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d_kakavouli

Active member
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.
 
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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!
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
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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!
 

Is Greece easy to travel around without renting a car?

I’m trying to figure out whether it’s realistic to travel around Greece without renting a car. I’d prefer not to drive if I can avoid it, especially since I’m not familiar with the roads, parking, or driving customs there.

For those who have traveled around Greece using public transportation, how easy was it? I know there are buses, ferries, taxis, and domestic flights, but I’m wondering how practical they are once you get outside the main tourist areas. Did you ever feel limited by not having a car?

I’m also curious whether it makes sense to rely on public transportation for most of the trip and just rent a car for a day or two when needed. Are there certain types of places that are especially difficult to reach without one?

I’d love to hear from anyone who has done a Greece trip mostly or entirely without driving.

Favorite small towns in Greece?

I realized recently that some of my favorite places in Greece haven’t actually been the major destinations everyone talks about, but smaller towns that just had a completely different atmosphere to them.

Sometimes it’s a mountain village with one main square and old stone houses, other times it’s a tiny coastal town where everyone seems to know each other and life moves slower. A few of the places I still think about most weren’t even places I had originally planned to visit.

I’m curious what small towns or villages have really stayed with people after traveling in Greece. Could be because of the scenery, the food, the people, the history, or just the overall feeling of the place.

Would love to hear everyone’s favorites, especially places that don’t always make the typical travel lists.

Is Island Hopping Worth the Effort?

I've been thinking about trying an island-hopping trip the next time I visit Greece, but I'm wondering if it's actually worth the extra planning and travel time. In the past I've usually picked one island and stayed there for the duration of my vacation, which has been relaxing and let me really get to know the area.

Part of me loves the idea of experiencing several islands in one trip since they each seem to have their own personality, food, scenery, and traditions. On the other hand, I wonder if constantly packing, catching ferries, and checking into new accommodations takes away from the experience.

For those of you who have island-hopped, did you feel it was worth it? How many islands did you visit, and did you wish you had spent more time in fewer places? I'd love to hear your itineraries, tips, and whether you'd do it the same way again.

Festivals of Note for 2026 in Greece?

My family and I are starting to think about a possible trip to Greece in 2026, and this time we’re considering planning part of the trip around a festival or cultural celebration. We’ve been to Greece before, but we’ve never really organized a trip around a specific event.

I know Greece has so many interesting traditions throughout the year. Because of that, I’m starting to gather ideas early while we figure out where we might want to go.

Have any of you traveled to Greece specifically to experience a festival? If so, which ones would you recommend? It could be religious celebrations, food festivals, music events, or local village festivals.
I’d love to hear about any memorable festival experiences that might help us shape our 2026 plans.

Ferry vs flying between islands, what’s better?

I’ve always been a ferry guy when it comes to Greece, something about pulling into a port and seeing the island come into view just feels right. But this trip is a little different because I’m traveling with someone who gets pretty motion sick, so now I’m seriously considering flying between islands instead.

Curious what you guys think, ferry vs flying, what’s actually better?

I know ferries are part of the whole island-hopping experience, and they’re usually more flexible, but I’ve also had a couple rough rides when the water wasn’t calm. On the flip side, flights seem quicker and smoother, but maybe more hassle overall.

If you’ve done both, what would you recommend, especially in a situation like this? Is flying the smarter move, or are ferries still worth it if you plan carefully?
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