Greece in 2nd week of April
Replies: 14 - Last Post: Nov 16, 2012 5:54 PM Last Post By: brotherleelove
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1
If you don't mind the fact that most shops, galleries, hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs will still be closed out on the islands in April, and that the weather will be unstable and chilly, then yes, the 2nd week of April is a good time to visit.Any time is good for Athens.
2
Is there ever a good time to visit an overrated, expensive and ridiculously over touristed island like Mykonos?4
Well, neither Mykonos nor Santorini will be over touristed in the beginning of April! Expensive and overrated maybe, even if both islands has dropped their prices in hotels and restaurants considerly. And in April you will be able to find really good rates in many good hotels!Personally I consider the whole April and beginning of May to be the best time here in Santorini, but then I live here. March fits the description that brotheleelove gives but NOT April! In the end of March people start coming back to the island after the winter, fixing their shops and start opening up, the weather has been good the last years during this time even if the sea is cold and I have met many tourists in April who loves it!
Even though Santorini is considered as a touristic island it has many traditional villages (something many people seems to forget), many local Taverns will be open (which are also the best on the island), many bars and pubs will actually be open the whole winter this year including many Taverns in Fira. It won't be ANY problem for you to find places to stay or places to eat or even do a bit of partying!!
Of couse some of the bigger islands has more to offer, islands like Crete, Rhodes and Syros where people live all year around but the choice is up to you...
Ingela
5
I wouldn't plan Santorini AND Mykonos together until the ferry schedules for spring/summer are announced. These two islands are on separate main ferry routes with direct connections only in the summer. Hellenic Seaways' FlyingCat 4 and Sea Jets Consortium's Superjet start operating that route about a week before Greek Easter, which is on May 5th in 2013. If you are there before the catamarans start their season, you will have to go back through Athens or via a third island to get from Santorini to Mykonos & vice-versa.6
Thanks for your replies, Ingelalex and all the others. See, we're not looking at Mykonos & Santorini for swimming etc. And we don't mind the cold weather. As you said, a few places to eat & stay etc will be open. The only question in our minds is whether it will be worth it since about half of the shops, galleries, taverns etc will still be closed OR whether this fact will not not affect us too much. See, we'll be coming from India so the expense will be greater for us than for visitors from Europe. So, the question is -- should we continue with our planning for arriving in Mykonos on 9th or 10th of April OR should we visit some other country & postpone Greece for some other year ?7
HiI don´t think you should postpone your trip! As I mentioned before, April is a very good to visit Greece! But if you want a more lively place, visit Crete (Chania) and from there (via Heraklio) to Santorini if you still feel like!
You will take a bus between Heraklio and Chania. The journey takes nearly 3 hours but is a beatiful ride! Here is the time tables : http://bus-service-crete-ktel.com/
If you then choose to go to Santorini there will be ferrys (Aegeon Pelagos around from 1st of April). Find out via www.gtp.gr or www.ferries.gr. Call them if timetables don´t come up!
Here is great site about Crete: http://www.completely-crete.com/
Here is a trip report from Santorini in April: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g482942-i10358-k4465193-Trip_Report_Santorini_in_Early_April_Lots_of_Pictures-Fira_Santorini_Cyclades.html
And I found this about Mykonos: http://www.igogreece.com/EN/Greece.asp?area=areas&id=74&act=showXPage&xPageID=164
8
As I wrote before, there may not be a ferry between Mykonos and Santorini during the second week of April, and you won't know for sure until ferry timetables are published around March next year. If there are no direct ferries, you will have to go back through Athens or stop overnight on a third island (e.g. Syros or Paros) to get between the two. If your trip is only for a week you won't have time to do that.13
Personally leo, since you ask, I think it sucks. First, you don't say if it includes your arrival and departure day which are both mainly a write off. Second, you don't say if it allows for a day in between places. ie. a day lost going from Athens to Santorini and a day lost going from Santorini to Crete and a day lost returning to Athens before your day of your return flight. So I don't even know what 9 days actually means.Day 1: Arrive Athens
Day 2,3,4: In Athens
Day 5: to Santorini
Day 6, 7: In Santorini
Day 8: To Crete
Day 9, 10, 11, 12: In Crete
Day 13: To Athens
Day 14: Depart Athens.
That's 9 day IN places and 5 days spent going/coming.
