Greece in a Week Solo

If your break is before mid-late April stick to the mainland. The islands are very quiet then and the weather won't be very good. It takes a minimum of 3 full days to explore Athens completely. If you want to visit an island you can get to Hydra easily from Athens/Piraeus in less than 2 hours by ferry, weather permitting. Crete is huge. It takes a minimum of a week with a rental car just to scratch the surface. If your plans include travel between April 22-26 be advised that Greek Easter Weekend is very, very busy and almost all hotels, ferries, buses, trains and planes will be booked solid (or close to it), so plan carefully and get confirmed reservations as soon as you're able.

Actually, I forgot to say that it will be April 1-9, 2011. I checked the weather averages for the year and maybe going to an island isn't a good idea since it won't be warm enough to use the beach.

John, I agree with Lee in that 2-3 days in Athens would be good. That would allow time to tour the Acropolis and the Archeological Museum. There are LOTS of "top archeological spots" to choose from. I haven't researched transportation from Athens, but you could consider Mycenae, Delphi (and Museum), Monemvasia or Olympia (which also has an awesome Museum). Nafplio is a great spot also, as it has three ancient Fortresses to tour. Hydra is easily reachable from Athens, but as mentioned previously it could also be "quiet" at that time of the year. One caveat for travel to Hydra (or most of the other islands) - DON'T drink the water. Be prepared to drink bottled water (it's readily available). The water in Hydra especially is dreadful! Happy travels!

The KTel buses to and from Nafplion are really not set up to accomodate tourists intending to travel from Nafplion to and from Mycenae and Epidaviros. Last summer and the summer before it was not possible to trave from Nafplion to and from Mycenae and Epidaviros in the same day. You will need a car. The other option is the 2 day tour from Athens that goes to Mycenae, Epidaviros, and overnights in Nafplion. I have taken this tour, and highly recommend it for convenience, the expert guide, and time management. Assuming you have 6 days on the ground. Day 1/Arrival Day in Athens. Day 2 the island of Aegina. Day 3 and 4 the Two day tour to Mycenae/Epidaviros/Nafplion. Day 5 and 6 Athens. This would give you a very nice variety and time to enjoy what you see.

John If you teach theatre I would think the one site you can't miss is Epidavrus. The acoustics would be phenomenal if it was built today, let alone over 2 thousand years ago. Have a look at this video for a sense of the place http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwOR4y7JDrY In your position I would spend some time in Athens and then get the bus down to Nafplio. From there you can do Epidavrus and Mycenae by local bus fairly easily, and be in Nafplio, which has good restaurants and bars, for the evening. You might also want to check out the theatre at Argos, which is only 15 minutes by bus from Nafplio. Not as spectacular as Epidavrus by any means but still worth a visit. http://www.whitman.edu/theatre/theatretour/argos/introduction/argos.intro2.htm You generally have to change buses in Argos when going to Mycenae from Nafplio and it is easy to combine Mycenae and Argos in a long morning. Doing all of this would rule out Delphi which is a shame. Leave it for another time! Cheers
Alan

Would anyone recommend renting a car alone?

A car will certainly allow you to use your time to best advantage, but don't try to drive inside Athens. It's a crazy mish-mash of one-way streets, and traffic is always jammed. Parking is virtually impossible. Go out to the airport to rent a car and then drive around the city on the National Highway to reach destinations outside the city. Also, be sure to go to your local AAA office to pick up an International Driving Permit, no test or membership required.

John - I do not recommend Crete unless you just want to sit on the beach and drink a lot. There are plenty of great places on the mainland if you want archaeological spots. There are good places here but if that's your main aim, it costs too much to get to Crete for what it's worth.

If you want to hit archeological sites, you'll really need a car. To take buses will waste quite a bit of time. If you have a car you can hit Delphi - an absolute - as well as Epidavros and Myceanea (for its connection to the Illiad). If you avoid central Athens and have a good map or GPS - driving in Greece is not so bad unless you are the type to get lost easily. Athens is good for 2-3 nights with a couple nights in Nafplio and a night in Delphi or nearby. Don't forget an International Drivers Permit - it is required in Greece and you cannot rent a car without it.

Lucky you, John!! That 2-day tour recommended by Athena starts for the year on April 1! Offered by 2 companies: KEY (starting M-T-W) http://www.keytours.gr/en/packet.asp?packet_id=16&category_id=1&lang=_en and CHAT (starting T-W) http://www.chatours.gr/sub_cat_page.asp#8 Cost for either is €130+€28 single supplement for Tourist Class hotel (and this is the BETTER choice because the hotel is right IN Nafplio & the posh hotel is outside). Tour is totally worth it, for all free time to explore ... if you even wanted to hit an additional ancient site during your free time, TIRYNS is only 5 Km outside Nafplio, a 10-minute local bus ride. Here's a friend's nifty slide show of the highlights of Nafplio plus at the end a few views of the ancient sites nearby ... http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/551991579dJbWvh I think Athena's itinerary is ideal! Aegina has THE most beautiful intact temple in Greece... plus this gives you a bit of an island experience, only a 1-hr ferry ride. Do EXACTLY as she advises. NOTE: Athens hotels are used to people going off on a 2-day trip then returning, & will not charge you for the day away... but u must tell the hotel when you reserve.