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Athens, then Rhodes and Santorini

I'm never been to Greece, but am considering a trip to Athens, then 2 Greek islands for about 3-4 days in each location. I have heard Rhodes and Santorini are amazing islands but may I swap in Crete. I am really busy (2 kids and a business) and I don't have time for tons of planning. Does anyone have recommendations on: 1) travel to and from these locations. I think I need flights because I can't wait days for ferries. But maybe we could fit one ferry in if we knew it was reliable. If so which ferry would be recommended? 2) good hotels in the high end B&B range or 3 star hotel in good locations. That post on Hotel Attiki in Kastellizo sounded good but I am somewhat on the fence about going there because with my 2 minutes of research, I wouldn't know how to fit this in. 3) Perhaps a travel agent that could arrange this without too. I am in Seattle. Was thinking of using Rick Steves.... 4)I'm also considering Istanbul on the same trip. Any advise on airfares, who to book through. Travel to Europe seems to expensive these days. 5) can I do all 3 locations without a car very easily (I think so)?
Jeanne from Seattle

Posted by
3115 posts

Ferries between Rhodes and Santorini are limited to 3/week, MWF. At least that's what's been available in the past. If you go to Crete instead you can fly there from Athens and then take a higspeed ferry to Santorini any day of the week, and then fly back to Athens from Santorini. Ferry schedules: http://www.gtp.gr Don't rely on the Hotel Star system out on the islands. Many hotels don't work with the GNTO and arbitrarily give themselves the star rating they think they deserve. Go by reviews and price. Tripadvisor.com and www.booking.com will help in this regard, and you can use the booking.com filter system to help narrow down your choices. If you want hotel recommendations for Santorini I can help but I need to know 4 things: which village you prefer, your travel dates, how many people in your group and what your maximum daily room budget will be. If you don't take the time to choose a village there are just too many for me to recommend, so please do some research. If you want to use a travel agency I recommend you contact one in Athens so you have a local resource in case you run into any problems. Both Dolphin-Hellas Travel and Fantasy Travel would be my highest recommendations for excellent service and communication. Both have websites. They will work with your budget and your preferences. They don't just offer pre-packaged tours. As far as including Istanbul is concerned, if you go to Rhodes you can take a ferry across to Bodrum to catch a cheap domestic flight to IST. You can book when you get to Bodrum for the best price. They don't penalize with higher prices there for last-minute bookings. But if you want to book in advance check Turkish Airlines. I don't agree that you can visit all 3 locations easily, unless you have lots of time and can afford to fly.

Posted by
2119 posts

Instead of Crete or Rhodes, I would swap in a smaller Greek island. And I'd save Istanbul for another trip. It sound like you deserve (and need!) a lovely, relaxing vacation. Upon arrival in Athens, I'd take a flight directly to Santorini and spend 4 days there. Then take a ferry to one of the smaller nearby islands ... maybe Milos or Naxos or Paros. How old are your kids? Maybe they could help research these islands and pick their favorite. Spend 4 days there, and then hop a ferry back to Athens for your final few days. Since your research time is limited, I think it would be worthwhile to work with one of the travel agencies that Lee recommended. You won't need a car in Athens (and probably not in Santorini), although on your little island you might want to rent one for a day just to tour the island. Bring an international drivers permit with you, just in case. (You can pick one up at AAA for about $15.)

Posted by
3115 posts

Actually, sizewise, Santorini is 35 sq.mi., Naxos is 110 sq.mi., Paros is 76 sq.mi. and Milos is 62 sq.mi. These days they are all only slightly less-popular with tourists than Santorini, but have the advantage of not offering deep-water moorings for cruise ships so they're not as hectic during the tourist season. If you want small, think Anafi, 16 sq.mi. or Antiparos, 17 sq.mi.

Posted by
2119 posts

Ahh .... I meant an island smaller than Crete (3219 sq. mi., 600,000 population) or Rhodes (541 sq. mi, 117,000 population). I agree that for a first time visitor, Athens and Santorini are must-sees. But I think a visit to a less populated and cruise-ship-free island makes a good contrast. Kastellorizo would be ideal for this (5 sq. miles, 500 population) but it is a bit more complicated to get to. It is best saved for a southern Dodecanese journey (incorporating Rhodes, Nisyros and Tilos as well).

Posted by
191 posts

We love Athens, Santorini and Rhodes. I would not swap any for Crete. You don't need a car anywhere, as there are plenty of taxis. As for Istanbul, it is a fabulous place to go, but you need at least 4-5 days there! If you can extend your trip by that much, I'd recommend it, but definitely not if it is squeezed into a shorter time. Rhodes has a great medeivel castle, far different from anything you'll see in Athens or Santorini. And at the other end of the island is a wonderful acropolis. We hired a cab for the day quite reasonably. Bon Voyage! Jan from Spokane