Thank you for your replies. There is no way to e-mail anyone in order to ask a specific question. I read somewhere the best way to talk to that person was by writing their name in the headline. I was not too sure how often you checked the site, posted or even saw my replies. This is why started the new thread. This was helpful.

I was hoping to do an easy loop in less crowded places.

Karathona and Tolo looks like they get packed. I do not know how keen I am on that. That is more of the type of place I think I would want to avoid.

I am looking for a good itinerary, that does not require driving. I would like to see the ruins like Mycenae, Delphi and Athens etc. I also wanted to find a remote place to relax.

I thought Spetses had a boat from Athens since there was one from Hydra that took only 1 hour. I assumed incorrectly that it continues on the Nafplio. Spetses seemed like a less travelled place. I read that the Saronic islands are accessible from Nafplio though, so maybe I should work out of there and Athens.

My thought was to do a loop. I would still like to. I abandoned the idea of going to Crete, because it seemed easier to get around on the mainland using the busses without the stress of driving.

This has made it much harder. All I wanted was a suggested itinerary that was doable in the time I had. Hence the suggestion. If can be fixed or amended please let me know. I would extend over to Olympia if you think it possible.

I'll see if anyone replies.

Well, you can not get a place with all the amenities and easy access on public transport without the crowds, but if you are willing to compromise a bit you could still find something quiet. The problem here is that you try to fit too much on my opinion, especially on public transport which is time consuming and less flexible than your own transport. With some effort though and some compromisses you could find a place to relax for a day or two. For example although I have not visit Nafplio area for ages, a combo of bus/taxi may lead to you to Didyma/Salanti, a pleasant beach with some hotels but not too developed or you could stay somewhere near Drepano (google Plaka Drepanou beach) which is not too far from the beach tj keeps refering as the Ancient Asini secret beach.

From Delphi you could use a bus or taxi to head to Itea and Trokadero hotel/beach or to Galaxidi on one of the various hotels either inside the town or on a beach a couple of kms away. Those places are not unknown but are not terribly busy usually. I may be wrong but I think you have not mention your dates which may make a great difference in terms of crowds too.?

PS: There might not be a so frequent ferry connection to Spetses, but this doesn't necessarily mean the place is quiet. Spetses is a posh yaught port, you may believe there is no regular tourist around but find tons of the yaught crowd.

WLMIV, there are fast ferries from Piraeus (Athens) to Porto Heli (Nafplio area) that stop at most of the Saronic Gulf islands, with Spetses the last stop before Porto Heli. In summer they run several times each day, and take about 2½ hours for the full journey. It would be possible for you to get on the ferry at Piraeus and get off at Spetses (or Hydra for that matter), then buy another ticket to get you from there to Porto Heli.

I'm not necessarily advocating you go to Spetses, but if you do it would be possible to do that loop you are contemplating through Nafplio back to Athens. I agree with the others who say you don't need to go to an island for a beach experience, though — in fact some of the best beaches are on the mainland.

WLMIV -- was it Einstein said that asking the same question over and over, and hoping to get a different answer was definition of ?futility? something like that. I think that's where you are.

In your original post (but unfortunately not repeated, for the help of late-comers), you gave your basic specs -- you have 7 or 8 days at the end of June, want to see a great many things, want to be able to use only public transportation but at the same time you also say you want to avoid crowds and find "a remote place to relax." You ask for a number of things & you cannot get them all.

You can travel to Nafplio area & back to athens by KTEL bus, only 2.5 hours each way. No "circle route" is anywhere near as fast! To Get to Spetses is too complicated for your short visit -- and this island can be quite crowded on June weekends because of popularity as a getaway for Greeks.

And as for a remote beach to relax on, what was wrong with the two I suggested. a 15-minute bus ride from Nafplio? I was at the Kastraki cove in June last year, there were only 6 people sunning, and 3 people in the taverna when I had an early dinner. Do you need to be the only one around, for it to qualify as remote. Remember that in such a case, there would not be a bus, or a taverna.

For a less-visited isle, Lividakia Beach on Serifos-- it has only 2 places on entire beach (1) small taverna/pension http://www.vacation-greece.com/hotel...ros-vassiliki/ and (2)http://www.thesaurus.gr/hotels/serif..._bungalows.php ... I have stayed in early june and it was very sparsely populated, especially #1. However, there's only 1 ferry per day (about 4 hrs), only a few tavernas in the port village, there is not much else to do on the island. You can't have it all.

BTW, the other 2 mentioned in your headline do not list contact info in their profile, but I do.

All of your advice helps so thank you.

Tavelerjan: Thanks. Your advice helps.

Now it is time to make a decision.

Well how is this idea? Does this work. That is my question?

1) Arrive Athens
2) Athens - Sight see
3) Athens - Delphi
4) Athens- Nafpilo
5) Nafpilo - Mycenae
6) Nafpilo - Epidaurus
7) Nafpilo - Cape Suounion
8) Cape Souunion - Temple of Poseidon and Beach
9) Return to Athens -
10) Leave

Does this itinerary work?

We went to Spetses as a day trip from Napflion. We drove down to a point on the coast where the water taxi to Spetses was located. We loved Spetses, so green after the arid Cyclades. Lovely island. I would like to stay there on another trip.
There also,were organized day trips to Hydra and Spetses from travel agents in Napflion.

Happy Traveler, the Original Poster wishes to avoid driving if possible. The organized day trips, when they do show up, are usually only in High Season (early July thru mid-august), and OP is going last week in June.

Here's what I put on the other thread re Sounion:

Have you looked at a map yet, WL?? THere is no direct route from Nafplio to Cape Sounion. If you are still planning on Public transportation, you will take a KTEL bus back to Kifissou station in Athens. Then you'll have to taxi to one of several places (bus near Arch. Museum, Or a tram?? I don't have the transp. at my fingertips). I presume you plan to stay at that hotel which is near to Temple of Poseidon. Looks lovely, fairly pricey. Friends tell me that the Temple is best visited early AM , good light for photos, and NO tourists. If you try to do the sunset thing, you'll be sharing the view with 4-5 busloads of tour groups.

1) Arrive Athens
2) Athens - Sight see
3) Athens - Delphi
4) Athens- Nafpilo
5) Nafpilo - Mycenae
6) Nafpilo - Epidaurus
7) Nafpilo - Cape Suounion
8) Cape Souunion - Temple of Poseidon and Beach
9) Return to Athens -
10) Leave

Without getting into too many Nafplion and surrounding practicalities, 4 nights/3 full days seem fine there.
What I do not get is the so many in and out of Athens. It will eb a long day, but dependin on what time I would arrive on Athens, I would try to connect straight away to a bus to Nafplion, avoiding one packing/unpacking, checking in/out of Athens session there, Spend Night 1,2,3,4, on Nafplion, then making it back towards Athens. You have to decide what about Delphi. A day trip or overnight? Again a long day but if an overnight, you get from Nafplio to Athens, swap bus stations, get bus to Delphi, overnight in Delphi night 5, visit sites and museum next day, get back to Athens on night 6,7,8, enjoy 2 full days at Athens. Get early to Sounion the following day, relax, spend night 9 on Sounion, get to the airport on day 10 straight from there rather than backtracking to Athens once again.

So something like
1) Arrive Athens, get bus to Nafplion, Nafplio
2) Nafplio
3) Nafplio
4) Nafplio
5) Leave Nafplio, get to Delphi through Athens, Delphi
6) Delphi AM, bus to Athens, Athens
7) Athens
8) Athens
9) Early bus to Sounio, Sounio
10)Leave

Still fast paced on my opinion and a couple of long travel days, but more feasible.

PS: If you decide to do Delphi as a day trip or stick with your original plan and return in Athens multiple times, use same hotel and store part of your language in Athens hotel carrying part of your stuff or a small backpack with you on Delphi and/or Nafplion if you wish.

I have my plane ticket and 8 days in Greece. I have made an itinerary of sorts. I would like a little more advice. I am kind of stuck in regard to maximizing my time. Again, I am alone and am not renting a car.

Let me list what I have planned if you would be so kind please help me figure out how to iron out the kinks in plan.

With your suggestion, please be specific especially in terms of logistics. I do not need open ended options. I need a fixed itinerary.

Day 1- Arrive Athens in the afternoon. Take taxi to hotel in center of the city. Not much planned. Any advice for the late afternoon? I was basically going to walk around. There was no time to get to Nafplio on the first day.

Day 2 - Athens - I have planned a walking tour of the Plaka and the Acropolis. The tour has an option of going to Cape Sounion at 2:30 in the afternoon. My question to you is if it is better if I visit Sounion on my own and stop off at a beach along the way? Would there be time if I were to leave around 1 pm by bus?

Day 3 - Tour to Delphi from Athens and I will return to Athens. The option was travel to Delphi from Athens and spend the night (or to go to Nafplion first and then take a bus there from Delphi). This seemed like it was a lot of travelling by bus and hence I thought it might be better to have a guided tour from Athens.

Day 4- Travel to Nafplio (KITEL Bus). Is it difficult to take this bus? Do you know how long it takes? See the sites in Nafplio and going swimming!

Day 5 - Visit Mycenae and Epidaurus stay in Nafplio. (I have found a service where someone will drive me to these sites. Alteratively, do you know of any tours from Nafplio?

Day 6 - I am booked in Nafplio, but I have the day free. How can I maximize this day. Where could I go? Is there somewhere in not too far distance to Nafplio that I could reach in order to enjoy the day and do some sight seeing/and swimming? Of should I go back to Athens and then take a boat to a nearby island for a night or two? Alternatively, I could stay in Nafplio and to take in some beach nearby. Being near some water would be key. I did find a day sail, but have not contacted them yet. It might be too long spending it all day on the boat.

Day 7 - Currently I am returning to Athens from Nafplio. I expect I will leave in the morning. Do you have a suggestion for the remainder of the day in Athens after I check back in to my hotel? I was thinking of visiting the national war museum and the area (maybe Benaki Museum if there is time. Or do you think it might be more fun to take a half day trip from Athens?

Day 8 - This on is a toss-up. I was thinking of maybe taking a Hydra, Poros, and Aegina Day Cruise. I would like to do this, if you think I can fit some beach time into this trip. We have about two hours in each location. It seems like a massive tour full of people which is not exactly my cup of tea, I am already on a couple of tours as it is. I want to avoid feeling like cattle like you are on big tours (I am already doing one to Delphi but it is allegedly a must see). Do you think I would be better off going to either Ageina, Poros, and Hydra by myself as a day trip? Again, my goal would be sightseeing (like hiking somewhere and swim time.

I plan to leave the following day. It is possible I could add a day to the itinerary, but this is a maximum I could add.

Again, Thank you. I post this here, but if I have no answers, I will put it on a new post - so forgive me. Please concrete answers only - as if you are a travel agent planning this for me.

IF only! if we were travel agents we'd be getting commissions ... so we might not have quite as much patience as they do. And at least W, for all the time we've devoted, we hope you'll come back with a trip-report thread to tell us how things worked out
Once again WLM, it's thoughtful to recap the DATES you are going, for any new readers. I had to repeat it once up above & it's now buried 2 months back. You are going sometime in JUNE 2016. My concrete comments:

DAY 1 - You'll still have 3-4 hours of daylight (sunset bout 8:45-9!). If oon day 2, u are doing Athens Walking tour (Athens City Tour & Acropolis) YOU will need the 6part Landmark ticket but only use 1 or 2. So Why not buy the ticket ahead on aft. of Day 1, and use it to browse around the Ancient Agora (which yr walking tour won't do) -- it's lovely in the Late-Day light.. RICK STEVES Site has FREE D-I-Y tour of Agora to download to mp3 i-pod or smartphone. https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-rea...-turkey#athens. then walk west on the lovely promenade and find the hill of the Pnyx sit & enjoy sunset turning the Parthenon gold! Bring a beverage or, Walk back on walkway, by Lysikrates Monument, for a drink at DIogenes, cafe under the flowering trees .. a lovely place, mainly greeks, beautiful people.

DAY 2 - I would not do tour to Sounion. Save Sounion for end of trip if you have time, and inclination. When your tour ends on Acropolis, why not go a few steps more to Acropolis Museum, lunch on their beautiful terrace looking up at Parthenon (no charge just to go to cafe - good prices too). Then u can decide whether to tour that museum OR --Rick Steves ALSO has free D-I-Y tour of Nat. Arch Museum ... taxi there (5E) and walk back. OR look at this super list (Print & take) of all fascinating Athens highlights w. hours & any adm. fees: http://www.athensinfoguide.com/open.htm

DAY 3 - as u said.
DAY 4 - NAFPLIO -- Hey WM, did you even click on the link I gave you waay back in Dec ???? http://www.visitnafplio.com I bet not. I am not going to re-write all the wonderful info on there, but will just tell you to click on The website links to (1) TRAVEL DIRECTIONS (tells u ALL about Ktel bus!! Sked, time, cost. Take taxi from your hotel, just 11-12E, most efficient. (2) Old Town -- great to explore, DONT MISS SUNSET at seafront! (3) BEACHES - One right in town on other side of ramparts, or TOLO beach a 15 min bus ride The seawalk around base of peninsula; breathtaking.
DAY 5 MYC-EP TOUR -- Sometimes trav. agencies run one; check on Day 4
DAY 6 - Go to Tolo! OR Kastraki (Asine)! ask anyone OR read website!
DAY 7 - Check the List link I gave you ...
DAY 8 - Don't take that stupid 3-island tour; almost all time in a boat jammed w others. Take Metro (30 mins) to Piraeus, buy ticket on first available Ferry (NOT hydrofoil) to Aegina... about 50min ride - great views of boats, shore, birds etc). Bring swimsuit.. either take bus or rent scooter or taxi to Temple Aphaia, then go to Ag. Marina beach & have nice lunch. sunset cocktail at port & ferry back by moonlight. Here's a photo album that shows ALL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/362647...646139/detail/

You will get answers to a lot of those questions when you are actually in Greece. Why not do what you want to do rather than what someone else tells you?

DAY 3 : You can do Athens-Delphi-Athens by public bus too if you are not a big group person. A licensed guide is a licensed guide of course, but otherwise tour buses are not that much more convenient than public bus. You stop here and there to collect fellow tourists from other hotels, you arrive on Delphi approximately the same time that public bus arrives, then usually your rush through the ruins and museum and often skip the stadium and the whole lower site in order to have a mediocre lunch in a restaurant in the middle of nowhere and/or stop by Arachova to shop rugs or something. I always find it a bit ironic that most people think of this round building with three columns standing (the Tholos) when they think of Delphi, but are fine to completelyt skip it when they are finally on the spot...
Of course either way you arrive on the busier part of the day, around 10-10.30 am on site and of course it gets not only crowded but hot on summer but DIY you can chose on what pace to explore, chose where to eat and explore a bit more around, not only the ruins and museum but the town too. And decide to depart as late as 7.15pm or latter or not. One has to get to bus station using the public ktel bus of course, but bus ride is around 3 hours one way, either using tour bus either the public one.
Just saying...

Heimdall that is not a concrete answer, don't you want to get the job of travel agent he he he ...

Xa xa xa, travelerjan, as they write in Greece! No, I don't want to be a travel agent...nor be treated like one.

My comments weren't just a brush-off, though. There is rarely a trip where everything goes according to plan, and it's important to leave room for a little spontaneity. The Greek people are very helpful to travellers — it's easy to get information when you are actually there (and it will be up to date!).

The day I took a bus from Athens to the Peloponnese the metro and all the taxi drivers in Athens were on strike. How did I get to the bus station? No problem! I just asked the hotel receptionist and she got me there.

I totally agree, Heimdall, I have encountered SO many random acts of kindness in Greece ... and have always gone into an "iffy" travel situation there with the attitude of "well, something will work out -- and what can be bad? I'm in GREECE" and sure enough it works. You & I know this, it's just people who haven't traveled much, I find mainly Americans, who really feel uncertain when they can't just jump into a car anytime they want, and go where they want, on roads that they know.

Many memorable moments in Greece have occurred for me en route, quirky ones, that I'm grateful for. Perhaps by the time William the 4th comes back, he will have had a few of these.

It's True that it is my first time to Greece and so I do not know what to expect since I do not speak Greek. But It's not that I am worried about something. I lived in South America and so I have experienced all kinds of Murphy's Law incidents. However, my time is short and so I want to have a plan to make the most of my time.

I am travelling alone. As a result I like to have the logistics sorted out so I do not have to stress and can enjoy my time.

I wish I did have more time...!!!Thank you Traveler Jan. I have looked at your links. You have been helpful. Thanks for your input again. It really helped on several issues I am working over in my head.