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Trip to Athens in April over Easter

Hi all!

My wife and I are taking our first trip to Greece, landing in Athens on 4/1. Our daughter is studying abroad and we will have time to travel with her. We fly out on 4/14.

We have secured a house in the Plaka for the entire time, however are questioning if this is a good strategy. We have planned to use it as a home base and do a couple of overnight trips while there.

We are planning one trip to Metora with 2 nights so we can also see Delphi.

We had also considered a night or 2 in Santorini or Crete, but are somewhat concerned that the islands won’t be very fun in Early April.

We do have flexibility with our accommodations in the event we wanted to change course.

We realize we won’t be hanging on the beach in early April, but are the islands still a fun side trip before Easter or should we consider something different??

Also, any experience with the religious services for Good Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday are all welcome. We figure that we should be in Athens for those days.

Posted by
3569 posts

Having a base in Athens while visiting other places isn't a bad idea in my opinion, as long as you don't mind paying for accommodation you won't be using every night (if I understand correctly what you're planning).

Going to Santorini and staying only one night isn't worth it considering travel and transfer times, whether by ferry or plane. You would need at least two nights for a quick visit. IMO it's much better to go in April than in August when it's hot and crowded.

You'll need at least 10 days and 2 bases to partially explore Crete, and although it's technically an island, it's too large a territory to feel like you're on an island (if that's what you're looking for).

An overnight trip might be possible by leaving early in the morning and taking a ferry to an island like Hydra or Aegina. It would only be a short stay of a few hours, but if that doesn't bother you, it could work.

More information about Athens (and Easter) can be found on the official website:

https://www.thisisathens.org/seasonal-guide/spring/easter-in-athens