Suggestions for Honeymoon to Greece
 

Hello all,

I am planning for a trip to Greece for my honeymoon in the month of May. I will be reaching Athens on 10th May and would leave on the 22nd May.

My plan is as follows:

1 Night - Athens
2 Nights - Mykonos
4 Nights - Naxos
3 Nights - Santorini
2 Night - Athens .

Is the plan ok ? Should i do Santorini first and reverse the order or should i keep it for the last ? Should i spend 4 nights in Naxos or 4 Nights in Santorini ??


PLease help guys

Hotels list is as follows:

Mykonos : Myconian Ambassadar Reliax and Spa
Naxos : Finikas
Santorini : Delfini Villas (Oia)

Any comments ??

Your itinerary looks good to me. The only suggestion I would make is to go by connecting flight directly to your first island upon arrival in Greece. That way you will save one trip in and out of Athens, and gain an extra night on the islands. A flight from Athens takes 45 minutes, about the same time it takes to get from the airport to central Athens. If you wish to go by ferry you will probably have to spend that first night in Athens, although there are afternoon ferries from Rafina (near the airport) to Mykonos.

It doesn't really matter which order you do the islands, but many people like to start with the one furthest away (Santorini) and work their way back to Athens. :-)

Among your 3 islands, Naxos is my own favorite, but at first glance I would say make allocate 3 nights on each island rather than cut short one upon another. 3 nights come down to 2 full days really... You do not mention what your motivation is to visit those islands of course and answer depands on that, but generally speaking, it's a shame going all the way to Mykonos to have only 1 full day.

thank you so much Heimdall and mariha2912

@ Mariha : i completely agree to you, but i have a weird reason to go to mykonos...

i read all the posts related to greece before and it says Mykonos is over-hyped.. while Naxos has more things to see and do..however, as mentioned in posts here all postcards of greece are straight out of Mykonos so we though we should atleast see what it is rather than missing it completely.. we do not want to explore much here but just get a feel of it..

P.S im still confused if i should spend 4 days in Naxos and 3 days in Santorini or vice versa..Please help guys...

@ heimdall - we are reaching athens at around 2 PM and after travelling 24 hours straight which includes a 10 hour halt in dubai.. so the first day we just want to rest in athens.. i guess after our mariiage and the hectic flight we would just wanna rest for a day and catch a good nights sleep to rejuvenate for our trip ahead..

the flight to mykonos is at 6:45 PM, that implies waiting 4 more hours at the airport.. i guess me and my wife would eat each other up before we reach mykonos...lol...

That's a good reason for spending the first night in Athens. If you don't mind the expensive hotel bill, stay the night at the airport Sofitel hotel and catch the first available flight to Mykonos the next morning, giving you the full day on Mykonos.

An alternative would be to stay at Rafina (30 minutes from the airport) and catch one of the early morning ferries to Mykonos. I've stayed at both the airport Sofitel and Hotel Avra in Rafina, and can recommend either. Rafina has some very nice fish tavernas, and rooms in the Avra have views of the harbour. It's only about a 10 minute walk from the hotel to the ferry docks. The SeaJet 2 catamaran from Rafina will get you to Mykonos in about 2 hours, or if you go by conventional ferry about 4 hours. Either will be cheaper than a flight. :-)

jain9kunal,
Just to let you know, my husband and I have stayed at Delfini Villa twice and loved it!

Actually most Greek postcards come with Santorini pics (white cube houses, caldera cliff, blue church domes) than Mykonos pics (white cube houses, windmills and/or houses by the water or fishing boats). I think over-hyped or not, any island deserves a few days, plus I would definitely try to visit Delos while on Mykonos...

Hello jain9kunal .My best wishes for your new life.
Your plan is ok , but i thing if you change myconos with paros you can goin directly from paros o Naxos and then Santorini or (better choise) Santorini ,Naxos and then Paros and from Paros to Peraeus (Athens).This way you have freedom in the days of your travel because From Myconos to Santorini its not every day ferrie line in May.

thanks all for the reply..

also, i am confused between filotera villas and delfini villas in santorini ?? can anybody guide me on the same ??

They're next door to each other so the view is the same. Both are excellent hotels. You won't be disappointed with either of them.

To answer your earlier question, I suggest more time in Naxos than Santorini.

thanks brotherlee and happytrvlr..

Also, could anybody suggest a nice hotel in Naxos. My budget is around 80 Euros a night... I'm thinking of Finikas, just that its a little too far from action..also, im goin in may..i dont want to be the only one on the beach with my wife...hahah

On May I would stick with Naxos Town+St George area...
You may want to check Xenia Hotel, Naxos Resort, Astir of Naxos,or even Alkioni and Porto Naxos.

Thanks Mariha,

Mariha, could you please also tell me about the weather in Greek islands in May ?? Also, would it be near to empty in May ??

We stayed here for a week in 2011 and loved it:
http://www.hotelspiros.com/

Middle May is quiet, but not near empty..You picked popular islands anyway.
Weather-wise, no one can predict. Usually you expect sun shine and warm weather, you might need a light jacket on the evening though...

I think you have a good plan for your honeymoon. Your division of nights in each locality looks fine too. I ALWAYS like to stay my first night in Athens despite other opinions. It's a long long flight for some of us, and getting your feet on the ground feels great before moving on to the islands. Seeing the Acropolis and dining in the Plaka is our favorite first night of vacation. The only change I would recommend would be to stay on Santorini first as the ultimate spot to chill out after your wedding.

thanks for your reply paros-blue..

I like your idea of staying in Santorini first...but we want to save the best for the last...thats how Indians are..haha.. we have our main course and save the desserts for the last..so we're keeping it for the last..

Could anybody tell me, if there are options of water-sports in Naxos in May ?? Also, is it cheaper to book a car online or is it cheaper if we book it when we arrive in Naxos ?? Indians are damn good in bargaining...lol

could any1 also suggest a 4 day itinerary for Naxos ?? We would like to visit Delos from Naxos...

Yes, there are opportunities for water-sports on Naxos, e.g. http://www.flisvos-sportclub.com/index.php.

Day trips from Naxos to Delos don't start until mid-June. When they do start, the trip takes about 10 hours, and includes a half-day on Mykonos. Since you will have already been on Mykonos it would make sense to go to Delos from there. The ferry from Mykonos old harbour takes only 30 minutes.

I can't help you with car hire, because I just use the bus when on Naxos. There are several car hire companies in Naxos Town with which you could negotiate.

Since you won't be visiting Delos from Naxos, 4 days will give you ample time to explore the island by car. Do you want to spend days on the beaches? There are several strung out along the coast south of Naxos Town, some off the bus routes but accessible by car. You could spend a couple of days visiting the mountain villages, and maybe the little ports of Moutsouna and Apollon on the other side of the island.

Can we got to paros from Naxos for a day trip ?? What can we see there in a day ? will it add variety to our trip ??

Yes, you certainly can go to Paros on a day trip from Naxos. There will be a Blue Star leaving Naxos at 09:30, arriving on Paros at 10:15. Then you can take another Blue Star back to Naxos at 22:00 or 22:30, depending upon day, and arrive back on Naxos around 23:00.

When you get to Paros you can walk around the kastro area (not as impressive as Naxos), and see the beautiful Ekatontapiliani "Church of 100 Doors". There is a small archaeological museum just behind the church. From Parikia you could take a bus either to Lefkes, a mountain village that was once the capital of Paros, or (my suggestion) a bus to Naoussa, a picturesque fishing village now given over to tourism. If the taxi boats are running you could go to Kolymbithres Beach, noted for its rock formations (Google it).

I would like to say you could also visit Antiparos, the little island 30 minutes from Parikia, but I fear you won't have time. :-)

Hi guys,

I am looking to book tickets for ferry for Mynokos and Naxos. Is it advisable to book online, or is it cheaper to book from the port itself ? If i book online, which website is more reliable ?? Also, which seat should i book ?? There are too many seats and no information available on the same

Has anyone stayed at the finikas in Naxos ? The hotel looks beautiful but it is a little far from the city.. is there any other similar hotel in the centre of naxos ?? i dont want to compromise on the quality of the hotel

Has anyone stayed at the finikas in Naxos ? The hotel looks beautiful but it is a little far from the city.. is there any other similar hotel in the centre of naxos ?? i dont want to compromise on the quality of the hotel

I just buy my ferry tickets when I get to Greece. You can buy online if you wish, but will be spending a lot of time doing what will take only a few minutes at an agency in Greece. Then when you get to Greece you will still have to pick up the paper tickets from an agent. If you do book online, book directly with the ferry companies, i.e. Blue Star, Hellenic Seaways, Sea Jets.

I like to buy my first ferry tickets from Amphitrion Holidays at the airport, then the others on the islands as I go along. Amphitrion has a service charge of €2 per ticket. This is worth it to me, as I get that transaction out of the way before leaving the airport.

Have you decided where to stay that first night in Greece?

For hotels in Naxos Town (St George) check http://www.nissaki-beach.com and http://www.naxosresort.gr

Hi Heimdall,

Thanks for the prompt reply.

My first night in Athens, i am staying at the Pireas dream hotel, it is 50 metres from the port. As my ferry to mykonos is at 7:35 in the morning,i think it makes sense to stay near the port.

I've heard good feedback about Dream Hotel.

You must be taking Blue Star Naxos to Mykonos, then. This is a huge ferry, and won't be full on 11th May. You can either buy tickets at the airport or from the ticket booth next to the ferry. If you want to feel more secure, go ahead and book online on the Blue Star website. Bring the reference number and pick up your tickets from the same booth next to the ferry. Suggest either reserved air seats, or for a little bit more, business class, which has comfortable sofas, seats and tables in a separate lounge at the front of the ship. In either case you can get up and wander around on deck whenever you like.

If you are taking Blue Star to Mykonos, the ferry stops en route at Syros and Tinos. It's fun to go on deck and watch the activity when the ship docks in port. :-)