fun4all4

Hi All,

We have decided on our next big family trip - it will be Greece in mid-June 2008! We are very excited, but after reading posts and guidebooks for days, I am still a bit overwhelmed. So, I am asking for help/input.

Here is the background for this trip. We will be traveling as a group of 10 which will be the largest we have done to Europe. DH and I will be with our 2 boys (14 and 17) and our good friends, B and A, will bring their four "kids" (2 boys, 14 and 17 and 2 girls, 21 and 24). We are thrilled to be going together - our tastes and styles are very similar and we have traveled together before, although not on a trip quite as ambitious and involved as this one.

Our interests for this trip include mythology and classical sites- we love history and architecture, but don't want much museum time, beaches & relaxation, a bit of hiking, good food and wine, and enjoying small towns.

We like upscale lodging and are willing to spend around 300€ - 400€ per night. Sometimes we will get a couple of family suites with maybe a double for the girls, or maybe 5 doubles or 3 doubles with one quad for the boys. It will just depend on how each property can accommodate us. We don't want to spend more than 250-300 for a double, but will spend more for a family suite, for example. Although I would love a place like the Grand Bretagne in Athens or Katikies in Santorini, that will bust the budget given the number of people we have. Still, we'd like relatively upscale.

So far, this is what I am thinking:
1 night - overnight flight; arrive around 2 pm and get picked up to go straight out of Athens.

3 nights- Classical tour (private and guided for our group of 10)probably including Epidaurus, Mycenae, Nafplion, Olympia (is is ok after the tragic fires?), Delphi, and maybe Meteora although I am not sure we have time for that. Not sure about accommodations yet.

3 nights Santorini - So far, we are interested in the Astra or maybe Esperas or Perivolas. Big question on how to balance wanting to be convenient to restaurants and flexibility for the older teesn/young 20's and loving quiet, beautiful views. We'd love to be able to enjoy quiet nights, a cup of coffee or glass of wine watching the sunset, but still be able to walk or take a quick cab to/from a nice dinner. As we like to enjoy wine with dinner, we don't really want to drive at night although we are happy to rent a car for daytime explorations. So, would Astra work for us? Are nice dining options accessible? Any other thoughts?

3-4 nights Naxos - We want the views while we are on Santorini, then want beach time on another island. Is Naxos our best choice? Crete better? While I like the look of Kavos and its beach, I think being close to town in the St. George beach area would be more practical although I hate to give up being right on a pretty beach. We are looking to stay at the Naxos Royal.

2 nights - Athens. We really just want to visit the Parthenon and explore the Plaka, I think. I'd even be willing to stay one night if I thought we could arrive one morning and have a whole afternoon and night to enjoy Athens before leaving the next morning. Would that be foolish? Our time is limited - I'd like to give 13 full nights to this trip including flight, but we may have to make 12 nights work. If so, should I give up a night in Athens or Naxos? Thinking of checking out the Electra Palace in Athens?

I am still not sure of the best way to travel between Athens-Santorin-Naxos. Fly, ferry, combo? Also, Santorini or Naxos first in terms of logistics?

OK, I am sure I have a lot more work and will have more questions, but hopefully, this will help us get started.

Thanks!!

brotherleelove2004

As beautiful and special as it is, I suggest you forego staying in Oia for a location closer to the nightlife. If you stay in Firostefani you'll get the beautiful views and the quiet, but you'll only be a 15-minute stroll on a cliffside pathway into Fira and all it has to offer for those looking for some nightlife. And there's nightlife for everyone, not just the 20-something singles.

Planning so far ahead will allow you to take advantage of the excellent discount promotional fares on Aegean Airlines from Athens to Santorini, and the ferry from Santorini to Naxos only takes 2 hours. From Naxos you can catch a highspeed ferry back to Athens or go back to Santorini for another cheap flight (doesn't make too much sense time-wise, but I thought I should mention that option). I suppose it might make more sense to take the ferry from Athens to Naxos, then go to Santorini and fly back from there. You can also fly back to Athens from Naxos on Olympic Airlines, but the fares are more expensive.

http://www.aegean-air.gr/aegeanen/home/

http://www.olympicairlines.com/

Ferry schedules: www.openseas.gr

Click on the British flag for English, but be aware that next June's schedules won't be available until next March or April.

stanbr

We have done the transatlantic overnight flight 7 times to Greece and I can attest that there is no way I would want to get off the flight and head straight out on a classical bus tour. You may want to consider resting one night in Athens, and take the tour the next day.

It is possible that your plan is a bit ambitious with a lot of different stops.

Personally I would not take the classic tour at all but rather head out to Naphlion for a couple of nights and decompress.
Naphlion is a lovely city with lots of places nearby to see including Ancient Corinth and Ancient Nemia,Epiduras Ancient Tierns and Mycene. You can do virtually all of these places in a two day stay. Ancient Nemia was a rival city to Olympia nad one of three Olympic type stadiums where the games were played. Its stadium is still intact and best of all it is about a three mile drive off of the road just where you get off the big highway to Naphlion. It may not be as good as Olympia but it is similar and nearby.
Rested after a few days in Naphlion you can go back to the airport and fly to Santorini.
I am sure Brotherleelove will have a good recommendation for a hotel there.
As for Naxos, that is my favorite Island as there is a permanent Greek Population there so you will get a good feel for a Greek experience.
Naxos is far less touristy than Santorini so it is a good companion Island with Santorini. Naxos has antiquities, wonderful mountain villages, excellent beaches and a Venetian town with small winding streets and good tavernas and shopping.
I agree with your thinking about being close to St George beach, Naxos Royale is a 15 minute stroll to the main waterfront where all the action is but it does provide you with a very quiet place for the night sleep which is very important in Greece where the party can be noisy. Naxos Royale is the best high end hotel on Naxos. One tip though don't spend the extra money on an ocean view room. They are really peek a boo views, and you get an excellent view from the pool. Besides which Naxos Royal is only 30 m3ters from the beach.
I will post our pictures of Naxos and Naphlion just to whet your appetite.

http://travel.webshots.com/album/552001505EYxVYT
http://travel.webshots.com/album/551991579dJbWvh

fun4all4

Thanks for such prompt and informative responses! I was hoping you would both chime in.

brotherleelove- I appreciate your guidance about location. I know you are a fan of Oia, but it sounds like Firostefani will be a better option for our group dynamic. How far of a drive/cab is Oia if we wanted to go over for a bit?

The transport info is very helpful. Believe it or not, I can find a cheap fare on Aegean from Santorini back to Athens, but it is almost 100€ more per ticket if I go Athens to Santorini. So, it looks like our decision may be made for us ... take Olympic to Naxos, the ferry to Santorini and the Aegean flight back to Athens. I played with a few dates and all were the same price. We should have our dates finalized within the next week so once we are ready to ticket, I will double check again.

stanbr- Yes, I know we will be tired, but I was trying to avoid having one night in Athens on each end - it seemed to add checking in and out another time plus broke up our Athens time so it would be harder to visit there. We can't do our 2 nights at the beginning because the flights back from the islands are not early enough to make our international flight home. Hmmm, what to do?

As far as leaving Athens upon arrival,I was not planning to go on a bus tour, though. I was just thinking we would arrange a private driver for our group of 10 only to pick us up in Athens and get us to Nafplion where we could have dinner and crash, but be there to begin the trip the next morning. Would that make sense?

I think your suggestion re:Nemia vs. Olympia sounds good and makes sense. If we allowed for 3 nights in the area, though, would Delphi be possible (sorry, my sense of travel times is not good)? The two 14 year olds are huge history and mythology buffs so this part of the trip is focused on them. What about 2 nights Nafplion and 1 nights Delphi? Or, better yet, 3 nights Nafplion with a daytrip to Delphi? Or, just give up on that?

Thanks for the tip on not bothering with the Ocean view at the Naxos Royal.

And, your pictures are gorgeous!! Thanks for sharing.

As I sort my thoughts and try to avoid staying in more than 4 locations (Athens, Santorini, Naxos, and Nafplion), how would you divide 12 nights? I was thinking 3 Nafplion/Delphi, 3 Santorini, 3-4 Naxos, 2 Athens ... or

Thanks again for all your input!

brotherleelove2004

I made the mistake of buying my Aegean tickets too early last year for a trip in May, 2007. If I had been more patient I would have been able to pick up the 19 euro (plus taxes) tickets that were offered somewhere around the first month of 2007 for the then upcoming summer season. I suggest you wait awhile for those Aegean promo tickets to be offered, they alwalys are. It's very unlikely that they've all been sold already for next year, VERY unlikely.


Firostefani is about 6.5 miles from Oia. A taxi will take about 15 minutes.

fun4all4

Great, thanks. I will be patient and wait for the ferry and short hop air stuff. The price on the Santorini-Athens flight on the website tonight was 10€ (106€ for the opposite way). Also, the current on Olympic from Athens to Naxos is 58€. I haven't checked on taxes, etc...

If decent fares will be offered either way and I have a choice, would you recommend going to Santorini or Naxos first?

Zeus

I always get a chuckle out of people on Fodors telling others that their plans are "too ambitious". We all go at different paces. To me spending 3 nights in each place gives you plenty of time to see what the city or place offers. I realize some of you folks prefer a leisurely approach where you spend hours eating lunch and dinner. I'd rather be running around seeing as much as I can and wolfing down a local specialty from a street vendor. Some people like to spend precious time lining up the perfect photograph. I just snap away and hope something comes out. Different strokes for different folks. I may be an old fart but I want to cram in as much as I can when I'm in Europe. If I wanted to relax I'd rent a house down at the shore.

Honestly, with a group of that size you might wish to consider an escorted tour. Usually you get a nice price break if you put together a group of that size. My first trips to Greece were with a tour company. Their expertise introduced me to different parts of Greece and pointed out places I wanted to return to later on my own.

brotherleelove2004

In the best of all worlds, save Santorini for last so your memories of that incredible island are the last you have before going home.

stanbr

We love Naphlion so much that we have never even bothered to try to get to Delphi from there.
I suspected that there may be a driving force that was motivating you to try the Delphi trip and if that is a priority there is probably enough time in your plan to make it a day trip from Naphlion.
I just wanted to expand on my concerns about trying to head out on a classical tour on the day of arrival (which I see now, is not your intention)
I am always concerned when I see plans that include a transatlantic flight and an immediate tour without time to recover from the flight. Particularly with 10 people. If one or two have a bad case of jet lag it can adversely affect the plans and get the trip off to a bad start.
The first time we went to Greece, we got into Athens after an overnight flight and in tears my wife announced she wanted to go home. A meal and a nights sleep proved to be a miracle cure.

Other than that concern, I think your plan is well thought out and your time in each place is just about right.

GBC

Regarding your timing: I would suggest that out of 12 nights you might do; 2 Athens, 3 Santorini, 3 Naxos. That would leave 4 nights (1 more) to expand your mainland visit. Don't do less than 2 in Athens. We loved Naxos but on a 12 night schedule, it doesn't need more than 3 nights.

Stay on that Aegean website. It will pay off for you. I'm wondering if you are perhaps getting a higher quoted fare because of the size of your group. Try splitting it into two reservations.

You may have seen my post. We stayed at the Electra Palace. We found it to be comfortable and well located. Great rooftop view at night. We also stayed at the airport Sofitel which worked out well.

The Naxos Royal sounds good for your group. We stayed at Kavos. It is not right on the beach but within a short walk. Kavos is a bit isolated.

We did Santorini before Naxos. The flight and ferry schedules seemed to work out easily that way.

Your families will love Greece. You have a very good start on the travel plan. Enjoy the sunsets.

Nikki

Since mythology and classical sites top your list of interests, I would strongly suggest you keep Delphi on your list. I took a classical tour with my daughter who was a college student and we loved all the sights, but especially Delphi. We stayed on the mainland, so I can't comment on your plans for the islands.

We also really enjoyed Athens. You might be interested in my trip report (warning, very long!):

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34589254

Photos:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-b9k6sz

ms_go

Hey fun4all4, we are also visiting Greece next year, so I'll be interested to see how your plans come along. We are going at the end of March and have fewer nights (9)--given that and the time of the year, we are just sticking to Athens and the Peloponnese (most likely). We haven't booked it yet, but have pretty much decided on the Electra Palace for our 3 (maybe 4) nights in Athens. Happy planning!

fun4all4

Hi Everyone! Thanks for all the awesome info.

Zeus- thanks for your input. Yes, we are definitely all different! I am probably somewhere in the middle of the scale - pretty active, but also like to enjoy a nice long dinner. While a true escorted tour is not for us on this trip, we are planning to have a private guide/driver/tour for the first part of the trip, then be on our own for the islands.

stanbr- All great points. I really appreciate your comments - I agree that it is best to keep the first day simple. We are lucky that everyone in the group is an experienced and hearty traveler, but we all have our moments (I can relate to your wife's experience).

GBC- Great stuff. I'll need to sit down and sort throught the details in order to decide where to add or subtract a day, but I am glad to know that the skeleton of a plan we've started with can serve as a working model - ie. will need to be tweaked, but is not a completely stupid and unworkable starting point.

Nikki- Yes, Delphi is important to us so we will figure it out. I look forward to reading your report later today, and I always love your photos.

Hi Go!! Great minds think alike. I still need to get over to the Australia board to read your feedback about that trip. We are excited about Greece. I think if we were going in March and had just 9 days, we might choose to focus on the Pelonponnese/Mainland as well.

Again, thanks to everyone for their input.

hannafonckers

bkm

fun4all4

brotherleelove - Another question ... please. When I saw your recommendation for Firostefani, I thought that meant that is where the Astra is. However, Astra is listed as Imerovigli. Is that too far to be practical? We may go with it anyway and just decide that will be the quiet part of our trip. But, where would you recommend in Firostefani? I didn't see anything that wowed me in a quick glance at Trip Advisor, but I am open to ideas.

Thanks again.

brotherleelove2004

The Astra Apartments website says they're 9 km from Oia which suggests that they might actually be a bit further out from Imerovigli on the way to Oia than most of Imerovigli's hotels. I can't be sure. The aerial photo on their website doesn't show the hotel's location in relation to the Skaros rock, which is an outcropping straight out from the cliff from the center of Imerovigli, which also suggests that they are north of the center. That's not much to go on, I know. But maybe someone who knows more can come up with a more definitive answer. I think this is important, because it's a 1-mile uphill walk from Fira to the center of Imerovigli, but if it's further out of the village the walk will be longer and much more strenuous. The best thing you can do is write to them and ask where they are from the Skaros rock, towards Oia or towards Fira, and how far.

I've been recommending Villa Ilias in Firostefani along with the Nomikos Villas, Tsitouras Collection, Blue Dolphins Apartments, Dana Villas, Efterpi Hotel, Ira Hotel and Agnadema Apartments along with some others.

fun4all4

Thanks, I will get more info about location from the Astra. I am leaning towards it because the reviews are so favorable and it seems upscale without totally busting our budget.

From some candid photos on TA, it looks like that big rock outcropping is sort of right in front of the Astra view over the Caldera.

Of the Firostefani places, which are the more "upscale" in terms of service and amenities?

You have been a great help! Your knowledge and generosity on these boards is much appreciated. Have a great evening.

carolyn

After Athens, we visited Mycenae, Naplion, Olympia, Delphi, and Meteora. Delphi was my favorite of these, and Meteora was my least favorite.

We then did an island-hopping cruise, which was also good.

Well, I've really never had a bad trip. Hope yours is great, too.

fun4all4

Thanks! With whom did you do your island hopping cruise? Where did you go? Were you happy?

It is so funny that you mentioned a cruise because, while it is not my first choice, someone else in the group mentioned having an interest and wants some info.

Thanks!

propertravel

Astra is at Imerovigli, Hotel has good views but I can not say the same for its location.... There is hardly anything to do at that corner if thinking 10 people with different expectations.

(Brotherlee, it should be the other side of Andromeda on its left...)

I too vote for Brotherlee's suggestion of Oia, is also my favorite. Restaurants, bars and shopping all well balanced and the view is still the greatest. One night you can drive to Fira to experience more action by exploring this village.

At Napflion there is a hotel right in the castle Napflia Palace, pretty well organized and upscale in its region.

My favorite of Naxos was the small taverns at the port with great seafood with great prices yummy....

Having a group of 10 should give you a bit of strenght of negotiation for tours and also for lodging. Having said that Perivolas was not under 500 -600 Euro range for a double......

Happy travelling,

Murat

Bortherlee, it was a good suggestion for Aegean, I should start looking my dates and itinerary of 3 weeks running around Greece Cheers.