Thinking about our first trip to Greece for Christmas

It just depends on your interests. Certainly Athens will be fantastic--it is so hot and crowded in summer; obviously you won't be doing island hopping, if that was more your speed. I would enjoy Athens and visit either Nafplio or Thessaloniki if I was going in winter.

You can see most of the tourist sites in Athens in a few days. I would then suggest taking an hour ferry ride from the port of Athens to Hydra. It is a beautiful (very Greek Isle) small island that doesn't allow cars. It is walkable, not crowded, not a lot of traffic. It is beautiful and charming. Rick Steves did a show about Hydra.

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/hydra-greece

Remember that the sites and museums are closed on December 25th and 26th.

Except in Athens and Thessaloniki, where public transportation is efficient, don't rely on public transportation to get around the country as easily as in Germany or England.

If you don't have more than 4 or 5 days, it will be difficult to go anywhere other than Athens. But since it's also Christmas in Greece, as in most other European cities, there are activities, illuminations, and Christmas trees.

https://youtu.be/jTlQG3iprpM

In Hydra in December, you'll probably see more donkeys than tourists. It can be fun.

In the winter months in Greece, a great 2nd base would be NAFPLIO ... just 2.5 hours on a modern highway rom Athens, but feels like a world away.. It's a protected Heritage Old Town, on the tip of a peninsula, surrrounded by the sea. Gorgeous Italianate Archictecture, a Marble-paved central square, chic shops and cozy tavernas (restaurants). It's lively all year long, since it's a real city --- with a large "new town" to one side, and a locel university. In the winter season there are Holiday festivals and cultural events. There's a long seaside promende with canopied cafes (they have clear plastic siding, so people can sit out in comfort even in December ! It has several fine museums as well. Always lively because year-round this is a favorite weekend getawaay for savvy Athenians.

This superb NONcommercial website - http://www.visitnafplio.com/ tells ALL ... how to get there, where to stay, most authentic places to dine , local highllights etc .And here's a sampling of highlights, in Old Town & nearby, in warmer months, but it gives you a idea of the surroundings. https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720319228274/

.It's super-easy to get there on fast modern KTEL ( intertcity) Busses -- dep every 2-3 hours, heated, reserved comfy upholstered seats w footrests -- a scenic ride by sea, then thru rolling hills, citrius orchards. If you are in Athens first, Your hotel could call for timetable & reserve your seats. then you taxi from Central Ath to Kifissou St Bus Terminal in 15 mins for about €15.

If you feel driving its also a lot of fun -- especially if you drive straight from the Airport upon arrival, on the "beltway" that skirts athens, ---you dont even tap the brakes until you're over the Corintth Canal. Many ancient sites near Nafplio are fun--- just be aware that in Winter, some of them close at 3 pm and most will be closed Thurs xmas day & Frday Dec 26. ... Plan Ahead. A possible plan: fly in Saturday Morning, drive to Nafplio for Sat -Sun- Mon.. then back to Athens Airport to tlurn in car, then taxi to a central Athens Hotel. If you decide aganst driving, you can just take an X93 bus for 6€ from Airport in about 50 mins, to KIssifou Bus Terminal

Thank you everyone for a good starting point. I love that it looks like this will be a much slower vacation than we have done our last 2, but it looks like I may/may not want to go back in summer due to the beaches and maybe not because it looks like summer it is packed.

We mainly stick to the historical stuff and love to try the local food. We only do shopping if it is local/handmade items that you can't get elsewhere or that someone says is a must buy, otherwise, we don't buy a lot of souvenirs or items on vacation. We love touring churches and historical sites, walking cities and tend to stay away from suggestions like "this hidden gem" off of Instagram and Tik Tok videos because they usually aren't very good or very "hidden". ;)

I knew I could come on here and ask for advice on where to go during off-season and whether it would all be "open" during the time we will be there. I always assume everything is closed on Christmas Day when we travel and half of Christmas Eve.

We are probably looking at an itinerary of about 9-10 days so hoping we can get a lot done.

Yes you will want to come back, but don't think "summer" --- May is lovely, and populated but not the heat & crowds you fear ... or perhaps the 2nd half of September. The sea is heavenly then.... only drawback for me, vs. May, is that the scenery is brownish vs green and flowering. Either is rewarding.

If you ever get a chance to go in late May/early June or September/early October, then do the nature/beach/island thing for sure, but December will be great for soaking in the culture, takings in museums without hordes. I'd do it in a heartbeat!

Thank you, Janet and Valadelphia!
I am looking at flights now.

The 2 hour layovers from Dallas to Athens are a bit gnarly for us but I guess it is our only options. Some airlines do 2 stops and others do 1 so we will have to make do.

Yes, the nature, we definitely misssed out on for December in Germany last year so Greece would be a do-over probably May or September once we retire and no longer own our own business! ha!

If you are wafflling between nonstops from US, and flights that change in Europe, I would recommend the first. Yes you'll have to fly to an Eastern Airport ... but these have a big advantage. Almost all these flights (from Philly Newark NY, Atlanta, DC etc) leave late in Day and arrivals are 9: 9:30, 10, 11 (Greek time) .. all before noon. And all have good on-time arrival records... even if runway traffic delays their departure an hour. Why? Because of the looong stretch over the Atlantic, to make up the time. And with 9 or 10am (Greek time) arrival, you'll be able to move to your first destination promptly, and have afternoon "exploring time" befpre sunset

By contrast, you may think you save time by flying straight from Texas, to transfer to an Athen plane at some European airport. The prob with this is, often you arrive at that European airport at 7 or 8 am, European time... but most of their flights to Athens are from 11 or nooon on... And midday is when the traffic builds up at those BIg airports.. thus, delays. You may not get to ATH until 4pm... and then even if you're just going to a central Athens hotel, lyou'll be in rush-hour traffic and boom -- day #1 is gone.

Another thing we all forget on first trip is, we should NOT book departure time earlilr than 10 am. You must be in security line 2 hrs before take-off & the trip to airport is 1 hour... thus for 10am, you'd need to leave hotel 7 AM. Any earllier, and it spoils the chance for a festive Grand finale dinner on your last night in Greece.

Janet-

All definitely good points! I would probably be more inclined to the 2 hour layover stateside than in Istanbul, Madrid or LHR, which were the 3 offers I received.

On this one though:

Another thing we all forget on first trip is, we should NOT book
departure time earlilr than 10 am. You must be in security line 2 hrs
before take-off & the trip to airport is 1 hour... thus for 10am,
you'd need to leave hotel 7 AM. Any earllier, and it spoils the chance
for a festive Grand finale dinner on your last night in Greece.

Unfortunately, the only 3 flights out to my home airport were all showing within 15 minutes of each other and all around 7:15 a.m. :( I always try to get my flights out in the evening so I can enjoy a leisurely breakfast or lunch and then head to the airport, but it looks like for whatever reason, DFW coming and going is being cantankerous!

Alas that means you'll have to leave your hotel at 4 AM (maybe 4:15, because airport road will be empty). When i was stuck with something like that, I arranged t o do checkout/payment night before, so all I had to do was drop keya at desk. You'd best book car service like Welcoome Pickups; their night rate is same as "Official" night flat rate to airport. Day rate starts 6am but by then you are in line.

Maybe you can enjoy a Gala Farewell Feast at 7 pm... you can easily book a table for that hour .... and it will start getting you ready for the transition to early mealtimes in America's Heartland. (I myself decamped to NY from Indiana a year after college because otherwise I forsaw a lifetime of 5:30 dinners, lawnmowing by 6).