Greece the first two weeks of April

Posted by Kristen (Newport Beach, CA, USA) on 01/29/08 09:17 AM

I am getting conflicting information on whether I should go ahead with my plans to visit Greece the first two weeks in April. Unfortunately this is the only time I can go. Friends and travel agents from Greece are trying to talk me out of the trip due to the weather at this time. I am told the islands are basically shut down and it will be windy, rainy and cold. Of course the travel agents try and sign us up for bus day tours out of Athens which is not for me. I am traveling with frinds the first week but on my own the second. Any female safety issues of traveling alone? I have traveled all over Europe and South America including Brazil alone, so I am a savvy traveler.

Any insights on this time of year and where to visit?

Posted by pat

victoria, Canada

01/29/08 10:34 AM

11507 posts

Travel agents are just trying to sell you stuff they get commission on, how do you think they get paid, you don't pay them right?
How about going on a weather site and finding out for yourself,, most weather sites will give you the daily averages for any time of year.
Greek islands will be pretty dead, it will not be beach weather yet, won't be horrible though, probaly around 50-60 degrees.. Seas could be rough so ferry trips may not be fun.

Listen to people who have nothing to gain by giving you advice, AND make your own inquiries to obtain some solid information ( weather) .
If you love history etc then perhaps bus tours would work for you, I personally did NOT like Athens , it is a big dirty city really, and I would not really enjoy using it as a base for exploring Greece, we used it just to see the Acropolis and book tickets to get to the islands.

So perhaps if you are interested in islands then April is not such a good choice.

Posted by George

Philadelphia

01/29/08 02:31 PM

655 posts

Hi Kristen,
We have visited Greece the LAST two weeks of April and into May. Had a wonderful trip. The islands are just opening up but they are open. The mainland is always open. That said, you are early so I would suggest you focus most of your trip on the mainland (lots to explore there - no worries) and visit Santorini (best) or Mykonos by air to give you a taste of the beautiful islands.
Have you contacted travel agents in Greece? There are two that are often mentioned. Fantasy Travel and Dolphin Hellas. Both in Athens. Google will locate them for you. Explain your situation to them. Note that you should be able to take advantage of some favorable rates due to your timing.

Greece is a wonderful trip. If that is your only time, do it then. You won't regret it.
You won't encounter any safey issues that you haven't seen before - probably a lot fewer.

Posted by Meri

Bloomington, IN, USA

02/04/08 04:42 PM

22 posts

Kristen I am making my second trip to Greece though I go for the later part of from April 18-May 8 for three weeks. I am not a sun worshipper or a party person. I love being outdoors, going for hikes, seeing archeological sites, taking photos. For someone like me, April is a wonderful time to go because everything is in bloom, the weather warms up in the day; take a light jacket for evenings and the tiniest packable umbrelly. A lot of touristy places will be closed and the ferries are iffy, but most major islands have airports. Think about going to Crete, rent a car and drive from one end to the other. Gorgeous views, friendly people, great food. Flowers so varied that some have not yet been classified. Take a ferry to Rhodes or Santorini (or hop by air to Santorini and then to Paros. If your primary interest is beaches, you could be lucky or not. Good Luck!