It’s never too early to start planning your next spring vacation, especially when you can get a good deal out of it. Greece (and the entire Mediterranean & Aegean Seas area) starts to enjoy excellent weather by mid-April. And since we are talking about the shoulder season, the deals are usually made to attract tourists. 8 days departing from US. Your companion flies for free if you book the Athens & Aegean 2010 vacation by Dec 30, 2009.
The package (land price: $1,249 per person for the Apr 19, 2010 departure) comprises 4 buffet breakfasts in Athens, onboard dining (all means) and entertainment on board. You’ll be sailing to Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Heraklion (Crete), Santorini and back to Athens. Also, you’ll be touring Athens on your second day.
Creating your own vacation package
It is possible to create your own vacation package and explore Greece and its islands at your pace. Depending on when you plan to visit, you can choose the ferries to go between the islands so you’ll experience both the sea travel and mingling with the locals (if you ask me that surely beats an organized tour).
First of all you need to book a flight to Athens . Nonstop return flights start around $1100 per person (if you book now for the same period as mentioned above, departing from New York). If you are willing to make a stop over along the way, there are cheaper flights available ($850 per person, round trip).
Then, you should look into the possibility to travel by ferry to the islands. Ferries from Athens to Mykonos start working by April and last year the ticket price ranged between €31 and €43 per person, one way. From here you can travel to Crete (Heraklio), also by ferry. Expect to pay at least €70 per person. Santorini is a short ferry ride from Crete and you will pay about €42 per person, for a ticket. When you plan the ferry rides, it’s always important to double check the schedule before departure and always make sure you’ve got accommodation book if you happen to miss a departure. Until the high season kicks in, there aren’t always daily departures between the islands, so you need quite a bit of time to plan properly.
Accommodation wise, finding cheap hotels in Greece is not very hard , especially during the shoulder season. But pay attention to when Orthodox Easter falls (April 4, 2010). Many travelers choose to spend their vacation in Greece during Easter and the accommodation prices are typically higher during that period. You can easily find hotel rooms for just €43 per night, in mid-April 2010, in Athens. If you plan to visit the sites, stay close to the city center (Omonia Sq, Syntagma Sq., near the Acropolis).
Ultimately, it’s your choice
Choosing between a tour and planning your vacation with your own resources does depend on the type of traveler you are and the activities you plan to do during your vacation. If don’t mind being rushed from place to place and sticking to a set schedule then tours are for you. However, if you like to take your time and usually you don’t do during the day when you planned before exiting the hotel room, then tours will be annoying and you won’t enjoy them much (if at all).
Photo by WhyGoGreece and may not be used without permission.
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