Help with three week greek trip. Update help needed.

Don't just look at suggestions, work out a feasible route before worrying about ferries. Look at a map.

7 or 8 days is too short for 3 islands, It is also almost too short to visit Crete only.

With 4 days in Athens and 7 or 8 days in the islands, it's less than 2 weeks. Where are the remaining days?

We are cutting crete. We will return to athens and start the last leg of our trip to delphi and the peninsula.

There are a few flexible days. I would appreciate any help on adding ancient archeological or special additions to this trip. We fly out the 25.

Thank you in advance for your help.

It would be more efficient to fly first to Santorini and then ferry to Naxos and then back to Athens. Then rent a car and visit Delphi and Peloponnese peninsula. Return the car at the airport and go into Athens. That will save you a day at the end when you otherwise will have to stay near the airport for flight home.

If you have eight days for islands, you should spend three on Santorini and five on Naxos.

We just got back yesterday from 3 weeks in Greece. We spent three full days (4 nights) in Athens. Rented a car and explored the Peloponnese. (Absolutely fantastic - easily could have spent the whole three weeks there.) We then flew to Naxos from Athens where we stayed 3 days (4 nights). I found this to be more than enough time in Naxos - but of course we were not there in beach season. From there we took to ferry to Heraklion Crete. We were on Crete for five full days (6 nights). I booked the flight home on one ticket - "Chania - Athens -New York" so as not to worry about transfer issues. Crete was a delight and we eaily could have spent the entire three weeks there.

The ferry from Naxos to Crete was about 4 hours. The flight from Athens to Naxos about 25 minutes - but adding in "airport time" took an entire afternoon. I think it depends on what you are intersted in and how you like to spend your time. For me, I would have cut out Naxos (lovely though it was) and spent the extra days in Crete.