allsons123

Here's what I was thinking-
Athens- 2 nights
Crete- 4 nights
Santorini-4 nights
Paros-2 nights
Naxos-2 nights
Athens-1 night

Should I consider more time on less islands ?

catsailor

Perfect that you start with time in Athens and end with time in Athens. That was a huge mistake we made on our trip. We wasted an entire day waiting at the airport for a flight to Crete.

Our flight from Heathrow arrived Athens at 11:30 am. But our flight to Crete was delayed, then delayed again, then delayed again. By the time we arrived in Chania (Crete) it was after 11:00 pm. By the time we drove and found our hotel, 2:00 am (we did get a little lost).

In hindsight we decided that when we go back, we would spend a day in Athens before and after to streamline travel back home and maximize time.

We loved Crete and stayed 5 nights. I would have liked to stay a few more nights as it is such an intriguing island with so much to do and many interesting towns to visit. When we return, which we hope to in the next year or so, we plan on staying there at least a week, if not 10 days.

We took a hydrofoil to Santorini and stayed 4 nights. Which was plenty. If I were to go again, I would probably stay 3, but then again it depends what your interests are.

Then we headed back to Athens and stayed 3 nights. Just about the right amount of time.

You definately need 1 night in Athens on return to ensure smooth departure home. I would not travel from an outer island to Athens and with the intent of catching an international flight. Too stressful.

Regarding Paros and Naxos, I can't really comment on your time, as we did not go there, but is 2 nights worth it to move in and out of hotels? For give me, I am not sure where they are located and how you would travel either ferry or fly, but that can be a logistical nightmare. Greece (at least the 2 times I have visited) is notorious for delayed flights. I somehow believe they may be on the mainland.

Instead of both Paros and Naxos, I would probably add a day to Crete and choose either Paros or Naxos and add a night there.

Just my too bits.... Happy planning....

stanbr

I think the previous poster has given good advice. Your trip involves way too many hops. Every island you go to will take up at a minimum of half a day to get there. So of your 15 days you have at least 5 half days lost in travel.
Personally after spending two weeks in Western Crete and not even getting to all the places we planned I would say concentrate on Crete or drop it.
If you want to do a week there then thats Ok but you will only be able to scratch the surface in either the East or West part of the island.

Santorini is great but after you get over the awe of the caldera vies 3 days is lots.
Paros and Naxos are very similar island so you only need to do one of them. Personally we love Naxos and return there time after time.

Whatever you decide you will have a great time, just be aware that the more islands you visit the less relaxed and the less you will experience.
Here are some Naxos pictures. You can easily spend 5 to 7 days in Naxos and not see it all.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/552001505EYxVYT

isabel

Although Stan is by far the expert on Greece and I have only been once, I still need to respectfully disagree about only spending 2 nights on each island. This past July we did 2 nights each on Santorini, Naxos and Paros, and while I could easily have spent a week on each, two nights did give us a chance to get the feel for each island. We had time to walk around the main towns, have relaxing meals, and in each island we took a bus trip to another town. We also had time to either do a hike or go to the beach. And a bit of shopping.

I didn't do Crete so can't comment on that but can see why you'd need more time there. And of course on each of the other three islands you can't see "all" of them in two days. We had debated doing two islands for three days versus three islands for two and I'm glad we decided on all three.

The ferries between them were short (2 hours Santorini to Naxos, less than 2 Naxos to Paros, and 4 hours Paros to Piraeus (Athens).) And I thought the ferries were the best part of the whole trip. I just loved them. A seven or eight hour ride might be a different story. Our hotels in Naxos and Paros were a five minute walk from the ferry landing so we didn't really waste any time by changing islands.

Here's my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

And my photos are at:www.pbase.com/annforcier/greek_islands (for the island, the mainland is in a different gallery at the same site)

travelerjan

Allison -- WHEN exactly are you going?? (I feel like a broken record saying this day after day, but people keep asking for good advice while leaving out key information). It makes a big difference in some things, like transport. For example, Cat talked about flight delays -- that sounds to me very much like travels from August to October, when high winds can disrupt schedules... OR he/she was flying on the (former) Olympic Airways... and they were having tons of trouble with maintenance. If one arrives in late morning and can catch a 1:30 or 2 pm flight to Crete on Aegean Air, in a good-weather month, there is next to no chance of delay.

About islands, I have to side with stanbr... instead of Naxos/Paros, choose just one. And I too would side with Naxos. Reasons? Port town: Naxos town is FAR more charming & interesting than Paros' port of Parakia. Landscape: The inland landscape of Naxos is much more dramatic, and fun to explore by renting a car for 1 day. Beaches: On Naxos, you can reach some of the very best beaches on a frequent bus schedule; on Paros, you really need to rent an ATV or car or scooter to reach the good beaches.

And with your iimited time, consider this: even tho you can see Paros from Naxos, it will take half-a-day to switch isles: checking out; waiting at port; 1-hour ferry; disembarking, finding/checking in to new hotel. bore bore bore.

If you really want just a sample of Paros, consider this strategy: after a full day on Naxos (get a nap on the beach, and negotiate a late check-out with your hotel), get a 6 pm ferry to Paros... check in, and you'll be at dinner for the sunset (that is, if you go spring/summer -- again, you didn't say). Spend the next day exploring Paros town, take a bus to see Naoussa (it looks like a fake fishing village by now).. check out the Cathedral & museum etc. MOrning of day 3, get that Blue Star ferry at 10:45 ... 4 hours to Piraeus 1 less than from Naxos. A paros "taste" to see if you want to come back for a full meal...

Heimdall

Everyone has a different style of travel. I see nothing wrong with your itinerary if all you want is "to get the feel for each island", but remember every transfer takes longer than just the ferry ride. Add checking in and out of hotels, packing and unpacking, and waiting at the port - you've used most of the day. Ferries don't always leave at the most convenient time, either.

My view, if you wish to keep all those islands in your itinerary, is to split Santorini, Naxos and Paros 2-3-3 rather than 4-2-2. You could also save a little time by flying direct to Crete upon arrival, adding that extra day either to Crete or to Athens at the end.

Catsailor was very unlucky to have suffered such a long delay with the flight to Chania (let me guess, was it Olympic Airlines?), and I don't blame him/her for not wanting to go through that ordeal again. On the other hand, I have taken many domestic flights in Greece and never had a long delay. No internal flight in Greece takes more than an hour (about the same as it takes to get from the airport to central Athens).

allsons123

Thanks everyone.
I am planning this trip for May 2010.
I think I will change to
Athens-2 nights
Crete-6 nights
Santorini-3 nights
Naxos-3 nigths
Athens-1 night

progol

Funny, this is exactly the itinerary I'm hoping to take in either May 2010 or September 2010. I've been obsessively watching all discussions on Greek island itineraries, but haven't jumped into the fray because I'm not quite sure when I'll be able to go.

I'm especially curious about planning the travel around western Crete, since even a week barely scratches the surface. There is so much to see and even 6 nights means making difficult choices.

I'm looking forward to this discussion so I can further tinker with my own future trip plans!

Paule

catsailor

Alison123: Excellent decision! I did not know that Stan was the resident expert, but glad my reccomendations were in line with his suggestions. Your itinerary will be less stressful and you won't waste as much time moving from hotel to hotel. Stan was correct when he said each move takes approx 1/2 day travel time.

Of note, we enjoyed Crete so much that at some point in the future we would like to spend 2 weeks there. It is a wonderful island. I am not sure where you are planning on staying, but if you are in the Chania or thereabouts, and you are in good shape, hike the Samaria Gorge. Absolutely breathtaking!

Everyone: My first trip to Greece was 1985 - 5 week honeymoon, more of a adventurous backpacking trip of Athens and 4 islands. Yes we experienced numberous delays and visited islands in wrong order, thereby making transfers difficult and time consuming, even though we used a supposed expert TA on travel in Greece. Still with all the problems and hiccups we had an outstanding time, just rolled with all the punches. Yes our flights were on Olympic Airways and we did utlize ferry travel. And in 1985 my only resources for Greek travel were a "Let's Go Greece" book and a TA, how things have changed.

Flashforward to 20th wedding anniversary, wanted to visit Greece in style and relive our honeymoon. Given the limited amount of time, choose 2 islands we wished to revisit and planned around them. We chose the islands in the order that made sense, which is important to understand so that you can choose the best mode of transportation between them. And no we did not fly Olympic after our first experience. We flew Aegean and unfortunately for us our early afternoon flight did not leave until after 8:00 pm. But these things happen.

I am not sure where you are coming from or where you plan on staying in Crete, but I believe that BA offers flights from LHR to Chania that could be an option if you haven't book airline tickets yet.

Have fun. I would have to say that Greece is one of our favorite destinations!

Heimdall

Hi allsons,

You've chosen to drop Paros, and I have no problem with that, but let me correct some statements made by travelerjan:

First of all, there is nothing fake about Naoussa. It is very much still a fishing village, the boats lovingly maintained, and used by their owners when they aren't busy catering for tourists. The beauty of the village has made it a popular destination, and like Naxos Town has been extensively developed.

Secondly, there are <i>more</i> beaches accessible by bus on Paros than on Naxos, and several, like spectacular Kolymbithres, reached by taxi boat from Naoussa and Parikia harbors. Added to that the beaches on the little island of Antiparos only 30 minutes from Parikia, and you have a huge selection. One activity that many people enjoy is the round-island boat trip, which stops at pristine beaches on the uninhabited islets surrounding Antiparos.

I have been going to Paros and Antiparos twice a year for longer than I can remember, and have never rented a scooter or car. Sometimes I visit Naxos too, and enjoy my stops there, but it is Antiparos that keeps drawing me back. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson produced the film <i>Mamma Mia</i>, which was set on the island of Skopelos, but guess where they have their vacation home? Antiparos! ;-)

isabel

I hear what everyone is saying about when you change towns/hotels you "waste" a half a day. I feel it's true in most cases, and have often advised people to limit their destinations so they don't spend all their time in transit. But in the case of Naxos and Paros I did not feel that way. The ferry ride is so short and pleasant it's like an excursion rather than a boring tedious change of locations. In both Naxos and Paros our hotels were a five minute walk from the ferry port (the towns are small, most of the hotels are that close). There were ferries almost every hour in July between the two towns so you can pick the time that works best for you. I just did not feel that it detracted from the relaxed nature of the trip at all.

And I liked Paros a lot, just as much as Naxos. The water front is not as immediately appealing as in Naxos, but the town itself is just as nice. And I have to say our half day trip to Naoussa was a major highlight. Other than Santorini, which is in a class all its own, Naoussa was the most visually interesting of all the areas we went. We almost didn't go because of all the stories about how "touristy" it is (most guidebooks as well as posters here say that). And yet it turned out to be one of my favorite places.

allsons123

Okay- now I want to include both Paros and Naxos because they both sound great.
How about this?
Athens-2 nights
Crete-5 nights
Santorini-3 nights
Paros-2 nights
Naxos-2nights
Anthens-1 night

We don't mind just having a short time but seeing more places that we might want to return to. We've done trip to New Zealand, Italy, Peru, and Portugal and stayed in several places on each trip. My husband loves to drive.
I think I will start checking the ferry schedule to see how it will all work time-wise!
Thanks

catsailor

Good start in checking the ferry schedule. That will most likely dictate what you do.

Just curious can you take the ferry from Santorini to Paros? Then from Paros to Naxos?

From what I remember the islands are grouped into regions. You are best travelling within the region for ease of travel. Meaning that ferries will run in those regions. If not you have to fly into and out of Athens as it may be difficult to travel inter-island. But who knows things may have changed. I did not know Olypmic Airways was now defunct.

I say this as when we booked our first trip in 1985, we told the TA that we wanted to visit Corfu, Crete, Kos and Santorini. She took that as the order of islands we wished to travel. Since these islands were in different regions, we could not take a ferry island to island, rather each time we moved on the to the next we flew into Athens, then to the next island. Quite an incredible waste of time. All she had to recommend was a change in order of islands, eg.fly to Crete, then go to Santorini by ferry etc.

Have fun planning! I wish I was going next year!

brotherleelove2004

In May there will be at least two ferries from Santorini to Paros, the Hellenic Seaways FlyingCat 4 and the larger Blue Star car ferry. The Blue Star ferry also stops at Naxos. The same Blue Star ferry connects Paros and Naxos on the return trip, and there will most likely be a Sea Jets highspeed catamaran between them as well.

Olympic Airways was renamed Olympic Airlines in 2003. Olympic Airlines has just changed ownership again and is now known as Olympic Air.

http://www.olympicair.com/Home.aspx?a_id=256

Heimdall

Hi allsons,

My remarks still stand about the time it takes to transfer from one island to another. If you feel you can afford to lose half a day moving from Naxos to Paros, then go for it. Unfortunately it won't give you enough time to visit Antiparos, but then you can't see everything in one trip. I've never been to a Greek island I didn't like, and see no point in badmouthing Paros, or Mykonos for that matter - that was the point of my last post.

If you decide to skip Paros and spend more time on Naxos, you will have a wonderful holiday. If you decide to do both Naxos and Paros, you will see two very special islands, but have less time to enjoy the attributes of each. The choice is yours.

BTW, the Blue Star ferry route is Santorini > Naxos > Paros, so that is the order best followed.

travelerjan

YOur tweaked version sounds good to me, Allison... and with the respite you have in Athens -- get GOOD sleep the first night -- perhaps you can rise early and get at least the 9 am flite to Crete, & have the full day ahead of you! That's what we're planning to do on Friday May 14 ... see you in Chania!

travelerjan

That reminds me -- hve you taken the big Greek 3-day weekend holiday into account? Pentecost (Holy Spirit) weekend is May 21 - 24 ... and the travel situation will be horrendous! Thousands pour out of the Athens area to the islands -- ferries are jammed, plane tix go sky-high -- that's why we moved our plans a week earlier. Be warned: don't try to travel to/from Athens on Friday May 21 or Monday May 24. If you MUST, get your ferry tickets way ahead and be prepared for a ZOO at the port.

That being said, it will be fun, there's nothing like Greeks on holiday, jolly, up for fun etc. I remember fondly one Pentecost in Mykonos (gilded youth of Athens air-kissing everywhee!) and one in Nafplio ... the waterside cafes at sunset were PACKED with a thousand people all speaking Greek... and me, watching the show.

travelerjan

everywhee ??? Well, it was a whee! kind of weekend.

catsailor

Allsons: For my trip in 2005 I had enlisted help of a TA in Greece. I priced out the hotels I wished to stay, car rentals etc, then had a Greek based agent price everything out for me. It just so happened their price was better. So I decided to book a portion of my trip through them.

Anyways, they made arrangements to meet me personally upon arrival at the airport in Chania, where I was given a travel package that included my hotel transfers, ferry tickets and vouchers for hotels I had booked thru them (I still booked my Santorini hotel on my own). They walked me to my rental car that was waiting in the parking lot. At the end of the trip someone personally met with me at the airport in Athens to ensure everything went well and to wish us a safe trip home. I also had a cell number I could call at any tme during my trip if I had any problems or questions. I would recommend them again without question.

I did a quick search on the internet for Fantasy Travel, Greece. My agents name was Patra. They have a comprehensive website which includes some packages that may be of interest to you. http://www.fantasy.gr/islands_details.php?category=33

Just something to check out and compare prices.

HappyTrvlr

I would take one or two days away from Santorini. Choose either Paros or Naxos, add the extra days to Crete and Paros/Naxos.