Would you pick Crete or Milan/Budapest/Cinque Terra??
 

ok - this might sound like an absolutely ridiculous question to some - but it has been mind boggling to me.

As I have posted earlier - my husband and i (in our late 20's) will be travelling to the greek islands in the beginning of june. We will be seeing Athens for 1 day, Mykonos for 3 days, and santorini for 3 days as well. Hoping to squeeze in a day trip if we feel like it (to Naxos or Paros).

So the question is - we have 4 days left of the trip. Here are our options:

OPtion 1: Add on Crete
OPtion 2: Fly to Milan/Budapest
Option 3: Fly to Milan and somehow get to Cinque Terra

#2 and #3 might seem like weird options but this is what we came up with based on the fact that we wanted a cheap budget flight out of Santorini and this is all that was available on our dates.

So my question is - do you think Crete is something that is a must see. I have seen pictures and it doesn't seem as beautiful and relaxing (main reason we are going to the greek islands) as Santorini and Mykonos. It didn't appeal to us - but we could be wrong.

But then again Milan and Budapest??? I am not too sure about either. Very confused and we need to book these fast since we are afraid the $$ will go up.

Any opinions will be appreciated. Thanks :)

Are you thinking Milan And Budapest for your four days or is it Milan OR Budapest?

It would be Milan AND Budapest. Milan would come out to 1.5 days. Budapest would be 2.5 days.

Budapest is a great place, but with only 2.5 days available, I'd save it for a time when you had longer.

Personally, I'd spend two days in Athens but if you are looking for relaxation I would skip Crete, fly to Milan and head for Lake Como.

Hi,

I am not sure of the time situation and how long it would take to get there but my husband and I spent a week in the Cinque Terre in 2002 and we absolutely loved it! We hiked, hung out and drank wine, and met a ton of great people. I would always recommend it to anyone! We stayed in Riomaggiore and never wanted to leave! Just my 2 cents!

The Cinque Terra is is a national park with beautiful breathtaking hikes, charming villages and great food. However,from Milan airport, it is much closer to go to either Lake Como or Lake Maggiore, Italy's alpine lakes, scenery, charm and again great dining. You could even go to Switzerland for lunch from there.

I would vote for Crete for two simple reasons. First it is a worthy destination to visit with lots of things to do and see. The second reason to choose Crete for your add on is because it is will probably be much easier to visit Budapest or Milan in the future than Crete. If you are traveling in from North America you can probably get to either Milan or Budapest more easily and cheaply than trying to go to Crete. You can access most of the major areas of the European mainland from North america in as little as 1 to 2 flights but going to Crete will require a stop in Athens and therefore and additional flight which means more time traveling and higher costs unless you live near NYC and can fly directly into Athens. While in the neighborhood I would advise you to explore Crete, stay in Chania and rent a car to explore the island.