gollum

Hi, We are planning a 2 week trip to Greece at the end of June.
We have a lot of adults and kids so don't want to hop around too much.
Just wanted to check if our tentative plan makes sense:

Fly into Athens. Spend 3-4 days there to explore the city and see the sights.
Fly to Crete for the rest of the time - one week at a villa near Chania
4 days in a villa in Makriagialos.
We will be renting cars in Crete.
We would love to avoid places that are too touristy and crowded, prefer finding spots with local flavor to get a real sense of the place.

None of us have ever been to Greece before.

Thanks!

brotherleelove2004

Especially if you have a large group to co-ordinate for the return to Athens I hope you are giving yourselves at least one more day in Athens at the end of your trip so you don't have to stress about a last-minute return to catch your flight home. Better still, if possible book your Athens>Crete flights so you fly there on the same day as your arrival in Greece and save Athens for your last days in Greece. This will be stress-free.

If you live in No. America be sure to go to your local AAA/CAA office to pick up International Driving Permits, no test or membership required.

yiassas

I second Brotherlee's advice, leave your Athens stay until last. If you time it tight for your return from any island there is always a chance of delay/cancellation/technical probs/strikes, & although you can make every effort to get on the next flight or ferry, so will everyone else.
Being in Athens at the end of your stay will make it easy to return to the airport for your homeward flight, with the choice of metro, bus or taxi.
The above doesn't happen too often, although a small delay can throw plans out, & with strikes still happening it's a big risk, especially with a large number of people to accommodate.

gollum

Thank you so much!
What you're saying makes sense. I will try to schedule Athens at the end. We are a large group (3 different families) but we live far away from each other and are all flying in from different places.

Also, thank you for the tip about picking up international driving permits. I was assuming that American licenses would work but I guess that is not true.

stevelyon

Hi Gollum
Im not sure what you are asking because it sounds as if you know exactly where you are going to spend your time, Are you wanting people to validate that your choices are quiet, or are you wanting suggestions as to where to visit from your destination ie places around Crete?
Steve

gollum

I just wanted to check that our itinerary makes some sense and is not completely messed up for some reason. My sense is that Makriagialos is about a 2.5 h drive from Chania which is okay as we would like to see a different part of Crete. However, do we have to fly in and out of Chania or can one fly one way into Chania and then leave from Heraklion.

Heimdall

You certainly can fly into Chania and out of Heraklion. All domestic flights are priced as one-way, so even when you book round trip you are actually getting two one-way fares. Just go on the Aegean or Olympic website and book two separate one-way tickets: Athens-Chania, and Heraklion-Athens.

danalou55

If you're going all that way in June, which can be brutally hot, I would linger in the islands.
I would fly into Athens and stay for four nights to get over the jet lag and tour the Acropolis and do a hydrofoil trip to the gorgeous small island of Hydra. It's my favorite island gem...a perfect day trip from Athens, and the kids would love the hydrofoil ride and the donkeys on the island as there are no cars allowed there. Take a bathing suit and a coverup so you can have dinner there. Don't miss the last hydrofoil back to Athens.
I think eleven nights is quite long to be in Crete and you'll be missing some of the most amazing places in the region.
I would definitely positively beyond the shadow of a doubt highly recommend going to Santorini. Stay in the breathtaking town of OIA. Take a private boat trip with Captain George in the mini port. It's exquisite. Then go to Crete if you must, but I like Mykonos and the kids would love the windmills there. It's beyond the most beautiful place I've ever been. I dream of it all the time.
I travel all around the world with friends and children, and would be happy to speak to you if you email me privately. Good luck, you're going to have an amazing trip!

gollum

Thank you all for this really valuable advice.
Great to know one can buy one way tickets to the different Crete airports.

Day trip to Hydra from Athens sounds fantastic. Will definitely plan to do that, I know kids will love it. I realize that we are missing something by not doing smaller islands but it was very hard to find lodging for everyone. Crete seems easier with bigger houses available. Santorini had some but it seems like a super-expensive island which got me worried. Already, the airfares to Athens from the US this summer are very daunting. Some of our group is coming from South Asia which has more reasonable fares. We are trying to avoid only doing hotels as it can get cumbersome with so many kids and such a large group. We found a big house in Chanya that can fit everyone and it is very attractive because this is a family get-together and the last time we all got together was 2 years ago in Portugal (lovely trip and much easier to plan).

gollum

By the way, can one do a day trip to Santorini from Heraklion?
I know it is about a 2 hour ferry ride so perhaps the logistics don't work out.

brotherleelove2004

Yes, there is a daytrip excursion leaving Heraklion at 09:15.

http://www.ferries.gr/cruises/flying_cat_4.htm

gollum

Is it worth doing the day trip to Santorini or is it too much hassle and too rushed?

brotherleelove2004

Too rushed, but better than nothing.

HappyTrvlr

We spent two weeks in Chania and idn't see everyting in western Crete that we had planned. Drive to the far west beaches of Falsarna and Elafonisi, very different from each other and both beautiful.

gollum

Thank you! All these tips have been invaluable.
Falsama and Elafonisi beaches sound great. I will make sure to put them on our list. We went to an amazing beach in Sintra, Portugal (Praiya de Adraga) and I feel I will never forget it.
I already feel like I need to visit Greece again after this upcoming trip to explore Naxos, Rhodes, Santorini, Skiathos, Paros - the list goes on and on. I am also really looking forward to the food in Greece.

stanbr

We spent 19 days in Western Crete and never did get to see everything we had planned. Your 11 days will fly by.

While in Chania look for Ancient Aptera just 18 km east. It is a site spread out over a montain top that goes back 1800 years. The best preserved ruins are from the Roman period. Your kids will love exploring the giant vaulted cisterns there.

Aa you pass through Rethmynon be sure to stop to spend an hour or so at the Venetian era Fortezza. Again the kids will love that experience.

As for the day trip to Santorini. I personally think that Santorini is a must do on a Greek Island trip. Having said that perhaps you might just want to wait until you get there before you decide if taking that day tour makes sense for you. There is so much to see in Crete you may not have enough time to take a day out of your schedule.
Brotherlee posted a few days ago that there is a new ferry company located in Chania. Their web site which is in Greek shows they will be going to Santorini. There is not enough information to determine if you can get back to Chania later that evening, but it is another option that you may consider once you get there.

By the way I think you will really enjoy Chania. Here are some pictures
Chania
http://travel.webshots.com/album/571195659jPcKjK
And Western Crete
http://travel.webshots.com/album/559511069PIlVxI
Have a great time.