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itinerary for 2 weeks in June

Hello! I've posted earlier regarding an itinerary and I've amended it as follows. Would Appreciate any help/advice for the planning of the trip!

9 June - Landing in Athens (Viewing sites in Athens)
- For this, we're unsure if we should stay in a hotel nearer to the airport?

10 June - Athens to Santorini (Volotea flight from 6am-7am)

11 June - Santorini

12 June - Santorini
We're undecided on an island from 12 June to 16 June - would appreciate any suggestions!

16 June - Mykonos

17 June - Mykonos

18 June - Mykonos - Athens (Ferry) and Flight from Athens to Ioannina

19 June - We intend to see Vikos Gorge here (would it be better to stay in Papigo or Ioannina itself?)

20 June - Ioannina - Meteora (I was searching the sites but I was unable to purchase rail tickets even though rome2rio shows that there is a train?)

21 June - Meteora (monasteries)

22 June - Meteora-Athens (Train from 1300-1622)

23 June - Leaving Athens at 4pm

Primarily, I'm wondering if the itinerary is feasible or should we just skip Zagori entirely? Apart from this, any suggestions for the islands would be very welcome!!!
Thank you :)

Posted by
2006 posts

If you haven’t already booked the Athens to Santorini flight, I think I would fly immediately to Santorini after landing in Athens. That cuts the to and fro from the airport to downtown Athens to a minimum. If you do have a flight out at 6 am, you’ll need to take a taxi for about €65 from downtown Athens or sleep at an airport hotel. It’s about a 30-minute taxi ride to the airport.
From Santorini, you could go to the islands of Paros and Naxos in addition to, or in place of, Mykonos. Check out Paros and Naxos on YouTube as many find them a refreshing change in atmosphere from the thronged islands of Santorini and Mykonos, both of which have highly-trafficked cruise ports delivering tens of thousands of passengers to those islands during summer days.
Be sure you check Mykonos accommodation prices in June before committing to it.

When you depart Athens to fly home, you can take the 40-minute subway ride to the airport as the subway is open from 5:30am to half past mid-nite.
Have a great Trip!

Posted by
2319 posts

According to a previous post you arrive at 8am on June 9th, and I agree with kenko, you could catch a flight the same day instead of spending a night in Athens.
Wasting a day by spending a short night in a hotel near the airport (or in Athens) and waking up the next day at 3 or 4 a.m. to catch your Volotea flight is pointless
On the day of your arrival there are 5 flights to Santorini between 10.30 am and 1.30 pm with Aegean or Sky Express.

I know that Santorini and Mykonos are the favorite islands for tourism marketing (and it's very effective!), but going to Mykonos is not going to bring you much in terms of authenticity. Just like in Santorini, you will join the first hordes of tourists of the year who are victims of this marketing, plus those who regularly come to Mykonos to party. You will spend at least 30% more euros than on other islands for equivalent services.

It's your choice. But as kenko suggested there are others.
Paros, Naxos and I would add Amorgos, the island of the movie "The Big Blue"
From Santorini to Amorgos there are Seajets fast ferries daily at noon for €75 per person, but there is also the Small Cyclades Line "Express Skopetilis" ferry which runs on Sunday 12th for €11 (departs 11.30am ).
There are many videos about Amorgos, here is one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQqb89OzurA

So you could arrive in Santorini on the 9th and leave for Amorgos on the 12th.
If you stay 3 days in Amorgos, you will have another 3 before returning to Athens.
From Amorgos you can easily reach Naxos. There are daily connections with the Express Skopetilis or Blue Star or Seajets, or Paros with Seajets or Blue Star.

This version of the Islands part of your trip would be as follows:

June 9: Landing in Athens and flight Athens-Santorini
June 10: Santorini

June 11: Santorini

June 12: Santorini to Amorgos (port of Katapola) with the Express Skopetilis

June 13: Amorgos

June 14: Amorgos

June 15: Amorgos to Naxos or Paros

June 16 Naxos or Paros

June 17: Naxos or Paros

June 18: Naxos or Paros to Athens


June 20 about your trip Ioannina-Meteores (Kalambaka) I do not think you will find trains (maybe others forum members have more info), but there are buses in principle every day for Trikala

https://ktelioannina.gr/en/index.html

From trikala you can take a train to Kalambaka.

Posted by
4602 posts

You don't want to do a hot and strenuous trip to sites in Athens after a long overnight flight. You need more than part of a day for Athens. I suggest 3 nights(at least one full day) in Athens at the end of your trip.

Posted by
1258 posts

I agree with the others, just get to that first destination. My MIL really liked Rhodes.

Posted by
2319 posts

I didn't realize you don't have any complete days in Athens.
I don't know if it's intentional.
Your program is already very busy, I would even say too busy, I don't see how you could add Athens

So, If you want to keep 2 days to visit Athens you will have to go back home later or make sacrifices :)

1/ By eliminating one of the 2 islands after Santorini and extending the stay on the remaining one by 1 day or 2, and return to Athens on June 17.

It has the advantage of packing and unpacking less often, wasting less time traveling, and better enjoying where you are.

2/ Or by keeping the islands and eliminating one of the visits on land