Greece - Need recommendations
Jan 10, 2010, 1:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 95
Greece - Need recommendations
Quick question for the board:
My daughter's doing a study-abroad semester this summer, and we'd like to take a family trip (three of us) to Greece either before or after. Her session runs June 5 to July 16th. So our choice would be ~May27-June 5 or July 16-25.
We'd like to visit Athens, Santorini, and another island (yet-to-be-determined)...I assume ~3 days each.
Can anybody recommend the better choice in timing: before or after, and why?
Also, if you've got any recommended itineraries, places to stay, or things we shouldn't miss, I'd love your advice.
Thanks for your help!
My daughter's doing a study-abroad semester this summer, and we'd like to take a family trip (three of us) to Greece either before or after. Her session runs June 5 to July 16th. So our choice would be ~May27-June 5 or July 16-25.
We'd like to visit Athens, Santorini, and another island (yet-to-be-determined)...I assume ~3 days each.
Can anybody recommend the better choice in timing: before or after, and why?
Also, if you've got any recommended itineraries, places to stay, or things we shouldn't miss, I'd love your advice.
Thanks for your help!
Jan 11, 2010, 12:57 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: LAX
Programs: UA/AA
Posts: 1,741
My favorite time to visit Greece is in the spring. Greece is both beautiful and quiet.
The weather is warm, but not yet hot. School has not let out, so crowds are light. And the locals will be very accommodating, as the tourist season has just begun. Also accommodations are both cheaper, and much easier to find.
With that said, I'm not sure it really makes much difference. The recession has severely impacted Greece, so crowds shouldn’t be too bad in May/June or in July. Santorini will be busy under either option, as it has become a required stop for every cruise ship in the Eastern Mediterranean. My recommendation would be to travel when it best fits your timing.
In terms of a third destination, that kind of depends on your interests. If you’re looking for the beach, really any of the other islands in the Cyclades would be a good choice. If you interests are antiquity, I would recommend either Mykonos (where you can visit the sacred island of Delos) or Samos (where you can take a ferry to Turkey and visit Ephsus).
The weather is warm, but not yet hot. School has not let out, so crowds are light. And the locals will be very accommodating, as the tourist season has just begun. Also accommodations are both cheaper, and much easier to find.
With that said, I'm not sure it really makes much difference. The recession has severely impacted Greece, so crowds shouldn’t be too bad in May/June or in July. Santorini will be busy under either option, as it has become a required stop for every cruise ship in the Eastern Mediterranean. My recommendation would be to travel when it best fits your timing.
In terms of a third destination, that kind of depends on your interests. If you’re looking for the beach, really any of the other islands in the Cyclades would be a good choice. If you interests are antiquity, I would recommend either Mykonos (where you can visit the sacred island of Delos) or Samos (where you can take a ferry to Turkey and visit Ephsus).
Jan 13, 2010, 5:43 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: Bmi Diamond Club, BA
Posts: 9
Hi Fredgoblu,
Timing is good in both cases. End of May will be cheaper and less crowdy. Mid July is going to be very hot but maybe you will find the water in the sea much warmer than beginning of June. So it all depends on what you are after.
If you do Athens in 3 days stay somewhere central - Hilton has a sale on at the moment
and visit the ancient monuments and the museums and dont forget to go up in Lycabetus hill for the sunset. Just outside Athens you will find some very nice beaches as well. If you have enough time I would recommend going all the way to the Sounio temple (there is a bus that can get you there). Also just 30 minutes away from the city center you can get the tram to a few Athens beaches (not all that great as the ones 1-2 hours drive away) but with very nice and relaxed beach bars.
Santorini has great views and the typical aegean architecture. Its a very picturesque place with the best village being Oia. Take a daily boatrip to the smaller islands of the volcano and dive into the thermal spots right into the volcano. The beaches in Santorini though are not all that great just because of the dark sand, stones from the volcano so you might want to choose an island with beautiful beaches for the rest 3 days. Mykonos has some very nice beaches and great nightlife but you may find a bit too noisy (end of May should be okey though). Syros is a very nice island with nice beaches and great tavernas (also cheaper than Santorini) or you could try Paros. Seeing that these islands are basically on your way from Athens to Santorini are easy to do.
If you want though to visit a different type of island get outside cyclades and visit Hydra, Poros or Spetses from Athens with speedferry. The other island groups in Greece are very beautiful as well but you will not have enough time to fit them in.
Hope you have a great time.
Elina
Timing is good in both cases. End of May will be cheaper and less crowdy. Mid July is going to be very hot but maybe you will find the water in the sea much warmer than beginning of June. So it all depends on what you are after.
If you do Athens in 3 days stay somewhere central - Hilton has a sale on at the moment
and visit the ancient monuments and the museums and dont forget to go up in Lycabetus hill for the sunset. Just outside Athens you will find some very nice beaches as well. If you have enough time I would recommend going all the way to the Sounio temple (there is a bus that can get you there). Also just 30 minutes away from the city center you can get the tram to a few Athens beaches (not all that great as the ones 1-2 hours drive away) but with very nice and relaxed beach bars. Santorini has great views and the typical aegean architecture. Its a very picturesque place with the best village being Oia. Take a daily boatrip to the smaller islands of the volcano and dive into the thermal spots right into the volcano. The beaches in Santorini though are not all that great just because of the dark sand, stones from the volcano so you might want to choose an island with beautiful beaches for the rest 3 days. Mykonos has some very nice beaches and great nightlife but you may find a bit too noisy (end of May should be okey though). Syros is a very nice island with nice beaches and great tavernas (also cheaper than Santorini) or you could try Paros. Seeing that these islands are basically on your way from Athens to Santorini are easy to do.
If you want though to visit a different type of island get outside cyclades and visit Hydra, Poros or Spetses from Athens with speedferry. The other island groups in Greece are very beautiful as well but you will not have enough time to fit them in.
Hope you have a great time.
Elina
Apr 28, 2010, 8:11 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: West Seattle, WA
Posts: 10,469
Need Greece Help
OK... I need help planning my honeymoon which is 3 weeks away. 
A new house, and a new job have made the planning very difficult and on the back burner.
We have 4 nights in Istanbul, then 10 nights in Greece.
It is shaping up to be the 1st 3 in Santorini and the last 3 in Athens. But we need something that is realistic for the 4 middle days.
Looking for something that is low key but a place that would also have something to do if we were so inclined.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
A new house, and a new job have made the planning very difficult and on the back burner.
We have 4 nights in Istanbul, then 10 nights in Greece.
It is shaping up to be the 1st 3 in Santorini and the last 3 in Athens. But we need something that is realistic for the 4 middle days.
Looking for something that is low key but a place that would also have something to do if we were so inclined.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Apr 29, 2010, 8:47 am
#6
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 698
Try Naxos or Paros. They have good beaches, Naxos has an interesting museum, and they are fairly easy to get to from Santorini. If you want something less touristed, you could try Sifnos, but it's a little harder to get to from Santorini than the others. Connections from all these back to Athens are good.
Suggestion: it's generally more effective to start one's own thread than to piggyback on an existing one.
Suggestion: it's generally more effective to start one's own thread than to piggyback on an existing one.
Apr 29, 2010, 3:27 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 975
To the original poster, I would strongly recommend you travel as early as your dates will permit.
To both, I suggest visiting CRETE.
To both I would suggest that if you can get to the Meteora Monasteries, at KALAMBAKA, approx 4 hours north of Athens, you will see something unique. You will need to spend an overnight nearby.
To both, I suggest visiting CRETE.
To both I would suggest that if you can get to the Meteora Monasteries, at KALAMBAKA, approx 4 hours north of Athens, you will see something unique. You will need to spend an overnight nearby.
May 3, 2010, 2:55 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: West Seattle, WA
Posts: 10,469
To the original poster, I would strongly recommend you travel as early as your dates will permit.
To both, I suggest visiting CRETE.
To both I would suggest that if you can get to the Meteora Monasteries, at KALAMBAKA, approx 4 hours north of Athens, you will see something unique. You will need to spend an overnight nearby.
To both, I suggest visiting CRETE.
To both I would suggest that if you can get to the Meteora Monasteries, at KALAMBAKA, approx 4 hours north of Athens, you will see something unique. You will need to spend an overnight nearby.
We'll arrive in Herkalion and depart from Chania, so we'll see.
May 3, 2010, 3:46 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 975
Do try to get to the Lassithi Plateau - east of Heraklion! You should consider car hire, and then you can get everywhere! Do be aware of four-footed travellers on the same road once you get into the mountains! The Arkadi monastery is also worth visiting, as well as Knossos - Heraklion - and Chania itself.
May 7, 2010, 12:46 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Nice, France
Posts: 47
a small greek island
there is small greek island that matches nicely the picture we all have of what a typical greek island looks like and where there are fewer people, called Kastelorizo. Another one, with no cars, that you can reach starting the crossing from Rhodes and that is absolutely lovely is Symi.
