommodation in Oia for 2 nights and it seems to be really expensive! .... between €349 and €648 for 2 nights for 3* accommodation on Booking.com. Would this be the norm?

KayF

That does seem more expensive than I remember but I think Oia would be pricier than Fira or Firostefani. The other areas are fine and they are all fairly close together, it's only a smallish island. Another option is Imerovigli which is a bit closer to Oia than Firostefani. You could try posting another question, making the subject heading about Santorini accommodation. If you specify what you are after (caldera view, aircon, pool, whatever) some of the people who know the island really well (Brotherleelove for one) may see your post.

We stayed at Filotera Villas in Oia which seems to have gone upmarket and is now Filotera Suites. It was a nice place but that was some years ago.

Kay