We will be doing the Best of Greece tour in September 2026. This past year we did the Best of Turkey tour (which was wonderful) and after the tour went to Bodrum for a few days to relax, enjoy the culture, sights, and sunshine. It was lovely! We would like to have a similar experience next year after the Greece tour. Do you have suggestions? Easy to get to islands from Athens or a short Greek Island cruise? Something that will cap our Greece experience. Thank you!
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We did the Best of Greece this past April. After the tour we went to Chania in Crete. We only had 4 nights so could only do one island, and Crete won out over Santorini. I sometimes regret that, but we had to make a choice. It's an easy flight from Athen to most of the islands. We were able to score good airfare on Black Friday on Aegean Air.
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We did the Best of Greece last April. We went to Chania in Crete for 4 nights after. It was an was an easy flight on Aegean Airlines.
We got a good airfare on Black Friday.
Posted by
France Southwest
3336 posts
The possibilities depend mainly on the number of extra days you'll have.
To visit an island briefly, allow at least 3 full days (4 nights). Crete would require much more than that, and although technically an island, if it's the feeling of being on an island you're after, it's not necessarily the best option, as Crete is very (too) large.
Also, plan a night in Athens at the end to ensure you're there the day before your return flight.
In the Cyclades islands, you have a choice of about twenty islands, all different, and each worth visiting depending on your interests.
So it's easy to make suggestions, but less easy to ensure they match what you're looking for.
Only 5 islands have airports connected to Athens, for all the others, expect at least a 3-hour ferry ride (often more).
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you to both of you for your helpful advice!