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12 Days in Greece and What to do about Flying from Naxos to Athens May 1

My husband and I are doing a 12-day trip to Greece for the first time in late April-early May. After poring over this forum, it seems the best plan is to fly directly from Athens to Naxos for 3 nights. However, we would be flying back to Athens on May 1, which is a holiday/strike day. Looks like flights are available, but I see that ferries are cancelled May 1. Is it safer to fly back on May 2?

Naxos 3 nights
Napflio for 3 nights to explore from there
Delphi-1 night
Athens-2 nights

I am stuck with the other 2 nights! Any suggestions please? The more I think about this, the more confused I become!

Thanks for your thoughts!

Posted by
1726 posts

May 1 is indeed a ferries strike day, and even sometimes May 2 when May 1 is a Sunday (which will not be the case in 2023).

So returning from Naxos on May 2 is a good idea even if you don't take a ferry and fly from Naxos to Athens. Seats on May 1 flights are going to be hard to find and certainly very expensive.
Moreover you will not regret having spent one more night in Naxos

It's up to you to choose the other free night

Posted by
3311 posts

When people list "2 nights" or "3 nights".... it often doesn't add up to 2 fulll days or 3 full days. For example, if OP's flight arrives mid-morning in ATH, by the time they get luggage & board domestic fliglht it's 1:30 pm they won't be checked into NAos hotel until 3 pm... that's just half a day left ... and if they take a morning flight on day 4, they will have spent only 2.5 days on Naxos... so 1 more da (night) is very much in order. DItto at the end... if they leave delphi mid morning (3.5 hrs drive to airport & 1 hr taxi/car sevice to a central athen s hote) -- it's 2 or 3 in afternoon.. less than half a day left. So give it 3 nights (= 2.5 days) to Athens. She's been waiting 2500 years for you, after all ..

Posted by
25 posts

Thank you JoLui. This is what I suspected. It seems like there are still reasonably priced flights on May 1 but I can imagine that it will become more expensive as we get closer. An extra day sounds like the ticket.

I appreciate your help!
Lindsay

Posted by
25 posts

Janet, thank you! This is very true, and it seems like there is quite a lot to see in Athens, so I'll bump it up.

With much thanks
LIndsay

Posted by
3961 posts

I have to agree with others to consider adding more days to Naxos. We spent a week there following the RS Greece Tour. We didn’t want to leave. Always appreciate stanbr’s photos of our beloved Naxos! Sigh. Enjoy everything Greece!

Posted by
25 posts

Thank you stanbr! We've adjusted our flights so we are departing from Athens on May 2, and we'll head straight to Naxos when we land in Athens. I'm looking forward to our experience on Naxos.

Posted by
25 posts

Janis, thank you for your thoughts. It's so overwhelming when it is your first trip to Greece and there is so much to see. Bring on Naxos!

Posted by
25 posts

Wow! stanbr and janis, these photos are stunning! I just had a chance to look at them. Now I see why everyone is so enthusiastic about Naxos. Do you have any suggestions about what location to stay in and what to do? We are probably going to do Airbnb so my next task is looking at booking that. Love the bicycle pics. We are both cyclists.

Our flight gets in around 6 p.m. so not sure how difficult it will be to get to a place. I think we have about 2.5 hours of daylight once we touch down.

Posted by
1350 posts

Since you are early season I suggest you find a hotel or aribNb at St George beach. St George is a good sand beach which is part of Naxos town. You get a beach vacation plus all the activities of the town just a 10 minute stroll along the headland right to the waterfront promenade.

The airport is about 10 minutes to Naxos town. Once you find accommodation ask the owner if they will order a taxi for you for pick up at the airport.

When we go I want a sea view accommodation and St George provides lots of accommodation options with that view. There are lots of studio hotels that have basic kitchen facilities.

Naxos town is where you will find lots to do and see as it is the centre of activities and the transportation hub of the island. You can get to almost all the island by KTEL bus. There are great hiking opportunities in and around the mountain villages particularly Chalki.

While there are better beaches on the south coast it is early season and they will still be sleepy.
For fun here are some additional photos. You will see why we suggest a week on Naxos.

Trip around Naxos https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157634605629689
Chalki and Vivlos villages https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720299950915
Naxos sunsets https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157700728046481

Posted by
25 posts

Thanks so much stanbr! We're going to take your recommendations for staying in St. George. That's exactly the type of experience we are looking for. Also good to note that it's pretty easy to get around by bus. I think we'll save renting a car to go to Napflio.

Really appreciate everyone's guidance on this!

Posted by
3311 posts

Stanbr & I are a Tag Team ... I'll take up the challenge for the post-Naxos itinerary

As I said above, "nights" is self-deceiving. You say 4 nights Naxos... but u arrive 5:30pm won't be into room, changed & ready to leave hotel til nearly dinner... and if yo u leave @ 10 am flight April 25 you have only spent 3 days in Naxos, largest isle of the Cyclades. I would suggest you add a day to Naxos -- postpone that AM flight until April 26 th. (Even if you already booked, to make that sale deadline, u should be able to tweak the date without any penalty).

THen the challenge becomes, how to fit everything in to the 3.5 days at most, before the 3 days that AThens deserves. To help decisions, here's online map i love - https://tinyurl.com/zekuft9 (click & it gets huuuge - navigate w side-slides). It shows all roads -- right from Airport, all of Pelopponese, PLUS part of road heading up toward Delphi. Shows all other sites u name.

The "wish list" is too long for mainland sites .... 4 "day trips" in 4 "nights", now 3.... & doesn't count at least a day to experience gorgeous Nafplio. How about reading, not just online pix. Have a guidebook? Toronto has fine libraries... borrow an armload. Then sit down with each other & discuss: Is something on list because famous, or because it truly intrigues you? Is it a place you can understand & appreciate on your own, or would you need a licensed guide (@ €60 hr, 2hr min)? What if a place requires 5 hours extra driving? Don't get me wrong - these are ALL wonderful. But people on forums who recommend seeing all, often have 2-3 weeks in Greece or else (like me) divide them up, see some now, and some on later trips. Some things to consider for each:

CORINTH - Can take over 1/2 day; For some Christian denominations, Ancient Corinth is vital for st Paul preaching there; Acrocorinth high peak has stunning views (but consider, Palamidi Fortress looming over Corinth, just as stunning). Maybe save Corinth for next trip?
MYCENAE - Huge Iliad-era hilltop ruins & Museum (visit it first, for visual grasp via models) - if v. short on time, consider instead a stop at TIRYNS, just outside Nafplio, Same Huge Boulders (even bigger), unrestored, no museum, almost no visitors.
NAFPLIO -- stunning architectural beauty, history, winding car-free lanes. Use this fab website - http://www.visitnafplio.com/ ... click every link! Elevator INSIDE a cliff to reach Akronafplia, superb museum on town square, Palamidi (dont do steps, drive up back way) .. great walks plus good dining in small tavernas, and BEST mainland sunsets.
EPIDAURUS -- no need to drive there & then return to NAfplio. Avoid backtracking - instead, visit it enroute back to Athens Airport. How? LEave Nafplio Old Town, drive EAST across Peloponnese "thumb" (see map!) to Ancient Site.. Don't get lost in ruins-rubble, it's mainly about awesome 15,000 seat stadium. After, drive up COAST road to "Isthmus." then u can walk out on Old Bridge & see Corinth Canal before getting back on the big Intercity Highway.
DELPHI - u will have to decide... to get there you'd need to exit N @ Elefsina, turn NW at Thiva (thebes) another 2 hrs to Delphi - April closing time may be 4 pm; wd have to stay o-nite. If on Day 1, u left Airport @ noon, u still wouldnt reach delphi before 3pm. Something to consider.

A PS -- on outbound leg, after crossing Corinth Canal, about 15 miles on is a really Fun Quick stop for an overlooked Gem.. Ancient NEMEA. This was the "runner-up Sacred Games Site" to Olympia ... has some ruin, huge columns, and, a thousand yards away, an amazing stadium. Only excavated & lovingly repaired in recent times; u can walk thru "heroes tunnel" & Crouch at starting blocks that are 2500 yrs old. Academics &local Greeks combined to launch a Revived Nemean Games ... now every 4 years, thousands gather to compete in traditional garb, run, win laurel crowns. If u skip museum u can be in/out in an hour.

Posted by
25 posts

Ah Janet, thank you so much! Your suggestions are piquing my interest! I'm now going to have to sit and digest all of this. Especially appreciate what to see on the way to Athens!

You truly are the best tag team! I am going to arm myself with some travel books now and make some hard choices.

All the best to you!
Lindsay