Greece in September

Jarmine,I went to Greece for two weeks, the last two weeks of September, but many years ago. Loved it, perfect weather , hot enough to enjoy the beaches on the islands, but not insanely roasting. Perhaps on islands thats never a huge issue anyways with sea breezes. We spent a week in Mykonos and a week on Paros. Mykonos is kind of a party /expensive island, but truthfully I was young and it was a hell of a lot of fun, nightclubs open all night it seemed, then hitting the beaches some time in the afternoon after a sleep in a recovery. Sorry , we didn't really sight see so much.. Paros had some beautiful little coves that ( at that time) you could just pay this little boat to take you out to , they'd come back at end of day and pick you up.. very peaceful, gorgeous water. We had some nice nights out there too, but not clubby, more like lots of cafes and bistros.
This was so many years ago though, bet things have changed. Athens , well we only stayed there 2 nights and it wasn't my favorite, its kind of a big grimmy city as far as I am concerned , obviously some amazing sites, but when I go again, which I will, I will do the same, fly into Athens , two nights, then off to the islands. And this time I think I will visit Naxos and Santorini. Alot depends on what you are looking for. The islands are safe, they are tourist driven, you would still not walk down a dark road late at night waving cash around etc, but seriously, they are fine. Athens, well its as safe as any big city, if you are asking about the polictical stuff, i have no idea, I do know as a tourist you can basically just avoid going to any gatherings that look like they might be protests, its not like there are going to be roving gangs of protesters looking for tourists, lol There is a poster here, ( think its Lee) who I think has been to Greece many times and has lots of good info

Also check out Lonely Planets Thorntree forum , I would also check out tripadvisor.com greece forums, and i would also suggest you get more specific, are you young, old, wanted budget accomadation, luxe digs, nightlife, beaches, historial sites and museums etc.

I'm in my 40s and we both like to have a great time. We still like dancing and parties and nightlife. I would rent an apartment like I did in Italy if I could. I like that route. Inexpensive but clean with wifi and a private shower is fine air conditioning couldn't hurt either.

I've been to Greece 10 times, too many places to list here, but I always go via Athens, as I love the place. How long to spend there depends on what sort of things you want to do. If you want to see all the antiquities, you will need at least three full days to see everything. If you are just looking to party, forget it - just head for the islands. Personally, I don't like Mykonos. Maybe I'm too "straight"! Rhodes or Crete would give you a good mix and they are big enough to "get away from it all" if you need a rest. May is my favourite time to visit, but September would be my second choice. Safety has already been very well discussed above.

been to greece 5 times. lived there for nearly a year in the north. have you not been before? if not, then i think a trip to athens is a must. personally, i think two days there is plenty...see the must-sees...but then get out!! last two summers visited the islands in early sept. so right before you are planning. last year departed mykonos back to the US on sept 10. was there around the same time the year prior. i loved it. weather was warm and sunny, water warm enough to swim, still crowds for fun nightlife but i guess not as crowded as maybe a month sooner. but we had a BLAST!! going back again this septemeber...back to mykonos sept 3 - 10 probably. can also offer comments on naxos and santorini. naxos had the most beautiful beaches but seemed to be a rather sleepy island. seemed to have large crowds of age 60+ tour groups. not much at night except a nice promenade with a lot of restaurants. calm, relaxing place i thought. santorini is like nowhere else. amazing. spectacular views. wow. we stayed in oia. lovely little town, hillside hotel, lounging at a pool with great pool. a day to the black sand beaches. nice. super mellow place. was ready to move on there after 4 days b/c it was my friend and i but santorini seemed to be a very "honeymooner" place. on recent travels quite a few people told me "you must go to crete". so now i am considering that for next summer. also hear nice things about hydra which would be easy and close to athens. soooooooo.........my suggestion for your 10 days....day 1 arrive in athens, day 2 athens, day 3 hydra, day 4 travel to paros, day 5 paros, day 6 paros, day 7 mykonos, day 8 mykonos, day 9 mykons day 10 travel home