I bought a plane ticket to spend 2 weeks in Greecein October, flying in and out of Athens. I'm trying to figure out if I should just wing it when I get there, do some advance planning, or find a reliable travel agent to help me plan my itinerary. A travel agent who won't quote me $3,000 for a 3 day trip to Crete alone like the one I already talked to.

I'm thinking Athens, Crete, and Corfu.

All input is welcome!

October isn't high season - do some advance planning

Do some advance planning.

Do advance planning. How many days/nights each place. Then look at ferry schedules/flights. Then check out places to stay and things to see/do. Greece is one of the countries where DIY is not that difficult. You have plenty of time to plan. Have fun!!

Once you have an itinerary in mind you can repost for comments as to how it flows, etc. Once you decide on some places to stay you can check out reviews here or on Trip Advisor forum.

DO look at som guidebooks, Athena... today people try to get it all from the internet, bu t it's like trying to get a drink from a fire hose; you get knocked over and drenched & disoriented but still thirsty, for the exact facts you need. That's what Guidebooks are for, to do some of the winnowing for you.

AND to orient you to what's do=able. for instance, look at this map: (click to enlarge):
You will see Corfu is way up next to Albania, and Crete is the southernmost island -- about as far apart as it's possible to get, and still be in Greece. If you want to do both, you may have to fly at least one way to each one... and that will run your budget up a bit. Otherwise you'll lose precious time. PLUS, do you know that corfu is so green because it gets more rain than most islands, and if you're going in October, the weathr thre can be chancier than in in more southerly islands. Just sayin'.

I suggest 2 books (again and again I say this): and ou can borrow them from the library -- it doesn't evn matter if they are the latest editionis, because you are not look ing at them for today's restaurant prices, jsut for the island highlights & basics:

(1) HK's "Eyewitness: the Greek Islands (+Athens)" -- very pictorial (not just photos but graphics)... shows the higlights of each isle... coverleaf shows the major ferry routes.

(2) ROUGH GUIDE to GREECE -- very detailed, very candid, will give all the plusses AND minuses of each destination ... and warn you away from places you wouldn't enjoy.

OCTOBER PLUSSES -- Lodging prices will be way down ... the sea will still be warm enough to swim. Nothing will be crowded. Bargain traveling. You won't need advance reservations unless you really want them... you can move around at will.

MINUSSES -- Many islands will feel "closing down" as people shutter their cafes, and head for Athens to put their kids in school. Ferries will be less frequent than in Septmber -- and the seas can be rough. And best take an umbrella & a windbreaker for those few showers.

About agents --- poor things, they have to make a living, and they no longer get commissions from booking air fare. So to make money, they must put yuo into hotels that are costly enough to be willing to pay a commision. The nice cozy family-run places with 10-20 rooms don't charge enough to pay an agent. We can give you TONS of recommendtions for small budget hotels that are friendly, lvoely, balconies with a veiw etc, and cost you €30-40 per night tops. And retaurants where you can eat eat eat for about €15 a dinner with wine.

So do some research... come back with more knowledge & yr questions, and we'll help.

Yes, do some research, come up with a plan, and you won't need a travel agent. Outside high season (Jul-Aug) it's easy to wing it if you go by ferry, but for air travel you will have to book in advance. Crete and Corfu are both islands with large permanent populations, and either would be a good choice for October. Unfortunately they aren't connected by ferry, so to visit both you would have to book flights between the two via Athens. A Crete-based airline, Sky Express, has flights to Corfu, but it's difficult to get information from their website.

Although possible to combine the two islands, a more practical plan would be to spend a week on Crete and a week on the mainland, with a trip to the Peloponnese & Delphi and a few days in Athens at the end.

I suggest using [email protected]. We had been to Greece numerous times but using her actually saved us money. we cross checked prices and she was able to get lower than discounted prices. Parts of the trip I did myself where her cost was higher. She is in Athens and very helpful with any and all questions you may have. Others here recommended her. She was able to interface with our hotel when there were plane delays and later getting our BA lost luggage to us on Santorini with all the Greek speaking people involved. Very helpful!

If staying in Athens and the surrounding area for part of your two weeks is a given, then you have to decide whether you want a large island, (Crete) or a smaller more seeable island (Corfu). I agree that you really don't have time for all three.

As mentioned above, October is the tail end of the season for the islands and some places may have already closed(both hotels and restaurants). You must plan ahead, or you could be dragging luggage round hotels looking for one that's open.

DIY - Planning is half the fun

We just returned from Greece and we used Uli at Dolphin Hellas. We had a great time and the tour we booked through her was discounted a bit and the hotel in Athens threw in breakfast (and they normally do not according to Trip Advisor). I suppose I could have booked it all on my own but I was happy with this trip and I do not regret going with an agent.

Thank you all for your great advice! I have been scouring the guide books and the Internet for information. The advice on Corfu and Crete on the same trip is invaluable, I did expect to fly. I'm not much for long trips on ferries. I will definitely come back with some more practical questions!