Help with honeymoon! Italy and Greece

Old Sep 16th, 2021, 08:07 PM
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Help with honeymoon! Italy and Greece

Hello! My fiancé and I are interested in doing Italy and Greece for our honeymoon. We’ve seen major attractions in both and really want to keep the theme for this European beaches. We haven’t decided how many days yet but would love to do Rome Sardinia Santorini and Crete. Is this possible or overly ambitious? All itineraries I’ve seen also put in amalfi coast Florence Athens and Mykonos (we’ve done these previously so wouldn’t need to do again). If we did not want to include these I’m wondering if we could make the following possible:

Flying from SF
September time frame

Rome
sardinia-
santorini-
crete-

Would love tips on ideal time spent in each location as well as feasibility and the best way to travel to and between each of these. We don’t have anything booked yet and haven’t decided on duration. We can skip Sardinia if feasibility is a problem, we have not been to Sardinia or crete and I’d love to do both. Thank you!!

Last edited by jessicaridella; Sep 16th, 2021 at 08:37 PM.
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Old Sep 16th, 2021, 08:29 PM
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Welcome to Fodors. First "Rome-3 nights 4 days" - it doesn't work that way. Three nights will net you 2 full days on the ground in Rome. And likely you'll be suffering from jet lag so even the two days may not be full sightseeing days. How many days do you have total for the trip (home to home). When working out an itinerary, think in term of nights not days. and allow between half and a full day for transit between destinations.

Then there is the problem of no direct transport from Sardinia to Santorini. The very fastest route would take 8 to 9 hours with flights connecting through either Rome or Munich. So essentially an entire day.

"crete-4 days including travel home" would require five nights at minimum - and maybe 6 nights depending on flight times and whether you need to be n Athens the night before your flight home.

So in refining your plans - to get 4 days in a place means 5 nights, 3 days = 4 nights, and so on.




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Old Sep 16th, 2021, 09:06 PM
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Flights from Italy to the Greek islands are seasonal. The further you get into September the harder it will be to find a flight. Vueling is the one airline that goes later but some of the others stop flights end of August/first week of September.

You may also need to look widely at the various airports. Some of those flights are using smaller airports at odd hours.

Number of days depends on what you're hoping to do but with all those stops three weeks would be rushed.
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 07:08 AM
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It all depends on how much time you have and whether the Italy-Santorini flights are still in operation (agree early September would be better for that reason as well as for weather). I would strongly consider choosing one country, but if you have enough time at your disposal it could work. The only way to know for sure will be to scope out all of the options. The Google flight search and Skyscanner should help. Congrats--I'm a seaside lover so happy to offer other suggestions.
For an example of timeline ideas, if you have two weeks, Rome and Sardinia would be it for me, or if you chose Greece, just Crete would be fine with two weeks (assuming flying via Athens and a possible brief stopover there).
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 07:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Traveler_Nick
Flights from Italy to the Greek islands are seasonal. The further you get into September the harder it will be to find a flight. Vueling is the one airline that goes later but some of the others stop flights end of August/first week of September.

You may also need to look widely at the various airports. Some of those flights are using smaller airports at odd hours.

Number of days depends on what you're hoping to do but with all those stops three weeks would be rushed.
thank you for the suggestions! I think we will try to focus on either Greece or Sardinia…I’m Greek and have always wanted to island hop for honeymoon (fiancé has not been to the islands) but I was drawn to the beautiful beaches of Sardinia. Fiancé initially wanted a beach honeymoon in Hawaii but we agreed that that wasn’t honeymoon enough for us and I was trying to find a European beach that could get him those tropical vibes. Definitely open to suggestions, I’d say our ideal would be a place that has amazing food, culture, not too remote and beautiful beaches. It’s a challenge !
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 07:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Traveler_Nick
Flights from Italy to the Greek islands are seasonal. The further you get into September the harder it will be to find a flight. Vueling is the one airline that goes later but some of the others stop flights end of August/first week of September.

You may also need to look widely at the various airports. Some of those flights are using smaller airports at odd hours.

Number of days depends on what you're hoping to do but with all those stops three weeks would be rushed.
thank you! I changed up the ask and removed some of the day/ time restrictions
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 07:27 AM
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Sardinia has been top of my list for a while--I think it's an excellent choice for a honeymoon. One regular here routinely says it has the best beaches in Europe--the only ones comparable to the Caribbean. The cuisine is very unique, and there are a few cookbooks that I would recommend checking out if you are food obsessed like I am.
Maybe you can get to Greece for an anniversary celebration.
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 07:37 AM
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It's not really possible to tell someone how much time they should spend anywhere without knowing what they intend to do/see in each destination. I love Rome, and if it was my first visit I'd want to spend a week there. I also like Sardinia, and because of the logistics of getting there, I'd want to spend at least 5 full days. I haven't been to Crete in decades and don't remember it well anyway. Santorini didn't move me. (I know, blasphemy.)

If you keep these destinations, I suggest you fly into Athens and out of Rome and give yourselves 3-4 weeks. The longer, the better.

If islands and beaches are your "thing," consider Rome, Sardinia and Corsica which would result in less time lost in transit. Or some other combination within Italy that includes Elba/Cinque Terre, or Capri/Ischia/Amalfi towns. Leave Greece for another trip.
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 07:38 AM
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" . . . find a European beach that could get him those tropical vibes. "

What does he mean by 'tropical vibe'. Many European beaches are great but not tropical feeling at all. Sardinia might be the closest.
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 07:46 AM
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Much as I love the Greek Islands, if Rome is a must in your itinerary you should probably pick Sardinia. I flew into Olbia a couple of years ago and spent a week at a nearby beach resort with family and another member of our group who was a native Sardinian with family living nearby. We spent the first night in the family home near Orgosolo, and sat down for a meal where everything on the table came from their small farm, including the wine. That was an experience I will never forget. Incidentally, Orgosolo is noted for the murals painted on the walls of buildings in the town.
The Murals of Orgosolo - Art and History - Travel ideas
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 07:51 AM
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Originally Posted by yorkshire
Sardinia has been top of my list for a while--I think it's an excellent choice for a honeymoon. One regular here routinely says it has the best beaches in Europe--the only ones comparable to the Caribbean. The cuisine is very unique, and there are a few cookbooks that I would recommend checking out if you are food obsessed like I am.
Maybe you can get to Greece for an anniversary celebration.
this is very helpful! I think we are going to focus on doing an Italian honeymoon and avoid the plane travel…we’ll save Greece for another time
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 07:53 AM
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Originally Posted by jessicaridella
this is very helpful! I think we are going to focus on doing an Italian honeymoon and avoid the plane travel…we’ll save Greece for another time
That's a great decision IMO.

Covers all your wish list with the advantage of much easier transport links.
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 09:33 AM
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Santorini is not known for good beaches so look elsewhere. Other Greek islands have much better ones.
Tropical vibe? Do not recall that in Greece or Italy, rather in the Caribbean, Hawaii.
Sardinia sounds like your best option.
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 12:09 PM
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Originally Posted by HappyTrvlr
Santorini is not known for good beaches so look elsewhere. Other Greek islands have much better ones.
Tropical vibe? Do not recall that in Greece or Italy, rather in the Caribbean, Hawaii.
Sardinia sounds like your best option.
Thanks for the input! I of course understand that Europe will not be tropical. It was more of a “can we find a European beach that has white sand and clear waters” and it sounds like Sardinia fits that classification well. We will be doing Rome and Sardinia and perhaps one other stop along the way.
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 12:36 PM
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” One regular says the beaches are the best in Europe”

yes, hello that would be me but the seascapes don’t scratch the surface compared with what you will fly over on the way there.

I’ve only been married once, 26 years ago and we are still happily motoring on together.

is this honeymoon shortly after the wedding?

if so, do you appreciate how totally and utterly tiring and debilitating the whole experience can be ? Small talking to distant relatives for hours on end takes it toll.

The best decision we ever took in 26 years of marriage was the first decision - honeymoon the day after the wedding, 2 hours flight away in Seville. I slept for two days afterwards and then enjoyed every minute of our time. Couldn’t comprehend chasing round the globe with multi stop destinations but that’s just us.

Personally, I’d chuck out the culture … plenty time for that in future and relax.

ie

the Wymara Hotel , Grace Bay , Turks and Caicos - best hotel on the best beach in the world

or

an Airbnb cottage , Harbour Island , Eleuthera Island, The Bahamas

both a lot closer to SFO and a lot more style than Sardinia.

Failing that , if you really want Europe , Corsica is more stunning than Sardinia, foods much better and a little “happier “ …it’s French which means a lot more party time.

Totally failing that , stay at home ….you live in one of the most beautiful areas of the planet. We were to stay here -

https://bodegabaylodge.com

That was April 2020 , the week that nasty Covid kicked in , why not combine this this with wine in Sonoma ?

Last edited by BritishCaicos; Sep 17th, 2021 at 01:31 PM.
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 01:06 PM
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British Caicos is a wise man . . .
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 01:15 PM
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Originally Posted by janisj
British Caicos is a wise man . . .
you taught me everything I know!

……other than average drive times on single track roads.

I thought of you last week, I followed a tourist driving at 6mph on the single track road down Loch Sunart on the way to our building site. After 6 miles, passing 4 signs which stated “Police notice , please move over to a faster vehicle behind” , after flashing 6 times and pipping four they still wouldn’t move over. I resorted to nudging them off the road with my Volvo and shouted “sorry Janis” at them. Then continued down the road at 83 miles an hour.

(true story)

makes me sad dragging up the memories of that trip and how you helped me plan, all to be cancelled in the midst of chaos and no sign of rebooking in the near future. I’ve seen the pictures of the fires in the area this week and wonder whether Yosemite will be like a barrier reef - dead unless you get there soon.

Last edited by BritishCaicos; Sep 17th, 2021 at 01:35 PM.
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 03:58 PM
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Just a note about your "wish list" Jessica ... when you say clear waters, yes Greece certainly has that more than Italy, but Sardinia probably has clear water ... however, nowhere in the Mediterranean/Aegean will you find WHITE sand ... that's only in seas that have coral reefs... the Med/Aegean sands are golden.
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Old Sep 17th, 2021, 05:05 PM
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Originally Posted by BritishCaicos
you taught me everything I know! . . .
If ONLY you had stopped there. The rest is pure slander. It isn't me in those slooooow people movers . I just warn folks that they (not me) will be driving 25-30-ish mph on single tracks. Me ~ I'm more in 50-65 mph range

(Hopefully your California trip will come to be eventually)
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