Athens to Naxos then Paros - travel advice

Paros-we enjoyed staying a short ( walkable) distance outside of Naoussa.

Hello,

I will offer my thoughts on a couple of your questions:

1. Small family owned hotels are a big part of what makes Greek island stays special. The people and the breakfasts too! :)

2. Again, for a more Greek experience, travel by ferry at least once. (unless you get seasick)

Take a look at a day trip by boat to Delos and Mykonos while you are on Naxos. I think you'd enjoy that too.

Hope this helps. Whatever you decide, you will have an awesome trip. Greece is one of my favorite places.

You are safe flying from Paros to CA with a stopover in ATH the same morning you fly home. No need to sleep at an ATH airport hotel.

I believe Ed said their flight home from ATH was at noon, implying they already have that ticket. There are several flights from either Naxos (JNX) or Paros (PAS) to ATH on Aegean/Olympia or SkyExpress. Naxos airport is close to Hora/Naxos town for a bit quicker taxi ride than on Paros. There is stuff to do and see on each island but Naxos has, in our opinion, more. We have used the buses to get around Naxos but not Paros. It is a short ferry trip between the 2 islands. We stayed at a small pension in Parika, Paros near the harbor. We have stayed in various places at St. George beach. Either or both islands make for a delightful trip.

does that mean it is safe to fly back to Athens on the morning of our
departure from Athens

No one can say if it is 100% safe or not. Cancellations are very rare and delays > 30 minutes are rare but it can happen.

On June 7th there are 2 Olympic/Aegean PAS→ATH flights at 6:15 and 7:05.
The next one at 9:35 which arrives at 10:20 only gives you 1h40 of connection time. It is too short in my opinion.

We are considering booking airbnbs on the islands. Any reason not to?

If you want to stay in a studio / apartment / villa, you will find plenty of offers for family pensions without going through Airbnb. We rarely choose Airbnbs on the islands. Both in Paros and Naxos we have always found what we liked in self-catering without going through Airbnb. These self-catering accommodations are 2 or 3 times more numerous than hotels.

The disadvantages, among others, are that you can have your breakfast at any time (homemade with ingredients bought at the supermarket), and that no one comes to disturb you to clean the room. :)

Travel on islands via public transport vs. car rental?

Bus or car rental is up to you and it depends on what you want to do / see.

Naxos and Paros have a good bus network. The bus hub is in "Naxos Town" in Naxos and Parikia in Paros and all bus lines depart from these places.

If you spend your days in "town" sharing your time between shopping and the beach nearby, it is obvious that a rental car is useless. But to explore the island, go hiking, discover other parts of the island; villages, sites, quiet beaches, tavernas, a car is essential.

Having a rental car allows you to move around whenever you want where you want and gives you many more accommodation options that would not be easily accessible by bus. Over the years we stayed several weeks in Naxos and Paros, not a single day without a rental car.

Travel to islands - we are debating flying versus ferrying to and from
the islands

Same as for the car, it is up to you.

Taking the ferry, especially a traditional ferry (not a Seajets catamaran) is part of the Greek island experience, the ferry requires more travel time but it is easier and faster to get to the port of Piraeus from the center of Athens than to go to the airport. Safety constraints are non-existent on the ferry.

Would welcome suggestions of towns to stay in that have good access to
beaches, sights, groceries, and public transport

I won't go into too much detail on this topic since the location depends on the means of transport you have, bus or car.

In Naxos, Naxos town and its surroundings is the place we avoid.

In Paros it is mainly Naoussa that we absolutely avoid.

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. It seems that we would be missing part of the experience not to stay in a small family run hotel or travel on a ferry so that is now part of the plan. We will take the first flight back to Athens from Paros to ensure there is enough time prior to our noon flight.
One further question for those of you who have rented a vehicle - am I correct in thinking this should be booked in advance at the same time as the hotel etc. or is there enough supply that we can play it by ear when we arrive to determine if we really wish to rent one?

You can find a rental car once you are on the island, but if you want a specific model, be aware that, for example, the offer for automatic transmission cars is limited.

Even if you do not book in advance you can still do a search for "car rental" on Google Maps, zooming in on the port of the island will give you plenty of results, like below for Paros:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ThKCeXwCT6Q7VZf96

Compare prices, read terms & conditions and look at reviews
This also allows you to get an idea of ​​prices and car models

If you book in advance, some rental companies do not have an online booking system that requires a prepayment. You book through an online form or by email and pay when you pick up the car. This is how we have always done it without any problems.

I am late on this thread but perhaps you might enjoy some images of Naxos.

Naxos town 2024 https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720318203165/
Hike around Chalki https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157712247853233
Visit to Aparanthos villags. https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720318196100/

Trip around Naxos https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157634605629689

A follow-up question about car rentals. Is it possible to rent a car in Naxos at the ferry dock and take it to Paros with us (via Ferry) and drop it at Paros airport when we depart? Also, if we were to visit another island on a day trip could we similarly take it along with us?
Alternatively, is it possible in Paros to rent a car at the ferry dock and drop it at the airport when we depart?
Thanks

Would also appreciate hotel suggestions in Athens near Omonia.

Is it possible to rent a car in Naxos at the ferry dock and take it to
Paros with us (via Ferry) and drop it off at Paros airport when we
depart?

Generally car rental companies do not allow this and no one does it anyway due to the extra cost.

Major car rental companies like Hertz may allow this but they will charge you an extra insurance fee plus the cost of sending someone to pick up the car in Paros and drop it off at Naxos.

At Hertz this extra charge is around €450, which is about the equivalent of a week's car rental.

Plus you would have to pay for the Naxos-Paros ferry ticket for the car.

is it possible in Paros to rent a car at the ferry dock and drop it
off at the airport

Most car rental companies do this for free. Ask the local car rental companies or check their website, this is often a selectable option when the rental company has an online reservation system.

Would also appreciate hotel suggestions in Athens near Omonia.

Do you have a specific reason to go to Omonia? If not, I suggest you avoid this area as a place to stay for a first visit to Athens

I have a conference in the Omonia area.

Hello,

I agree that the Omonia area would not be my first or second choice. Two hotels that we've enjoyed are Plaka Hotel and Hermes Hotel.

I hope that helps.

I asked because the small streets around Omonia Square have a bad reputation, especially after dark (some drug dealing).
There are also quite a few small shops of Pakistanis or Balkan immigrants that may not please someone who expects to see only Greeks and archaeological sites.

However, we sometimes walk through this area to go to the Exarchia district in the evening, the square and the main avenues are safe and lively.

On Omonia Square there is the metro and many buses and trolley buses that take you to the tourist center in less than 10 minutes.
You can also walk via Athinas Street safely to Monastiraki Square (right in the tourist center) where you will be in 10 minutes.

The National Archaeological Museum is also located a few blocks north of Omonia Square

This district of Omonia has been undergoing gentrification for a few years, and new hotels are now being set up in renovated buildings. Until now, the hotels in the area were mostly cheap hotels that have deals with tour operators who offer travel packages to Athens.

Ok, helpful. Can you suggest a nicer area to stay where I could take a short subway ride to Omonia?

The two hotels that I recommended are near Monastiraki Square.

The whole area inside the walking route of this map:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zydnGoAgszkuhEmj8

It's basically a triangle shape, Omonia is at the top of this triangle.

This is where most tourists will stay. In Athens you can travel just as easily by bus or trolley bus as by metro, I even find it much more pleasant.

The whole area inside the walking route of this map

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zydnGoAgszkuhEmj8

It's basically a triangle shape, Omonia is at the top of this triangle.

This is where most tourists will stay

In Athens you can travel just as easily by bus or trolley bus as by metro, I even find it much more pleasant.

I don't stay in hotels when I'm in Athens. Ed recommended two, you can find others