Itinerary for MEGA Greece trip.

I think your timing looks very workable. www.viamichelin.com will estimate both road tolls and fuel consumption, e.g. €8 for tolls between Kalo Nero and Loutraki.

IN such an ambitious schedule it helps to know even what TIME of day you land in Athens -- every hour counts. I did some sleuthing & found your other thread & see you arrive 9:20 on one of the 3-4 flights that go nonstop from N. America the only flights arriving in AM. Thus you can catch a Santorini flight by noon or so, and do quite a bit of exploration before sunset.

My suggested tweak -- if you really do like beaches, cut one day from SANTORINI (its beaches are black volcanic grit) ... skip that gruelling walk from Oia-Thira, and you can do most of your sightseeing on Day 1-2-and Day 3 AM. Thus u can take the 3:15 blue Star on Day 3 ... and have an extra day in NAXOS; hikes more rewarding there AND enjoy golden-sand beaches.

We also like Michelin's route-planner -- http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Routes -- not only gives petrol consumption/cost AND Tolls but recommended route on MAP and TEXT (i.e., after 5 km turn north), and estimated drive time. TIP: Don't depend on GPS only, because it is often baffled by Greek spellings; also have y our navigator looking at paper map.

One question/request for you -- on your return, can u give us a very brief report on how your trip worked out -- specifically, did you feel the Zakynthos trek was worth it, after being sold on Shipwreck Beach via a million calendar photos. Opinions are decidedly mixed on this topic, but most want to find out for themselves. Inquiring minds want your vote!

IN such an ambitious schedule it helps to know even what TIME of day you land in Athens -- every hour counts. I did some sleuthing & found your other thread & see you arrive 9:20 on one of the 3-4 flights that go nonstop from N. America the only flights arriving in AM. Thus you can catch a Santorini flight by noon or so, and do quite a bit of exploration before sunset.

My suggested tweak -- if you really do like beaches, cut one day from SANTORINI (its beaches are black volcanic grit) ... skip that gruelling walk from Oia-Thira, and you can do most of your sightseeing on Day 1-2-and Day 3 AM. Thus u can take the 3:15 blue Star on Day 3 ... and have an extra day in NAXOS; hikes more rewarding there AND enjoy golden-sand beaches.

We also like Michelin's route-planner -- http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Routes -- not only gives petrol consumption/cost AND Tolls but recommended route on MAP and TEXT (i.e., after 5 km turn north), and estimated drive time. TIP: Don't depend on GPS only, because it is often baffled by Greek spellings; also have y our navigator looking at paper map.

One question/request for you -- on your return, can u give us a very brief report on how your trip worked out -- specifically, did you feel the Zakynthos trek was worth it, after being sold on Shipwreck Beach via a million calendar photos. Opinions are decidedly mixed on this topic, but most want to find out for themselves. Inquiring minds want your vote!

don,

One other point to mention is that each driver listed on the rental form must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are easily obtained at any AAA/CAA office for a small fee, and are valid for one year.

You may never be asked for an IDP, but if you're every involved in any kind of "traffic incident" and can't produce one, it will be one of the most miserable holiday experiences you've ever encountered (and probably very expensive).

You may find this information from the U.S. Embassy to be helpful......

http://athens.usembassy.gov/driving_in_greece.html

Already done with the IDL for two of us and we will certainly update how the trip turns out once we return. Of course we would love to have more time to do everything but have obligations that wont let that happen. Thank you each of you for your input.

I'd take one of those days from Athens and give it to Naxos. You have two full days and 2 half days in Athens, which I think is plenty. I would rather have a day that's not so heavily scheduled after about a week of travel. Wander the harbor in Naxos, visit the old town and the archeological museum, just sit by the water with a frappe or ice cream or ouzo, and catch your breath.