Critique my itinerary: Athens, Peloponnese, Zakynthos, and Santorini

Hi

For live music on Monastiraki I would go to O Sigalas. We've written it up here (second down)

http://www.greekramblings.org.uk/Plaka_Monistiraki_Restaurants.html

If that doesn't appeal go into Psyrri, the other side of Ermou from Monastiraki Square, and you will find several places.

To walk to Syngrou from Monastiraki your best, and most pleasant, betis to walk right round the Acropolis on Apostolo Pavlo and Roberto Galli. Turn right past the new Acropolis Museum and you will drop onto Syngrou almost opposite the car rental. This walk would take me, without bags, around half an hour.

The alternative, if you are carrying luggage, is to get the metro from Monastiraki to Acropolis, changing at Syntagma. Acropolis metro is about five minutes from the car hire.

Have a good trip.

Alan

PS bring layers. We are in Thessaloniki at the moment and while it is warm during the day it is starting to get cooler in the evenings.

Some 6-10 years ago I used to see lots of people sleeping on the floor in Athens airport but rules have been tightened up since then and now it's like this (review from May 2016):
http://www.sleepinginairports.net/europe/athens.htm

Hi J!
Since you query just before departure, you can't really act to thorough critique by us, just “tweaks” around the edges. I do regret that you seem not to have checked some guidebooks or online reports that were candid about certain “must-see” sights, or the time required to get around. I’m going to propose a couple of MAjor changes but don’t expect you to take my suggestions. To respond point by point:

FRIDAY — METRO - (1) Beware of Pickpockets!! Greece has one of the lowe crime rates in Europe but in Athens a “hot spot” are the Metro lines serving unwary tourists. Do NOT carry money, passport, phones etc in ANY pockets OR in backpacks (75% of victims are men, who think they’d detect intrusions; women usually know to keep a hand on their day-bag zipper). Best is money-belt or neck pouch ON metro — in most other places in Athens or in islands, you’ll be safer than in any big cities I know of. Note: I”ve ridden the metro probably 50+ times, never a problem (I’m a veteran of NYC subways). (2) Metro is empty at airport; snag a seat by a door, since cars will be crowded by time you reach your station & don’t pause long.

SATURDAY — ATHENS — (1)Sights nobody has time to give you an Instant Course on Athens; I presume you are using your “smartphone” for most or all of your research, so why not use Rick Steves free audio tours for Athens: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours/greece-turkey — you can download FOUR tours covering •City Walk •Acropolis • Ancient Agora • Nat. Archeological Museum. BTW, I hope you meant the Ancient Agora when you said “Park where Socrates Prison is” — there is another location along a walkway s. of Acropolis which is a Fake. (2) SNACKS - Athens has NO equivalent to large CVS, just small shops, but many have cheap pre-made sandwiches for €2-€3. (3) MUSIC TAVERNAS — here’s one in Psirri that has old-timey music, only Greek clientele they sing along: Η ΩΡΑΙΑ ΠΕΝΤΕΛΗ, where Aristophanes and Aeschylus come together. (actually Αισχύλου & Αριστοφάνους, or Eschilou and Aristofanous) — tinyurl.com/z6sdcuz for Google map. NOTE: not much happens until after 10pm.

SUNDAY - (1) MARKET - flea market is a total waste of time; 99% touricized souvenir junk these days. (2) REST OF DAY — I think you’re thinking in US terms. Greece is Mountainous, drives are twisty & Long!! Delphi will take you 3.5 hours minimum!! to reach. Instead get your car early AM before 8 if possible — get to Delphi 11??? Leave by 1 or 2 pm — and Maybe you’ll make that ferry. Are you even sure that your rental agency will allow you to take the car on the ferry? Bet you haven’t check on that it’s very unusual.

MONDAY - Frankly I think it’s kinda wack to go to Zakynthos just to see a beach that’s basically famous for being famous on calendars, and described by friends as a big letdown seen on a party boat or from above — and then in the next day race at blinding speed through a blur of famous sites and then get back to Athens??? No way!! Veterans of greece on this forum (I’ve been there 12x, since ’99 and on 9 trips have taken newbies like you along -- but many others are more knowledgeable than I am) would say, skip Zakynthos and have a sane amount of time for beautiful sights along the way. A drive from Delphi straight to Olympia is a minimum of 3.5-4 hours for newcomer drivers.

I recommend on monday you get to Delphi by 10:30, leave by 12:30 pm — Go down mountain to lovely beach at Galaxidi, then drive over the Rio bridge thru Patras, to Olympia. That probably will take you until at least 6 pm — You maybe ucky, and the site has not closed early (they’re supposed to be open until 8 thru Oct but in the fiscal crisis, changes happen!) ; If so, I suggest you go to the Museum first, then go to dinner. Hotel Hercules is inexpensive, reliable.
-- I'm running into character limit, so will finish on posting #2 -- TJ

ITINERARY OPTIONS -- CHAPTER 2
TUES Am, 8 am, go on Ruins site before tour crowds arrive, leave by 9:30or so; buy sandwiches for picnic along the way. Do NOT stop at Tripoli - go straight to Mycenae, probably 3 hour drive, Mycenae 1 - 4 pm. I suggest you do not try to race back to Athens that night … go to nearby NAFPLIO, for the most gorgeous sunset of your entire trip, in a cafe along sea front. Easy to get a room midweek — look at Omorfo Poli, Pension Rigas, Bonne Nuit pension, Pension Dafni for walk-up booking, modest rates. This website ‎www.visitnafplio.com tells/shows ALL u need to know about whole area!

WEDNESDAY - For a Thrill-View (way better than Shipwreck!) on way out of town, drive up back of huge rock-fortress Palamidi (think Gibraltar) for pix of stunning view of whole peninsula … then drive EAST across the Peloponnese “thumb” to Epidaurus — A TOPPP sight … ancient amphitheatre seating 15K, best acoustics in entire world (from top row, hear a match strke!!!). Then up coast to CORINTH, jump off highway at Isthmia for 20 minutes just to see Corinith Canal (SO deep SO skinny!). If I were you, I wouldnt try to attempt another Athens stop —traffic traffic … just take it easy, return car at Airport for your flight to Santorini.

THURSDAY FRIDAY — Remember, beaches in Santorini are black volcanic grit, not fun to walk on; if you want to actually swim, you can jump off rocks at foot of Oia. OR… buy a drink and you can use the pool free at Hotel Anemomilos, Oia. As for sleeping in Airport, http://www.sleepinginairports.net/europe/athens.htm confirms it is no longer an option -- in fact, officials wake anyone even dozing. Best bet = buy lounge pass @ €20; the cheapest nearby double room is €80.

PS --for a good swim on last day in Peloponnese, after leaving Epidaurus (and BTW skip the ruins on that site & focus mainly on theatre = 1 hr), you can go to a lovely beach right on the coastal road, like Paralia Nea Epidavros (see this good road map -- http://euro-map.com/karty-grecii/peloponnes/podrobnaya-turisticheskaya-karta-peloponnesa.jpg ).

Wow, what a great looking adventure!

Enjoy.

Yep, they have some good things planned, but I there were some potential big pitfalls in the Mainland part -- I wonder what they thought of my proposed "work-around", but we'll never know I guess.

I am with Janet - this is way too aggressive and seems like you are trying to check off too many things on the selfie tour Greece. I don't think it would even be logistically possible to go from Zakinthos and travel all the way around the Peloponnese and back to Athens in one day?

But if that is all you want - 5 minutes in each spot to take the obligatory "we were here" picture than fine. I don't think this is the forum for you though. You have a week in Greece. Spend a day or two in Athens then head to one island like Hydra or Naxos for the remaining time - each island is so unique and deserves some time to get to know.

That's just my two cents.

Thistle, they left for Greece this morning, so all our careful "tweakings" are probably for naught... and I very much doubt she'll be back to tell us what they actually did.

Original poster here. I want you all to know that this itinerary was absolutely perfect and we had an incredible trip. We are a young, active couple, so two days in Athens was plenty for us, and we still got to see so much of the country in our short 8 days. An afternoon in Delphi was great. Car ferry to Zakynthos was perfect and problem free (and it is gorgeous there). We did have to rush through Olympia and Mycenae a bit because Mycenae closes early in the Fall, but we still spent a fair amount of time at each because it was a short drive between the two. Santorini was obviously fine, and we ended up using the bus instead of renting a scooter, which was much cheaper and probably easier/safer. We also had NO problems sleeping in the Athens airport, which really surprised me because it is supposed to be awful, but it was great!

Thanks for the food recommendations and other tips!