I responded to your previous inquiry on another forum -- where I asked you to give key details to help us advise you better. Believe me, brevity is NOT the goal on these forums; generalities force us to guess at your actual needs/priorities, and sometimes waste OUR time working out scenarios for you, which prove irrelevant because of facts we don't have. Examples of what would help:
(1) How many days do u have for Crete? (so we suggest do-able itineraries)
(2) Do you hope to rent a car? --- It can be very helpful, and not that expensive off-season; you can get a small one for €35 per day + gas (maybe €18 per person) -- A car lets u explore very time-efficiently vs. working with bus schedules, however good. An agency can deliver vehicle to u in Heraklion and, if u wish, u can drop it off at Chania at ferry or airport, no extra fee. HOWEVER u will need an International Drivers Permit (very easy to obtain, just go to any AAA office, show your regular license, takes 15 mins, costs $15-20, less if u supply a passport size photo).
(3) Activities - HIKES -- In west, there are walk-excursions organized out of Rethymnon, about €25 per day, walks between villages, down Mili Gorge etc. stopping for coffee and lunch at a taverna. CYCLING -- opportunities are limited except along a sliver of North coast, due to isle's mountainous terrain. GORGES -- I love how people always say "the Gorge" when there are 24 of them in Crete, but ballyhoo wins out. Besides Samaria, consider Imbros, which is JUST as narrow, has just as lovely scenery, NO tour groups, and takes half as long to traverse.
AFTER CRETE -- After a history-filled scenic adventure like crete, Hydra may seem tame. Mostly popular because it's a 2 hour ferry from Piraeus, and RS always promotes it. Consider instead a jaunt of 4 days or so to NAFPLIO -- considered the most beautiful Old Town in all of Greece ... more lovely than Chania, the runner-up. It's on a peninsula surrounded by water, so it FEELS like an island, and the sunsets from its waterside cafes will "eclipse" those of Santorini I guarantee. You can get there easily for about €13 on an a/c reserved-seat intercity bus in 2.5 hours that takes you along the water, over Corinth Canal, then thru orange Groves to the Bay of Argos. Here's a wonderful (noncommercial) online site that vividly shows the highlight of Nafplio & surrounding areas: http://www.visitnafplio.com/visitnafplio.com/Home.html Explore town, lovely pebbly town beach, 15 minute bus to nearby sandy beaches (BTW beaches very sparse on Hydra). You can easily get to famous ancient ruins sites like Mycenae & Epidaurus, either by rental car, bus, or local 1-day tour; I've done all 3. This map http://www.esperides.gr/images/peloponissos_esperides.jpg (click and it gets huuuge) shows its location, at the base of the "Thumb" of the Peloponnese and the interesting route from Athens. Finally, in October, many islands have a "shutting-down" feelling, but Nafplio will be vibrant, because it's a favorite getaway for savvy Athenians. What's more, when visiting there, solo, I've found it easy to socialize with other independent travelers who have diverse interests. At the end of my first trip to Greece I had 3-4 days to spare, and a wise American expat-artist steered me to Nafplio. "You'll thank me" she said ... and I've been thanking her ever since. For some 'eye candy' look at these gorgeous photos of Nafplio and the Argolid area : http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632094108982/ by my forum friend "Stanbr." After 4-5 days in Nafplio, you'd still hve time for 2 days in Athens, and c'mon girl, Athens has been waiting 3,000+ years for you, you could at least give it 24 hours! Here are stanbr pix to persuade u: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632121475515/
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