My wife and I just returned from two weeks in Greece. It was our first trip to Greece, and it was made more memorable from the advice and tips we received on this forum, and special thanks to Janet, who took time to talk to me personally, and Stan BR. I also studied Rick Steves book on Greece and Peloponnese area. United Airlines gave us a rough start, but we began in Santorini on a Friday, staying till Monday in Firostefani. There were less cruise ships over the weekend, so we were able to enjoy Fira and Oia and Pyrgos without large crowds. It was very easy to navigate the island with the bus system (2 Euro pp one way) and a sunset cruise is a must. We ferried to Naxos for three nights (chose that over Mykonos, thank you Stan and Janet and Fantasy Travel for the suggestion) and stayed just off St. George Beach. Great island, great food (Taverna on the harbor was excellent) and nice little villages like Chalki and others to visit and stroll through. Then flew to Athens and rented a car to drive to Nafplio, again suggested by Janet and Stan BR. Great drive through beautiful countryside and stayed at Hotel Agamemnon with view of harbor and Bourtzi Castle. Roads to Nafplio very easy to drive, and country roads would have been more fun with something other than an underpowered six speed Hyundai I30. Nafplio was beautiful town, and easy drive to Mycenae and Epidaurus. No issues with Greek drivers, and thanks to warnings on the forum about being alert on signs no problems missing exits. Then last four nights in Athens at Coco-Mat BC with room with Acropolis views. Very walkable, and Rick Steves audio walking tours proved helpful. Greek people were warm and friendly, and the food. Fantasy Travel helped with accommodations and travel between islands, and they were great and charges were very reasonable and on par with me doing all the work myself. Would highly recommend their services. This forum is a great source of information, and our use of it and the suggestions of those who post made our trip even better.
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
3539 posts
We're always glad when people come back to report on their trip ... it is so helpful to new inquirers, and can give them a "steer" at the very start of their planning. Thanks, John!
Posted by
355 posts
Thanks for the report. Very interesting as we are visiting Athens, Santorini and Naxos (plus other places) for the first time in October.
We are also booked into Firostefani, how is the walk into Fira from there if we wanted to go for dinner one evening?
I'm not sure if buses run late especially in October, or maybe there are taxis.
Thanks again.
Posted by
OP
Florida
13 posts
DebH,
My wife and I could make the walk from Firostefani (we stayed at Agali House) to the bus station in Fira along the upper pathway in about 10-15 minutes. We did not walk along the more traveled street with traffic as the pedestrian path is very narrow. There were many restaurants well before we got to the bus station, so your walk could be much shorter. While there may be steps along the way, in my opinion it is not a difficult walk (I'm 72 and my wife is 60) and is very scenic.
John
Posted by
7 posts
Thanks for the report. My wife and I are heading to Athens and the Peloponnese in October. I'm reassured to hear that the driving around Nafplio was easy. We are also staying at Hotel Agamemnon and really looking forward to the view.
Posted by
OP
Florida
13 posts
Travel Scamp,
The views are great. Breakfast provided is adequate, and the free parking along the harbor is about 200-300 yards from the hotel. We did have to loop the lot a few times to find a space when we returned in the afternoon. Google maps did a good job routing us around Nafplio and to the nearby sites..some of the roads it took us on seemed more like alleys but it got us to where we were going. And some of those country roads actually used by shepherds moving their flocks of goats.
Posted by
Nanaimo, BC, Canada
1591 posts
Hey John thanks for coming back and sharing your experience.
I just wanted to add a thought about driving to Nafplio from Athens. That trip takes you through Corinth where you can stop for a look at the canal however there is another great site there at Acrocorinth. It is a huge ancient fortress with 360 degree views over the countryside. Its breathtaking.
Here are some images of Nafplio for anyone who is thinking about visiting.
Nafplio https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157632094108982
Nafplio 2024 https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720319228274
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
3539 posts
I so agree with Stanbr that AcroCorinth is a stunner ... apparently the view from top is unbeatable. The only reason I don't often include it as a stopover on my suggested itinerary from ATH (city or airport), along with Ancient NEmea, is the time factor... I understand you really can't do justice to Ancient Corinth in under 3 hours, even if you skim the lower hellenic area to get to the heights. Then if you stopped at Ancient Nemea for even 2 hours, you'd reach Nafplio nearer to dinner time... that's a tiring day, especially if you're coming straight from an international overnight flight, or even from some previously busy days in Athens or an island. Stanbr has had the advantage (deserved, of course!) of multiple trips to Greece, and lengthy stays, so he can appreciate these "en route highlights" separately.
An easy solution might be to see one of these on Outbound drive toward Nafplio, and the other on Return to Athens area -- Perhaps Corinth for #2, since you could combine it with a stop at Isthmus, to park & walk out on the Old Bridge of the Corinth Canal (and have lunch).