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Any easy 11-day itinerary to Greece? I'm overwhelmed

Posted by on

Hi,

First time posting. I never had an issue creating itineraries for us, but I'm lost now. It's probably because my spouse cannot travel this time. I'm going with my college student and I'm planning the whole trip that we came with a week ago so I'm feeling a bit intimidated. I was in Greece decades ago and LOVED it.

We'll land in Athens early evening on the 13th of May and depart in the morning of 25th. That's the idea, haven't bought tickets yet. I have bought tickets to FRA only, LOL. The thing is I have to hurry up and book accommodations and tickets out of ATH before more affordable options are bought by other tourists, but in order to do that I need to figure where to go, what to visit, etc. by using our feet and public transportation. I'm NOT renting a car (would not refuse to rent bikes or a moped on a quiet island). We might consider booking a tour or two or more as day trips or visit Acropolis or a food tour but I would like to see how much they'll add to my overall budget.

Since my DD is prone to motion sickness we might need to limit or even skip island hopping. If you know of any close to Athens nice, quiet island we would consider for a night or two.

We like sightseeing but we will probably skip hiking as May could be too warm. We like visiting historical buildings but my DD isn't too crazy into history. We both like food and Greece is mecca for it. I would like to avoid crowded places and party vibe atmosphere except in Athens of course since it would be impossible to do. I'm considering to book a hotel in Athens that includes breakfast so we are ready to go after that especially if we rserve a tour. But if we go to an island or a small town on mainland I think Airbnb or some cheaper hotel would be fine even without breakfast so we can try different options in tavernas (hopefully already open in May). We are not big in spending time sitting on the beach but it would be fine to relax in the evening after exploring and doing things during the day.

What would you suggest for us to visit?
I read that islands very close to Athens are also nice and since they attract less tourists they tend to be less spoilt by over-tourism. The article mentioned Hydra, Aegina, Agistri, Poros, Spetses, Andros, and Kea. Do you have any experience with them. I'm definitely willing to avoid the most popular islands to avoid tourists and seismic activity like Santorini.

Should we stay 2-4 nights in Athens first, then go to islands or somewhere else on the mainland and then head to HolidayInn near ATH upon return since our flight is at 9am on 25th.

TIA

Posted by
2350 posts

Sounds to me like you’ve already done your homework on what would make a nice itinerary and maybe could just fold some tips into the outline you already have.
Since most visitors fly into and out of Athens, it’s usually a good plan to save Athens for the end of the trip and get to another destination on arrival day, if you’ll be arriving in Athens in the morning or early afternoon. If arriving late in the afternoon or in the evening— then make Athens your first stop. The metro from the airport into downtown Athens takes 40 minutes. Since you have several islands in mind— you can make your way to Athens’ port of Piraeus ( 20 minutes by Metro) and take a ferry to your first island. The ferries are large ships and so motion sickness is not usually a problem for most people. ( I’ve gotten sick on small boats in California but never on a ferry in Greece) I use ginger to combat any anticipated motion sickness.
The good news is that In rough seas, the ferries simply stay in port for safety reasons and sail as soon as they safely can. That means they don’t even go out on the rough days.
You might take a look at YouTube videos that cover the islands you’ve interested in——Hydra, Aegina, Spetses, Andros, Agustin, Kea, Poros— and then decide on a couple that appeal to you the most, An island will be a great way to rest up after your transatlantic flight to Frankfurt and your arrival in Greece.
In May the sea temperatures are still in the 60’s which is a bit chilly for swimming. For hiking, though, the weather is perfect with daytime temperatures in the mid-70’s.

A highly-recommended destination just a couple hours from Athens by bus Is Nafplion.
Consider adding Nafplion to your itinerary if YouTube videos look appealing.
In addition to the Acropolis, be sure to visit the National Archaeological Museum in Athens— it is amazing. At the base of the Acropolis is the Plaka neighborhood which makes for a fun, if a bit touristy, neighborhood to stay at while in Athens.
Have a great trip!

Posted by
1021 posts

As you are arriving in Athens, why not stay there for a few days visiting museums, the Acropolis etc. it’s impossible to go to Greece and not take in some history, especially in Athens! But there are a variety of Museums devoted to things like musical instruments, jewelleryetc. Stay in the area (Plaka) around the Acropolis as it is full of restaurants, and within easy walking of shops etc.

Then return to the airport and fly to one of the Islands. Crete is the largest and most southerly of the Greek Islands and can easily cater to most interests - great beaches, good food which is somewhat different from that on the mainland, food tours or visits to farms that include creating meals from the farm produce, hiking, archaeological and historic sites, small villages, two larger cities, (Chania is strongly recommended butHeraklion has places of interest). Rhodes is another interesting island and a lot of people recommend Naxos . The not other island I’ve been to is Corfu, very pretty but also quite touristy,especially popular with British holidaymakers. All can be easily reached by plane from Athens as well as by ferry. It note,strong winds can cause rough sailings and/or cancellations. Aegean Air, Olympic Air and Sky Express offer service to most of the larger islands. Having said that a lot of people head straight out to their island of choice and finish their visit in Athens. There is a lot to be said for time to relax and chill after the long flight over to Greece and Athens can be overwhelming for the first time visitor.

Both Hydra and Aegina are close enough to Athens that they are popular for day trips from the city and can be quite busy. RS’s Greek tour includes an overnight stop on Hydra.

Youwillfind that hotels may already be getting booked up, especially in Athens. Look at Booking.com for ideas, they also list apartments, but book direct.y with the accommodation, especially with hotels. Booking. Om will often show a hotel as being booked whereas the hotel with still have vacancies.

Good luck with planning your trip.

Posted by
141 posts

Good suggestions here already, a few additional thoughts:
-For motion sickness, just be aware that even crossings on the big car ferries can get rough. I was on an extremely rough crossing from Thessaloniki to Skopelos a few years ago where people around me were using sick bags (and I just about managed not to). However, I think that is pretty uncommon- our return ferry was absolutely fine. The closer you are to shore the less likely it is to be rough.
-Of the islands you mention, I've only been to Hydra, and it's lovely. It's a relatively short ferry crossing that doesn't go too far from shore so should be ok for people with motion sickness. Tho Hydra is a famous island I didn't find it too crowded- it has a very pleasant chill atmosphere which is helped by the fact that cars are banned from the island. We did a hike up to the monastery which is one of my favourite walks I've done in Greece. May should be a good time for hiking as it won't be too hot yet. For the beach, it will be a bit cold to go in the water so it's good that's not a priority for yourselves.

Good luck with the planning!

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