quote:
Can anybody tell me what to pack clothing wise, I heard the weather is a bit cold during that month.

Which month?

santorini is very beautiful but perhaps the only advantage over the other islands is that it has a volcano which you can visit. I guess you could go there by plane from athens. To see the volcano you have to walk up a steep incline so probably best not bring the little one.
I would say choose one of the islands that are closer to athens like Naxos or Paros. There are closer ones but I haven’t been.

I would not stay in Athen too long. There isn’t very many touristy things there but I’m not sure what you are looking for. For me when I was there it was really hot and in that weather you don’t want to be stuck in a noisy city.

I was also wondering about weather and what to bring, clothing wise. I’am planning the trip around the end of march.

thanks, for your feedback on the islands.

End of March could be anything from warm sunny spring weather to freezing cold with snow. Definitely bring winter clothes, jacket, boots, gloves etc. along with a couple of T-shirts in case you get lucky.

At that time of year, I’d stick to the larger islands, i.e. Crete and Rhodes, or the mainland. Even better, consider going mounteneering or skiing.

You can safely leave the swimsuit at home.

Just as Tinsie says, end of March is unpredictable. Gorgeous sunny days around 60-65 F are possible, but expect cold (40s to 50s F) and rain. Plus, the weather greatly varies from place to place even though it’s a small country. Crete and Rhodes should be warmer. The seas may be rough. As Tinsie says, stick to larger islands with large populations (and frequent transportation to/from mainland and other islands), and plenty of sightseeing. Both Crete and Rhodes (as well as Corfu) fit this description.

April is much better weather, and usually in the middle of the month, the rains stop and a 6-month period of near-constant sunshine begins.

But even in the end of March, you can have a very good trip if you’re only interested in history and sites, and looking at the countryside.

You’ll also find a very different Athens from the one Mickalin visited a few years back.

March is a fab time for visiting Athens – you’re less likely to get snowed in too, as the climate’s milder than most of the rest of Greece. I also agree that Athens has improved a lot recently. Definitely worth at least a couple of days.

As for Corfu, I’d skip it. Too far up north for it to be nice enough for sightseeing at that time of year, unless you like wet weather.

I echo the others on Rhodes, if you stick to these islands – Rhodes, Kos Samos etc they will be warmer as they are closer to Turkey and generally get better weather.
Crete is the most southern of the islands so again it too will have better weather, if you only have a week I would reccommend Crete, its so big it could be a country itself, there is tons to see here, check out the Isle of Spinalonga which is an old leprosy colony, Knossos, Samaria Gorge, Agios Nikolas is a nice harbour town with a salt lake.
You would really need to fly here from wherever you are coming from, as it is out of the way, but would be ideal for a week.

In the summer months they def run ferry trips to Santorini, Im not sure about off season like March, but there will be plenty here to keep you occupied anyway.

Hope this helps.

I don’t think it’s their proximity to Turkey that makes these islands warm(er)! It’s not as if Turkey is a huge radiator that warms all that is around it…

I aslo will have about a week for Greece in October of next year. I would really like to see Athens as well as Crete. I will also be spending a few weeks in Italy, so perhaps I could fit them in at seperate times. What is the best way to get to Crete? Ferry? I now it’s far… if by iar, where should I check for flights? Also, Athens from Italy… how do I get there? Will the Greek Islands be nice this time of year, or rainy? What is truly feasible in one week? I am a history major, so that stuff is important to me, I guess more than nightlife (I will be partying others parts of the trip) Thanks

from your previous replies, should I understand that it will be better to visit greece:
1. on april, instead of march?
2. Is not a sin, not to visit Santorini if you go to Greece (I heard Santorini is a must see). will any other island offer the same scenery and incredible sunsets? (I like photography).
3. No replies on Meteora. Is it worthwile to go all the way North to see the Monasteries? or should I skip it and use the time somewhere else?

My planns are to visit other countries. I have a month to do so but since I have never been in greece, I decided to allocate one week for there. Initially my itinerary is flying first to Greece, then make my way north via Italy, then Austria, czech rep, maybe a couple of days in budapest then fly back to canada with a stop in london for 3 days. Should I reverse my Intinerary and start in London, then make my way south to Greece so I could be there by mid April?

Could you give me a ideas about orginizing my itinerary. Thanks

To answer your questions…

from your previous replies, should I understand that it will be better to visit greece:
1. on april, instead of march?

Correct, although that’s not to say that glorious weather is guaranteed in April either. I’ve been to Greece in April and all I saw was snow, snow and more snow (but I think that was a one-off). The main difference between March and April is that you’re less likely to get snow in April, whereas freak snow weather is quite common in March. Still, no guarantees either way. The main thing I would consider is when Greek Easter falls. If you’re in Greece for a week, you really don’t want to be travelling between the Thursday before Easter and the Tuesday after.

2. Is not a sin, not to visit Santorini if you go to Greece (I heard Santorini is a must see). will any other island offer the same scenery and incredible sunsets? (I like photography).

Is Santorini a must-see? Depends on your definition. I’m Greek, I lived in Greece for, oh… 25 years, and never once went to Santorini during that time or since. I don’t particularly feel a void in my life either.

The scenery is quite striking all over Greece, but the fab sunsets are more of a summer feature (think May to September). I bet Santorini doesn’t look anything as nice in the pooring rain.

3. No replies on Meteora. Is it worthwile to go all the way North to see the Monasteries? or should I skip it and use the time somewhere else?

I’ve been twice but never was too impressed. Perhaps because I’ve always known about them. However, my husband who’s not Greek but has lived in Greece and travelled all over, has said that Meteora is one of his favourite sights. You could say it’s horses for courses.

I think it depends on what you’re looking for. If your aim is to come to Greece to see the lovely sunsets and spend time on the beach, I’d leave it for another time as your chances of being disappointed are pretty high. If I was you, I’d probably stay within the mainland. There’s loads to see and you don’t have to worry about being stuck on an island due to choppy seas and rough weather.

quote:
I aslo will have about a week for Greece in October of next year. I would really like to see Athens as well as Crete. I will also be spending a few weeks in Italy, so perhaps I could fit them in at seperate times. What is the best way to get to Crete? Ferry? I now it’s far… if by iar, where should I check for flights? Also, Athens from Italy… how do I get there? Will the Greek Islands be nice this time of year, or rainy? What is truly feasible in one week? I am a history major, so that stuff is important to me, I guess more than nightlife (I will be partying others parts of the trip) Thanks

October could be lovely and warm or could be wet and windy (or a mixture of the two). In Athens and Crete I’d say you have quite a good chance of lovely warm weather, particularly in the first half of the month, although the days will be shorter than what you get in summer.

To get from Athens to Crete you have two options. Ferry or plane. I know there’s a fast (overnight) ferry that takes 6 hours. You can fly to Chania or Heraklion in an hour, but it’s more expensive.

There’s plenty of history stuff in Athens (more notably the Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum). In Crete there’s Knossos. If you’re really serious about the history, you may be better off staying on the mainland and visiting Mycenae, Olympia and Delphi. All of these can be done as day trips from Athens. Do a search on the forum, lots of good information has been posted in the past.

Hi Simon,
Just a bit from my brain….I was just in Greece for 2 weeks and did Athens (3 days), Rhodes (5 days), Santorini (5 days) with all transportation by flight in and out of Athens….saves alot of time, plus, the seas can get pretty bad.

Athens was great for that many days…did 1 day in Athens, then side trips to Cornith and Delphi. The other isles were great for the summer weather. Wouldn’t think Santorini that great in low season…mostly good for romantic views and great summer weather. Did do the volcano the previous person noted….long & steep considering you are bringing a tyke. And, honestly, not that impressive. The only thing in Rhodes is the walled ‘old town’ area, harbor, and beaches. Most islands do have something to see, but would definately want to go somewhere where the majority of the sites don’t include beaches. Oh…one benefit of Rhodes is that it is right near Turkey and can potentially take a trip there.

And, as far as the ferry to Italy, I took the Superfast and it was a 6pm to 8am trip. So, that is overnight (good). Takes you into Bari where you can hop on the train (via a bus from the port)to wherever in Italy you need to go.

Best of Luck!!!

quote:
What is the best way to get to Crete? Ferry? I now it’s far… if by iar, where should I check for flights?

Both the ferry and airplane are good options. The ferry is a long one, but most ferries (if not all) between Athens-Piraeus and Crete are overnight. You can hang around the indoor lounges and food courts all night (and try to sleep), or outside under the stars if you’d like, or even gamble…some ferries have a casino and other stuff. Or, you can rent a cabin to sleep. Remember these are ferries, not cruises. The mainstream ferry companies are all world-class, but expect a comfortable, basic cabin suitable for one night. Not a cruiseship apartment.

www.ferries.gr www.greekferries.gr

There are several flights per day from Crete to/from the mainland as well as other islands and international destinations. Heraklio(n) has the island’s busiest and largest airport with several scheduled flights to/from Athens. Hania (or Chania) is the island’s 2nd airport and it also has many daily flights to from/Athens. There is a third airport at Agios Nikolaos/Sitia with limited scheduled flights and plenty of charters. Greece’s domestic airtravel maket is dominated by two carriers: flag carrier Olympic Airlines and independent Aegean Airlines, although there are smaller airlines that occasionally pop up here and there. Aegean has a much easier website than Olympic, so I’ll give you their website: www.aegean.com

quote:
Also, Athens from Italy… how do I get there?

There are several daily flights to Athens from various cities in Italy: Rome (Fiumicino), Milan (both Linate and Malpensa), and Venice. I think that Italian low-cost carrier Alpi Eagles has launched an Athens-Naples service. Flag carriers Alitalia and Olympic, as well as Aegean and Alpi Eagles will all fly you from Italy to Greece (Athens & Thessaloníki). You may also be able to fly from Milan to Athens on Luxair. The flight originates in Luxembourg, stops in Milan, and continues its journey to Athens. Double check if this route is still offered by Luxair.

Another option is to take a ferry from either Venice, Ancona, Bari, or Brindisi to Corfu, Igoumenítsa, or Pátra (Patras) and then train or bus to Athens from there. If you’re interested in heading strait to Athens (and bypasing Greece’s gorgeous west coast), then head strait for Pátra, and train or bus to Athens. Some ferry companies (like Minoan) offer a bus service for a fee. www.greekferries.gr specializes on info regarding Italy-Greece ferries.

quote:
Will the Greek Islands be nice this time of year, or rainy?

Bad weather is certainly possible, but October is usually gorgeous weather, especially the 1st half of the month, and most especially in southern desitnations (Crete, Rhodes, etc). This can be an especially rewarding time because many wine regions are either currently harvesting their crop in October, or they have just harvested. Go wine tasting. Santoríni and Sámos as well as Náoussa (in the nothern mainland) and Neméa (southern mainland) are all world-known wine regions.

quote:What is truly feasible in one week? I am a history major, so that stuff is important to me, I guess more than nightlife (I will be partying others parts of the trip) Thanks

As Tinsie says, in one week, there’s plenty of history on the mainland, most especially in Athens. Actually, there’s a lot more [classical] history on the mainland than on the islands. (I’m assuming you’re interested in Classical Greece, ca. 500 BC) Knossos on Crete and Akrotíri in Santoríni are much much older (Minoan civiliztion ca. 2000-1800 BC I think). Then there’s also Roman Greece, Medieval Greece, post-Medieval, early modern, etc, etc. If you’re serious about history, spend some time in Athens, there is an abundance of monuments from the Classical and Roman eras, as well as the National Archaelogical Museum (Ethnikó Archaiologikó Mouseío) beautifully renovated in time for this summer’s Olympic Games. Then try visiting an island. I hear that the nightlife starts to die down in October (in the party islands), but there is definitely still tourism. I would say, since you’re coming from Italy, deifinely take a look at some of the west coast islands.

quote:
from your previous replies, should I understand that it will be better to visit greece:
1. on april, instead of march?

Yes. Not that March will be a loss. It all depends on what you want to see and do. But April is certainly more pleasant.

I usually tend to disagree with Tinsie on Easter travel. True, this is a time when everybody’s traveling to the countryside or to the islands, or to see family (like Thanksgiving in the US). For Greece, this is not just a religious observance, but is is also a major spring festival, (and time off from work). It’s a big deal, but it can be truly rewarding for a tourist to run into a Good Friday procession or Easter fireworks, or an occasional pagan-rooted regional tradition. I would say: avoid entering or leaving a major city (Athens, Thessaloníki) on Palm Sunday weekend, Good Friday, or Easter Monday. Corfu is one exciting place with nationally-renowned Holy Week festivities.

quote:
2. Is not a sin, not to visit Santorini if you go to Greece (I heard Santorini is a must see). will any other island offer the same scenery and incredible sunsets? (I like photography).

Santoríni is one place that despite being so famous and so talked about, it is definitely not overrated, and you’ll realize that when you get there. The island is worth every single praise you’ll hear. It’s just so beautiful from the landscape to the architecture. But I wouldn’t say it’s a sin not to go because there are so many other beautiful places as well. But if you have your heart set on the island so much, then definitely go (but not in March!) Keep in mind that it may be a very popular Easter-time destination for mainlanders.

quote:
3. No replies on Meteora. Is it worthwile to go all the way North to see the Monasteries? or should I skip it and use the time somewhere else?

IMO if you do visit only one place in Greece during the month of March, definitely make it Metéora. Reason being that this time of the year, the moutains around the valley are snow-capped, allowing for a more beathtaking view. (The mountains are snow-capped in April too, but April offers so many more options in Greece). And unlike Santoríni it doesn’t have to be sunny for you you to enjoy the scenery. A misty, cloudy day can give the valley a different but equal beauty. Just dress warm if you plan to visit in March.

Metéora is one of Greece’s few medieval sites that are world-known. The valley is littered on one end by very tall, amazing rock formations, many of which have medieval convents and monasteries built on top. Some are still operational, and open to tourism. Remember to dress appropriately (covered shoulders, covered legs). Women may be asked to throw on a skirt that is provided.

thanks for the tip on meteora

Quote from Kentish Girl…
‘I would reccommend Crete, its so big it could be a country itself, there is tons to see here, check out the Isle of Spinalonga which is an old leprosy colony, Knossos, Samaria Gorge’.

If you are thinking of the Samaria Gorge, please remember that it doesn’t open til early May cos until then, it is still too wet. Gorge is then open thru summer but usually closed by early to mid October.

Certainly worth doing, (I used to guide expeditions down it), but a very early start (05.00) required. Get a KTEL bus from Hania to Omalos, walk down gorge, boat from Ag Roumeli to Hora Sfakion, and bus back to Hania. You cannot stay overnight in the Gorge and there are no shops or cafes once inside. Don’t bring gallons of water tho, but a small bottle is needed cos there are potable water taps every 2 km or so.

Give yourself 5 to 6 hrs, the hike is 17km. Good walking boots or stout trainers/sneakers a must.

Since you only have 1 week, after spending a couple of days in Athens, I would go to a closer island than Santorini and then try to see some of the country side. I enjoyed Meteora (one of the monesteries can be seen in the Olympics trailer) but unless you have a car it is alot of walking and with a baby it might be a little rough. We walked about 10 miles up and down hills that day.

Another place we really enjoyed was Nafplio. It is a really cute village on the water in the Peloponnese and is a great place to stay if you want to daytrip to Mycenae or Epidavros. It’s easy to get there via train from Athens and then take a local bus to the historic sites. There were some great countryside scenes in that area. The old town of Nafplio may be a bit on the touristy side but the old streets are very charming and a good place for a family to spend a couple of days. Good luck!

I second Nafplio. Charming town (even the touristy areas) and very family friendly.

Do not miss Meteora.It is one of the most spectactular sights I have ever seen .And I have traveled extensively. Mainland Greece is beautiful. I personally would skip Athens all together and go to Delphi, Meteora and Napflio on the Pelo. Peninsula for only a week’s time.

Skip Athens? what is wrong with Athens? Wouldn’t be awkward to go to Greece and skip Athens? I thought Athens had lots to offer in terms of History. Do you really Think I should visit other places instead Of Athens, during my week in Greece?

About meteora, do you think it will be difficult to go to the monasteries with a 2 year old? also which Monasteries are the best ones to visit? I remember an old movie called "the forbidden fortress" with James Coburn, and that takes place in meteora in one of those Monasteries. do any one the name of the Monastery?

thanks for any suggestions.

As for going to the islands, consider flying in one direction. I’m headed to Crete on Monday and we found a 50euro fare from Athens on Aegean airways, which comes to about 75 euros after taxes.

Yes, go to Athens…explore the renovated old quarters (Pláka, Monastiráki, Thisseío). While in these neighborhoods, get off the main streets (where all the tourists and souvenir shops are) to explore the charming quiet streets. Walk along the renovated and pedestrianized Dionysiou Aeropagitou avenue with the Acropolis over you, visit the historical sites (Acropolis, Agora, etc, etc), take a walk in the National Garden and Zappeion Garden, experience the nightlife in Psirrí dstrict (the nightlife moves to the coastal suburb of Glyfáda in the summer…accesible from city center by the Tram), visit any of the city’s museums from the renovated National Archaeological Museum to any of the city’s other museums featuring all sorts of themes from folklore to contemporary art.

"Heat"

Yes, you can expect summer, particularly July/August to be hot. But the heat is seriously exaggerated by those who complain about it. 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Athens means intense sun, but dry heat…Your forehead will sweat if you walk fast or stand under the sun, but if you stop to rest under the shade, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll cool off. You will never be drenched in sweat or overwhelmed by humid air. Because of the lack of humidity (humidity traps heat), temperatures always drop at night to very comfortable levels (sometimes requiring warm clothing), no matter how hot it may have been at mid-day. The only problem at night is indoors…buildings tend to trap the daytime heat. Either make sure you have air conditioning or open windows/balconies in order to provide ventilation from the cool nighttime air.

In July/August during mid-day: as long as you dress light, drink plenty of water (widely available throughout Greece at kiosks, convenience stores, supermarkets, and fast-food restaurants), and walk in the shade as much as possible, you’ll be very comfortable. You’ll find Athens far more pleasant than Houston, Atlanta, or Miami in the summer…the climate is closer to Los Angeles with dry heat inland, and cooler temperatures along the coast.

I’m in Athens at the moment, and it’s really pleasant – warm and breezy, and not at all uncomfortable.

Stay out of the midday heat (leave that for mad dog and Englishmen) and you’ll be fine.

Tinsie,

How much longer will you be there? I’ll be passsing through the Athens airport enroute to Hania, Crete on Tuesday 31 August, then back to ATH 13-15 Sept.

Tinsie,

I just left Athens yesterday after a 2 week stay, went to 3 Olympic events and had a lot of fun.

Sailor,

Not sure how much longer I’ll be in Athens – the plan was that we’d leave for Halkidiki tomorrow morning, but we’re not decided yet. We’re going back on 11 September, so it looks like we might miss each other.

Luv,

We didn’t make it to any of the Olympic events as we only arrived yesterday morning (our paths may have crossed at the airport!) but we went to Plaka & Monastiraki last night for the final celebrations and we’ve just watched the closing ceremony at a friend’s house, so we soaked up some of the spirit.

Looks like our timing’s really off for the Paralympics too, as they start after we leave!