Help/advice needed for planned trip to Greece in 4 weeks

steve237

Right, I have an idea for a 1 week summer holiday in Greece and need some advice...

From what I hear Santorini is quiet, not too expensive and romantic, and Mykonos is stylish with nightlife and has a club with big name DJ's, cool beach bars - but is very expensive. Both great islands to visit.

The only time we can get off work is last week in August (prob be a bit too hot and too many kids, but never mind) and ideally would like some relaxation and some nightlife.

I was thinking, as I don't think the islands are far apart, we could fly to one island (prob Mykonos), spend 2-3 nights there, then get boat over to Santorini for 4-5 days of relaxation, romance and chilling out; driving round the island visiting beaches, eating in nice restaurants, etc.

However - with this idea there are a number of things to consider. Do both islands have airports? Would it be cheaper to do a package holiday deal on one island and leave the package hotel room empty for 2-3 nights whilst on the other island? Or would it not work out that much more expensive to get each way flights to and from each island and book accommodation directly?

Also, I have been told that many hotels are a rip off and that for a little extra you can get superb private accommodation in villa or place on the beach - this sounds ideal and would make it very special for our 2nd year wedding anniversary.

The timeframe we can have off work is from Saturday 25th August to Sunday 2nd October - so 9 days to work with.

Any ideas/advice much appreciated as the clock is ticking!

This holiday doesn't have to be really cheap but onbviously where savings can be made I'll want to make them!

davidlizard

We have been doing this sort of every summer since the mid 1990s and never bother with a package because we prefer the flexibility. We normally find accomodation when we arrive, however, as you are traveling in "high season" then it can be advisable to book ahead. We have found the standard of rooms can vary greatly, and it can be pot luck (which is why we like to find rooms when we arrive) but on the whole most rooms are basic, but clean with a balcony, air conditioning and fairly spacious. We have had one bad room (too noisy) in 12 years and over 30 islands visited).

Personally I would say neither island is quiet (Mykonos is extremely busy), but it depends what you like and what you compare it against. Both islands are visited by cruise ships which tend to push the prices up a bit, and have airports that accept charter flights (and bring in the crowds). Saying that, both are worth visiting as you imply.

Concerning flights, both Mykonos and Santorini have airports that take UK charter flights (XL do Santorini for example, and also BA fly twice weekly to Mykonos), however, I am not confident that you could get a flight to one and a return from another as charter flight tickets tend to be return journeys unless you pay a lot more (waits to be corrected by a travel agent!). Some other options are to fly to Athens (Easyjet/BA/Olympic) and use a domestic airline (Olympic or Aegean) or ferry - the fast boats will get to Santorini in 4 hours from Pireaus (Athens), 2-3 hours from Rafina (also Athens) for Mykonos. Another alternative is Heraklion on Crete where you can usually pick up a boat to Santorini most days, but these can be wind affected. It all really depends on flight times and ferry times, as you could end up waiting overnight for a boat as to what really is best.

Ferries: There are a limited number of boats on most days between Mykonos and Santorini, however many of these are smallish catermerans which can be cancelled if the wind (the meltimi) picks up. However, these should take around 2-3 hours if running, regular ferries (if you are lucky as there are not too many that do this trip - most run to and from Athens, but there are the odd boats now and then that connect the islands) twice as long. It would also be possible to take a morning boat to Paros or Naxos (both well worth visiting), then get a later boat to Santorini from there. However, unless you are fortunate with boat times, this could take the best part of a day.

Recommend the book on this website: https://www.greekislandhopping.com which has info on the ferries, islands and places to stay.

If you are dead-set on Mykonos for the party scene (Ios is another option, and Paros and Santorini can be lively at night), then why not fly there for a couple of days, then go to Naxos (about 1 hour on the ferry with several reliable daily links) which could tick many of your boxes: IMO has some of the best beaches in Greece, a great variety of places to eat, but also has some stunning scenery up in the hills (but obviously not as stunning as Santorini), not too many brits stuffing chips into their faces, and traditional villages once you get out of the main town and away from the tourist bits on the North West coast. You are then an easy ferry trip away from Mykonos and your flight home.

Personally, unless you can get a ticket to one island and a return from another, I think trying both Santorini and Mykonos in a short period of time will result in spending a significant proportion of your holiday either waiting for or travelling on ferries, unless you are lucky with the ferry timings and days they sail.

Hope this is of some use. I know there are a few people here who have some good knowledge of this part of the world.

MrSmartprice

Excellent post by Davidlizard. We have also done island hopping, but not to as many islands as that!

Ferries are pretty reliable way of getting around in our experience. My point is to reinforce the point about the website. Or you may wish to go to the library and borrow a copy of the Greek Island Hopping book to research islands and links between them. It is also full of useful maps, which I always photocopy for use when we get there.