jenandfrank

We've got 9 days/nights to spend in Greece during mid-sept '05. We were thinking 1 or 2 nights in Athens and then the rest of the vacation on two islands. Does anyone have an opinion as to what 2 islands would be the best? Thank you.

brotherleelove2004

Santorini and Crete are only 65 miles apart, and less than 3 hours apart by Hellas Flying Dolphin fast boat. Between the two of them you will enjoy the best that the islands have to offer. The archaeological museum and Minoan palaces on Crete are not to be missed, and the sheer beauty of the caldera from the clifftops of Santorini is unforgettable.

repete

that's a good mix. i'd suggest two days in santorini and five in crete.

i'd take the ferries out but fly back to athens from the second island because the winds can be dicey and disrupt ferry schedules.

ekim

I'm Jealous.

I think you will find that a night or two in Athens will be sufficient to see what you need to see and move on to the Islands. Some tough choices face you.

As mentioned in another reply, Santorini and Crete are a couple of great places. However, Rhodes is also nice. And if you want to combine land and sea, you might want to take a look at Monemvasia for a nice little place to rest.

Take a look at the recommendations of best places to visit in Greece in the destination Guides at www.ThereArePlaces.com - the site will help get you started and then, you should buy a quality guidebook that reflects your travel tastes. Fodor's guides are always good, as are those provided by the AA, and Dorling Kindersley. If you are more of a casual traveler, you may want to try Lonely Planet or Rough Guides.

Best wishes for a pleasant trip
Ekim

Hania

Since the Peloponese is not really an island according to most people's thinking, although it is surrounded by water, I will not suggest Elfonisos. I agree that if one has never been to Greece than Santorini is a must. It will be quieter at that time so I would locate around Thira and travel out to see the island.
If Crete is too far (and it is #1 in my opinion) and you want to stick to the Cyclades, I would choose Naxos at that time of the season. Folegandros & Amorgos would be probably quiet with some hotels closing down around that time. So I would stick to the busier tourist islands.

jenandfrank

Thanks to everyone who replied. We were thinking of 5 days in Crete, 3 in Santorini and 1 (or maybe 2 if we can do it) days in Athens. No one mentioned Mykonos.. is that b/c it's more of a "party" island or b/c it's just not as nice compared to the others? Any comments or thoughts on which hotel is better in Santorini - The Vedema or Katikies? Thanks again to everyone.

brotherleelove2004

I vote for the Katikes over the Vedema because Oia is much more beautiful than Megalohori and at the Katikies you will have a fantastic view of the Caldera.

repete

here's another vote for Katikes.

kswl

No advice, just envy. Hoping to go next summer with my friend who is Greek. Post everything you find out, and thanks!!

europhile

I'd also recommend Santorini and Crete, and I think 3 nights in Santorini and 5 in Crete would be a good allocation of your time. If you have to cut a night, I'd cut it from Crete and do 3 and 4 nights, respectively. With 2 nights in Santorini, you only get one full day, and that's not nearly enough to really appreciate the relaxing effect of sitting poolside at Katikies and staring at the view. DEFINITELY go for Katikies. I've also stayed at Vedema and was disappointed to find that there is no view. It is a nice hotel with good service (but not as good as Katikies in my opinion because it's larger and not as personal), but it could be anywhere in the world- nothing about it really suggests "santorini" like the hotels on the caldera do. Of those, I believe (in my biased opinion) that Katikies is the best! As for Mykonos, it's nice but I don't think it compares to Santorini, and Crete has much more to see in the way of cultural sites interesting towns. For Crete, you may want to check out the Blue Palace- it looks great and it was almost one of our honeymoon stops, but we didn't end up going to Crete. We did meet another couple who stayed there and loved it. You can read about Mykonos, Santorini and Hydra in my trip report from our trip last July. Have fun!