What city to base out of in greece?

Hi, Kelly

A lot depends on whether you plan to have a rental car or not. If you do, you have many home base choices and the ability to travel around the mainland as you choose. If not, you are more limited; you will want to be where public transportation is available to and from Athens, not only to see Athens (2 or 3 days) but also because that's where all the day trips to Delphi, Corinth etc. originate from. The coastal tram will take you from Syntagma Square in the heart of Athens out to what they call the Apollo Coast, sort of south and east of the city. More beach town than a small town feel, but some nice beaches and you are out of the crush of Athens. There are other options as well; you just need to do your research and find what works best for you. Greece is probably not the best place in the world to find that small town charm. It can be done especially if you have a car, but if you need to return to the same place every night you are really limiting your choices. Good luck.

Kelly - yours is a very hard question to answer. "Homebasing" outside of Athens means you'll need a rental car and likely confine yourself to the Greek mainland. Is that where you want to be? You could visit Delphi, etc. But you won't be able to see the islands that way. Alternatively, you could go to Crete, base yourself somewhere there - Matala, perhaps, and take buses from there.

Hey guys-really good advice and a lot of help! It sounds like as though i am better off basing our of athens for 3-4 days and then changing my location to visit other sites like the islands,etc-correct?

to add to what other have said, Greece also is not known for quick, easy, transit. Any travel by bus is slow and in the prime of the day. Trains are limited...though better than in the past. Ferries as well are slow and travel in the middle of the day. Basically what that means is that a "Home Base" will have a pretty small radius of travel, not encompassing many sights. Oddly, Athens is the exception, since from there, you can get about everywhere, and just about anywhere else, to get someplace, seems to require a trip through Athens. That said, Nafplio on the Peloponnese coast can serve as a good base for Epidaurus, Mycenae, and of course the many things to do in Nafplio. Paros is reasonably close to Naxos, Mykonos, and Delos. And a spot in Crete opens up that whole island to many possibilities.

Kelly, that would be my suggestion; Athens is really rather fun if you stay near the Plaka; most everything you want to see there is within walking distance, Metro or a short taxi ride. You can take days trips out of Athens, then move your home base to Nafplio for a few days or on to the islands from Pireaus.

Kelly, you really really need to get some guidebooks, do homework, go to forums where ACTUAL GREEKS post(like TA Greece forum). Look at maps. Learn. THen decide -- do u really want Greece? With just 2 week, it's NOT for some one who needs to "stay put", even for a week. Rather, think about a plan like: fly immediately on arrival on first day to Island #1 for 5 days, ferry to island #2 for 4 days, back to Athens for last 3 days (I'm guessing u have 14 days TOTAL, including to/from travel).

This scenario offers many plusses: (1)you avoid the time-wasting backtracking, going in to Central Athens only once, at the end; (2)you start out in a SMALLER more serene place on the sea, to relax & orient self (3) by time u reach Athens, you'll be revitalized & ready to enjoy a vibrant city, and being immersed in Greek culture awhile, its ancient sites will resonate so much more deeply with you.

If you persist in "home base" preference, go somewhere else. In Northern Italy, u can stay in a Tuscan town & drive 40 mi in each direction daily & sleep in same bed. But why not get out of your usual habits?? Travel is for difference, not sameness! Dare to grow, to learn! Greece can change your life... it did mine. PM me if you want to discuss further; happy planning!