My wife and I will be going to Greece for two weeks mid March. We realize this will not be a beach holiday and that Islands may be relatively shut down, therefore we were thinking of renting a car and touring the mainland. We are not city types so time in Athens may only a day or two. Is it better to pick one or two towns to use as a hub and the do day trips, or is it better to roam city to city. I lean towards the hub idea so not to be packing and unpacking bags. What are your thoughts on what’s the better way to do it?
Posted by
6358 posts
It really depends on your choices, you can do a lot from Nafplio for example, if you head to the Peloponnese, but with two weeks, I would want at least two bases. The Bradt Guides are good.
Posted by
France Southwest
3336 posts
First, you need to determine exactly where you want to go. Apart from Athens, Thessaloniki, and Patras, there aren't many large cities in Greece; it's mostly rural. I also recommend avoiding changing locations every two or three days, but by choosing just two bases, and depending on what you want to see or do, you could end up spending a lot of time driving.
Here's a map that might be helpful with most of the major locations and sites, and some basic routes. The topographical background shows that 70% of the terrain is mountainous, where you'll mostly be driving at a maximum of 40 mph.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1HzqyEorKrUZxc5LjPjlvG2utnKof78E&usp=sharing
Posted by
26 posts
The one island that still makes sense in mid-March is Santorini—not for beaches, but for scenery and architecture. Even if you focus on a mainland road trip (Meteora, Delphi, Nafplio, Athens), consider adding a quick flight for a one-night Santorini stop.