uppsala30

I don’t know where to begin- but my husband just told me two days ago that he probably can’t join me on our trip to Greece. Work problem. I leave this Sunday 4/30 for two weeks in Thessaloniki with my daughter. My husband and I are scheduled to meet in Athens on May 15. All travel reservations have been confirmed. I can cancel his flights on United and most accommodations and get refunds, small flights to the islands on Aegean seem to be no refund. I do have trip insurance but I don’t think work problems are covered. If I am there by myself I don’t think I want to go to Santorini or Milos. Should I just ditch Greece and fly early to Portugal. That was supposed to be our last week of vacation. I am a 65 year old woman, not afraid to travel by myself , but not certain what to do about this. Needless to say I am really stressed. Any suggestions? Is it possible to get a land only tour package in Lisbon? My flight home, which I cannot change, flies out of Lisbon.

SusanP

I don't think you should change the itinerary just because you are alone. Make your decision based on which you would be sorry you missed. I went to Santorini by myself at that age and had a great time.

janisj

I certainly wouldn't cancel or change anything myself. But that is me. Plus you do say your daughter will be be with you some of the time in Greece but maybe I misunderstood that part??

KTtravel

I think I would not change plans but would pack some books to read and try to schedule tours of Santorini and Milos to help you keep busy while you are there. Could your daughter join you for Santorini and Milos?

uppsala30

My daughter is planning on staying on the mainland. Her husband ( also a professor so he can travel when semester is over) is meeting her in Thessaloniki and they have plans. Santorini was on my husbands bucket list not mine. Our plans were 4 nights in Athens w daughter and her husband, fly to Santorini for 3 nights, Milos for 4 nights, then back to Athens for 1 quick turnaround then 6 nights in Lisbon. Maybe I should dump Santorini and just go to Milos by myself to relax. I’ll have to find new accommodations there as we were staying at the Santa Maria Village Hotel and they don’t have any availability.

KayF

If it was me, I'd try and cancel going to any places that may make you miserable being there on your own. Time is against you, if you are leaving in a few days but if you can make the trip more about what you want to see and do, maybe you can rescue things. People say, oh why change things but it really depends on the person, how they would feel suddenly having to do the trip alone. It would upset me. Also, I hesitate to say this because it complicates things a bit, but I think Santorini is a stunning place and so popular for a reason. Milos I would not go back to - not awful but not great either.

Heimdall

If your flights with Aegean Airlines were booked Flex or ComfortFlex you can cancel, but there will be a €23 refund charge. All my trips to Greece have been as a solo traveller, and for me that’s not a problem. Travelling early in the season is especially good for solo travellers, as locals who serve you will have more time to chat than in the busy season.

Are you Swedish as your screen name suggests? My favourite island in the Cyclades is Antiparos, which is also a favourite of Swedish and Norwegian visitors. Whether you are or not, Antiparos is small enough that you will be remembered when you come back to the same cafe or restaurant, and have someone to talk with.

https://en.aegeanair.com/plan/bookin...cancellations/

joduhl

A few days ago the New York Times published a story of diverse people recounting their solo trips - where they went, what they did, how they felt about it, how much it cost. As I recall, almost every person was very positive about traveling by themselves, including those who do it regularly and those who were doing it for the first time. I found it inspiring. The NYT has firewalls to their stories but if you can find it, it's worth reading.

joduhl

How Much Did You Spend on Your Solo Vacation? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

travelerjan

On my very first trip to Greece, I spent the first 8 days with a relative, but then a further 21 days on my own, going to 4 other Islands and the Argolid in the Peloponnese, as a solo retiree. I took it as an adventure, a chance for discovery, and had a memorable time. I did do some strategizing for companionship along the way -- one of the best moves was, on my first day in each place, to take a local sightseeing bus tour. These tend to attract independent travelers, people who are interested in culture, history, landmarks etc instead of just "beaches and beer" -- and who also may be sinigles or couples who like meeting new people. Several times these outings resulted in having lunches or dinners with other travelers. Likewise,sitting at a seaside cafe at sunset, I'd have conversations with people at the next table, and end up having drinks or dinner with them. (I found it interesting to initiate with a comment to the woman in such a setting -- often, it turned out that they'd been travelling awhile and were tired of just talking to one another, and welcomed another English-speaker). I do remember one evening when I said to myself, I'm lonesome -- and my antidote was to go out and have a Very American dinner ... french fries and a Cheeseburger (although, iti being Naxos, the potatoes were divine, and the burger at Wimpy's was a lot better than the average MickeyD's. ).
Of course, I acknowledge that I'm a social and outgoing person, and am also (as a divorcee and a professional in the work world) used to doing things on my own. If may be a challenge, for someone who's shy and/or very accustomed to having a partner handle the social end of things. However, even if this is the case, you might just look at this as a "trial run" -- after all, you may not always have an intermediary, and learning to navigate independently can be a rewarding experience.

SusanP

Following what travelerjan said, there are two big advantages to travelling alone: You can do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it and people are much more likely to talk to you.

Heimdall

I didn’t know there were Wimpys in Greece, the first and last time I tried one in England the burger was so bad I couldn’t finish it, and the company nearly went out of business back in the 70s or 80s. I think travelerjan meant Goody’s, which I agree is better than McD. Blue Star even has Goody’s on its ferries.

travelerjan

Thank you Heimdall, for the CX!!! I misremembered, My Bad. And yes it was Goody's .. have also enjoyed a Goody's burger on the Blue Star .. much better than the Venerable pastry on offer at the coffee bars.

KTtravel

I didn't realize Santorini was not really a place you had initially wanted to visit so now understand your question a bit better. Have you decided on your plan?

Heimdall

Travelerjan, thank you for bringing back memories of Wimpy, the character in Popeye cartoons who loved hamburgers, and for which the burger chain was named. I didn’t realise until looking it up now, but Wimpy was originally a US company that folded back in the 70s, but before that licensed the name to a company in the UK.

uppsala30

Thanks to all who have replied, #1 I am not Swedish, I attended University in Uppsala, I live in California. #2 Thanks for the tip about Aegean Air #3, I don’t think I want to go to Santorini alone, I just have this feeling the island will be crawling with couples on their romantic vacation. That would make me sad. I like the idea of just going for it and join day tours. Maybe I will change plans and go to Paros. I did look up day trips with the Viatour company in both Greece and Portugal. Any other suggestions for local day tour companies?
I will have two weeks in Thessaloniki with my daughter to figure this out. Right now I am trying not to kill my husband. We have been planning this trip since July 2022🤯

travelerjan

OK For you!! As a Solo traveler, I will suggest instead going to NAXOS ... its port town much more interesting and fun and by May 15, the sea will be OK for swimming ... if you can give us the date you'll be back in the Athens area from Thessaloniki, we can figure out... If it's May 15 I have a plan for you. Do not sign up for some 10 day tour... go to a nice place for solo travelers like Naxos for 4-5 days, then go to Athens for a couple of days, then do a 2 day tour to NAFPLIO & Surroundings.. a gorgeous place. If you need help, you can PM me and I can walk you through it. I'm presuming you'd be flying (or traini?) back to Naxos Area arrive Monday? May 15.

• MAY 15 -- AEGEAN AIR has 12 NOON Flight to Naxos; SKY EXPRESS (Also good airline) has 12 NOON and 16:50 (4:50) flilght ... each take about 40 minutes
Hotel -- on Booking dot.com HOTEL PALATIA .. a FAB small hotel with Very welcoming helpful hospitable owners/managers - has a room w balcony on water queensize bed avialable May 15-16-17-18 for $334 for 4 nights. . https://www.booking.com/hotel/gr/palatia.html Right by beach restaurants & cafe, 15 minute walk along seafront, into port town for dining, music museums shops etc
Activities - there's a DAILY wonderful round-island tour https://www.naxosbustransfer.com also many other day tours -- such as food/wine tours on sites such as this, which you could book on arrival with hellp of your hotel host - https://philema.tours/tours/
. MAY 20 - take leisurelyl BLUE STAR ferry back to ATHENS AREA. -- and go to ATHENS WALKING TOUR for a wonderful all-day experience... Acropolis in AM, thena lunch and Acropolis Museum in Afternoon. Next Day - Nat. ARch. Museum (alsoi possible on a tour, A-W will fix you up).
• MAY 23 -- Sign up in advance for this FAB TOur -- https://www.chat-tours.com/index.php/Tour/view/15 runs every Tuesday-Wednesday... you will thank me! People on this kind of tour are interesting & informed. it has LOTS of FREE TIME to wander beautiful Nafplio town & enjoy seafront sunset that IMHO is beter than Santorini. BTW hotels in AThens are used to guests going away for 1 night & returning... they will keep your big bag in a lock-up while you're away.

I would urge you to act on a plan like this immediately ,., we have time to get you a handy hotel aswell, right next to Acropolis, walk everywhre totally safe at night (I've stayed this way many many times in central athens). PM me if questions

uppsala30

OMG- thanks TravelerJan. I went on a weeklong trip to the Peloponnese and Mystra several years ago with my daughter. She is a Greek and Roman Archeologist. So I had a personal tour guide who worked at Mycenea and Nemea archeological sites when she was a student. We stayed in lovely Naplio for several days. She is now a university professor in Classics doing research for a book- thus this whole family trip plan. I’ve also been to Meteora and Delphi also. Thank you so much for all of the tour info. I am - right now - scheduled to fly back to Athens on May 15, my flight lands at 1:05, but I can change that flight. I’ll take a look at Hotel Palatia. My - soon to be dead- husband and I had a whole week in the islands planned.

KTtravel

May your husband RIP.

Green83

There’s a Silverseas cruise that leaves Athens May 15 and ends in Lisbon a week later.

But at this late date, you would have to pay full price upfront.