How was your trip to Greece this season?

[d_kakavouli]

I am trying to plan my trip to Greece, and I am curious if people can share their recent experiences. I am considering visiting these places when I do go:

1. Athens
2. Santorini
3. Milos (Saw some pics and the island seems enchanting!)
4. I am wondering if I should also include Mykonos or not?
5. Not sure if I should add another destination?

I should addd that I am planning on only spending about two weeks in Greece for this trip. My goal is to get a nice overview.

 

[Deborah]

I am trying to plan my trip to Greece, and I am curious if people can share their recent experiences. I am considering visiting these places when I do go:

1. Athens
2. Santorini
3. Milos (Saw some pics and the island seems enchanting!)
4. I am wondering if I should also include Mykonos or not?
5. Not sure if I should add another destination?

I should addd that I am planning on only spending about two weeks in Greece for this trip. My goal is to get a nice overview.

Three destinations in two weeks time, is plenty. I think that your first three choices are good. You don’t want to spend all of your time “in transit”; also taking into account your arrival and departure days.

I would choose either Santorini or Mykonos. They are beautiful, but very expensive and crowded. Mykonos has become more of a party place so your decision depends on what you’d most like to do. Milos will be “discovered” soon, but right now I would highly recommend it.

If you do decide to add a 4th place to get an overview, I would recommend looking at a different island group outside of the Cycladic Islands so that you can experience the distinct differences among the groups. For example, Corfu (Ionian Islands) has a totally different ambience, European/Venetian. To add more places though in different island groups, will surely necessitate domestic flights because ferry transfers take time and can be adversely affected by high seas.

If time really becomes an issue, you can always do the islands of Santorini and Milos, and allocate one day in Athens to a day trip (via hydrofoil) to one of the Saronic Gulf islands like Aegina or Hydra. Hope this helps!

 

[k_tsoukalas]

Three destinations in two weeks time, is plenty. I think that your first three choices are good. You don’t want to spend all of your time “in transit”; also taking into account your arrival and departure days.

That is a really good point! I have had trips where I tried to do too much, and right when I would get settled into a place, it's time to move on to the next place. It got exhausting and I felt like I was doing more traveling than experiencing. I would recommend if she wants to do all the destinations on the list, two weeks isn't enough time.

 

[d_kakavouli]

Thank you, all, for chiming in! I think I might eliminate Milos from the list. If I do that, do you think a week might be enough? Also, I think it does makes sense to eliminate either Santorini or Mykonos from the list. I can't really do a longer trip this time around, but I agree, I don't want to try to do too much. In looking at my original list, it does look like I'd be taking on a bit too much.

 

[Deborah]

Based on what you’ve said and your time constraints, my personal opinion would be to visit Athens, Santorini and Milos (both in the same island group so that transportation via the Seajets will be easy) and skip Mykonos. I’d fly from Athens to Santorini, take a ferry to Milos and fly back to Athens a day before your international flight home. Milos has stunning beaches and is not quite yet on the Cycladic Islands mass tourism radar. That would be a very special two week Greek holiday. Be sure to read up on what is most special to see and do so that you can maximize your time in each place.

 

[Dionasia]

Greece is not all about islands, although in the summer you would not want to miss swimming in the sea. I thoroughly enjoyed traveling the mainland and seeing the countryside. It was beautiful, reminded me a lot of California countryside with much agriculture, (so many olive trees!) as well as mountains and sea to view. Athens, Delphi and Meteora were amazing to see and then to drive up into the little ski villages was a whole new take on the country. I always try to do 3 weeks so I can travel a bit and then spend a week on an island chilling. I would avoid places like Mykonos, beautiful to see but not what I go to Greece for. I've traveled the Ionian islands and the Sporades, opposite side of the mainland and they are all spectacular. Kalo taxidi.

 

[d_kakavouli]

This is some great information - thank you - I think I may have been trying to do too much, and possibly not focusing on the right activities. You have given me a lot to think about! I love the idea of maybe staying in ONE spot. Seems like there's a lot to do in Athens and the surrounding area alone if it is a shorter trip? I think I need to really decide how long I can stay in Greece and go from there. I thought 2 weeks, but maybe not... I might want to stay longer.

 

[Vera Muller]

I am trying to plan my trip to Greece, and I am curious if people can share their recent experiences. I am considering visiting these places when I do go:

1. Athens
2. Santorini
3. Milos (Saw some pics and the island seems enchanting!)
4. I am wondering if I should also include Mykonos or not?
5. Not sure if I should add another destination?

I should addd that I am planning on only spending about two weeks in Greece for this trip. My goal is to get a nice overview.

I would really recommend to visit Mykonos too!