See also:
The 47 Best Beaches in Greece
The Best Greek Islands for Kids and Families
Recommended Hotels for Families in Greece
SantoriniDave.com – The Ultimate Guide and FAQ
- When is the best time to visit the Greek islands?
- What islands have the best beaches?
- How do I book hotels in Greece
- Should I book hotels in advance when visiting Greece?
- What are the best websites for booking a hotel on the Greek Islands?
- How do I get to the Greek Islands?
- What budget airlines fly to Greece?
- How do I travel by ferry in Greece?
- What are the ferries like?
- What are the best websites for ferry schedules and tickets?
- How do I travel between Greece and Turkey by ferry?
- What’s the best website for booking package trips to Greece?
- What are the Greek Island groups and why do they matter?
- Travel tips for Greece
- Guide books
- Further reading
Q. When is the best time to visit Greece?
June and September are undeniably the best months to vacation in Greece. And if you’re really looking to narrow it down then mid-September is the absolute prime. The weather is essentially the same as late June but while the water can still be chilly in early summer, by September it’s perfect. The crowds arrive in late June and stay until the islands are packed until the last week of August. By early September you can feel a discernible difference in the number of visitors and hopping on a ferry, getting a seat at a popular restaurant, or finding a hotel room gets markedly easier.
The difficulty of peak-season travel can be exaggerated however. I’ve visited in the middle of summer on several occasions and had no trouble finding a hotel on a Greek island. But if you do travel during July and August you should, at the very least, book your hotel rooms in advance and be prepared for some intense bustle on the ferries and in the tourist hot spots.
May and October can be great as well but you’re taking a little bit of chance with the weather if your aim is beach and swimming time. On the other hand if you’re more interested in hiking, biking, and historical sites then mid-April to early June and late September until early November can be fantastic options.
Q. What islands have the best beaches?
Almost all of the Greek islands have great beaches but some have more than others. Naxos, Rhodes, and Crete are among the richest islands in the sand and sea category. Milos, Ikaria, and Lesvos are 3 quieter islands that have fantastic beaches. More information and pictures in the 47 best beaches in Greece.
Q. How do I book hotels in Greece?
I get so many questions about hotels I’ve decided to add direct links to the most popular destinations.
These are the best web pages for finding cheap and discounted hotels in Greece:
Q. Should I book hotels in advance when visiting Greece?
- For July and August on the most popular islands — like Santorini and Mykonos — booking early is absolutely essential. It becomes increasingly less essential as you move away from those islands and those months. So Naxos and Paros in June or September would be no problem at all to arrive at without reservations. That leaves a large gray area of course. Are reservations necessary for Santorini in June, Naxos in July, Paros in August? Probably not – but if you’ll be anxious without reservations then do it and relax.
- Flexibility is good (and fun). It’s nice to have some hotel reservations booked in advance – especially for your first nights on a new island – but it’s also nice to have some flexibility with where you’re going and how long you’re staying. Try to find a good balance – maybe have your first night on each island booked in advance, followed with a few days that you can fill as you wish.
- That said, flexibility might be a luxury that families don’t feel they can afford. In high season families and large groups should definitely book rooms in advance.
- If you do show up on an island without reservations you might see hotel owners greeting the ferry (like in this picture). These will often be budget hotels (but still nice, clean places to stay). If you do decide to stay with them try to walk to the hotel from the pier. (This won’t be practical on every island, eg. Santorini’s port is a long ways from anywhere.) Most main towns are right by the ferry port, so if they’re telling you that their hotel is right “in town” you should be able to walk there no problem, right? If instead they’re trying to get you and your bags into their pickup it’s likely it’s several miles outside of town. At the very least get them to pinpoint the hotel exactly on a map. Some hotel owners will “gently” lie but if faced with a precise question they’ll accurately tell you where it is on the map.
Q. What are the best websites for booking a hotel on the Greek Islands?
- HotelsCombined – The best deals and the most complete listings of hotels in Greece by far. They search every website and find some great discounts. Even if you don’t use them for booking it’s a great resource for reading legitimate reviews and viewing photos of the hotel.
- VRBO — Vacation rentals by owner, including a short listing of available yachts and cruises.
- AirBnB — A very popular and trusted web site for home owners to rent their cottages, cabins, houses and rooms. Works well in the big cities (e.g. Athens, Heraklion, Thessaloniki and Chania). Not so well for small towns or island accommodations.
What are the best websites for hotels on Santorini?
- Listings for: Fira, Oia, Agia Paraskevi, Akrotiri, and Kamari
- 13 Cheap Hotels in Santorini
What are the best websites for hotels on Mykonos?
- Mykonos listings on hotelscombined
- Cheap Hotels on Mykonos — A list of budget and moderate hotels in Mykonos.
What are the best websites for hotels on Crete?
What are the best websites for hotels on Corfu?
What are the best websites for hotels on Rhodes?
What are the best websites for hotels on Naxos?
What are the best websites for hotels in Athens?
Q. How do I get to the Greek Islands?
These are the 4 easiest and most common ways to get to the Greek islands:
1. Fly to Athens and then ferry to the islands.
The classic Greek vacation. The pluses include breaking up your journey mid-way, having an opportunity to tour Athens and getting to enjoy a long, often relaxing, occasionally magical ferry ride from Athens to the Islands.
The minuses being that it takes up a few days on both ends of your trip. Stopping in Athens might not be the best use of time if you only have one or two weeks.
The ferry schedule can be erratic in August as high winds in the Cyclades (called the Meltemi) can play havoc with ferries schedules. (The Cyclades are particularly vulnerable to high winds.) Cancellations for more than a day or two are rare but your itinerary could be messed up with one ill timed delay.
2. Fly directly to a Greek Island from a city in Northern or Western Europe.
There are many cheap budget flight to a few Greek Islands from the main travel hubs in western Europe: London, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Milan.
Pros: It can often be ridiculously cheap to get a flight from Western Europe directly to a Greek island on one of the European budget airlines. Plus, if you’re coming from North America, Asia, or Australia, you can have a few days in London or Paris or whatever city you transit through.
Cons: Surprisingly difficult to arrange if you’re arriving from outside the continent. The low cost carriers often leave from smaller regional airports not the large hubs where your long haul jet landed. Getting from one airport to another can take the better part of a day. (For example, your flight from New York will arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, but your flight to Greece will leave from Orly – on the opposite side of the city.)
Also, only a handful of islands have direct flights from outside of Greece. Currently, the Greek islands that have international flights are Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu, Zakynthos, Crete, Lesvos, Samos, Kos, and Rhodes.
3. Fly to Athens, then fly to the islands.
Pros: More time on the islands. There are more islands you can fly to from Athens than from outside the country. For example, Milos, Naxos, Paros, and Karpathos all have flights from Athens but do not have international arrivals, so you if you want to fly to the smaller islands you’ll have to go through Athens.
Cons: You’ll miss out on island hopping by ferry. Though, of course, you can take ferries between the islands once you’re there it’s that initial trip from Athens out to the islands that’s filled with so much excitement and anticipation. Also, if you do stop in Athens it’s often easier (or just as easy) to go to the port and hop on a ferry as to make your way all the way back to the airport, go through security, and wait for your plane. When you factor in the extra time that taking a flight involves, a highspeed ferry will get you to some of the Cycladic islands nearly as fast as a flight.
4. Combine a Greek trip with a one of its neighbors to the east (Turkey) or west (Italy).
There are several options for taking ferries to or from Turkey and Italy. On the Turkish side ferries ply the waters between Lesvos and Ayvalik, Chios and Cesme, Samos and Kusadasi, Kos and Bodrum, and Rhodes and Marmaris. These boat rides vary in length but typically are about 1-3 hours long and can be booked the day prior to departure.
A fantastic itinerary might look like this: Fly into Istanbul, tour the Turkish coast, ferry to an eastern Greek island and island hop through 2 or 3 islands, ending your trip in Athens and flying home from there.
On the Italian side ferries run between the Greek island of Corfu and the Italian port towns of Ancona, Brindisi, Bari and Venice. These take between 8 and 12 hours and are often overnight ferries, so it’s best to book at least a few days in advance. Book far in advance if you want to take a vehicle or have a sleeping compartment.
Q. What budget airlines fly to Greece?
There are a number of airlines that fly to Athens or directly to a Greek Island. Here’s a list of the most popular airlines that have at least one flight to Greece from cities and airports across Europe:
Q. How do I travel by ferry in Greece?
Ferries are one of the ingredients of what makes a trip to Greece so magical and unique. Ferry hopping around the islands — especially the Cyclades where the islands are very close to each other — is a ton of fun. And if you’re just going from one island to the next it’s very easy too.
Foot passengers usually don’t need to book in advance – especially for ferries between islands – just buy a ticket at the pier and hop on board. But for ferries from Piraeus (the port near Athens) to an island during high season it’s recommend to book at least a few days prior to your departure. If you’ll be in Athens for a few days before heading out to the islands this will be enough time to reserve a ticket through a travel agent. (Pretty much any travel agent you encounter as you walk around Athens will be fine for buying tickets. You’ll see signs everywhere to buy ferry tickets so don’t worry about finding one.)
When you start doing more than a walk-on ferry ride from, say, Santorini to Mykonos, it gets more difficult. Here are some choices you may need to make for longer ferry rides:
- Do I want to take a high speed ferry, a catamaran, or a conventional ferry? If you want to take the a high speed ferry or catamaran to or from Athens then you’ll want to book a few days or more in advance.
- Do I want deck seating (also called 2nd class or airplane style seating) or do I want to reserve a sleeping cabin? If you want a cabin you’ll want to book a few weeks in advance.
- Do I need to take a vehicle on board? If so, booking several weeks in advance is recommended as spots in the car garage are in short supply.
But — and here’s what makes planning a Greek vacation a little tricky — ferry schedules are almost never released more than a month or 2 in advance and buying ferry tickets from outside the country is not as easy as it could be. Figuring out the schedules and using the ticketing websites is a pain. If you’re trying to buy tickets online and feel like slamming your head into the wall don’t blame yourself – it’s confusing.
Some things to keep in mind:
- Ticket prices on a similar ferry will always be the same between 2 ports (the prices are set by the government) but services, speeds, and amenities can vary greatly between ferries and ferry companies.
- Most islands are connected to Athens by at least one ferry a day — even in winter.
- A subway connects downtown Athens with the port of Piraeus making getting to your ferry cheap and easy.
- But … the port is huge and confusing to figure out for a first timer. Plan to get to the port at least an hour before your ferry departs.
- There are lots of places to eat and buy snacks in Piraeus before you get on your ferry.
- A suburban train route connects the airport with the port of Piraeus where the ferries leave for the Greek islands. If you’re flying to Athens bu don’t want to visit you can almost completely bypass it.
- Most ferries to the islands leave early in the morning so even the best executed plans will have you staying the night in Athens.
- High speed ferries, catamarans, and Flying Dolphin hydrofoils will cost about twice the price of a conventional ferry. (Believe me, if you think keeping all the ferries straight is confusing, I know. I’m very familiar with the different types and I can just barely remember which is which.)
- The Athens News english newspaper has a greek island ferry schedule in every edition. Grab it on arrival and start planning. Your island destination may have an early morning ferry with the next one late at night. You wouldn’t want to miss the early one.
- You’ll almost always be able to buy a deck ticket on any ferry to any destination. The only time it might be an issue is during the last days of July, the first days of August (especially if the month-changeover falls on a weekend) and the days leading up to the August 15 holiday when all of Greece returns to their hometown.
- Cabins are a good option for the long overnight ferries to Crete, Rhodes and other islands far from Piraeuss (Athen’s port).
- Check the ferry schedule closely when planning your return to Athens. This is especially important if you’re planning stops on the smaller islands. They might have only 1 ferry a day and it might not be going where you are. If you’re on a inflexible schedule make your final island (before returning to Athens) a popular island so they’ll be lots of ferries going your way.
- Don’t assume there are ferries going between every 2 islands in Greece. Far from it. Ferries tend to move within island groups – between different Cycladic islands for example – with the most popular islands within a group serving as a hub to neighboring island groups. This makes the idea of vacationing in just one island group a good plan to follow unless you have lots of time to spare.
- During high season from June to September there are departures to all the most popular islands every day – usually multiple departures. There are far fewer ferries in the winter months, but at all times of the year there will be the following departures:
Morning Ferries
- Piraeus to Syros, Tinos and Mykonos
- Piraeus to Paros, Naxos, los and Santorini
- Piraeus to Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos and Milos
Evening overnight ferries
- Piraeus to Hania, Crete
- Piraeus to Heraklion, Crete
- Piraeus to Rhodes and neighboring islands
- Piraeus to Lesvos and Chios
Q. What are the different ferries like?
There are 4 main types of ferry vessels: Conventional car ferries (that allow vehicles); hydrofoils or Flying Dolphins (which don’t); high speed ferries (usually accept vehicles); and catamarans (that sometimes do and sometimes don’t carry cars).
Slow Ferries/Conventional Car Ferries
- the slowest mode of transport between the islands
- the cheapest way to get between different islands
- offer the best views (you can sit out on the deck, drink wine, and have the classic Greek ferry trip)
- airplane seating is available inside with usually one restaurant onboard (with decent inexpensive food)
- 2 to 4 person cabins available for overnight trips
- picture of Greek slow ferry
High Speed Ferries
- much like conventional ferries only faster and more expensive
- newly built and have nicer amenities than slow ferries
- most take vehicles
- picture of Greek highspeed ferry
Catamarans (Cat’s)
- the quickest method of sea transport
- the most expensive
- does not run on all routes or to all islands – only the most popular
- only has inside airplane-style seating
- more likely than large ferries to have weather cancellations
- in rough seas can cause more sea sickness than larger ferries
- some take vehicles
- have names like highspeed 2, highspeed 5, and highspeed 6
- picture of a catamaran in Greece
Flying Dolphins (or Hydrofoils)
- used only on short routes, most commonly between Athens and Hydra and the rest of the Saronic islands
- like catamarans they are small, faster, more expensive, and can have rougher rides than a large ferry
- only have indoor airplane seating
- don’t take vehicles
- picture of a Flying Dolphin hydrofoil
Q. What are the best websites for ferry schedules and tickets?
The best sites for viewing ferry schedules for Greece:
The best sites for booking ferry tickets for Greece:
Q. How do I travel between Greece and Turkey by ferry?
One of the most common routes for travelers on extended trips is to travel from the Greek Islands over to the Turkish coast to explore that incredible country (or from Turkey to Greece as the case may be). The trip is very doable but will inherently involve a bit of uncertainty as the schedules and boats that run between the 2 countries can change often.
There is no direct ferry between Athens and Istanbul so any journey between Turkey and Greece by sea will need to go through a Greek Island. The following table of ferries should give you an idea of what’s available.
- Chios-Çeşme Ferry Info: Erturk
- Kos-Bodrum Ferry Info: Bodrum Ferryboat Association
- Lesvos-Ayvalık Ferry Info: Jale Tour
- Lesvos-Dikili Ferry Info: Sappho Travel
- Lesvos-Foça Ferry Info: This ferry only runs in summer. Enquire at the port.
- Rhodes-Bodrum Ferry Info: Bodrum Ferryboat Association
- Rhodes-Datca Ferry Info: Knidos Yachting
- Rhodes-Fethiye Ferry Info: Blue Cruise Turkey
- Rhodes-Marmaris Ferry Info: Yesil Marmaris Travel & Yachting
- Samos-Kuşadası Ferry Info: Meander Travel
- Simi-Datca Ferry Info: Knidos Yachting
Advice for ferries between Turkey and Greece:
- Most of these trips take 90 minutes to 2.5 hours. The quickest is the 20 minute hydrofoil between Kos and Bodrum.
- The boats used are often quite small and can offer a rough ride even in moderate seas.
- Book the day before as you might need to supply your passport for registration the day prior to departure.
- Many of the ferries only run in the high season between June and September. Ferries from Bodrum to Kos and Marmaris to Rhodes usually run through the winter months.
- Of the Greek Islands that have ferries to Turkey the one with the best connections to other Greek Islands is Rhodes.
- Of the Greek Islands that have ferries to Turkey the one with the best connections to Athens is Chios.
Q. What’s the best website for booking package trips to Greece?
Sunshine.Co.uk has amazing deals for Greece.
But … I highly recommend traveling through Greece independently. Arranging your own travels, island-hopping on the ferry, seeing the non-touristy side of Greece.
Of course, I understand that not everyone has the time, money, or desire to create their own trip so the package tour can be a good way to see Greece on the cheap.
Q. What are the Greek Island groups and why do they matter?
The Greek Islands are divided into several island groups. In part for administrative reasons, but more commonly for shared history and island geography. Ferries and catamarans run more frequently within island groups than between them, so don’t assume that 2 neighboring islands will have daily ferry connections if they lie in different island groups. The most popular island groups for tourists being:
Saronic Islands – a few hours by ferry from Athens. Most popular islands: Hydra, Aegina, Poros, Spetses.
Cycladic Islands – in the middle of the Agean Sea, about 4-8 hours from Athens by ferry. Most popular islands: Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Ios, Milos.
Dodecanese Islands – in the southeast of the Aegean Sea, off the southwest coast of Turkey. 10-18 hours by ferry from Athens. Most popular islands: Rhodes, Karpathos, Kos, Patmos.
Aegean Islands – off the central coast of Turkey. 8-15 hours from Athens by ferry. Most popular islands: Samos, Chios, Lesvos.
(Northern) Sporades: – in the northeastern section of the Aegean, closer to Thessaloniki and Istanbul then to Athens, 2-5 hours by ferry from Thessaloniki. Most popular islands: Skiathos, Skopelos and Skyros.
Crete: – the biggest island in Greece and thus it’s own island group, 10-15 hours by ferry from Athens. Main Cities: Iraklio, Rethymno, Hania.
Ionian Islands: – the only group on the west side of Greece, 1 or 2 hours by ferry from the western ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras, or overnight ferry from Bari or Brindisi in Italy. Most popular islands: Corfu, Kefalonia and Zante (Zakynthos).
Travel tips & advice – Odds and Ends
Best months to visit for good weather: June, July, August, and September.
Busiest months: July and August, specifically July 15 to late August.
Best Website for cheap hotels and deals: HotelsCombined.
Destination specific searches include: Athens, Corfu, Mykonos, Naxos, Rhodes.Cheapest destinations: Ios, Naxos, Lesvos, Chios.
Most expensive destinations: Santorini and Mykonos.
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Outlets use round two-pin plugs.
When to buy tickets to Greece:: Either really early when you can still purchase the few discounted tickets on flights or late when prices drop if holidays makers are going elsewhere. (The last 2 years have seen large discounts and falling prices for tickets to Greece in late spring and early summer.)
Suggested Itineraries
1 week recommended itinerary:
2 or 3 islands — probably in the Cyclades as they’re relatively close to Athens and ferry rides from one island to the next are short and tickets are easy to book. The best Islands in the Cyclades: Naxos, Santorini, Folegandros, Paros, Mykonos, Milos. Finish your trip with 1 full day in Athens.
2 week recommended itinerary:
Do 1 week in Crete and then the 1 week itinerary described above.
1 month recommended itinerary: Start in Lesvos or Samos in the Aegean islands, either by direct flight or ferry from Athens. Spend a week in those two islands before moving on to the Dodecanese spending a week in Rhodes, Ikaria and Karpathos, then continue with the 2 week itinerary above.
Destinations and Planning
- Island hopping is what it’s all about. There are so many great islands in Greece it’s almost mandatory to visit more than one. With the exception of Crete (see below) don’t limit yourself to 1 island.
- But … don’t visit too many islands. 2 nights (3 or 4 is best) is the minimum time needed to feel like you’ve seen an island at all, don’t spread your time too thin among the islands.
- Crete is a big island and requires at least a week to see well. If you’re on a tight schedule and want to see a bunch of different islands Crete might not be your best destination. It’s a fair distance from any other islands (and Athens) and takes a while to get around due to its size. The island could very easily keep you busy for 2 or more weeks and it has a bit of everything: arts, culture, cities, beaches, and quaint idyllic ports. If you have at least 10 days and want to visit Santorini – its closest neighbor – that might is very doable.
- Hotels and restaurants on most islands close during the winter months. You’ll always find something open but things can be very quiet in the off season. On the less popular islands things close down even earlier in the fall and open up later in the spring. For example, Santorini will get very quiet by mid-November. The hotels and restaurants that close will start to reopen in late March. But a less popular island like Folegandros will start slowing down significantly in late September and not be completely re-opened until mid-May.
- Depart and arrive from different cities. Having to return to the city that you first arrived in is a waste of time and money. Open-jaw tickets cost a little more but you’ll save that money by not having to buy tickets back to a place you’ve already been. Example 1) Arrive Thessaloniki travel through the Aegean and Cycladic islands and fly home from Santorini. Example 2) Arrive in Istanbul, visit the Turkish coast, ferry to a Greek island and then more ferries and islands on your way back to Athens for your flight home. Example 3) Fly to Heraklion on Crete, tour that island before visiting Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos on your way back to Athens and home. These are just a few of a number of very good routes and options – all made easier and funner by not having to return to the city that you flew into.
- Don’t ignore Northern Greece — Thessaloniki, the Halkidiki, and the North Aegean islands are less popular than the southern destinations but have some great sights and make a great vacation destination. If you’re looking for quieter towns and secluded beaches the north is great.
- Consider combining a vacation in Greece with a visit to a neighboring coutnry, most likely Italy or Turkey. The Ionian islands in northwest Greece are an easy overnight ferry from Italy’s eastern coast. The Sporades and Aegean islands make a good circular route with Thessalaniki in Northern Greece, Istanbul and the very popular Turkish coast and beaches.
- The winds can be intense in summer, especially in August and especially in the Cyclades. The wind blows from the north so beaches on the south coast of an island generally are the least blustery. Naxos in particular has a long string of protected beaches on it’s southwest coast.
- There are different spellings for the same islands and places – usually becasue of differences between their english and greek names. The ones that cause the most problems: Zante and Zakynthos are the same island, Corfu is Kerkyra, Santorini is Thira, Chania – the city in Crete – is also Hania, and Heraklion is also Iraklion. Thessalaniki and Salonika are the same city. Piraeus is the port the ferries leave from near Athens. It is often used interchangeably with Athens when discussing ferry routes.
Q. What are the best guide books for the Greek Islands?
[Photos by: Klearchos Kapoutsis, Wolfgang Staudt, Karl Blackwell, gpadams, richpix]
Further reading:
- The 5 Best Greek Islands for Kids and Families
- The Best Beaches in Greece – photos and information
- The Great Big Greek Roadtrip (review and photo essay)
- How Much Does Greece Really Cost?
- The Insider’s Guide To Greece
- Greek Travel Blog – one of the best websites for travel in Greece
- Greek Island Escapes – A Guide
- 20 Stunning Pictures from Central Greece’s Meteora
- Eating In Greece – A Photo Essay
- A Mini Guide to Visiting Zakynthos
- Visiting the Abandoned Island of Delos
- Seeing An Olive Harvest In Greece
- 6 Reasons Our Kids Thought Greece Was Fabulous
- Visiting the Greek Islands by Cruise Ship
- How to Travel by Train & Ferry from London to Athens
- Visiting the Ancient Ruins of Delphi
- Mykonos With Kids – a trip review
- The White-Washed Shores of Mykonos
- Athens with Kids – trip report
- 25 Fun Things To Do in Turkey
- 11 Cheap Hotels in Athens
We are planning a trip to Greece for either June or September and had a couple of travel questions. What is the best Greek island for beaches? What’s the better month to travel? – September or June (or a different month altogether)? Should we book our hotel before booking our air tickets?
Thanks,
Neil
HI Neil. For the highest beach-density probably the little island of Skiathos. For sheer number of fantastic beaches I’d say Crete. And for best kid-friendly beaches I’d recommend Naxos. September and June are both great months to island hop through Greece but the Mediterranean will be a bit warmer in September (as it’s had the entire summer to warm). June tends to be a bit greener if you’re visiting one of the islands that has forests and foliage (e.g. Corfu is great in the spring). I always recommend maintaining the most flexibility as your anxiety will allow. Book the first few days of your stay before you depart and then book the rest as you advance through your trip. There’s nothing better than being able to stay on an island that you’re loving or leave an island that’s not suiting your style. I hope that helps.
Where can I find a Greek Island ferry schedule?
This is a great site for researching ferry routes and times:
http://www.greekferries.gr/
This site posts a list of ferries leaving from Athens (Pireaus) for the upcoming week: http://www.athensguide.com/greek-island-ferry-schedules/
A big problem — and hassle — for planning a trip to Greece is that the ferry schedule isn’t released until a week or 2 before the date. So it’s impossible to say for sure what the schedule will be. You can be fairly certain that each Greek island will have a least one ferry visiting it from Athens in the high season of June, July, August, and September. In the low season it can be quite different with some islands only getting 3 or 4 ferries a week.
The Athens News prints a schedule of ferries leaving Athens for the Greek Islands every day. It’s best to check the ferry schedule for the island as soon as you arrive and start to plan your next island as soon as you can — and base your visit and days around the schedule. It’s a bit of a hassle but better than saying to your partner (or yourself) “maybe we should move onto Santorini tomorrow” — then look at the schedule and see that there’s been a ferry to Santorini the last 2 days and there isn’t another one for 3 days.
Thanks for the quick reply. Should I book our ferry trips in advance or wait until we arrive? Do the ferries ever sell out?
I would wait until arrival — unless you are traveling with a car in which case advanced booking is essential. Ferries almost never sell out. Occasionally they will over certain holiday weekends like the mid-August holiday when whole villages return to their hometown. But that is rare and 99.9% of the time you show up at the port, buy your ticket, and are on your way 30 minutes later.
A group of 8, four couples, are planning week to ten days in Greece to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversaries…..we have narrowed it down to cyclades, thinking two islands, e.g, Santorini and either Naxos, Paros, Mykonos (we are not sure). Our first choice is to have big houses or villas so that we could cook together, etc. Been looking at VRBO, any other ideas?
Hi Laurie. Not sure what time of year you’re thinking but if it’s in July or August then Santorini and Mykonos will be very busy. Naxos and Paros not quite as much but it’s still their peak travel season. Since you seem set on Santorini then I’d suggest Naxos or Paros as your second island. They both have great beaches. Naxos also has a very interesting — and less touristy — interior with a collection of intriguing small towns that make for interesting hikes. Paros is more of a coastal island and even the secondary towns have a tourist bent. Getting around Paros is easier by bus as the schedules are geared more towards visitors navigating the island. Naxos’s bus schedule is set more for the locals with buses leaving the villages in the morning and returning from the main town (Chora) in the afternoon.
As for accommodation it’s easier to find on the smaller islands but harder to arrange in advance as the hotels are less focused on online booking. Here are the best websites for finding long term rentals in Greece:
http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Greece/r33.htm
http://www.villarenters.com/rent-villas/greece/santorini
http://www.rentavilla.com/region.php?no=SAN&Santorini
http://www.travel-library.com/accommodations/europe/greece/
http://www.mykonos-accommodation.com/
http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/Greece.html
http://www.rentvillas.com/Browse.aspx?NavToMap=4510
http://www.perfectplaces.com/Greece/Cyclades_Islands-Vacation-Rentals.htm
http://www.airbnb.com/
I hope that helps. Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions.
Hi David,
Thanks for the amazing info. We are travelling (5 adults and 5 children ages, 12, 11, 8, 6) this summer to Europe. We are staying 5 days in Amsterdam, 3-4 days in Denmark, 16 days in Greece. In Greece our plans are to do 5-7 days in Athens (we have family there), 5 days in Naxos and a couple days in another Island. Do you have any suggestions. Somewhere either close to Athens or close to Naxos would be great.
Also since our time in Amsterdam and Denmark is limited, any suggestions to make the most of the trip would be much appreciated.
Hi Pramilda. Naxos is a great choice, so is Paros, Milos, and Antiparos. Not sure if you’ve booked your flights already to and from Greece, but if not I’d land in Athens, spend some time there, then Naxos and maybe one other island and then fly home from one of the islands with an international airport like Mykonos, Santorini, or Crete. That way you don’t retrace your steps and save yourself a ferry trip back to Piraeus. As for Amsterdam, renting bikes would be at the top of my list, probably a canal cruise, a visit to NEMO (the science museum), and maybe the Anne Frank museum. For Denmark this looks like a pretty good list of attractions: http://bit.ly/jrKHua. Good luck.
Thanks for the great tips David! Looking forward to Naxos after reading your posts. Lots of planning to do still for the rest of our trip!
Hi, which is the best resort for a great beach on corfu?
I’m torn between going somewhere a bit more lively like Roda and Sidari, but one travel brochure says that these beaches have pebble and shingle, yet St Georges South looks like a great beach and was described as sandy yet the place itself doesn’t look that lively.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Hi Sandy. Some of those resorts can be very touristy. Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for but don’t expect a lot of local color and culture. My favorite town and beach is Pelekas. No nightlife to speak of but a nice collection of restaurants in a small walkable town that overlooks a very nice beach. A shuttle bus takes you down and brings you back at night. Fantastic views from the cliffside hotels. This site gives a good overview of Corfu’s best beaches: http://www.greeka.com/ionian/corfu/corfu-beaches.htm
Good luck.
Greek Islands are just blissful – be it Zakynthos,Corfu, Rhodes or the romantic Santorini. Here are some photo-memories from these islands I http://www.photographymojo.com/2011/06/looking-for-the-true-blue-greek-islands-photography/
Hello! Nice information! I’m going to Greece with my boyfriend in July. We fear ending up chosing a very touristed island where there are more Germans and Swedes than Greeks. We can’t stand the thought of living on a party island with drunk teenagers and disco noise all night and intense charter tourism that will get on our nerves. Is there a more calm authentic island that offers both some city life with tavernas and a few bars, but also villages. What island can you recommend for a young couple? Maybe an island near to Turkey?
Hi Maria. The scene you’re talking about is really bad on the north coast resort towns of Crete, but all of the most popular islands do have some of this for sure. Quiet islands that come to mind (without the partyers) would be Lesvos, Ikaria, Folegandros, Milos, and Karpathos. Good luck.
Thank you, I will definately check out those islands. Had thought of Samos, since many webpages mention this island as having a non-destructive tourism while alot to offer, but then I read “Rough Guide’s” description which was more critical towards the influence from tourism. I have considered Lesvos, so I’m glad you mention it! Thank you for a very informative site.
Hi David
Love your website- been back & forth as we plan our trip to Europe. We have 2 boys (5 & 9 years). We have a trip all booked via family ties with our main stay in Lebanon. We thought we’d flick to Greece for 5 days (mid July) on route to Milan. Athens is only a very very short flight from Beirut as you know but after doing a bit of research it seems we have left ourselves a bit short on time…..all good as we have booked flights etc. Question is.. After 1 night in Athens- where do we go for the other 3 nights & 3 days? We want to relax on a white sandy beach – hotel with a pool etc- get a real sense of the Greek culture but not be too bombarded with tourists- also don’t want to spend the whole time traveling- happy to stay in one place & relax. Any ideas? We initially thought Naxos but sounds a bit far? Anywhere closer? Love some help- about to head halfway across the world for this adventure-
From your chilled out NZ fans
2 ideas would be Milos or Sifnos. Both have great beaches and don’t see the tourists that Naxos or Paros do. There are high speed ferries that get you there in about 3 or 4 hours. Milos also has an airport and flight there shouldn’t be longer than 40 minutes. Kythnos is another quiet island with nice beaches. A regular ferry will get you there from Athens in about 3 hours, but there are no high speed ferries to Kythnos.
HI David,
We have rented a little house built into the rocks in the town of Elounda, Crete. We land in Athens on the 19th of July from Canada- then have 5 days to plan before our week begins on Crete. Our two daughters ( in their 20′s) are travelling with us, and we were thinking of doing Mykonos, Delos and Santorini. One daughter is studying Art History and Classics and can tell me anything I want to know about Greek archeology and the other is interested in beach time and some cool shopping. I would like to include some fun water activities – kayaking- peddle boat ( one gets seasick) or snorkelling… am not keen on having 24/7 partyers in the same hotel but its a balance.. a little party — some ruins… some culture… some shopping and come home with awesome memories and a fabulous tan! I am not thrilled that Mykonos is such a “gay destination” but it is beautiful. My plan was to stay in Athens for 2 days- then fly to Mykonos for three, take a ferry to Crete- take the catamaran for a day trip from Heraklion… but would really be open to suggestions as I am not sure this is ideal. Would love your two cents worth! I have found your site to be very informative- thx.
It sounds great. My only suggestion is to put your time in Athens at the end of your trip. Greek ferries can be canceled with little or no notice due to weather, so it’s nice to get back to Athens a few days early. There’s no sense spending time there on both ends of your trip so just push all your sightseeing to the end. The islands you’ve chosen are easy to get between and there are lots of ferries between Santorini and Crete so that should be easy too. Good luck.
Hello DAvid,
In July , my 16 year old daughter, myself and my husband, will travel to Greece for a 3 day in Athens and a 4 day cruise ( island hoping). Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete & Santorini. On each of these islands we will spend approximate 4- 5 hours.
We like history, museums and archaeology and we plan to see as much as we can. However, we also love swimming and exploring beaches. Of the islands mentioned above… should we give up on history and enjoy a few hours on the beach…. Which of island has the nicest beaches, bars, swimming, and entertainment and at the same time are close enough to the port so we can make it in time to catch the cruise.
Thank you, Mona
Sounds like a fun cruise. Most of the islands you’ll be visiting are rich in tourist attractions so it’s not clear which one lends itself to hitting the beach. I suppose it depends on what you’re interested in. Mykonos has a very cool small Chora (main town) that’s fun to walk and browse around (and the best beaches are a bit removed from the port). Patmos has a couple of top notch religious sites related to Saint John. Kusadasi is in Turkey of course and will be your only stop there. Santorini has lots to see and explore and not the best beaches. Not sure where you’re stopping in Crete but both Heraklion and Chania have lots to see. Rhodes has a very impressive old town with the old city walls still largely intact. It’s not an easy decision, maybe see which island has the longest stop and see if you can hit some tourist sites and then visit the beach. Good luck.
Hello David,
A friend and I are going to stay in Mykonos. I’m wondering where we should stay – we had thought a hotel between Paradise and Super Paradise beaches would be a great location but perhaps that’s too far removed from the town?
Do you know how far it is into town from there? Which location do recommend staying in? If you have any hotel recommendations (with a pool) – we’d appreciate the tip! In the meantime, I’ll check out the links you’ve provided.
Thanks!
Emma
For great hotel deals in Mykonos check out http://hotelscombined.com/Mykonos.
I’d recommend staying in town as there is much more to do and places to hang out than at either Paradise or Super Paradise beach. Plus the town has a very cool feel to it. Buses to the beach leave every half-hour from town and take about 15 or 20 minutes. The beaches get very busy and have a party vibe. Even if you’re into that scene having it 24/7 can be a bit much. Have fun.
This is a very helpful article.
We have four days to do the islands before we fly out of Rhodes.
We are looking for a good combination of sight / historical seeing and then some nightlife.
Woudl you recommend sticking around Rhodes or do 2 islands in 2 nights? Probably wouldn’t want do more. I’m assuming there are day tours around the islands as well?
Thanks!
Depends where you’re arriving but I’d probably stick to just Rhodes. Crete is a great island but is a long ferry ride from Rhodes. Karpathos is also good but making it work with your days – ferry there, ferry back – probably isn’t worth it. Rhodes has a lot of great sites so spending 4 days there shouldn’t be a problem at all.
My husband and I are planning a 10 day holiday in Greece in mid-October. Any suggestions for an itinerary to see the most interesting parts of Greece? We’d like to go to an island or two and also want to see historical sites. The only thing we know about the islands is they have beaches. We don’t know anything about the mainland. Should we rent a car?
Hi Carol. There is a lot to see in Greece and 10 days will only allow you to scratch the surface. Don’t try to see too much. Focus on 2 or 3 islands, or 2 or 3 regions of the mainland, instead of trying to cram too much in. If i had to recommend an itinerary for 10 days in Greece it would probably start in Crete, perhaps spending 4 or 5 days there split between Knossos and Iraklion in the east and Chania and the Samaria Gorge in the west. Then 1 night in Santorini, followed by 2 nights in either Naxos, Milos, or Paros. Finish your trip with a few days of touring Athens. I doubt you’d want to rent a car for any of these destinations (maybe Crete) as the buses are great and the islands and Athens easy to get around.
The Peloponnese is fantastic as well and could easily fill a week long tour. It has some very nice beaches as well, though not as nice as the islands. Good luck.
Hi,
We (wife, 2 year old daughter 6 month old son, myself) are most likely visiting the greek islands for 2-3 weeks starting in mid-sept.
Based on your information, we are thinking setting up in Paros and Naxos (4-7 days each) and island hopping (maybe another island for a few days) or day trips from there. We have traveled with our daughter before when she was 6 months (Spain, Croatia), 9 months (Denmark) and 18 months (France). This would be our first time with both kids.
1) Does this sound like a good plan?
2) Do we need a car if we near the major town on Paros and Naxos? We are used to walking and public transit, but if it is a major complication, it may be a bad idea with a baby and a toddler. We expect either rent an appartment or a hotel with some type of kitchenette as we LOVE to cook in foreign places. This is a major reason why we travel.
3) If you think we need a car on one of these islands, how easy is it to get car seats (kids) from these agencies? It is usually not a problem, but I don’t know how many babies they get in the greek islands.
Thanks.
Hi Erik. This sounds like a great plan. Paros and Naxos are perfect and it’s easy to hop around to some other islands from there (even a day trip to Santorini is doable.) The buses are great on both Paros and Naxos so it shouldn’t be any problem (though obviously it will take some effort to figure out the schedules and find the right bus – but that’s all part of the fun.) Buses are a great way to see and meet the locals as it’s how most of the Greeks get around the islands. Cars tend to insulate you from local life.
If you do decide to rely on a rental car it’s probably best to take a baby car seat as there are no guarantees you’ll be able to find one. But with a bit of looking you should be able to. It just depends how dependent you are on a car for your plans and whether you could skip the rental if you really had to.
Good luck.
Hello David ,In August on a late deal, my 16 year old daughter, 20 year old son myself and my husband, will travel to Greece for 10 -14 days We are looking for a good combination of sight / historical seeing and then some nightlife, any ideas best place to stay
Sounds like Crete to me. Crete is the biggest island so has lots to see and do – a bit of everything, so to speak. Rhodes also has a great mix of sightseeing, history, beaches, and nightlife. I’d fly to either of those islands spend a week to ten days really getting to know it, and then ferry back to Athens while visiting 1 or 2 of the most appealing Cycladic islands – maybe Santorini, Naxos, Milos, or Ios.
I hope that helps a little.
Hi David,
We are 3 single ladies between 30-35 looking for good beaches, good food and good parties. We will probably fly to Athens and after spending 2 days there we will move to islands. I guess 3 islands will be reosonable to spend for 6 days. Instead of going back to Athens ending the trip in Turkey can be an option as well. Mykonos and Paros looks good but couldnt decide for the 3rd island. I guess Mykonos is too touristic. Paros seems less and its good as soon as there are young people around. Still not sure which 3 island to choose and end up in Turkey. What do you advise? and very thanks for sharing your personal experience. Thats definatly a ‘money cant buy ‘service. Cheers
Hi Burcu. Mykonos and Paros are great. Syros or Folegandros if you’re looking for a more Greek island. Sifnos or Milos for great beaches. Of course you’ll need to visit one of the eastern Greek islands to hop over to Turkey (by ferry), so Samos, Chios, or Lesvos are good options. Rhodes is also a popular jump-off for Turkey but is a fair ways south. It does have more direct ferries from the Cyclades however. Ikaria is half-way between the Cylcades and the eastern islands and is a wonderful and beautiful island.
Too many choices, I know. Good luck.
Wowee, what a great website! I wonder of you can give me some advice on Greece! We (me, husband and 2 children aged 5&6) want to go to Greece in June next year but I’m so confused about which island to choose! Basically what we want are clean white sandy beaches with a beach restaurant for lunch and sun loungers (very important!) to hire. I’d love to be able to hire a little boat in which to explore waterfront tavernas too. I don’t want nightlife but I would like nice restaurants! Is there such an island?!
Hi Rebecca. This sounds like a handful of great Cyclade islands. Naxos, Paros, Antiparos. Farther afield (and a little harder to get to from Athens) would be Ikaria, Lesvos, Corfu and Kefalonia. If you don’t want crowds and nightlife then avoid Santorini, Mykonos, and Ios, though all the islands will be getting fairly busy by June and even Naxos and Paros will have plenty of nighttime activity. (Perhaps too much.) Have fun.
Hi David. You are providing quite a nice service – thank you.
My wife and I are well-travelled seniors, looking for a pleasant week in Greece next May — to see the sights on a moderate budget. We’re thinking of a few Cyclades and Athens. Don’t mind crowds (its May), want nice hotels, and travel advice. Should we consider a cruise? If not, small planes or ferries? Advice? Thanks!
Hi David. Ferries are the way to see the Greek islands. In the Cyclades most trips are short trips so you get the feel of catching the boat and entering a new port by sea – always fun – but don’t have to deal with the long (sometimes boring) ferry rides. I might recommend flying one way, say from Athens to Santorini, and then work your way back to the mainland from there. Most islands shouldn’t be too busy in May, though the water can still be chilly in Springtime. A cruise will, like all cruises, dump you in the port town with a bunch of other tourists and the whole place feels overrun, busy, and unfriendly. The towns return to their slow easy pace after the cruise ships have left so by taking a cruise you’re sort of missing the best part – the freedom to see the non-touristy side of the islands at your own pace. Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Folegandros, Sikinos, and Syros are my favorites but all the islands have their own appeal. You really can’t go wrong. Don’t worry about booking hotels in advance (if you’re comfortable with this) as May is a perfect time to island hop without pre-arranged reservations – almost all of the hotels are open and yet the big crowds haven’t arrived yet. Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions.
My family of 5, 2 adults and 3 children (aged 9, 7 and 5) are thinking of island hopping between Naxos, Paros and another island next Summer. I would like to go selfcatering in apartments with shared pools as I don’t want to book 2 rooms in a hotel. Is there this type of accomodation on those islands and which is the best website to find it/book it. Villas are way out of my budget.
Hi Oria. There are more apartment style accommodations on Crete, Santorini, and Mykonos than on Naxos and Paros. That said, look here: http://www.greeka.com/cyclades/ and http://vrbo.com. Even craigslist.org can have a good listing occasionally. Good luck.
Good afternoon,
I stumbled upon your website and am desparate for advice. My husband and I are returning to Oia for our 25th Anniversary. We spent our 20th there but went no where other than Santorini. As we are returning, I simply cannot determine where we should split our time. I read and read and I guess I am looking for something equally as perfect as Santorini, but in a different way. We are not partiers but do enjoy a drink. We don’t lay in the sun enjoy a beautiful beach and the views in Santorini of the water are breathtaking. We like history and ruins such as ancient Thira but are certainly not basing our vacation on this. I ruled out the party islands, it just isn’t our thing unless there is a reason to go. I was thinking Crete, but it is quite large and I am only lending 4 days. Turkey was a thought, but where to start. I realize you cannot tell me what I would like or where to go, but suggestions would be most welcome. Half of me wonders if we should just spend the time on Santorini and quit stressing. I just hate to go that far and restrict myself to one place that I have already been to. We very much enjoyed the layed back atmosphere that the island gave us. At no time did we feel crowded or overrun. We enjoyed dinners with a view and drinks at tavernas and roaming the island and the roads. To me it was as close as paradise could get. We would probably fly from Athens to “TBD” then go to Santorini towards the end. We are traveling towards the end of June.
Thank you for any information you can offer.
Cheryl
I would probably suggest a couple of islands. Milos for it’s very unique land formations. Antiparos for a very laid back beach and small village scene. Or Folegandros for a nice little village (with great restaurants), nice walks, and stunning views. All the islands are great so don’t worry too much about finding the perfect one. You made a good choice by getting away from your past destinations and seeing something new. Have fun.
David,
You are clearly an amazing resource! We will be travelling with our three kids (15, 13, 11) over the winter break in December and January – while clearly not the best beach weather, we are excited about our first trip to Greece regardless. We have 2 potential approaches – ferry from Bari to Corfu and then island hop for about 7 to 9 days or fly into Thessaloniki and island hop from there…we are leaving (based upon your excellent advice) from athens and will save several days to see the sights there before our departure…so, knowing the time of year – what do you like better?
Hi Linda. I like both your options but both have some caveats. Ferries do not run nearly as often in the off season so you could be left sitting on one of the less popular islands for a few days waiting for the next ferry – which might not be going exactly where you want. You don’t have a lot of time so unless things fall exactly right you may have to make some very big compromises to be able to get back to Athens in time. The other islands that you would visit from either Corfu or Thessaloniki are still a long way from Athens with inconsistent and indirect routes (even in summer). From the Ionians (the islands around Corfu) you’ll probably end up going through the Peloponnese (which is nice) but will involve a longer bus or train trip.
Both these options are doable so I don’t want to sound too pessimistic but they likely won’t work out exactly as you expect.
I’d be tempted to fly to either Santorini or Crete and then hit a few islands as you make your way back to Athens. These are the most popular islands so should have a ferry every day or 2.
Just an idea. Good luck.
David,
Thanks for the heads up – and yes, I am discovering that the logistics are daunting…after researching several options I think we will fly from rome into Thessalonika – and then fly from there to either crete or santorini. My question is which airline to you like for the island hop? I have looked at several airlines that you have posted on the website and am having trouble finding what we need. Appreciate any recommendations you can send my way.
Thanks again for your help!
It’s really specific to which islands you are flying between. As a general rule you should assume there aren’t flights between the 2 islands you want to get between. The exceptions are between Rhodes, Crete, Santorini, and maybe Mykonos. For the rest of them you would have to go back through Athens. Ferries are the main mode of transport. Hydrofoils are a faster choice though they don’t have as many routes – especially in the off season. Good luck.
Hi David, Thanks for all the info. My husband and i are travelling with our son (11 yrs) around Europe for 5 weeks mainly by train – we are from New Zealand. We will travel from Venice to Athens (not sure how yet) then onto two islands. Thanks for the tip in regards to flying to Santorini and boating back. Not sure which island to choose Mykonos, Naxos or Paros. We are travelling with budget in mind yet seeing some unique attractions/local eating places in beach villages are of importance. We are not sure whether to go to Greece in the beginning of our travels (end May) or (end June), near the end of our travels. Is it best to travel East to West or vica versa?
East-West or West-East doesn’t make a big difference (I think I would let ticket price to Europe dictate which way to travel) but all things being equal I would probably go first to Italy and then fly directly from Rome, Milan, or Venice to one of the Greek Islands on a budget airline. You’ll have more freedom going that way than trying to find a flight from any specific island to Italy. From the Greek Islands make your way to Athens on the ferries. Doing this way you’ll save yourself the time and expense of backtracking from the islands back to Athens.
Also, late June will be warmer than late May in Greece. The sea will be warmer the days hotter but there will also be more crowds. Not sure which scenario you prefer.
David,
What a fantastic site. Husband and I are planning a trip to Europe in June 2012 and looking for a bit of advice for when we stop in Greece. Unfortunately we will only have about 5 days in Greece but would like to hop around a couple islands. Any suggestions? Are there any islands you can use as a base and take day trips? We will probably spend 1 day in Athens and 4 on the islands. I realize this is not a lot of time but want to make the best out of our time in Greece.
Thanks
Melissa
Hi Melissa. I recommend flying one way to save some time on the ferries. Maybe fly to Santorini, spend 1 night there then make your way back to Athens on the ferry stopping at any of the following: Naxos, Milos, Folegandros, Paros, or Syros. (Though all of the islands are great and have their own appeal.)
Hi David – Thanks for all this great info! We are heading to Greece in late July for 2 weeks. There are 7 of us in our family – 5 in their 20′s + 2 old farts. We plan to begin the trip in Oia, Santorini for the first 3 days and then we’d like to get on a chartered boat and visit 2-3 islands on our way back to Athens. Is this a good way to visit Greece? Do you have recommendations on a boat/cruise company, or if getting a skippered bareboat is better? If so, any guidance you can offer? It is daunting to figure out from here.
I’d love any pointers! Thanks!
Hi Tina,
Sailing is a great way to see the islands and the more secluded beaches! That being said, it can be some challenging sailing if the meltemi is blowing and you will likely be stopping at more than 2-3 islands on the way back to Athens with several+ hours of sailing in between each island. If you are experienced sailors or keen to do it then google will bring up a number of local firms that provide skippered charters.
There are also many day trips by yacht around Santorini and also over to Anafi (a nice little island) if you prefer a shorter sailing experience. To be honest, if you have picked the 2-3 islands you want to see then the traditional ferry/hotel route would be a more efficient means of getting around and spending more time on the islands rather than on the water.
Hope that helps!
Thanks Lynn for your help. I find I am stuck in my head. I think I have always had a dream of sailing among the Greek islands – and I love being on the water and visiting less traveled areas. I did a trip like this in the West Indies a few years ago and it was wonderful to be on a traveling hotel vs. packing our stuff around. Going in late July works best for the family but we could move it to June if needed – just not ideal.
Now we can forgo the sailing and travel to islands via ferry, but I just need some reassurance and that we can do that and still have a sense of experienced Greece outside of Athens and Oia, have places to stay that are good and experiences that are fun. It just feels daunting to plan. I have spent probably 6 hours reading travel forums and looking at options. If we go the island hopping way, I would imagine we would go straight to Santorini, stay there 4-6 days and then head to Naxos or Paros or both or?? I know Mykonos is crazy – but if we don’t go, will the kids really miss out on some fun (5 kids 20-27 years). Should we head there for a day or two? We’d end in Athens and give that 2-3 days.
I’m tied up in my underwear and I need an experienced Greek traveler to help untie me.
Thanks so much!!
Hi Tina,
There are a lot of islands to choose from and it can be confusing! With 2 weeks however you easily have enough time to see 3 or 4. Starting with Santorini is wise since it is at the end of the chain more or less, then work your way back to Athens. You won’t miss out on anything not going by sailboat, the opposite I would say. Greek islands are great for exploring by foot/road and renting a car or a bike on any/all of them and going for a wander is what I would suggest.
In reply to your questions:
Mykonos is a nice island beyond the hotspots, but really most islands will have enough nightlife to keep the 20 somethings happy. Santorini will be heaving in late july (really june is a much better option if at all possible). I think 3-4 days tops at Santorini is fine. Do a boat trip to the cauldera, visit the museum and the archeological site, maybe a wine tour and you are done. The other islands have better beaches (in my opinion).
Paros and Naxos are both nice islands and quite big so things to look at and explore and quite a few good beaches. Amorgos is a bit out of the way but a really beautiful island and Mykonos is also possible on this route back to Athens.
Another option might be doing a Folegandros, Milos, Serifos/Sifnos/Kythnos route back to Athens. All very nice islands.
I think you all will have a great time! Main thing I would stress really is if you want to see a little more of the ‘normal’ Greece, go in June rather than July!
Hi, I’m a single mum with 3 kids (14, 8 & 7) planning a few weeks of island hopping the Cyclades in early July. Would you recommend I book hotels/rooms in advance, other than Athens? I would like maximum flexibility, but travelling with 3 kids is not quite the same as when I was younger and carefree!
Thanks
Rosie
Hi Rosie. Traveling in July can be really busy but if you arrive early in the day and aren’t picky about what you get I think you’ll be fine. You are taking at least a little bit of a chance but considering the advantages of having flexibility I think it’s worth it.
If you do need to book in advance here are some links to the best deals for each island: Mykonos, Naxos, Parikia (the main town on Paros), and Ios.
Good luck!
Hey David,
Love the site; it’s been a great resource thank you. My girlfriend and I are traveling to Kefalonia at the very beginning of July for a wedding. We plan to spend a few days before and after the wedding on the island but then don’t know which route we want to take! As I’ve seen you mention previously my thought was to book-end the trip by ending back up in Athens for a few days to do some heavy lifting there. However we will have about 7-10 days between Kefalonia and Athens to play with. Our thoughts are either to continue North to Corfu and then strike out to Northern Mainland ( I would love to see Meteora) and end in Athens or take what seems to be the more traditional approach and do some island hopping in the south. We are looking for a more authentic Greek experience and some time to soak in the history and relax. However, we both like to get out at least a bit to hit some bars and socialize. For example I hear that Santorini is THE party island. Any suggestions for first timers would be great and perhaps where we might find the best of both of the travel world.
Happy Traveling,
John
HI John. Some thoughts:
I would think about visiting Corfu (a great island – be sure to stay a night or 2 in Corfu town. Pelekas is probably the nicest beach spot). From Corfu take the ferry to Igmoumenitsa and then bus through Northern Greece stopping at Ioannina and the Meteora. There are also some very nice little towns along the way that are absolutely beautiful. Karditsa and Trikala are cool towns too with fun cafe culture and true Greek life with few tourists. You could also stop in Delphi on the way back to Athens. Athens requires at least 2 or 3 days to do any justice.
As for the islands Santorini is a big party island but sort of for the cruise ship crowd. Ios is the backpacker scene. And Mykonos for a celebrity and gay party scene. Ios, Naxos, Antiparos, and Milos have the nicest beaches.
I hope that helps a little. Good luck.
Wow, loving your site, you know just about everything
)
Myself and boyfriend are planning on getting married in early September, not sure if we want to do in Northern Ireland or go away somewhere but we are pretty much swayed to going away. I want a very small wedding just the two and really want it in Greece. Can you tell me is it possible to have a protestant wedding in Greece, i think i read somewhere it has to be in Athens ?. We then want 3 nights in Santourini and then go off travelling around the other islands. I love the beach but like to get out cycling also and playing some tennis plus good food and the odd party night out. The last leg of the tour will be going to Bulgaria to visit family and then getting a flight from there back to Belfast. We plan to be away for 4 weeks so 3 will be in Greece. Do you think we should just book our 3 nights in santorini and then decide where we want to go when we are there because i don’t want to live to a schedule while there. I know we will be getting the train to Bulgaria so our last port of call in Greece will be where we can get a train to Bulgaria.
I don’t know a lot about weddings in Greece, but I do know that there are a lot of weddings on Santorini. As someone who briefly considered getting married in a foreign country I’ll say that it’s not as easy as it sounds and if you’re goal or motivation is to have a simple wedding then going to Greece probably isn’t the answer. But I’m sure it would be fun.
As for your trip. Yes, definitely don’t book more nights that you need and keep as much open and flexible as possible. The ferry schedules can be erratic and never going to the islands you want on the days you expect. So the more wiggle room you have with your itinerary the better.
Also know that Greece has cut off train connections with the rest of Europe (more info and updates here: http://www.seat61.com/Greece.htm) and so you will need to take the bus to Bulgaria rather than the train. This isn’t a great loss as that route was slow and unpredictable and the buses go from Thessaloniki to Sofia much more regularly. But having the train is a nice option.
Firstly – thanks for providing the great resource , very much appreciated.
My wife, 1 year old daughter and I are planning a two week holiday in Greece from mid September.
We are looking for a truly relaxing, simple and authentic holiday on a small island. We’re not planning to move around much as we really want to concentrate on unwinding, eating good food in small cafes / restaurants, discovering the culture and meeting the some of the local characters in the process. The kind of place that you can come back to year after year. No tourists (if possible), parties or organised trips – just the real deal secret getaway – if you don’t mind sharing the secret
Thanks.
PS any links would be very helpful
I’m thinking either Antiparos (http://www.greeka.com/cyclades/antiparos/index.htm) or Lesvos (http://www.lesvos.com/). Hope that helps.
Hi David,
great website! Can we fly directly from Edinborough to Corfu June 1st, stay for a few nights then ferry to Nth Greece to bus it to Meteroa. From there bus it to Athens for a few nights. With 14 nights to go is there a way in which we can Island Hop to Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes (o/n ferry to Patmos) and then finish in Cyprus on the 23rd June? We dont really want to back track to Athens. Cheers from Jen
It all sounds good except the Cyprus part as there are no longer any ferries between Greece and Cyprus. You now have 2 choices to get to Cyprus from Rhodes. Take a ferry to Marmaris then bus to Alanya, then ferry to Northern Cyprus and cross the border into Greek Cyprus. Or fly from Rhodes to Cyprus on Cyprus Airways. The flight is not direct and will go through either Heraklion or Athens. It costs about $150 Euros. I definitely recommend the trip through Northern Greece. It’s beautiful and the Meteora are great. June is a good time to tour Mainland Greece: the weather is nice but not too hot, not as many tourists (not that it’s ever as busy as the islands to begin with), and it allows you to see the local Greek life that you don’t see on the islands. Oh, and the ferry to Patmos is about 5 hours and is closer to Mykonos than to Rhodes. The ferry from Santorini to Rhodes is about 7 hours and there are not any fast ferries that do this route.
Thank you for the great blog. Can you recommend the best island(s) to visit (on foot) in the winter months?
Crete for sure. It’s the most southerly so has the warmest weather. It also has the biggest non-tourist economy so doesn’t completely shut down in the winter like some islands. Lots of great walks, gorges, villages to explore. Great food and history too. Rhodes is a close second. Hope that helps.
Hi David,
Your website is a wonderful and inspiring resource!
I’m planning a 2 1/2 week vacation this September with my husband and then 1-year old son.
I am looking for an island itinerary that isn’t too hurried – since we will be traveling with a baby we’d like to travel at a relaxed pace. Our main priorities are to see beautiful (kid-friendly) beaches, pretty white-washed towns, and to experience authentic Greek culture.
I’m thinking Naxos would be the best choice, with maybe a little time on Santorini or another nearby island in the Cyclades.
a few questions:
- Do you think wind will be an issue in the Cyclades during early September?
- I’m considering booking an open-jaw ticket arriving in Athens and departing Istanbul (or vice-versa). What would be the best way to get from the Cyclades to Istanbul? If we do include Istanbul in our itinerary, should we consider Rhodes instead of the Cyclades? Or, do you think it’s too ambitious to include Istanbul in a 2 1/2 week itinerary?
thanks very much in advance for your help!
Kasey
I suspect the wind shouldn’t be an issue but there are no guarantees, of course. The winds usually peak in August – and even then there “usually” not a big deal. The main beaches on Naxos are semi-protected from the winds. When they’re bad its main effect is the delay of ferries, which can be a problem if you’re on a tight schedule.
As for your itinerary, yes it does sound like a fair bit. Doable, but you’ll definitely be moving and island hopping at a pretty steady rate. Taking a flight from Southern Turkey (Antalya, maybe) up to Istanbul would cut a lot off your trip and make it much more manageable (if you decided to go through Rhodes). I’d probably do Athens, Naxos, Santorin, Rhodes, Marmaris, Istanbul, or Athens, Naxos, Lesvos, Ayvalik, Istanbul.
I hope that helps.
Hi David,
Fantastic and very thorough information.
What island would you recommended for a female solo traveller?
I have 7 days and am after a relaxing time filled with nice restaurants.
Safety is obviously paramount.
Thanks!
Hi Kayla. You know, they’re all great. But maybe one of the less intense or over-touristy ones would be a good fit. Something like Naxos or Paros or Antiparos or Ikaria or Lesvos or Serifos or Sifnos or Folegandros. You can’t go wrong with any of those. Good luck.
I am thinking about taking by 11 year old daughter. Just her and me on this trip. I would be interested in island hopping and being more adventurous. I don’t have a problem with going without reservations… as long as rooms are available. Obviously we are not into bars and would shy away from tourist carnival towns. I could take 2 to 4 weeks for this vacation. I’d really appreciate some suggestions. We would like snorkeling, hiking, sight seeing, friendly people, fun locations and the ability to meet more greeks than tourists. We are probably looking at July and the thought of wasting days being wind beaten is making me a little apprehensive about the Cyclades. Thanks
Hi Clay. Sounds like a lot of fun. The Cyclades get the most wind during August but July can still see some windy days. It has most of an effect on the boats and ferry schedules than on the people swimming (especially if you know where to find a protected beach). The Cyclades doesn’t see a lot of Greek tourists though. Or not as many as the Halkidiki, Euboea, Skopelos, or Skiathos. Places that are easy to get to (and drive to) from the mainland. If you did want to visit a more traditional Greek island but still wanted a quieter scene then Karpathos, Ikaria, Lesvos, or Antiparos are good options. I hope that helps. Good luck.
My wife and I (active seniors) are thinking about spending the second week of May in Greece, with interest in a couple of islands (Santorini and Rhodes???) and finishing up for a day or so in Athens. We have travelled extensively, but not to Greece. How should we avoid the political/economic issues? Are there better islands to visit then? How should we travel with that limited time availability? Should we splurge for the hotel in Santorini? Will it be safe to stay at the Grande Bretagne in Athens — is there a better choice? Rhodes before Santorini. then Athens? Thanks!
Hi. These are all good hotels in Athens: http://mylittlenomads.com/family-friendly-hotels-in-athens. As for the Grande Bretagne – it’s right on the square that often has a lot of demonstrations. I suspect the security is top of the line, but be prepared for an “active” situation should there be demonstrations on. I’m sure you’ll be fine though. Just inconvenienced perhaps. Santorini and Rhodes are great. They’re separated by a long ferry ride however. Flying to Crete then ferry to Santorini or something similar to that would save you from a long ferry ride. May should be a good time to get some decent deals in Santorini. Take a look here for some hotel tips and advice for Santorini: http://mylittlenomads.com/santorini-hotels
I hope that helps. Good luck.
Two couples in mid fifties plan a three week holiday to Greece. Have been to many islands in the south and east and would like suggesions of where to visit on the west of the mainland. Ithaca plus one other island and some touring on the main land. We like a little site seeing but both couples enjoy authentic greek life with low key tourist type activities. Sitting in tavernas and taking in the atmosphere. What other island do you suggest near Ithaca and can you suggest an interesting route from Athens north to where we can catch a ferry to the islands that I have already mentioned. So little tourism, lots of ‘taking’ in the surroundings and preferably staying in small ‘unwestern’ type accommodation. I await your reply
The easiest and most obvious choice is Kefalonia as that’s Ithaca’s neighboring island. You can get to Kefalonia from either Patras or Kyllini on the Peloponnese. Patras is a shorter bus ride from Athens but a longer ferry. Kyllini is a longer bus ride but shorter ferry. Or you could visit Lefkas as it is attached to the mainland by a bridge and thus has a 6 hour bus ride available from Athens.
Taking the bus through Northern Greece to Corfu is quite amazing but ferry connections from Corfu to the southern Ionian islands only run 2 a week.
I hope that helps.
Hi David,
Im planning on going to Greece in April. I wanted to visit Athens, Santorini, Mykonos and Island of Ioaninna. What do you suggest is the best way to get around to all those places?
Hi Sonia. It’s easy to get to Santorini and Mykonos from Athens. There are many ferries going every day (even in April) so just check the Athens News newspaper for the schedule and head to the port when it’s time. For Ioaninna you’ll need to take a bus. There are 9 buses a day from Athens and take about 6.5 hours (in theory). You don’t need to buy tickets in advance. Just show up at the station and there should be one leaving within an hour or 2. Good luck.
We’re looking to visit Greece in September for a month. Renting a modest and inexpensive home on an island such as Hydra really appeals. Or perhaps some other island that is less well known? The Peloponnese? Clearly what we want for ourselves and two young children 11 and 8 is a base from where we can explore on foot and local bus and just enjoy high quality and authentic down time as a family. I know you are a big fan of Naxos……but there must be other smaller less frequented islands you could recommend? And HYDRA…..you don’t rate? Thanks David
Hydra is a great island and not as touristy feeling as some of the Cyclades (as more of its tourists are Greeks). There are no cars on Hydra so it’s great for walking and exploring. The one downside is that it doesn’t have any sandy beaches. They’re rocky/pebbly. You can swim but it’s not the typical Greek island in that regard. The Peloponnese has lots to see, but it’s also quite large so you will eat up some time driving from one side to the other. For smaller islands I’d recommend Ikaria, Folegandros, Lesvos, Sifnos, Skiathos, and Milos – but there are many more as well. Good luck.
I’m keen to have a closer look at the smaller island options you mention. But with Naxos being so large: any particular corner you could recommend us basing ourselves in? We like to settle in one area and really work it if you know what I mean. We live on the beach in Australia…….so the sandy beach not such a crucial holiday item.
Really, the best spot in Naxos is the Hora (or main town). It has the most to see, the most going on, a great beach nearby, and the best bus connections to the rest of the island. Some of the little villages up in the “mountains” are wonderful too but you’ll likely find yourself taking the bus down to the Hora and the beach every day as that’s where most of the excitement is. That said, I’m all for chilling out and if long walks and village life are what you’re looking for then check out Filoti in the Tragea region.
‘Kalimera!’ (‘Good morning’ in Greek!) Do you know that your holidays in Greece become even nicer and more fun when you can read and speak a bit of Greek? If you would like to learn some Greek, we are organizing Greek Language Lessons on the island of Syros. Combine your language lessons with an excellent island vacation on the beautiful (and very Greek) island of Syros. For info, just visit: http://www.omilo.com.
I took Greek courses in Athens when I lived there and loved it. Syros is a cool island too.
Hi David, such great information! My husband and I (both in our mid 30′s) are trying to plan a vaca in Sept and were thinking of flying from Washington DC, doing a layover in London then Greece or just Greece and no London stop. We might only have 10 days.
Below are a couple ideas based on what I’m reading. Can you let me know what you think? I’m trying to figure out logistically where to fly in/out and what are the best islands (beach, culture, fun wise).
-Fly into Crete, ferry to Paros (or Naxos; which one?) Mykonos and end in Athens
-Fly into Athens, ferry or fly to Paros (or Naxos; which one?), Mykonos, and end in Athens
-your suggestion?
You’ll see Mykonos listed for both scenarios. Just based on what I’m reading, seems like there’s a nightlife, culture and beautiful beaches.
Thanks!!!!!
I like the first options. No sense going through Athens twice and Crete has lots of flights to it from the rest of Europe. Booking direct flights to Greece can be a little tricky as most to the islands are on budget airlines that typically aren’t listed in the bigger flight search engines – so you’ll need to visit each individual airline to see what flights are available and compare prices. Those airlines might also leave from a different airport than you arrive at, so a stopover would be wise. (e.g. You might fly into London Heathrow but the flight to Greece will leave from Gatwick – so check airports and timings closely.) Good luck.
Great site! I’ll be visiting Greece in July 2012. I plan to stick to the mainland (Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Volos). Do you think I need to book accommodation in advance anywhere other than Athens? I’m worried that strikes could cause me to alter plans and I’ll loose out on a reservation or two.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
As long as you arrive at your destination early in the day then you shouldn’t have to book in advance. Trikala is a nice town not far from the Meteora and it nearly always has rooms free. Maybe use that as a base for a day trip to the Meteora.
Hi
Your website is helpful. Do you have any ideas on getting off the island of Patmos and getting to Mykonos. I’ve checked gtp’s and the ferries are not looking compatible. Any suggestions? Going in June 2012. Thanks
Your best bet is probably a ferry from Patmos to Samos (2.5hours) and then ferry from Samos to Mykonos (3.5 hours to 4.5 hours) – though this ferry doesn’t run every year. If that doesn’t work then fly to Athens and then back to Mykonos.
Hi David,
My Girlfriend and I Have 8 nights booked in Greece from May 5-13. We fly in to Athens and have 2 nights there, then we fly to Santorini where we have accommodation already booked for 3 nights in Fira. We fly out from Mykonos on the 13th. My initial plan was to take the ferry to Mykaonos from Santorini and spend 3 nights there, but my girlfriend and I don’t like super touristy spots too much so I thought it might be a good idea to spend only 2 nights on Mykonos (we would also like to do a trip to delos from there) and maybe stay a night on Naxos or Paros on the way from Santorini. We like a bit of nightlife, but more along the lines of nice bars pubs and restaurants rather than clubs. Naxos appeals as it would be nice to travel inland and swim at some quieter beaches, but I am also aware that it is a large island, and that it may not be that warm yet in may for swimming. My question really is would it be better to focus on enjoying Santorini and Mykonos for our short trip, or would it be worth sacrificing a day in Mykonos to squeeze in a day and night on Naxos or Paros? are the ferries between islands frequent in May? Maybe a day trip to another island from Santorini would suffice? Don’t want to miss out, but don’t want to overextend ourselves either! Thanks
I would probably do it, as Naxos (and Paros) are great. You’ll likely like them more than Mykonos. There shouldn’t be any problem with catching a ferry between Naxos or Paros and Mykonos at that time of year. I believe there’s a ferry that runs Naxos-Delos-Mykonos (with a 3 hour stop on Delos) so you might be able to combine those trips to save some time. Good luck.
Thanks for your help David. Another thought occurred to me. Would it be a better idea to have 2 nights in Santorini rather than 3, so we can have 2 nights on Naxos instead of 1? That way we wont have to rush around. Would 2 nights for Santorini enough to get the best out of it?
I think 2 nights on an island is usually enough to see it and experience it. So yes, I’d rather have a bit briefer stay on Santorini and also get the chance to see Naxos.
Hi David, can you tell me if there is a feery service from brindisi/bari to milos direct. if not, what would be the best way to get there via ferries.
No, definitely not. You couldn’t get from Bari to Milos by ferry only – at some point you’d have to take a bus. The easiest is probably a overnight ferry to Corfu then bus to Athens and ferry to Milos. I bet you could find a cheap air ticket from Rome to Santorini or Mykonos (which are only a few hours by ferry from Milos).
Hi David,
I am planning a trip to Greece (first time) wth my family in Oct (20th-29th) and this being our first trip, want to cover Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and if time permits Sifnos. I hv done some reading on the weather and tourist season in Greece… want to avoid the crowded mths but still stay within season … wanted your views on (a) whether my timing is ok … yes i do want a fair share of beachtime , (b) whats the ideal day split if I hv to cover all 4 places and (c) whats your pick for a good place to stay in Athens (in and around Plaka)? Thanks
Hi Ani. That’s getting later in the season for sure. You could have nice beach weather but you could also have some chilly or rainy days as well. I’ve been in late October a couple times and was always able to have some beach time but every morning you always have that iffy feeling as you tried to figure out whether it will be warm enough to go swimming. If you moved your dates to say October 5th to the 15th I’d feel a lot more confident in saying the weather will be fine.
For timing I would fly from Athens to Santorini and take the ferry back to Piraeus through Mykonos, spending 3 nights in Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens. (I’d probably skip Sifnos – though you could squeeze it in with 2 nights in each place.) The ferry links between Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens are all quite popular so you have choices on every day. Whereas getting from Mykonos to Sifnos might require to wait a day or 2 for a direct ferry as it’s not so popular a route.
Read Family-friendly Hotels in Athens for hotel ideas.
Good luck.
Hi. Great blog. Thank you. I’m planning to take a flight from Athens to Rhodes 21 May 2012. Is it best to book flights in advance or to get the tickets the day of the flight?
Definitely in advance. THe sooner the better.
I am traveling to Athens early June and haven’t had much time to plan due to school. So far this is what I have:
June 10- Athens
* Don’t really know what to do or see during this time but its just the place my flight will initially fly into.
***What should I do for now till 15th??? Only wanted to spend 2-3 days here which still leaves 2-3 days before I have to get to Croatia???? Suggestions?
June 15-25- Croatia Sailing with a Tour group
***Have about 3 weeks to explore Greece and no plans….. Ideas please?
I am in my mid 20′s, will be traveling those 3 weeks alone and dont speak greek. I love beautiful beaches, coves, not really into history, love beautiful landscapes, love to have adventures and try new things like sea kayaking, canyoning, white water rafting, or anything else you can think of. Would love to stay in places I could meet other young travelers to hang out with sometimes, but not a necessity for every adventure. Would love to spend about 4 days in each place at least to really experience that destination. I like to go out and have fun but also like to just relax by the beach, take hikes, swim, and etc. I also want to make sure I stay safe. So far destinations that sound good are Crete, Santorini, Myknos, Kafalloni (beautiful cove there that looks breathtaking in pictures). Would love your advice.
School is still going so dont have much time for research before I leave but am trying to read a bit of a few travel guides as well.
Thank you!!!
I would do Athens and a nearby island (like Hydra) for your first 5 day period.
For the 3 week part I would start in Crete, spend a week or 10 days there (lots to do on Crete), then start making your way back to Athens on the ferry with stops at 3 or 4 different islands in the Cyclades. They’re all great in their own way so don’t stress about which ones to visit. Top suggestions would be Santorini, Milos, Sifnos, Folegandros, Syros, Naxos, and Antiparos. Mykonos, Paros, and Ios if you’re looking for nightlife.
Good luck.
Hi, I hope you can help. My husband and I have been traveling to skiathos for the last 10 years and love every part of it. From the beautiful beaches to the quaint town centre. We love the cosmopolitan feel of the island and the fantastic beaches, also that you can travel from one side of the island to the other in about 30 minutes.
We have converted a few family member to holiday here aswell, and when they go somewhere else, they always say… ” it wasn’t like skiathos”
We did try something different once! we went to Kefalonia and didn’t like it as much as skiathos.
Can you recommend another greek Island we could try that has all the same attributes as skiathos.
Kind regards
Maria
Maybe Sifnos?
http://www.greektravel.com/sifnos
Hi David, i have a question: we will be in Naxos in June and after we are planning to go to Datca, but now we realized, that it´s very hard to get there: Naxos-Santorini-Kos-Bodrum-Datca it tkakes 2-3 days…and we thought maybe to go to Datca by a private boat, not with a ferry…do you have good links to recommend?
Thank you very much!
G
For ferries from Santorini to Kos I found this info:
http://www.greecelogue.com/ferries-from-santorini-to-kos-and-return.html
I’ll be honest, I don’t fully trust this schedule. It’s likely to change every year and you won’t know the schedule more than a few weeks in advance. You might have more luck and more choices going to Rhodes and then to Turkey.
For Turkey links these are great sites:
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com
Good luck.
Return trip Istanbul than flight to antayla and car rental along coast ending in bod rum (actually ephesus last) but we can’t find a direct flight to Paros or a good ferry route there. It appears that kos is 20 minutes from bod rum or marmaris is close to rhodes which has an airport. I could even keep driving to izmir for the airport but no flights to paros. We are taking the ferry to mykonos after that-we have a spot away from the crowds there and than flying to Rome.Any suggestion would be welcomed-Joe
There is usually a Samos to Piraeus ferry that stops in Mykonos (during the summer). Schedules are not out yet for the summer so can’t say for sure.
A reasonable option is to fly to Athens and then fly or fast ferry to Paros.
Good luck.
Hi David
Your website is great and its got wealth of information.
My wife and I are travelling to Europe in July and planning to spend 5 days in greece. We have been looking at cruises but there are so many to chose from and swaped with information and confused. Given the days we have , I would appreciate if you could please tell us what should we do? Should we catch a ferry instead of a cruise and what islands should we be looking at ? and how many days should we be staying per island?
please help.
many thanks in advance.
Sai.
Hi Sai. You see a lot more of an island when you stay there as opposed to taking a cruise so I would definitely recommend taking a ferry to one or two islands. You’ll be hard pressed to see more than 2 islands in 5 days. I recommend a minimum of 2 nights on any one island (that way you’ll at least get one full day to do a quick tour).
You’ll need 2 islands fairly close together so you don’t waste time being on a ferry, so I’d say 2 of Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Milos, Folegandros, Syros, or Antiparos.
Athens is also worth a full day or 2.
I hope that helps. Good luck.
Thank you David for your prompt response. Much appreciate it.
Should I have any further questions, I will be in touch with you.
I am going to visit Crete in end of July for about a week. Once I land at the airport, where should I stay? Near the hotel or travel by taxi to another part of the island? Crete seems like a relatively large island and I just want to make the most of my time and not get stuck in the wrong place. Any advice would be great. Thanks!
I’m assuming you’re flying into Heraklion.
If it’s late at night I’d go into the city and find a hotel. (Search here for hotels if you’re the type that likes to book in advance.)
Otherwise I’d get out of Heraklion and head west to Rethymno or Chania. Or tour Knossos first and then head west. Crete is well connected by buses so it’s pretty easy to get around. You’re right however that it is big so that can eat up some time getting around.
The beaches around Heraklion are nice but very popular and touristy. Quieter beaches exist to the west and along the south coast.
Good luck.
Hi David,
– truly enjoying life to the fulliest. We aren’t big “planners” but definitely know we need to have some idea of where to go and what to do. We slammed too much into Italy and felt like we were always moving from place to place. It wasn’t our thing.
How are you? I’ve loved reading all of your tidbits and notes regarding Greece! So helpful!! I’m going in 2 weeks (June 19-July 2) with my best friend Liza. We did Italy (Florence, Positano, Capri) last year, and now we’re craving some Greece! We are staying in Mykonos (Semeli) for 5 nights/6 days and then to Santorini for 3 days/2 nights. We then have the last 5 nights open, which we’d like to play by ear. What are your thoughts on this? Should we stay longer in Santorini? We feel like we’ll either fall in love with one of the islands and want to stay longer or go back OR meet cool people out there to bounce around with that might influence our next destination??? Crete would be the next island we’d like to hit up – Ios would be after.
We want to have a relaxing time – feel the culture – and experience as much as we can. More focused on beaches, great restaurants, and as much vino as possible
Do you think we need to rent a car when in Mykonos? I’ve read in a few places that we might want to rent one to get to the beaches? I thought it would be more similar to Capri in this sense and we could just jump on a boat? Let me know your thoughts here. We’d prefer to boat as much as possible.
Also, we’d like to rent a boat for a few hours once or twice while in Greece – AT LEAST! This was one of our favorite things in Italy – we were obsessed! Do you have any good companies to contact to set this up in advance?
Lastly, we are flying into Athens and then taking a plane to Mykonos – from there, we can just do the ferry thing the rest of the time right?
Here is a list of my notes below – are any of these restaurants KILLER that we absolutely can’t pass up?
Thanks so much, David! I look forward to your response!!!
GREECE/MYKONOS
HOTEL SEMELI
30-22890-27466
EAT:
AQUA TAVERNA
CHEZ CATRINE
DANIELLE’S
ANTONINIS
CASA DI GIORGIO
CLUB BELVEDERE
EDEM
EL GRECO
FOKOS
INTERNI
KIKIS TAVERN
MAMAKAS MYKONOS
RAYA – BREAKFAST
KIKIS – SECRET RESTAURANT ABOVE AGIOS BEACH -BBQ
DRINKS:
AI YIANNI(sunset) – 7 pm
TAVERNA TE MAERIO -10 pm
PORTA/PIERROS BAR – 12
CAVO PARADISO (club) – 1 am
BELVEDERE HOTEL- 10 pm
UNO CON CARNE ( lounge) – 12
ASTRA BAR (celebrities) – 1 am
CAVO TAGOO (sunsets/cocktails)
NAMMOS
BEACHES:
AGIOS SOSTIS
PARADISE BEACH
ELIA
PANORMOS BEACH
PSAROU
The Hotel Semeli sounds great. (I recommend searching here to find the best rates.)
Good choices on beaches too. I’m not great with names so can’t remember where I ate and drank but had many good meals there. Love the atmosphere of the Hora late at night. Very fun.
Ask around at the port for boats or yachts to rent. It will not be a problem to find a boat to take you out on the sea for the day.
Island hopping is the way to go. Lots of fun and easy to do as long as you don’t have to be any one place at a specific time. So leave lots of flexibility in your schedule and get back to Athens with at least one day to spare.
Hope that helps.
Good luck.
Dave! Are you a Greek God?…. I feel thanks are in order for the site – nice one!
Mate, I am travelling with another guy (25-30yrs single) to Istanbul for two nights and then over to the Greek Islands for the remaining two weeks of our holiday (14th July to 27 July). What we are looking for are three or four islands to have the following experiences;
Partying day and night – 2 to 3 nights
Chillin by the beach (sports etc.) 2 to 3 nights
Maybe Athens? 1 – 2 nights
We also want to live it up in a top notch hotel for a couple of nights on one of the islands… Looking for a hotel on a cliff face with island views etc…. Are there many places like this that 25-30yr olds stay?
I have a couple more questions;
What island should we start off with (assuming we will be flying from Istanbul)? We also need to get back to Istanbul to fly to Saudi Arabia
Do you recommend flying instead of ferries to get to and from Istanbul considering our 2 week time constraint?
Look forward to hearing from ya Dave ya legend!
Cheers mate
It’s not possible to ferry directly from Istanbul to the Greek islands. You can go south to the Turkish coast and then ferry across to a handful of islands but this all takes time which it doesn’t sound you have a lot of. Best to fly to Athens and then fly on to one of the Cycladic islands.
I’d say Santorini, Mykonos, Ios, or Paros would probably fit the bill for what you’re looking for.
For a hotel with AMAZING views of the Santorini caldera (and a swimming pool that looks down over the cliffs) check out Astra Suites. Fantastic.
Santorini definitely has a party scene as do Mykonos, Ios, and Paros (all of which have better beaches than Santorini) – so probably 2 of those 4 islands would be perfect. You could take a fast ferry back to Athens from any of them and then fly from there.
I hope that helps. Good luck.
Hi David your information was very helpful, was wondering if you knew any information about renting a unit for around 3 months myself, my boyfriend and another friend are looking at moving to Greece for 3 months and are trying to find some long term rentals. Currently in the UK on a 2 year working visa from Australia. If you no of any useful sites or information it would be greatly appreciated.
Steph
For apartments or houses in Athens check the Athens News classifieds: http://www.athensnews.gr/classifieds/3947
Also:
http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/europe/greece
http://www.airbnb.com/athens-greece
http://athens.craigslist.gr
Good luck.
Hi David,
great wealth of knowledge
Travelling to Corfu and Paxos with pals in August then my husband and I continue on to Santorini then Cyprus where his family live and where we usually stay.
Thing is we have gone crazy with the research and decided to probably buy a summer place with a recent smallish inheritance.
Although we have not even been there yet our search has been in the less touristy beach areas of Corfu.
I like the idea of the Ionian islands being close to Italy etc for little jaunts now and then and great euro stopovers when we fly from Australia to our holiday house.
Thing is a random opportunity has come up to buy a place in Samos right on the beach up north near Kokkari. (About 10 metres from the water).
Is the wind there from June to October a problem?
I am not a strong swimmer and am also concerned about waves crashing over the low wall onto and possibly into the house.
We live in a remote area in Australia and would like to escape winter and have a greek island beach out front and a bit of a cosmopolitan multicultural area nearby to stroll, dine and people watch. Any advice? Thanks heaps in advance. Oh and we are not young party people but like to wine and dine.
Corfu is a great island and I’d love to have a vacation house there. With the high speed ferries it’s an even shorter trip than it was. The meltemi blows mainly in the Cyclades but it can affect islands like Samos. Kokkari, as you know, is on the north facing side of Samos so would be affected if the winds were blowing. They mainly blow in July and August with August being the worst.
Hope that helps.
Hi David
Great info.
I will be travelling with a group of 6 other mates (a mix of men and women between the ages of 27 and 35) to the Greek Islands in mid August for 8 days.
We are looking for a good party vibe, good beaches to chill on and places that are easy to get around without a car.
If possible we would like to avoid the teeny boppers scene.
Given that we are only travelling for 8 days, we are looking to spend time on 2 islands. We have narrowed it down to Mykonos, Paros, Ios and Santorini.
Any ideas which combo of the islands would work best for us?
Thanks
All of those islands definitely have a party vibe. Ios can skew a bit younger. Mykonos and Paros have a more mature crowd. Santorini has a lot of cruise ships which also gives it a different feel than the others. Mykonos, Ios, and Paros all have great beaches and are easily accessible without a car. Santorini and Mykonos have direct flights from northern Europe which might also affect your decision. All the islands are well connected by ferries to and from Athens so that shouldn’t affect your decision, though Mykonos and Paros; and Ios and Santorini are the best connected with each other. Santorini will be the hardest island to book hotels for.
Hope that helps. Good luck.
Hi David,
We were wanting to travel to Greece and Istanbul. Is there any 4-5 day cruises that takes you to some greek islands to visit and turkey?
Hi Regine. The closest I can find is a 6 day cruise from Athens to Istanbul on Crystal Cruises.
There are a lot more Venice to Istanbul cruises. Like this one on Regent Seven Seas: http://www.rssc.com/cruises/VOY131102/Itinerary.aspx or this one that starts and finishes in Athens but includes stops in Turkey: http://www.pullmantur.es/en/cruceros/mediterraneo/islas-griegas-y-turquia/atenas/noviembre-2012.html.
For small ships and yachts companies like Seabourn, Seacloud, and Seadream have 7 day trips that take in Istanbul.
Hope that helps.
Hi David
I really hope you might be able to help me out with my ‘dilemma’! Roughly about 10 years ago a friend and I island-hopped around the Cycladic Islands and had the time of a lifetime! As a result I’ve always wanted to take my husband to Greece but feel that I’d love to see different islands/parts of the country I haven’t already seen however all the research we’ve done seems to suggest that the Cycladic Islands are the ‘most sensible’ ones to visit if you’ve only got a relatively short space of time at your disposal due to their proximity to Athens….we have a week available. Would you be able to suggest an alternative travel plan with that time period in mind? I would be VERY grateful!!
Yes, the Cyclades are the best choice for a short trip. Not only are they close to Athens but they’re well connected to each other so you can see 3 islands in 6 days and then use the last day to get back to Athens. For other island groups you won’t be sure they’ll be a ferry going where you want on the day you want. So not only is it harder it also has more uncertainty. But, that said, if you were to fly one way from Athens to a more distant island, say Lesvos, Crete, or Samos, you could then take the ferry back to Athens with a stop on an island somewhere in the between. So coming back from Crete you could stop in Santorini or Milos or Paros. Coming back from Lesvos or Samos you could stop in Ikaria, Mykonos, or Syros. Skopelos and Skiathos are 2 other islands you could combine into one trip that are not on the typical tourist circuit.
Hope that helps. Good luck.
Hi there,
Thanks for the all the useful information. Nice article.
I’m going to greece with 3 friends, all men, all in their 30′s
We are looking for renting a boat for daily programs, diving in nice beaches with pretty landscapes and some cool places to dinner seafood and some night animation.
Can you please recommend some islands? We want to make an alternative route because one of the person already knows greece with his girlfriend (Santorini and Mykonos).
Its a 9 days trip
Thanks
Milos is a great island for boating around the coast as so many beaches are in nooks and crannies and hard to get to (or impossible) by road. Ikaria is another good option since it’s not in the Cyclades (and thus gets few direct ferries from the Cycladic Islands) and doesn’t see nearly as many tourists though it has incredible beaches.
Good luck.
Hey David
A friend and I are travelling all around europe from the 1st of september to about the 25th of september. we are doing this with school, but from the 25th of September to the 8th of October we are thinking of heading to Ios greece. We are seeking the party life of greece, although im not sure if the partying still goes on for the dates that we are there. Will the action still be going on in Ios? or can you suggest a better place for us to party?
cheers,
jaiden
The partying will certainly be slowing down by then but there should still be lots going on and the clubs should all still be open. Go for it.
Hi David
Excellent site, well done. My wife and I are going to do some Island Hopping next year either late April/May or Mid Sept/Oct, 5 weeks in total. Will the weather be kind to us?? Thinking of flying to Crete or Rhodes then, ferrying to Cyclades. Dont want to be travelling around too much. Maybe 5/6 islands in 5 weeks – is this feasible?
That sounds perfect for a 5 week trip. The weather will be much better in September/October than in April/May. You can still get rain and clouds into the 2nd week of May. The same temps and unpredictability wouldn’t return until the 3rd or 4th week of October. September has consistently great weather – on par with June. Plus the water is warmer after summer than before.
Hi David,
Found the site very helpful, cheers for putting it together. Thought i’d keep with the theme and ask your advice on a holiday i’m planning (or trying to) for me and my girlfriend. We’re planning 2 weeks and we’re really looking for the relax and unwind type of trip – very busy when we’re not on holiday. The planned dates actually fit exactly with your recommendations, we’re heading out around the 10th of september. (We’re from London, if that’s helpful – no Greek between us)
Ideally, we’d want an island with beautiful beaches, where we don’t need a car and can get either an apartment rental or self catering room near/on a beach, with a few nice bars and restaurants walking distance and somewhere to buy drinks/groceries for our own fridge/kitchen. Any other activities or culture are frankly optional, mostly we desperately want to avoid overdeveloped tourist traps and the “mad for it” clubbing party scene – both of them are far too similar to what we’re getting away from
I’ve been struggling to find a destination that fits. I’ve been leaning towards the Ionian Islands but not for any discernable reason. I know its not island hopping, which seems to be your specialty, but i hoped you might be able to recommend either an island to check out or some good online resources for finding accommodation that fits the bill. Any thoughts?
Thanks very much in advance,
Toby
A little of the problem is that non-touristy areas (off the beaten track) are hard to book apartments for. Those type of accommodations are concentrated in the tourist centers.
That said, I really like Chania on Crete. It does attract a lot of tourists but still retains a real-town feel, not a resort. Good beaches nearby too.
AirBnB had some good listings for Chania. Take a look.
VRBO also has lots of listings.
Hope that helps.
Hello
Our family is going to be in Athens, Greece 23rd, 24th and 25th Dec, how to make the best of 3 days considering Christmas time and holiday? I would really like to do Santorini. How can we schedule?
Santorini could be interesting but will be very quiet. Very few hotels and restaurants open in December. Enough to survive but don’t be expecting a big festive party scene.
Athens does a fairly good Christmas display in its big squares. There’ll be plenty to see and do in Athens and you’ll have a much better range of restaurants to choose from (though book well in advance if you want a good meal on Christmas night). All hotels will be open but none of the tourist sites will be open on the 25th.
Hope that helps. Good luck.
Hi David , Thank you for posting this article , its amazingly helpfull !
Me and my gillfriend are staying 5 nights in Santorini and I am having a problem choosing between staying in Oia or Imerovigli. I have done some research and it just made me more confused, would you kindly pls give us an advice on where to stay? and why?
Thank you !
Imerovigli is about a mile from Fira and about a 10 minute walk (uphill from Fira to Imerovigli). Imerovigli is much quieter than Oia and not so touristy. It has better views of the Caldera than Oia (for the most part). Oia has a more romantic feel and great architecture but it’s farther from the other attractions and beaches than Imerovigli. Oia has little nightlife while Imerovigli is a short walk (or taxi) to Fira which has the most nightlife on the island. One thing Oia has that Imerovigli doesn’t is a very nice swimming spot just below the town. (It’s a good walk up and down but it is a wonderful place to have a dip without going all the way to the beaches on the east coast.)
Hope that helps,
David
Hi David,
Travelling with from Israel for 4 days from Sep. 5-9. Looking for a romantic relaxed vacation at a reasonable price. Would prefer to sleep somewhere on the beach or as closest to the beach as possible.
Which island would you recommend that can be easily accessed from Athens that is not too touristic? Thanks so much fpr your help,
Betty
2 great islands that are close to Athens are Serifos and Sifnos. Both have great beaches, striking and beautiful villages, and though far from undiscovered see fewer tourists than Santorini, Paros, or Mykonos. They are just over 2 hours from Athens by high speed ferry (5 hours by car ferry). Early September would be a great time to visit.
Hi David!
My husband and then 1 1/2 year old son will be traveling in Greece in early May for 2 1/2 weeks. We are traveling through Paris at the beginning and end of the trip.
What do you think of the following itinerary?
Flying from Paris to Crete. (do direct flights exist? the only one I could find was on Transavia, but look impossible to book in advance from the US)
5 nights in Crete, ferry to Santorini for 3 nights, ferry to Naxos for 3 nights, ferry to Athens for 2 nights, fly back to Paris and home.
Does this sound too ambitious with toddler in tow? We want to maximize our time in Greece, but also want to travel at a relaxed pace. If this seems like too much time traveling, we would cut Crete out of the itinerary and just do Santorini and Naxos. Have I allocated a good amount of time on each island?
We’d like to take the speed boat/ferries for all legs of the journey to save time – do these need to be booked in advance for May? Also, for all 3 of these islands would you recommend car rental, or is it easy to visit beaches, sights via taxi/bus?
thanks so much for your help!
Kasey
You’re right. I’m not seeing any direct flights from Paris to Crete (now – could change). Check skyscanner.com to see what’s available as your date gets closer.
Crete is a big island and requires a lot of time to see properly. I think I would err on the side of sticking in the Cyclades. Maybe fly to Santorini and then visit Naxos, Paros, maybe Antiparos on your way back to Athens. Crete is doable however, it’s just adding another long leg to your journey. And the trip from Crete to Santorini is open ocean. On a catamaran it can get rough if it’s windy or stormy.
You’re ok booking high speed ferries and catamarans a day or 2 before travel in May. Book the first day you arrive in any island and you should be fine. If you’re taking the shorter trips between the Cyclade islands you’ll have even more flexibility with booking tickets.
Car rental is nice on Crete and Santorini (but not essential). On Naxos, Paros or Antiparos the bus does a great job getting anywhere you’d want to go.
Good luck.
thank you David for the advice!
the more research I do, the more I want to see Crete…We’re most interested in seeing great beaches and charming Greek towns. Would we get enough of that in the Cyclades, or are we going to be missing out big by skipping Crete (and Chania, Vai Beach, Elafonisi Beach, etc)
I’m having a hard time gauging the size of Crete. How long does it take to drive from 1 side of the island to the other? I agree 5 days there might not be enough to see it properly.
When you mention the catamarans being rough in open seas, does this mean that they wouldn’t be recommended for toddlers? Are they safe for little ones or would you recommend the larger slow ferries?
sorry, lots of questions
Thank you for being such an excellent resource!
Kasey
Hi Kasey. Here’s a description of what the trip between Crete and Santorini can be like: Rough Seas from Crete to Santorini. (Keep in mind this is a worst case scenario.)
Here’s a timetable for buses around Crete: http://bus-service-crete-ktel.com/timetabledet.php?line=1&lg=2. It should give you a good idea of routes and travel times. From Heraklion to Chania, for example, is about 3 hours and most of the sites you’ll want to visit are between them (and to the south.) If you do visit Crete I would base myself in Rethymno or Chania and do day trips from there.
The Cyclades has a bit of everything so you can find great beaches (pretty much everywhere) and quaint Greek villages (Naxos and Paros are good choices).
Hope that helps.
David,
This is a great source, thank you.
We (two 60+ Australians) have a chance to travel late February/early March 2013. Is it a crazy time to visit Grece? Santorini, Athens, Meteora, maybe Crete and Mykonos are on the wish list.
We realise it will be cold, we are not looking for swimming or lazing on beaches, can do that at home. We do want affordable, comfortable (heated) accommodation, restaurants with interesting Greek food, to visit historic sites, museums etc. and to be able to walk on beaches, around villages and countryside.
The guide books I have consulted do not offer any information for winter travel.
Is it too depressing to visit out of season? Are we crazy to attempt this?
It’s very doable but things will be quiet and (especially on the islands) many shops, restaurants, and hotels will be closed. But you’ll always be able to find someplace open. Both Crete and Mykonos have enough visitors through the winter so you don’t have to worry too much. In fact, Crete’s main cities are not so dependent on tourism and will have lots going on. Smaller islands (e.g. Milos or Folegandros) would feel completely shuttered. Meteora would be cold. But it will be much cheaper and with a little luck you could have some decent weather. Go for it.
Hi David, m planning my honeymoon for april end or early may 2013. Will be travelling from India to Athens-Mykonos/Naxos-Santorini. I have done a quite a bit of research m confused b/w Mykonos and Naxos. Thinking moneywise, Naxos seems to be a better choice.Also we want the vacations to be quieter and peaceful n not all party. I am also puzzled regarding the ferry schedules as they are not available for 2013. Should I be worried if i am not pre booking the ferry tickets for us? Also when are the ferry schedules available for any specific date? Should we be pre booking all our hotel accommodation before arriving at our destinations?We want to take a day tour to Delphi as well. Is it cheaper to travel with the city tours that are shown on the Lonely Planet webpage or to travel independently. Thank you.
Hi Manu. Ferry schedules are released about a month in advance. You can’t book any earlier than that and can never be certain about routes and times. Most don’t change from year to year so you can get a “good idea” about schedules but not 100% certainty. In May ferries will almost never sell out so just buy tickets the day before (or a couple days before if it’s a high-speed/catamaran) on whatever island you’re on. You can do the same with the Delphi tour from Mykonos.
Booking hotels in advance is a good idea for the high season (mid June to mid September). Outside of that you’ll be fine showing up on an island without a reservation. That said the best deals are usually offered in advance on sites like hotelscombined.com (my favorite).
Hope that helps.
Hello. We are a family of four (2 kids – boys aged 10,14) looking to stay 5 nights on an island in early July 2013. It will be in the middle of a six week trip through Europe so thinking it might be a good idea just to spend 5 nights on one islsnd and relax. Considering Sifnos – Vathi as a location. Or perhaps 3 nights sifnos and 2 nights Milos. Your thoughts?
Thanks
Michelle Richardson
Personally I would split your time between 2 islands. Sifnos and Milos are both great – and quite different from each other. Great choices.
Good luck.
Hello David,
I loved your site. It is easy to use and not very overwhelming. My family and I are going to Greece for April spring break for a week this year. My kids are ages 8 & 6 yrs old. We definitely want to visit Athens as my daughter just finished learning Greek history. We live in Boston, MA and wanted to see the best way on how to utilize our week in Greece. What would you suggest for our itinerary?
Thank you so much,
Rae
The weather won’t be great (not beach weather anyways) so have some warmer clothes. Lots to see in Athens. Could easily fill 2 or 3 days there. Delphi and the Meteora (if the weather’s ok, as you’d be doing some climbing) would be the top side trips to the north. Nafplio in the Peloponnese is a great city to the south. So between those 4 places you’ll have lots. If you did want to see an island do a day trip to Hydra.
Good luck.
Planning a trip in September 2013, Florence to Santorini. What is the best way to travel? We thought the train and ferry would be fun, however, we only want to spend one day traveling from Florence to Santorini. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks
Hi Amy. The only way to make it in one day would be to fly. The most likely scenario is to fly from Rome to Athens and then ferry (or fly) to Santorini. Other possibilities are flying Florence to Athens (then on to Santorini) or possibly Milan or Rome directly to Santorini. Without flying it’s a 2 or 3 day trip. To get to Santorini from Italy you first need to get to the Italian coast (Venice, Brindisi, or Bari). Then ferry to Igoumenitsa on the Greek mainland. Then bus to Athens. Then ferry to Santorini. It can be a fun trip (and very beautiful through central Greece) – but not fast.
Hope that helps.
Kalimera David! Wow! You seem tireless, and your website is absolutely AWESOME. Thank you!
We plan to go to Milos (last island of our stay) after Naxos, but don’t seem to understand HOW. What do you suggest we do? Do you recommend an island in between?
My partner and I will be going to the Cyclades for 5-6 weeks (end May-end of July). We don’t like to rush
Aphgaristo
Eliane
Naxos to Milos is one of the trickier ferry connections in the Cyclades. First off, I’d say don’t worry about it too much. It will work out. The ferry schedules don’t come out until a month or so before sailing so you won’t be able to plan (much) in advance. It’s easiest to plan once you’re there. You’ll likely end up doing one of two things: taking a ferry to either Ios, Paros, or Santorini, switching there and taking a second ferry to Milos. Or taking a “direct” ferry to Milos from Naxos that will stop at 4 or 5 islands and take longer than 6 hours. But once you’re in Greece and closer to the time of your journey travel agents on Naxos will be able to easily inform you of the options. So just forget about it until after you get to Greece. And don’t worry, the ferries won’t sell out – buying 2 or 3 days in advance will be just fine. Good luck.
Hi David,
Please disregard my previous message. We just booked our trip to Athens, and a return trip from Istanbul. We are interested in seeing the following places, Athens, Santorini, Rhodes or another island, pamukkale, cappadocia, and Istanbul. We have a total of 11 days to see these places. We are planning on spending 2 days in Athens and fly to Santorini. My questions are:
1) what other island would you recommend other than Santorini?
2) what is the easiest way to get to pamukkale, or cappadocia from that island?
3) are there buses between pamukkale, and cappadocia? Or would you recommend driving or flying?
we are planning on spending 2 days in Istanbul before we fly back home.
Thanks for your information in advance.
Mia.
Of course, you’ll want an island close to Turkey so that it will have ferry connections to that country. Those islands are Rhodes, Kos, Chios, Lesvos, Samos. Rhodes is probably the most practical for getting to Pamukkale or Cappadocia – although both are a good distance from the coast. The problem is there are few ferries between Santorini and Rhodes (or any other island in eastern Greece) and they’re long ferry rides. You might be better off returning to Athens and flying to Turkey from there. This is an excellent site for planning travel to Turkey: http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com. What you want to do is doable it will just take lots of planning and patience. Hope that helps. Good luck.
Thank you for your reply, David. A few more questions, would you suggest taking a fast ferry or fly from Athens to Santorini? Also, we are flexible on the second island, we have 5 days and 4 nights for island hopping. What other islands would you suggest other than Santorini that are good for foodies, history, tradition, village hikes, and nice beaches? We are planning on spending 2 days in Santorini and keeping the rest of the days open for other island/islands, and then hop onto Turkish coast. Please suggest. Thank you for your help. Very much appreciated!
Mia.
The slower ferries are fun (as long as they’re not too long). The fast ferries (and that term can mean different things depending whom you talk to) are enclosed and there is only airplane style seating (not the open decks that the slow ferries have) so they’re not all that interesting. So, fast ferry vs flying, I’d choose flying. It might also depend on whether you’re in downtown Athens already or at the airport. If you’re still at the airport then hopping on another plane is pretty easy. If you’re already in the city then getting to the port is easier than getting out the airport and dealing with security again. As for islands, Rhodes and Crete both have what you’re looking for. Good luck.
Hi David,
This web is amazing, full of info and, in my opinion, better than most travel guides.
I’ll be going to Greece in September and here comes my stupid question
I might be going to Mykonos, Santorini and Milos, what are the chances of encountering snakes? I was browsing pics of Milos and every now and then a pic of a snake was there and I’m seriously afraid of them. Yes, I know, this is stupid, but its really important for me to know.
Thanks!!
There are snakes on most of the Greek islands but they’re elusive and try to avoid people as much as possible – it’s unlikely that you’ll see one. I think only one of the species is poisonous and it’s very rare.
Dear David
Your knowledge of Greece is truly impressive. I have some questions I would like to pose in the event that you can give me some information/suggestions:
I am interested in staying in Ethniki Odos Amfilochias Lefkadas, where I’ve found a very reasonable long-term rental (2 months), but I am unsure if the area is suitable for me. I would like to be near enough to the quieter beaches without having to rent a car (I can easily walk a few miles or take a bus or both). My main interest is in having a quiet, cool place to work when not on the beach. I am wondering if you are familiar with this area and what you can tell me about it.
Another place I am interested in is Samothraki. I found a rental that is truly ideal but much more expensive. Everything is in walking distance and the island appears to be less popular with tourists (which I like). My concern is whether my partner, who will visit for a couple of weeks, will be able to explore the area (island and mainland) by renting a car but without enormous expense. For example, will the ferry to the mainland take lots of time and money? Will the island and the general area be unrelentingly hot in August that there will be little else to do than go to the beach or stay indoors? Will this be the case in Lefkadas as well?
Thank you in advance for any insight you might have
Jason
Hi Jason, I’m not familiar with those areas so not much help.
I can say that it’s best to rent a car from each island you visit and the mainland separately. Car rental companies don’t like it when you take their car off of the island or mainland where they’re based. Also, it’s expensive to take cars on the ferry and you’d need to book well in advance for the limited car spots on each ferry.
Good luck.