Day trips (or overnight tours)from athens?

[cbb]

Does anyone have any rec'd for tour companies that offer trips from Athens? I see some of you like Georgestaxi. I have found Viator that offers both day trips and 3-4 night tours that visit many of the classical Greek sites. Any rec'd from y'all? Thanks!!

[Paulchili]

Does anyone have any rec'd for tour companies that offer trips from Athens? I see some of you like Georgestaxi. I have found Viator that offers both day trips and 3-4 night tours that visit many of the classical Greek sites. Any rec'd from y'all? Thanks!!

 

cbb,

How many days do you have in Athens pre/post cruise?

Where is your cruise taking you (any other Greek ports)?

We have done a couple of 1 day trips pre cruise and were happy with the tour company (not George).

Let me know about the above and I will look up our excursions.

Paul

[cbb]

Paul,

We can take as many pre or post days as we need. We are taking Grandeur of Rome and Wonders of the Ancients b2b which begin and end in Athens. We also will see Santorini and Zakynthos. I'm thinking a rental car for Santorini as we have been there before. I would love to see Delphi, Corinth canal, Olympia, Nafplion, and Meteora. I know we can see Delphi and the canal on day trips; I don't know whether or not to take a 3-4 day tour before we leave. Cruise is next April. Any suggestions would, as always, be gratefully received!

[Paulchili]

cbb,

After just having visited Meteora this year, I would put this at or very near the top of my recommendations for tours in Greece. Especially as it can be easily combined with a trip to Delphi as either a 2 or 3 day trip. Do not miss Meteora!

Here is one company that offers that tour (as well as many other tours):

http://www.allgreecetravel.com/tours-cruises/delphi-meteora-3days-tour.asp

Next on my list would be Corinth, Mycenae, Napflion & Epidaurus (Argolis tour):

http://www.allgreecetravel.com/tours-cruises/argolis-classical-tour.asp

Do not know anything about Olympia.

Check out some of these sites and pick a tour(s) that appeal to you most in price, timing, etc:

www.antelope-travel.com

www.keytours.gr

www.greeka.com

www.fantasy.gr

Have fun researching!

Paul

[cbb]

Paul,

You are awesome. I have immediately copied and saved all of your rec'd into my "dump document" for the next cruise. I create one before every vacation and it is the place I put all of the tidbits I glean from a variety of sources. Yes, you're right....I will have lots of fun researching these! I definitely think arriving 3-4 days early is the way to go for this cruise; thank you so much. I appreciate you looking these up for me.

[Paulchili]

cbb,

You are welcome - glad to help. I am honored that you think I am "awesome". Why then are my recommendations going straight to the "dump document" :D

[CintiPam]

From my participation on the Athens forum of sister website tripadvisor, it seems that Chat Tours and Key Tours are the two companies recommended by forum regulars for Argolis trips, with an overnight in Napflion and visits to the Mycenae and Epidauros included. (These are bus tours, I believe). I do not remember if the Corinth Canal is included in these as well. Of course, the regulars on that forum are very keen on DIY travel, and will recommend renting a car and overnighting yourself in Napflion also.

 

Delphi is a long day trip, about three hours each way from Athens, I have read, so Paul's idea of combining that with a trip to Meteora is a really good one.

 

Olympia is a "fur piece" from Athens, and not usually on the tour circuit from Athens. We fortunately had a cruise stop in Katakolon and rented a car for the easy 30-minute drive.

 

BTW, I have a strong personal bias against the tours offered in Greece by taxi drivers who are not licensed to enter the actual sites. You are paying a lot for a driver when you easily can drive yourself.

 

Good luck with your planning!

[cbb]

Paul,

Only the very best and most "awesome" material goes into the "dump"! If I don't have a document I forget where it was that I read great stuff and then I get frustrated trying to remember. I love cut and paste and the rerun feature on media. There are so many times that I wish I could cut and paste things that happen daily and especially wish I could rerun conversations or things I hear on the radio! My life needs a dump document!! c

 

Cintipam,

Thanks for your great practical advice....exactly what I'm looking for. The problem with hiring a car is that I always feel sorry for my husband who can't sight see because he's driving. I'm a terrible "look at that honey, isn't that amazing" person and honey can't look. We will probably rent a car out of Monaco because we've been there several times and he has driven the area. The idea of a tour or day trip out of Athens is very appealing. Thanks for the great suggestions! (ps tell your military history loving husband to take a Civil War tour with Ed Bearss and the Smithsonian; he'll be blown away) c

[Paulchili]

c,

I am putting my 2 cents in once more for Meteora. It is a unique and a spectacular place that is not easily reached from cruises and you seem to have the time. It takes time to get there but it is well worth the effort (especially if someone else is driving).

Enjoy the planning and have fun on the trip.

Paul

[cbb]

paul,

taking your advice I have gone online and requested info about allgreecetravel re: their 4 day classical tour which includes Meteora on Day 4 for april '11. I have also requested info,thanks to you & Pam,from Keys since my TA says they have been in business forever (he hadn't heard of allgreece). I also want to see Cape Sounion but will probably do that with allgreece;their tour is more sunset-based and since we are picture takers we do love that "golden hour." Would you and Pam suggest I make the reservations online or through a hotel. We're currently looking at AVA Hotel and Athens Gate because of location and reviews in tripadvisor. (returning from a b2b, the next morning our toilet broke sending 4 hrs of water into the garage. I went out there to recycle, having spent the morning in the utility room, only to see it raining in the garage. We are now into week 3 of total gut job with countless wonderful young men helping us. Master bed, closets also closed off so camping out in a guest bedroom & living out of suitcase still!!! Have pity on me in all future correspondence!! c

[tropicalkerry2002]

and has a taxi service from it to the port for a set fee.

The most helpful staff ever!!!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Nafplion, Epidavros, Mycenae, plus Corinth. Makes a very tight little trip. You could do it yourself if you didn't mind renting a car. We actually took a ferry to Poros, which is very near the Peloponnesian mainland, then rented a car on the mainland from there. Napflion isn't very driveable, but has good parking outside the old part of the city and is a very walkable little city.

[Paulchili]

c,

Sorry about the "situation" in your house - sounds like major headache and a royal pain in the b**t - bad news all around.

I am not sure that I understand your question - are you asking whether to make the tour reservation directly online or through the hotel?

If so, make it directly with whichever company you decide to go with. They usually require a CC to hold the reservation, much like a hotel. Ask about cancellation policies, just in case.

[CintiPam]

c,

Sorry about the "situation" in your house - sounds like major headache and a royal pain in the b**t - bad news all around.

I am not sure that I understand your question - are you asking whether to make the tour reservation directly online or through the hotel?

If so, make it directly with whichever company you decide to go with. They usually require a CC to hold the reservation, much like a hotel. Ask about cancellation policies, just in case.

 

Ditto with my electronic friend Paul on all points. Deal directly with the tour company, so no possible middleman misunderstandings.

 

BTW, our friends (two couples) from our last visit to Athens pre-cruise one year ago stayed at the Athens Gate and liked it very much. I preferred to stay closer to Syntagma Square because we were visiting a lot of museums up that way on our second visit to Athens in just over a year (one post-cruise and one pre-cruise).

 

Although I have no direct experience with either hotel, between the two, AVA and Athens Gate, both of which receive good reviews on sister website tripadvisor, I definitely would choose the AVA, which in my personal opinion has a far superior location. When I spend some time in a major city, location is my prime hotel requirement, and the AVA has one superior to the Athens Gate.

[Paulchili]

CintiPam,

I was away for a while traveling. Glad to see you posting again. I know you try to control your "addiction" and make rare appearances here. I also know that I am not the only one that values your input on these boards.

I agree with you that location is one of ( if not the) most important factors in choosing our hotels in large cities as well.

[cbb]

I have already contacted Keytours and received a couple of responses. We've received their April '11 calendar and double checking dates for the 4 day classical tour so as soon as I receive that info then I'll make the reservation online. (somewhere I had read that people were making reservations for those 3-4 day tours through their Athens hotel and it didn't really seem logical to me but i thought perhaps I was missing something!) Where else would be a great place besides AVA? I read Pam's review of her 2nd (?) trip but couldn't find where she stayed so any rec'd would be great. I was just using google and tripadvisor for my hotel rec'd as location is very important to us, too. Thanks Paul and Pam for all your help. It appears that others are reading this thread so perhaps you are helping more than just me!! (Can we use "e friend" as a new phrase or is it already being done and I'm just that behind times!)

[Paulchili]

Can we use "e friend" as a new phrase or is it already being done and I'm just that behind times!

 

That - or cyber friend :)

[CintiPam]

CintiPam,

I was away for a while traveling. Glad to see you posting again. I know you try to control your "addiction" and make rare appearances here. I also know that I am not the only one that values your input on these boards.

I agree with you that location is one of ( if not the) most important factors in choosing our hotels in large cities as well.

 

Hi, cyber friend Paul, and thanks for nice words. BTW, just booked the Sheraton in Stockholm, as you recommended, for four nights post-cruise, the highest rate I ever will have paid. Superb location, as you said. (Hilton Slussen was $200 more per night!)

 

No breakfast provided, which reminds me that on my first visit to Athens, I ended up eating a granola bar lunch on the steps below the temple in the Agora because once hubbie starts his sightseeing, he does not want to quit. Guess I will pack a few more for my Stockholm breakfasts!

[CintiPam]

Where else would be a great place besides AVA? I read Pam's review of her 2nd (?) trip but couldn't find where she stayed so any rec'd would be great. I was just using google and tripadvisor for my hotel rec'd as location is very important to us, too. Thanks Paul and Pam for all your help. It appears that others are reading this thread so perhaps you are helping more than just me!! (Can we use "e friend" as a new phrase or is it already being done and I'm just that behind times!)

 

We stayed at the Athens Cypria in June 2009: great location and superb breakfast, decent, clean small room with great bathroom. (Demand a room in the "new" section because the hotel combined two hotels.) A cut below the hotels you are considering, but far superior to the Attalos near Monastiraki Square, where we stayed on our first Athens visit in 2008.

[Paulchili]

Hi, cyber friend Paul, and thanks for nice words. BTW, just booked the Sheraton in Stockholm, as you recommended, for four nights post-cruise, the highest rate I ever will have paid. Superb location, as you said. (Hilton Slussen was $200 more per night!)

 

CintiPam,

They included a Stockholm card for us (for as many days as we stayed).

It may be worth sending an e mail to reservations and asking if that offer still exists.

You have nothing to loose.

Enjoy Stockholm and your trip!

[CintiPam]

Thanks for the suggestion, Paulchili. Will do.