Greece Trip - Rick Steves Travel Forum

Posted by JoLui

France Southwest

1812 posts

Hello,

Early May is a good time to visit Greece.

The weather is good, you won't have high temperatures like in July/August, the days are longer, there aren't too many tourists.
In the islands the majority of accommodation, bar, restaurants are starting to open for the summer season, the owners are finishing repainting the facilities, the staff is still calm and relaxed and the prices are cheaper. This is the blooming period, the landscapes are less dry than in summer.

The only downside is that the water temperature is still a bit cool, and if you don't have a car on the islands there will be fewer buses than in high season.

I don't know if you have already booked your Airbnb in Paros, but for 2 weeks, even staying 3 or 4 days in Athens, you would have had time to visit another island. (you will probably get answers from other forum members who will advise you to add Naxos, LOL)

I know Paros quite well (I will be there a few days in May) I could give you some tips on places to see or places where to eat

Posted by BethFL

04/04/22 11:19 AM

2497 posts

The weather should not be hot this time of year. The sea also will likely will be too chilly to swim so keep that in mind when you make your plans. Most people are not comfortable swimming until mid May at least.

If you have 14 nights in Greece, I would suggest you visit a maximum of four places. It works best if you start on the islands and finish in Athens. You can book an unconnected flight to Paros 2-3 hours after you land in Athens. Then consider other islands in the same Cyclades Island group. You will want to ferry to your next island and the ferries work best within a single island group.

I have not been to Paros but one thing you generally want to pay attention to is location of your accommodations. You can find wonderful places that are not near where you want to be and this is especially critical if you are relying on public transportation. If you share the location, I am sure others can provide some guidance.

There is a thread on restaurants in Athens you might want to look at. Our favorite restaurant in Athens (and apparently others) was Mani Mani.