Greece Honeymoon?

In 2 weeks you could actually spend time on 3 islands plus Athens and not feel rushed as long as you plan carefully and don't try to go too far afield. Plan to spend at least 4 nights on any island to give yourselves a chance to relax and get into the local rhythm. Stick to islands near to each other for easy access in a couple of hours by ferry. Decide if Hydra OR Santorini is to be your main choice and then explore those island options close at hand. Get yourselves a copy of T. Cook's "Greek Island Hopping" for a good resource to help you decide. This map is good for understanding ferry routes. As a potential itinerary consider flying to Santorini then taking the ferry to Naxos and/or Paros before returning to Athens by ferry for your flight home. I like Paros because you can easily get to Antiparos and Delos/Mykonos as a daytrip. And if you can arrange it, save Athens for the end so you don't have to stress out about returning to the mainland at the last minute for that flight home. Try to get a connecting flight to Santorini on the day you arrive in Greece. Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air both fly there. Aegean offers some amazing deals if you keep an eye out on their website and sign up for their email newsletter. Domestic flights can be as cheap as €39, all taxes included. Expect these cheapo fares to be offered a couple of months in advance of their scheduled departures. Be prepared to buy them right away, especially if you plan to be there in High Season, mid-June through August.

Kate, I agree with the suggestions that Lee offered. One question though - in your post, I don't recall seeing any information on when this trip will be taking place? You may find it helpful to have a look at Matt Barrett's excellent website. There's LOTS of good information there! With two weeks, it should be possible to visit Athens, Hydra and Santorini. The Hydra trip is a bit of an outlier, but the nice thing is that it's only about an hour from Piraeus. As you may remember from your Greece tour, Nafplion is also a great stop. The route that Lee suggested would be a good one to consider. Travel from Athens to either Naxos or Paros by Ferry and then again by Ferry to end your trip in Santorini. IMO, that would be a perfect finale for your honeymoon. Watching the sun set from Oia is a magical experience (albeit crowded - get there early to get a good vantage point). I used one of the Travel Agencies suggested on Matt's website to arrange my island visits, and all the arrangements they made were exceptional. Disembarking from the Ferry at Santorini on a hot afternoon, it was wonderful to see a lady standing there waiting, who directed me to an air conditioned Bus. I used Aegean for the flight from Santorini to Athens (and then to Milan), and was really pleased with the service - they're a real "class act". Be sure to try some Mastika when visiting Greece. I'm sorry that I didn't bring more back, as it's somewhat unique and the prices were great. If you visit Naxos, you'll also be able to try Kitron. Congratulations and happy travels!

Have you thought about Crete as one of your Greek Island stops. It's as far south as you can go in Greece has great history and some fantastic archaeological sites, particularly from the Minoan period (Knossos, Phaestos, to name just two). Great beaches, everything from fancy resorts to small villages, friendly people, great food and wine. My favourite city is Chania - a beautiful harbour, Minoan, Venetian and Ottoman buildings. Stay at one of the nearby villages Kalvedes(sp) or Almiryda for their beaches. Also has good ferry and flight connections to other islands and Athens.

Crete would be a good option but you'd probably want to fly there. If you want to go to several islands, stick to one island group (the Cyclades, as was suggested) because ferry runs tend to be easier within the island group. You could visit Naxos (large island, not totally dependent on tourism), Paros, and perhaps Mikonos/Delos, or Santorini (worth a few days).

I agree with Lee. Fly into Athens and then directly to Santorini. But I think you have time for a third island. If you have 14 nights in Greece, I'd spend 4 on Santorini, 4 on Milos or Sifnos, and 4 nights on Paros, then 2 nights in Athens at the end. I have found Trip Advisor to be a great resource when trying to pick out an island. In addition to hotel reviews, there are reviews of things to do, and also forums, which you can browse through to get a sense of an island.

Aegean and Olympic airlines have good fares from Athens to the Islands.

Hello Kate. I think the itineraries suggested by Lee and by Ken are good. I would fly from the Athens airport to the airport on the island Naxos. When you leave Naxos, ride on a ferry boat to Santorini. Fly from Santorini to the Athens airport. If you will be away from your home for a total of 14 days, I recommend being at the island Naxos 4 whole days, and Santorini two whole days, and the city Athens one whole day (two nights). Being at Athens one day, people could visit the National Archaeological museum (I liked it), and the museum of Greek Folk Art (it was located near Syntagma Square when I was at Athens). You could go to the top of the Athens Acropolis, if you want to. I do not put a high priority on that. I think the Greek islands is a good choice of a place to go to for a honeymoon trip. I think the Greek islands is a better place for relaxing than Italy. The island Naxos is a good island for relaxing. I think Naxos has the best beaches at islands of Greece, and Naxos is much more lush than Santorini : Naxos has more trees and plants and land for wandering on.

WHEN are you traveling?

Sorry, I forgot the detail of when. We are getting married the last weekend in April and would leave the next day. We should miss the big tourist rush, but I'm hoping it's still nice and warm. Thank you all for the suggestions it is helping us narrow down where to go. :)

Kate, be aware of your travel dates coinciding with Greek Easter, May 5. You won't actually be avoiding the tourist rush. This is the busiest weekend of the year in Greece and it extends from the mid-week before through to the mid-week after, although Friday to Monday will be the most difficult for last-minute movement. All hotels, ferries, planes and rental vehicles should be booked well in advance so you don't find yourself stranded somewhere in Greece with no possibility of moving around or for finding last-minute affordable accomodations. Weatherwise you will be there during the transition time between spring and summer so there's no guarantee that it will be nice and warm. Rain is a good possibility. The sea will most likely not be warm enough for swimming, and hotel pools on the islands are only heated by the sun.