Athens and Santorini 4 days crazy schedule

Shira,

My thought is too much in too little time. Even if I was 40 yrs younger (when I was in.good shape) I don't think I could stay on.that schedule.

The positive side to your schedule is you will get a nibble of the places so you know where you want to go in the future.

The negative side as I see it is the traveling may wear you down. Personally, my preference is to stay at least 2 days in a city.

As far as accommodations are concerned I am of no help. On my next trip I am thinking of looking for a convent to stay at. First I.need to do some research.

Whatever you choose I wish you & your friends a wonderful experience!

It is very rushed. Do you already have these flights booked?

A lot will depend on the airlines you use and the time you arrive in Athens. For example, if you are taking anything non-stop from Rome to Athens, it will be a relatively short trip. If you are taking Turkish, you will go through Istanbul and it will be a much longer trip.

Another question is where are you staying in Athens? The airport is a good distance away from Athens by any means of transportation and you will need to be there very early to catch those early flights. Linked is a little Rome2rio search I did showing the routes and types of transportation between Athens and the airport. With 3 of you, hopefully traveling light, a taxi will probably be your best option for efficiency.

The good news is that the flights between Athens and Santorini are short and it's a short distance by bus or taxi from the Santorini airport up (and it is up) to Fira.

Y'all are going to be exhausted, largely due to the very early flights, including the one from Rome, but also due to the heat in Rome, Athens and Santorini in July. You are going to have to be very selective on what you see and do in Athens and on Santorini with such a short amount of time in each.

Having been to both just last fall, if you haven't paid for your flights yet, I'd stick with Athens or Santorini, but not both. And don't forget, in Greece, no matter where you are, you are not supposed to put used TP in the toilet. A trash can will be provided next to the toilet for it.

Sidebar: Are you flying from Paris to Pisa? If not, Use Rome2rio to check on the options to get from Paris to Pisa and Pisa to Rome. You can also use it to find your way around in the cities and towns, especially for planning. On the ground, I like the Streetwise laminated maps (available here online and in some bookstores) and there are ones for Paris, Rome and Athens.

Shira

Is there a reason that you are splitting the two Athens nights? Unless I've misunderstood something it looks like you would be better to go Rome to Santorini via Athens on the 27th. The way you have it planned you have a trip to or from Athens airport in each day, and these take about an hour.

On your current plan you probably don't need to get a hotel for the night of July 29. You will need to get a bus from Syntagma at around 3.30 to make your London connection. You might as well just leave your luggage at the left luggage in the airport and find a late night bar to doze in before the airport bus.

Alan

I think you will be spending more time traveling than experiencing where you visiting, including airports, checking in, security and waiting for your flight. And that doesn't include your travel from from Paris to Athens. Why don't you just pick either Athens or Santorini and stay there for your time in Greece? Travel is suppose to be enjoyable not stressful and from your itinerary it appears it will be very stressful. Youthful enthusiasm is great but there are limits . . . even for young people. Slow down and enjoy one or the other.

Have you priced these flights? I think it would be very expensive, not to mention you would be experiencing more of the airports than the cities. I would keep it to one or two cities with that time frame. Also check the baggage requirements...on the flight from Santorini to Athens, you may not be able to check a bag or pay a stiff price. I think for an Oct flight, my husband & I paid over $600 for Athens to Santorini & return.

Shira,

I have visited all the destinations on your itinerary but definitely not on the same trip!

It looks like you have 9 nights for your trip which translates to 8 full days to explore & enjoy some destinations.

I agree with some of the above posters who mentioned that you will be very rushed & will be spending much of your time in trains or planes rather than actually enjoying each destination you want to visit.

Keep in mind that each day that you travel from point A to point B, you will lose at least half of that day (if not more).

Since you only have 8-9 days for your trip, I'd limit my trip to 2 destinations.

You could also visit Italy for the whole 8-9 days ( Florence & Rome with possible day trips), or you could go Greece & visit Athens, Santorini & any other island of your choice.

You may also choose to visit London & Paris.

Keep in mind that London is very expensive. If you are traveling on a "low budget", I'd probably go to Greece or Italy.

When we traveled to Santorini, we stayed at Gabi Apartments, where we had amazing views of the caldera, the sea & the best sunsets!

The apartment was clean, reasonable and conveniently located a few minutes from Fira.
Here is their website for more information: http://www.gaby-apartments.gr/en/

You may want to read about the beaches in Santorini: http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/sea/beaches/santorini_beaches

Enjoy your trip!

EDIT: If you decide to travel to Greece, you can take the Metro from the airport to Athens, or a taxi which has a flat rate of €35 during the day or €50 at night.

The Metro is very convenient & inexpensive: http://www.ametro.gr/files/images/AttikoMetro_Athens_Map_eng_LG.jpg

Check this website for info regarding taking Metro from airport to city: http://www.athensairporttaxi.com/en/busmetro_metro_en.htm

You may take a ferry from Piraeus (port of Athens) to Santorini (more reasonable than flying): http://www.go-ferry.com/greek-ferry-lines.html

Check this website for more info on travel from airport to Piraeus:http://www.athensinfoguide.com/arrival_airportopiraeus.htm

If you have not yet bought all these plane tickets, then I would not do so. For a start, skip Pisa, which is not worth a special stop. Second, try not to split your time in Athens, as mentioned above. You could even skip Santorini. Are you really going to get 3 people onto all these 6 am flights with no fights breaking out?

With this much moving around, you will want to pack very light, in bags that you can carry onto even budget airlines (check weight and size restrictions when booking tickets).