Hey All,
We will be traveling to Athens and possibly one of the islands during the first week of March. We have been to many places in Europe but never Greece. What kind of weather can we expect during this time period. We are trying to figure out what types of clothing to pack. We are thinking of travelling to Santorini. Does anyone know how far (hours) from Athens to Santorini? We were thinking of taking the hydrofoil if that is possible. Any suggestions or advise?
Early March is not the ideal time to go to Greece, expect possible rain and a temperature between 13°C to 17°C during the day. You may have more, maybe less, climate change is at work.
By ferry Athens Santorini takes 6-8 hours depending on the type of ferry.
It's about 45 minutes by plane and it can cost less than a fast ferry (though at the beginning of March it's not even sure that there will be fast ferries).
Moreover, even in Santorini many hotel & restaurants do not open until mid-April.
We did a two week trip to Greece in March 2018. We did Athens, Napflio, Meteora, Santorini and Naxos. The weather was pretty good - mid 60s most days. We got one pretty rainy day in Napflio but that was about it. Santorini was actually nice - lots of restaurants were open and we had plenty of choice. The crowds were pretty limited and nothing like some of the super-crowded pictures I’ve seen online.
All in all, it was a fine trip. We are not beach people though - so we didn’t care about sunbathing weather or water temperature.
It's hit or miss.
I visited Santorini in the first week of June many years ago and the hotel owner said that, in that year, it had not stopped raining since the beginning of Jan till the end of May. So, there is a chance of bad weather. If your schedule is flexible and you don't need to book air tickets in advance, wait till the last minute and then decide. If the weather turns out fine, you may love it because there will be far fewer tourists.
13°C to 17°C
Translates to 55°F to 63°F. Unless it rains this would be perfect hiking weather from Thira to Oia where you would spend the day being rewarded with a dramatic view of the caldera.
Thank you to everyone for all the great information. I should have included that we have to travel in March due to everyone's schedule. We have traveled to Barcelona, Rome, Paris during the same time of year and have found it to be less crowded. We tend to be flexible with regards to weather and off-season shopping, eating and site-seeing availability.
What kind of weather can we expect during this time period
It snowed in Athens on the first day of spring this year. It can rain, it can snow, it can be dry and warm. No one knows
