13 night intinery suggestions October 2018

What about more time on Crete? 3 nights, and just in Herak, seems like a lost opportunity.

As for the trip from Crete to Athens, I would fly, since you've already taken an overnight ferry, the caveat being if the overnight ferry was much cheaper than a flight+hotel room (Im a cheapskate ;)

Or you could spend more time in the Peloponnese..

I was assuming I would take a plane to Crete because I am willing to spend a little more for airplane tickets compared to a ferry and a ferry on the way to Crete would be a waste of time. It is on the return trip to Athens that I was guessing whether I should try taking a ferry or a plane.

In the airport near Athens when I arrive in Greece, if my the airplane is supposed to arrive at 9:15 am, am I safe to purchase a ticket for a flight to Heraklion at 1:15pm? Would I go through the passport stamping/ traveler and immigration control protocol in Athens before getting on my plane to Heraklion, or at both airports? Is 4 hours enough time between flights? What kinds of bad things could happen that would make me miss my flight to Heraklion and what are the likelihood of such bad things happening?

Mike, I expect Stan or Janet to jump in and offer a lot more detailed information. I speak only from research, not experience (yet. Im going for a month in June). From my reading, I believe you will have enough time to get through the airport in 4 hours. You will go through customs, and security to get to the domestic flight to Crete, and have to pick up your bag and re-check it (if you are checking baggage). The thing that would cause problems with this plan is a delay in your international flight.

As for getting to and from Crete, its really personal choice how you get there and back (flight or ferry). One iteration, you pay for flight+hotel for a night, the other you pay for ferry. We are taking a night ferry instead of flying+renting a hotel for a night and the ferry is cheaper.

In Athens, in the Acropolis / Parthenon area, try to go to the ancient Agora. It is really very close by and has one of the best preserved temples in Greece. Do some research on it and see if it holds any interest for you. I'd try to stay in the same hotel in Athens since the lay of the land will already be familiar.

Jessica, I'm not going to get involved again with Mike's queries. I have responded with Numerous Posts on his Many previous inquiry threads ... and no matter what details I have provided, he always finds something fresh to become anxious about. He seems very nervous about this trip, and unable to make decisions about what to do/see etc, and the copious information so far provided by many Greece veterans still leaves him seeking more with new worries. I wish him well, and urge him, as previously to consult reliable guidebooks as well as the internet.

I am not anxious about traveling. I just don't want to risk having my family find out something bad happened and then they will say something like, "see, that's why people travel with guided tours, that's why you don't go to strange places on your own...". I don't want to seem too suspicious for being a man traveling alone; normally I am afraid to interact with people but I associate traveling with a low amount of anxiety; maybe because part of my brain is hoping there will be a language barrier which will make me feel little or no guilt for not interacting with other people, and all people have hypocrisies and contradictions. My mother is the one who thinks what I am doing is "mind boggling" and she said she would be petrified to go to another country alone.

When I went to Italy, I took a plane to Rome, after I got my passport stamped, I bought a train ticket to Florence. For this trip I am thinking of buying my tickets from the airport to my first town, in advance, which could be risky, in case it takes too long to get my passport stamped or if my flight to Athens is delayed or if I can't find my flight to Heraklion, and so on.

Now forget about my older posts, and just think of logistics and how much time to spend in each town I think I want to see. Is 5 or 6 nights in Athens excessive? Is it safer to go straight from Nafplion to Delphi, so that I won't risk having the hotel/hostel/logging owner being surprised when/if I spend a night in Delphi and come back to the hotel?

I already traveled to Canada; London, England; and Italy. In London, the authorities wanted my itinerary - by mistake I had left my printed copy of my confirmation of my airplane tickets, showing the arrival and departure times, on my couch at home, and I had forgot my password for the website I bought the tickets from and I took too long to find my information in my e-mail, and/or I was anxious and screwed up and did the wrong body language, so they kept me in a medium security holding cell for immigrants and suspicious people, for 4 hours, before some woman official interviewed me and finally let me search through my e-mail until I found my information. I thought they would refuse to stamp my passport and make me fly right back to Detroit. If this same sort of thing happens in Greece and I have purchased separate airplane tickets to Heraklion (4 hours after My flight arrives in Athens), that’s $127 US dollars or more wasted. But I didn’t have any problem getting into Italy.

I suppose you guys can’t think of any more suggestions about my trip. As of now I am planning a Sunday- Tuesday nights in Heraklion, a Wednesday-Friday nights in Nafplion, Saturday night in Athens, Sunday night in Delphi, and Monday-Friday nights in Athens - that’s 6 nights in Athens - 4 whole days, part of a day on the day I arrive in Athens, and part of a day on the day I return from Delphi - I just wonder if I am planing an excessive amount of time in one town, Athens. Otherwise I could rearrange my supposed itinerary and spend an extra night in Crete or an extra night in Nafplion.

Mike, I would think very specifically about every day of your trip. What do you have planned? Knowing what you want to do, even loosely, helps determine how many days is enough or "too much". Do you have 6-7 days of things you want to see and do in Athens on your wish list? If not, then 6-7 days is "too much".
As an example, in my case, I did not want too spend much time in a city on this trip + I have read several accounts of trips where the people say that Athens was not their favorite city + I have a specific short list of things I want to do in Athens. Those are my parameters, and they resulted in spending 1 ½ days in Athens out of 26 in Greece.
Trip planing is all about research research research. To me, 3 days in Crete seems like far too few, but Ill assume you've read a ton about Crete and decided that there are only 3 days worth of things that interest you. Ill assume you also did the same for the Peloponnese. These are the two places I would explore much more of instead of spending all that time in and around Athens. But again, trip planning is personal, so you should research the areas and plot out your days, and see how this affects planning...

I would assume that the London fiasco was a one-off. Take pictures of your docs so you have them on your phone. 4 hours should be enough to change planes in Athens

Detailed itinerary. 14 nights, 13 on the ground and one on the flight to Greece. Details for time in Athens are a rough hypothesis, subject to some changes, between soon and the last minute. I could probably occupy myself in Athens for the amount of time listed below or tighten my itinerary up and add a night to some other location and be about just as happy.

Leave Detroit last Saturday of September.
1st night: on the Airplane.
Sunday: arrive at Athens International airport. Airplane to Heraklion, Crete.

Walk past various landmarks or monuments. If time/if open, one or more of Castello del Molo (Koules), Koules Fort, and/or Loggia.
2nd night: sleep in Heraklion

Monday: Archaeological museum. If time/if open, Historical museum of Crete. If time, walk past other landmarks and/or go inside one or more of the 3 sites above.
3rd night: sleep in Heraklion

Tuesday: Knossos site. Historical museum of Crete if not seen yet. If time, walk past other landmarks, go inside old buildings open to visitors, and so on. Possibly take an overnight ferry to Athens, leaving at 21:00 (9 pm)
4th night: sleep in Heraklion

Wednesday: Airplane to Athens. Bus to Nafpion. National Gallery? (closes at 15:00, also open 17:00-20:00 Wednesday & Friday?) and/or walk through Nafplion.
5th night: sleep in Nafplion

Thursday: Archaeological museum. (open 8:00-15:00). Walk past various sites and/or Palamidi fortress.

6th night: sleep in Nafplion

Friday: Bus day trip to Mycenae.
7th night: sleep in Nafplion

Saturday: Bus to Athens. Bus ride is about 2 hours 10 minutes.
Benaki museum of Greek history. (Thu. & Sat. 9:00-24:00). If time, Benaki museum of Islamic art (hours not identified).
8th night: sleep in Athens

Sunday: Bus to Delphi.
9th night: sleep in the Town of Delphi

Monday: Bus back to Athens. National Archaeological museum (open until 20:00). If time, Syntagma guard changing spectacle (5 min before each hour). If time, buy ticket to Acropolis and/or randomly walk past various landmarks or monuments.

10th night: sleep in Athens

Tuesday: Self-guided tours of Acropolis area, Agora, other old Greek and Roman remains as time allows (Roman forum, Kerameikos, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and so on)
11th night: sleep in Athens.

Wednesday: Jewish museum (open 9:00-14:30). Museum of Greek popular instruments (open Wed. 12:00-18:00).
12th night: sleep in Athens

Thursday: Museum of the City of Athens (9:00-16:00). Museum of Cycladic art (until 20:00). Other sites if time if not tired.
13th night: sleep in Athens

Friday: If still in Athens, if haven’t seen yet: Panathenaic marble Stadium. National Gardens. Temple of Olympian Zeus. If time and if haven’t seen yet, other site(s) listed above.

14th night: sleep in Athens

Saturday: Fly back to Detroit.

Well, as Jessica says, how much time to spend is a personal preference. We are spending 3 nights (2.5 days) in Athens and I feel like it will be more than enough.

A couple of comments since you asked: I think some of the time you are moving quite slow in terms of your time allocations but maybe that is the way you go through museums.

Personally, I would take two days off Athens and do something else with them--not because what you have planned is not good but in the scarce currency of vacation days there are other things I would prefer to that many days in Athens. I would go to Meteora--which is an overnight trip that can be done on public transportation with an overnight stay. Of course, I am saying this because it is a place I wished I could include on my trip but simply did not have enough time for.

Jessica's ideas of more time on Crete or in the Peloponnese are also good.

Beth

Should I subtract a night from Athens and add a day to Heraklion, and if so should I take a bus day trip to Festos, or Malia?

Or should I subtract a night from Athens and add a night to Nafplion and take another bus day trip?

Or is there some other ruins I should see?

(Not that I think I have to just do what you say but I am just asking just to see what others will write)

Mike, take a day off of Athens, so you can see Epidaurus. You will never see anothr amphiteatre like this in your life. THe most acoustically perfect outdoor theatre in the world. You can go at 9, come back at 1, and then for heaven sakes, go swimming. In October the water will still be warm.

Mike, take a day off of Athens, so you can see Epidaurus. You will never see anothr amphiteatre like this in your life. THe most acoustically perfect outdoor theatre in the world. You can go at 9, come back at 1, and then for heaven sakes, go swimming. In October the water will still be warm.

About going to an Athens hotel, then ducking out for a night then returning, don't get all in a swivet. Just when you book the room, tell the hotel that is what you will be doing. All Athens hotels are totally used to this -- because so many people take 2-3 day tours. You cacn just take a small shoulder bag to Delphi with overnight things & your valuables, and leave your main bag locked at reception & they'll keep it in their luggage room til you return a day later. No big whoop.

It looks like with 3 or 4 nights in Crete you could easily fit in much more than your detailed schedule reads. In such a short trip to Crete, most people would choose 2 days in Heraklion then 2 days elsewhere - perhaps in Chania - 2 1/2 hours easy & pretty journey by bus. Or a day inland, to visit Gortys &/or Phaistos, for example, or a trip to villages & mountains, or perhaps simply a bus to Malia to se the Minoan palace there. Or a day-trip to Elounda & perhaps to visit Spnalonga island. I am assuming your preference is for history from the rest of your trip, but there are many lovely beaches also. & on any of these trips you would at least get to see a little of the island's natural beauty.

From Heralkio you can catch local buses very easily, or step into a tourist office & book yourself on a coach trip for a day. Or if you go to Chania you can fly out of there.

I feel like Crete has too much more to offer than to just stay in Heraklio.

How difficult would it be to get to phaistos and/or Gortys and back to my hotel, if I allow a fourth night in Heraklion (or somewhere in Crete), and assuming I choose not to rent a car?

Revised itinerary. Is this too much rushing around? It entails 5 different hotels/hostels/logging places.
(Night zero is on the flight to Greece)

Sunday, September 30: Arrive at Athens International Airport 9:15am. Airplane to Heraklion, Crete. Possibly the flight that leaves 1:15pm, arrives 2:05 pm.
Find hotel room/hostel/ other logging place in Crete. If time, archaeological museum (8am-8pm daily Apr –Oct). And/or walk past various landmarks or monuments. If time/ if open, Castello del Molo (Koules), Koules Fort, and/or Loggia.
1st night in Greece: sleep in Heraklion

Monday: Knossos (open 8am-5pm). If time, Historical museum of Crete (Mon-Sat Apr-Oct, 9-5pm). Archaeological museum if not seen yet. If time, walk past other landmarks and/or go inside one or more of the 3 sites above.
2nd night: sleep in Heraklion

Tuesday: If not seen yet, Archaeological museum or Historical museum. Possibly walk past the various monuments/ landmarks. Bus to Chania. (3 or more hours). Leave no later than the bus leaving at 2:30 or 3:30pm.
3rd night: sleep in Chania

Wednesday: Archaeological museum (Tues-Sun, 8:30am-3pm); If time, Archaeological museum (also Tues-Sun, 8:30am-3pm). If time, synagogue (Mon-Thurs 10am-5pm).
4th night: sleep in Chania.

Thursday: If haven’t seen yet, Byzantine museum and/or synagogue.
Airplane to Athens. Bus to Nafpion.
5th night: sleep in Nafplion

Friday: Archaeological museum. (8:00-15:00). National Gallery? (closes at 15:00, also 17:00-20:00 Wednesday & Friday)
6th night: sleep in Nafplion

Saturday: Bus day trip to Mycenae. If time, walk past various sites and/or Palamidi fortress.

7th night: sleep in Nafplion

Sunday: Bus to Athens. (about 2 hours 10 minutes). Benaki museum of Greek history. (Thu. & Sat. 9:00-24:00). If time, Benaki Islamic, or other museum.
8th night: sleep in Athens

Monday: Bus to Delphi. 3 hours 20 minutes.
9th night: sleep in the Town of Delphi

Tuesday: Bus back to Athens (3 hours 20 minutes + time to wait for the bus). National Archaeological museum (open until 20:00). If time, Syntagma guard changing spectacle (5 min before each hour). If time, buy ticket to Acropolis and/or walk past various landmarks or monuments.

10th night: sleep in Athens

Wednesday: “Free” walking tour of Athens. Self-guided tours of Acropolis area, Agora, other popular and unpopular old Greek and Roman remains, as time allows (Roman forum, Kerameikos, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and so on)
11th night: sleep in Athens

Thursday: Jewish museum? (open 9:00-14:30). Museum of Greek popular instruments (open Wed. 12:00-18:00). The rest of the old Greek/Roman remains if haven’t seen yet. If time, if haven’t seen, Benaki Islamic or walk past other monuments, and so on.

12th night: sleep in Athens

Friday: Museum of the City of Athens (9:00-16:00). The rest of the old Greek/Roman structures if haven’t seen yet. If time, Panathenaic Stadium (restored marble stadium, 8:00-19:00), Temple of Olympian Zeus.

13th night: sleep in Athens

Saturday, October 13: fly back to Detroit

From Heraklion, you can very easily get a day coach tour to Gortys & Phaistos. Just go into a travel agency the day before, they all do similar trips at very similar prices.

The bus takes less than 3 hours to Chania. The bus station is 5 - 10 minutes walk to the old town & harbour, this is the area to stay in, there are many places on Theotokopoulou St & that area, in restored Venetian houses. Then you are in the heart of Chania, ideal for strolling around the tiny lanes & sitting on the harbour for drinks. There are lovely boutique hotels on the harbourfront, stunning views but can be noisy in summer.

I would take day off Athens and add to Nafplio so you can take bus to Epidavros.

I don't know the bus system but was wondering if it might be logistically easier to take bus to Delphi the same day you arrive in Athens. I guess that depends on timing which you may have already checked into.

Beth

I was going to say exactly what Beth said ;p

After arriving at the airport near Athens, the next bus from Athens to Delphi which I could make it to leaves at 3:00pm. Then I could spend the night in Delphi. From Delphi to Athens, buses leave at 4:00pm and 6:45pm. In theory if I could be done with the place and at the bus pick up location before 4pm or 6:45 on the day I walk around the place, your idea of going right to Delphi after arriving in Athens could work. I will also look at going to Nafplio right after arriving in Athens and we'll see if I post a new itinerary.

What I meant was stay an extra night in Nafplio. Then, instead of sleeping in Athens after Nafplio, go directly to Delphi. So night 8 in Nafplio, night 9 in Delphi (if possible), and nights 10+ in Athens

Jessica: You are right. It would be possible to take buses from Nafplio to Delphi in one day. I was trying to avoid spending 7-8 hours sitting on buses in one day but I could be wrong for avoiding doing so. But this may be moot because I totally changed my itinerary in order to take boats to and from Crete instead of flying.

(Night zero is on the flight to Greece)
Sunday, September 30: Arrive at Athens International Airport 9:15am. Bus or train to Syntagma square or near downtown Athens. Find hotel / hostel / logging place. If time, Jewish museum (10am-2pm). National archaeological museum (8:00-20:00). Syntagma guard changing spectacle.
1st night: sleep in Athens

Monday: “Free” walking tour of Athens. Self-guided tours of Acropolis area. Acropolis museum. If time, other old Greek and Roman remains (Agora, Roman forum, Kerameikos, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and so on)
2nd night: sleep in Athens

Tuesday: Agora (8:00-19:00). Museum of Greek popular instruments (Tue. 10:00-14:00). The rest of the old Greek and Roman remains not seen yet (Agora, Roman forum, Kerameikos, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and so on)
3rd night: sleep in Athens

Wednesday: Bus to Nafplion (about 2 hours 10 minutes). If time, Archaeological museum 8:00-15:00). If time, National Gallery (10:00-15:00 and 17:00-20:00). If time, Palamidi fortress or other Venetian structures and/or walk past various landmarks or monuments.
4th night: sleep in Nafplio

Thursday: Bus day trip to Mycenae. If time, if not seen yet, above museums and/or Venetian era-fortresses and/or walk through Nafplio.
5th night: sleep in Nafplio

Friday: If not seen yet, above museum(s) or Venetian fortresses. Bus to Piraeus (about 3 hours 9 minutes). Arrive by 8pm. Ferry to Heraklion, Crete. Ferry leaves at 9pm.
6th night: sleep in a cabin below deck on the ferry.

Saturday: Ferry arrives at 6am. Historical museum of Crete (Mon-Sat Apr-Oct, 9-5pm). Archaeological museum (8am-8pm daily Apr –Oct, get joint ticket with Knossos). If time, walk past various landmarks/ monuments. If time/ if open, old Venetian buildings.
7th night: sleep in Heraklion

Sunday. Bus to Knossos (8am-5pm). If time, walk past other landmarks and/or Venetian buildings, and so on.
8th night: sleep in Heraklion

Monday: Bus to Chania (about 3 hours 5 minutes). Synagogue (Mon-Thurs 10am-5pm). Possibly Cretan House Folklore Museum (Mon-Fri 9am-3pm & 6-9pm). Small Minoan excavation, city walls, other landmarks, and so on.
9th night: sleep in Chania

Tuesday: Archaeological museum (Tues-Sun, 8:30am-3pm). Byzantine museum (also Tues-Sun, 8:30am-3pm). Ferry from Chaina to Piraeus, leaves 9pm, arrive by 8pm.
10th night: sleep on the ferry.

Wednesday: Ferry arrives in Piraeus 6am. Bus to the center of Athens (about 52 minutes). Bus to Delphi (about 3 hours 20 minutes).

Find hotel in the town of Delphi. Museum or outdoor site. If time, the other site too. If not time, the other site the next morning.
11th night

Thursday: If not seen yet, the outdoor site and/or museum. Bus to Athens.
12th night: sleep in Athens again.

Friday: If time, if not seen yet, possibly Jewish museum 9am-2:30pm). Benaki museum of Greek history (9:00am-5pm). If time, Museum of the city of Athens (9am-4pm). Possibly Panathenaic stadium (8am-7pm).
13th night: sleep in Athens again.

Saturday, October 13: fly back to Detroit

Mike, that looks good. I don't see Epidauros on your list for Nafplio. From what I read, it sounds like a must visit, but maybe not as interesting to you. I think the timing of this looks better. Have a great trip!

Jessica (and others): Thanks for your input. I am planning to skip Epidavros even though Rick Steves and other highly recommend it. If I want to see an old, historic event venue I may see the Panathenic stadium in Athens, and there may be an amphitheater near the acropolis in Athens. Unfortunately there isn't time to see everything in one 12 whole day/ 13 night trip. I am also skipping seeing any other Minoan-era remains on Crete, Olympia, Corfu, Santorini, Thessaloniki/ northern Greece, and Rhodes. I don't even know if I will see every site or museum I listed or if I will end up skipping a few - I can't just rush from one place to another place - I don't try to predict how much time I will spend at each place, additionally there is always random normal stuff like finding my hotels/logging places, eating and taking breaks to sit on benches, and so on.

My two cents is that I would do Athens in one chunk. It takes a long time to get to and from Athens from either port or airport. I would be inclined to just spend the last night by the airport and leave the next morning for Detroit.

Beth

Do any of you know whether the National Archaeology museum and/or the bus station where you take a bus to Pireas, has lockers or coat rooms where I can leave a travel bag/suitcase for a few hours?

Is there any advantage to me taking the buses to Delphi on the same day my flight arrives in Athens, or should I just to with my last supposed itinerary? And I am trying to avoid being in Nafplio on a Monday or Tuesday due to when certain places are closed (see page 220-221 in the Rick Steves Athens and the Peloponnese).