Smaller Greek Islands... how to book?

tintin_mcflurry

hiya there.... any advise would be greatful, im planning on taking my partner to the greek islands while the kids are at their dads in August (22nd onward), have been checking the prices flying to athens and their very affordable!! £129 return.. however i dont have the noodles to know where there is a very traditional quiet island ( not the normal tourist type!!), and how to book the ferries or what price they may be.. does anyone know a independant person who could help me organise a idilic holiday, very cheap? and help me make sure the transfer ferries coordinate with flight times to and from Athens..also what distance the air port is from the ferry port ect?

many thanks
Tx

davidlizard

Hi tintin,

We have done this sort of holiday to Greece for about the last 15 years, visiting around 40 islands, firstly as a couple and latterly with small children, and cannot recommend it enough.

I recommend:

1. Get hold of this book https://www.greekislandhopping.com - this has descriptions of just about every island, the ferry system (with example timetables), Athens itself, how to find rooms and also has some suggested itineries. They don't change much year on year so any 2004+ edition will suffice. This will have much more advice in that I can get into a forum posting! It will tell you everything you need to know (just about).

2. Rooms: We usually find something when we get there. However it can get a bit busier in August but you would be unlucky if islands are full. There is usually a large number of people offering rooms when you get off a ferry, but there are also signs up in the towns. Some ports (eg Naxos, Paros) have kiosks on the keyside where they will phone around for you. If you want something booked in advance, then most places these days are on the internet. This usually involves an exchange of emails with the owner, and they usually want a small deposit in advance. You can always ask for suggestions here.

3. Ferries - they are a lot less formal than UK ferries. Buy a ticket on the quayside a couple of hours or so before the boat sails. In the islands, there are loads of ticket agents along the quaysides who will sell tickets a few days in advance. Most ferry ticketing is now computerised, so the price will be the same regardless of where you go. There are a variety of boats, from the fast catermerans (cost double and can fill up), normal ferries, and then old ferries (cheaper and slower), as well as landing craft and assorted other vessels. There is also the option of flying to islands from Athens (Aegean and Olympic) which are about 50% more expensive than the most expensive ferry. The prices vary, from about E30-E50 from Athens to Paros/Naxos, to about E5-E10 for 1 hour hops between islands, depending on the boat type.

4. Its always a challenge trying to get a flight and ferry to match - you also need to factor in what happens if a flight gets delays. We often used to get the late BA flight to Athens, which arrived around 230 am, then sit in the airport until 5, and get the boat (X96, leaves outside arrivals, cost cE3) to the docks (Pireaus - Rafina is another port option and saves going into Athens) for the 7am sailings. The bus to either port takes around 1 hour in light traffic to the docks, a bit longer for Pireaus at rush hour. You could always spend a couple of days in Athens (or better still, Agistri - a small island outside Athens), but recommend doing this at the end of the holiday so you allow plenty of time to get your flight home.

5. Some island suggestions depends what you are into. Our favourites are Serifos, Naxos (great beaches and scenery but main town now a bit busy), Sikinos and Koufinissi (around the back of Naxos). A lot also depends on how long you are going for as to how many islands you visit. Flying to Athens probably constrains you to the central Aegean, so the Ionian and Dodecanse islands are probably a bit far flung - suggest concentrate on the Cyclades as these are mostly one boat trip from Athens.

If you have any questions, please ask! There are a few of us on here that do this sort of thing regularly.

Bronnie

Fantastic response from above poster.

This website may help you get some ideas about where to visit
www.hidden-greece.co.uk

carmel11

Have a look at alonissos (fly into skiathos)- skopolos?

RachelW1987

Skopolos looks fantastic. I would also recommend the Cyclades. Santorini is my favourite but is probably more touristy than your looking for. I would recommend it for a day trip just to see the natural beauty of the place. Good luck planning

richardw

The 'Mamma-mia' islands are likely to be busier this summer especially at peak times.

crocodileteeth

The port of Pireaus is easy to get to from Athens airport. The train station is in the airport and takes about 50minutes direct. Pireaus port is huge and can be a struggle if you are walking with luggage.
My favourite islands were syros, paros & also Kos. Didnt like mykinthos although most people love it.

tintin_mcflurry

thank you so much for your helpful responses, it sounds as if a week would not be appropriate for this kind of travelling? can you please tell me if doing it this way is cheaper than the average package deal?

heath480

I dont think you can do this type of holiday cheaper than a package deal,way more fun though! Greece is such a big place and oh so many Islands to choose from,a week really is not long enough you are right.I love everywhere in Greece I have been,last time I went non-package ,went for 3weeks,went to Tinos,Amorgos,Anti-Paros and Athens. If you go on Trip Advisor Greece forum,there are lots of really knowledgeable people to get advice and help from.:j

MrSmartprice

tintin_mcflurry wrote: »

thank you so much for your helpful responses, it sounds as if a week would not be appropriate for this kind of travelling? can you please tell me if doing it this way is cheaper than the average package deal?

You certainly can do this cheaper than a package. Once your flight is booked think about which islands you fancy. Allow about 3 days for each one, but don't try and set it in 'tablets of stone' - you can stay longer or leave early anywhere according to whether you like the island or not. Be flexible, just make sure you know how to get back in time for your flight home.

Really you need a minimum of 2 weeks, preferably 3. If you are going for the first time, consider starting from Rafina which avoids going through Athens to Piraeus. The airport bus goes right to the portside and Rafina is quite small.

Bear in mind how the ferries work. They tend to leave early and go up and down a line in a day. From Rafina, for example, you could get to Andros, Tinos, Syros and then across to Paros, from where you can get to Antiparos. They are all lovely in different ways. The Greek Island Hopping book explains it all and is a 'must'.

The Greek islands that have no airports are extremely rewarding and really worth the effort of getting there. Everything davidlizard says about accommodation is right - just book when you arrive. That's part of the adventure.

All islands are different and everyone has a favourite. But when you are sat in a simple taverna overlooking the sea, enjoying whatever they happen to be cooking that day, you will know you have found your paradise.:)

davidlizard

Usually, the main thing that influences the cost is the flight. The longer you go for, the cheaper the daily cost of the holiday becomes. If I was going for two weeks in mid season (June or September), visiting three islands, I would expect to pay something along the lines of:

Flights: £80 return (thats what we paid this year for Easyjet to Santorini).
Ferries: £30 (assume 4 short trips)
Room for 14 nights £30 per night for the room, i.e. £15 each (expect self catering, balcony, ensuite, telly, airconditioning) - you can get much cheaper, and much more expensive. I would not expect a pool for this sort of price, but who needs one with the sea nearby!

So this is looking at around £300 each for a two week holiday, which compares favourably against package holidays for similar times. You won't be able to beat the special last minute deals and the like of course. However you do get the full flexibility to go where you want and stay for as long as you want, the only constraint being to get back in time for the flight home. Its also not really fair to compare a package holiday - which tend to focus on the more popular islands - with a visit to one of the smaller islands - they are so different in character. You also get to meet a very diverse and laid back set of fellow travellers from all over Europe, including a lot of greeks who visit the island for their holidays, rather than just Brits and Germans.

The shortest holiday I have done is 8 days. This was the night flight to Athens, fast boat to Naxos, arrived at around noon. We had 6 full days on the island before getting the morning boat back to Pireaus (arrived at 15:00) for a 21:00 flight home, taking the risk that if the boat was delayed we miss the flight. Again, it all depends on how quickly you get get from the plane to the boat, without hanging around.

Some of the islands closer to Athens - the Saronics Aegina, Agistri, Poros, Spetses have frequent connections, and are certainly viable for a 7 day trip, but for that length of time, the convenience of a package trip starts to look more attractive.