Athens and Santorini tours ?

[Dreamgirl1957]

Hi again :rolleyes:

Anyone been on any tours in Athens and Santorini ?

Never been to either place before and we never usually bother with tours.

A) Do we need to book one in either place to see the main sights and B) if so which ones are the best value wise ;) !

Have looked through the ones on offer and most are quite similar so just thought anyone whos been would know the best to pick (if we need to pick one at all)

Our budget is not high :eek: and if either can be done easily on your own will do that.

Want to go up high in Santorini for the views :cool: can see there is a cable car , can you easily book this yourself or just pay on the day , do you also get near any villages if you do this etc etc...and would like to see Acropolis but not too worried if not up close if that maks sense.

Corinth canal would be fab but cant do both so which is best :confused:

Would appriciate anyones input :D

[kruzseeka]

Here is a copy of a post I did about how we got the Metro to Athens:

 

Piraeus (Athens);

It is very easy to get into Athens independently using the Metro - but it is quite a good walk to get to the Metro, at least 30 minutes at a reasonably brisk pace. It may be worth getting a taxi for this bit if you're not into a route-march. If you are using the Metro, ask at Destination Services for a Metro map and instructions - it's very good info. Basically, you skirt all the way around the port (turn left on exiting) passing the Catholic Church and McDonalds on your right. When you get to the foot bridge (steps and escalator) you cross over and the Metro station is the yellow building on your left. The ticket was 1E each way - remember to validate your ticket before getting on the train. There was one standing in the station as we arrived and the ticket seller said they run every 5 minutes. Taxis all the way into Athens are expensive and the traffic means that it will probably take longer than doing it the way we did.

We had decided to explore the area as we had a fairly early departure (15.00) and save doing the Acropolis for our next visit when we hope to have more time - although we did leave the ship promptly at 8.00 and were in Athens before 9.00. If visiting the Acropolis was your main objective, it is perfectly possible to do it on this schedule - but go there early before it gets too hot and crowded.

We walked clockwise from Monastriaki, where we got off the train, around the base of the Acropolis and between the Acropolis and Agora. About half-way round there is a rocky outcrop which you can climb and get great views across the Agora. Use the metal steps though - the steps cut into the rock look ok at the bottom but are very uneven, increasingly difficult to climb and like glass!! It got a bit scary - I wasn't sure I could get much further but definitely didn't like the idea of going down (sliding/falling down) again! Fortunately we spotted the metal steps for our descent!

We then had a leisurely stroll around Plaka (charming!) and the markets of Monastriaki (local, tourist and flea markets) and had a welcome rest and cold beer at one of the street cafes. We felt we'd had a real flavour of Athens (though not the manic roads/streets/traffic of the areas surrounding Plaka and the Acropolis - this looked scary!) and look forward to exploring the Acroplois and Agora in the future now we have our bearings.

Give yourself plenty of time for the return trip - we left Monastriaki at about 12.15 getting back to the ship at 13.30. This took a bit longer than the outward trip as at the port it rather like check-in at the airport - long queues, security and unfortunately the embarkation of a Princess ship (hundreds of passengers arriving at the same time - with hand baggage!) all slowing up the process.

 

Last year we decided to do the Thomson transfer (Athens on your own) which gives you longer in the city as you don't need to leave so early if you have to make your own way back and allow for delays. It drops you close to the Acropolis - we started to walk around the base and went into the new Museum which was fantastic we thought - but if you haven't been before I would say doing the Acropolis/Parthenon is perhaps the thing you ought to do. But if you decide to do this get off early if you are going independently or make your way straight there if on the Thomson transfer to try to beat the crowds a bit. Also take water, shoes with a good grip and sunhats - it's hot, exposed and the marble steps are slippery.

 

We've done the Corinth Canal trip which is quite interesting but I'd say this is not the excursion to do the first time you visit Athens - it's far too exciting a city to visit to waste the opportunity to go in and explore imo.

 

Here are another couple of clips from reviews I did on Santorini. I'd say you should go to Oia. You can either go with Thomson (my first post) or go on the local bus which we have done a couple of times since (second post). We met Little Nell and family coming back on the bus last year and we all agreed it was a great place and very easy to DiY.

 

Santorini:

We were very lucky to have been able to land here unlike two weeks earlier. I had discovered from a site someone mentioned on the forum that would be three other ships in the bay (one very large) on the same day as us. Because I was concerned that this would put pressure on tendering (done by local tendering service - not the ship's tenders) and the cable cars, we decided to book a half day trip to Oia. It was fantastic - such a beautiful place. We had about an hour and a half free time here but I would have liked to stay much longer. It's gorgeous. Next time I think we'll try to get there independently and spend most of the day in Oia. We were dropped in Thira when we got back and given a voucher to use the cable cars to get down to the tenders when we were ready to return to the ship. This gave us plenty of time to explore Thira - another gem but not quite as picturesque/quaint as Oia. The bars/cafes have some fabulous locations here so it's worth taking some time out to chill and enjoy the magnificent view - you can also see the ships down below in the crater. It's breath-taking. One tip, one of the huge american ships leaves around 13.00 and the queue for the cable car at around mid-day was enormous. Mid afternoon there was no pressure at all. (Cable car trip, one way is 4E - but included in the price if you've done the excursion.)

 

Second post:

 

My recommendation would be to go to Oia the village at the top end of the island.

Thomson do a trip to Oia which we did the first time and enjoyed. The advantage of this is that the tender takes you off first (unless you are lucky – see later) and takes you to a small port where the coach picks you up. You have a couple of hours in Oia then come back to Thira and give you a cable car ticket (worth 4E) to get down from Thira down to where the tenders will take you back to Majesty. You can spend some time in Thira before heading back.

 

We have since done this trip independently on two occasions including this time on the local bus as it allows us to spend more time in Oia which we prefer and it is of course, cheap. You have to get the tender which takes you to Thira though (not the one the excursions use) so take care you’re on the right one. They will usually announce when the tenders for independents are available (after the excursions have left) but if you are early say 8.15 – 8.30 you may just be lucky to get a tender to Thira before they start doing the excursion tenders as we did. 4 pax and one port official tendered across at 8.30!

 

This gave us a head start also for transfer up the cable car which was virtually empty! It does get busy later and long queues develop but they do move pretty quickly – 36 passengers per group of six cars at three minute intervals so it may look like a horrendous queue but may not take more than 10/15 minutes to get to the front. For people who didn’t get off the ship because of not liking cable cars, I’d encourage them to go for it. Santorini is such a gem and if you face the rock face you’ll hardly be aware of the height and it’s so quick – worth it I’d say!

 

Of course there is the option of climbing up the steps but not only is this a big pull up on uneven, slippy, dung covered steps – to say nothing of having to avoid the donkeys (I’ll let Little Nell tell you of her experiences!) but it’s not to be recommended. You can also get a donkey but animal welfare issues to one side (I would never use them) thye can be quite dangerous – we heard of a guy who fell off hitting his head and bleeding profusely the day we were there.

 

So, we used the cable car. There is a bus station marked on the Thira map you get on board and we made straight for there catching the 9.15 bus. Here is the timetable – click ‘Services’ then ‘Timetables’

http://www.ktel-santorini.gr/

It was very cheap – can’t remember now but perhaps 1.60E? The bus ends at Oia so you can’t go wrong and picks up at the same place for the return which on this occasion (the 13.00 service) took us via the ‘low road’ so we were able to see something of the other side of the island.

Fab, fab, fab. What a place – find a café for a drink overlooking the caldera. Bliss!

 

Hope that helps. :)

[Jakanne1]

We did the Thomson excursion which also stopped for wine tasting. what I liked about it was that the journey on the coach took us over the "back" of the island and the guide pointed out places of interest and told lots of interesting bits about the geography and history of the island. Next time, as we have done this, I like Kruzseeka, would do it independently as it is easy to do.

 

As we have been to Athens, we stayed in Piraeus and took the little train, got off at a harbour, walked for a while, had a drink overlooking some expensive boats, and then caught the little train back.

[Dreamgirl1957]

Wow, thanks to both of you. Have printed yours off kruzseeka, think ive got it sussed :confused::confused:

 

 

At Santorini did you mean : Tender from ship, que for shuttle to cable car then from there bus to Oia? Or have i got it all wrong ! Will read it again tonight and get my head round it.

 

When you work out the trips they are dear but i like the sound of seeing more of the island and the wine tasting etc even if it is a bit touristy :rolleyes: will see what hubby says .

[Julessmiles]

Hi again :rolleyes:

Anyone been on any tours in Athens and Santorini ?

Never been to either place before and we never usually bother with tours.

A) Do we need to book one in either place to see the main sights and B) if so which ones are the best value wise ;) !

Have looked through the ones on offer and most are quite similar so just thought anyone whos been would know the best to pick (if we need to pick one at all)

Our budget is not high :eek: and if either can be done easily on your own will do that.

Want to go up high in Santorini for the views :cool: can see there is a cable car , can you easily book this yourself or just pay on the day , do you also get near any villages if you do this etc etc...and would like to see Acropolis but not too worried if not up close if that maks sense.

Corinth canal would be fab but cant do both so which is best :confused:

Would appriciate anyones input :D

 

We didn't get to Santorini due to high winds but Athens is quite easy to DIY. We took the Thomson transfer bus which dropped us into the centre of Athens, purely for ease & we knew if the bus was late back that the ship would wait!! It drops you near Plaka which is a lovely old town you can wander around; lots of little touristy shops, old buildings, coffee shops etc. From there, it is a short walk to the Acropolis - we walked to the top and all around the top & got some amazing views of the City & the Acropolis but we didn't go in as it was incredibly hot & busy & we were happy to see it from the outside.

 

There is a little land train that takes people around the various tourist areas but we didn't use it.

 

We then walked up to the Parliament Buildings & watched the Changing of the Guard, which was actually my highlight of visiting Athens-the guards do their little 'skip march' with their pompom shoes & 'dress' uniform. You can have your photo taken with them too if you want. We wandered around the gardens nearby and then back to the transfer bus. We only had a short time in Athens as the ship left quite early afternoon.

 

We are returning this year and will definitely be booking onto the Corinith Canal trip as we might not get the chance to head that way again for a while !!!!!

[Dreamgirl1957]

Hi Jules, when you say the boat shuttle bus etc did you mean the " Athens by yourself " about £20pp ?

[Julessmiles]

I forgot to say that when we got back to the port, the bus dropped us off at the security/customs area where you have to queue & go through the usual airport type security and it was extremely busy. The ship was docked a long way from here & we had to go on a transfer bus back to the ship so if you do DIY, please allow at least 1/2 hour for this!!

[Julessmiles]

Hi Jules, when you say the boat shuttle bus etc did you mean the " Athens by yourself " about £20pp ?

 

Yes, that would be the one - think it's gone up in price since last year but it was very quick & easy; we were in Athens within 30 mins. My friend who we went with had been twice before & had gone via Metro those times but she said the transfer was so much easier......

[Dreamgirl1957]

Yes, that would be the one - think it's gone up in price since last year but it was very quick & easy; we were in Athens within 30 mins. My friend who we went with had been twice before & had gone via Metro those times but she said the transfer was so much easier......

 

Thanks Jules, may do that one then and try kruz's train when we go back which we hopefully will as Athens pops up on lots of itinerarys :):)

[kruzseeka]

Wow, thanks to both of you. Have printed yours off kruzseeka, think ive got it sussed :confused::confused:

 

 

At Santorini did you mean : Tender from ship, que for shuttle to cable car then from there bus to Oia? Or have i got it all wrong ! Will read it again tonight and get my head round it.

 

When you work out the trips they are dear but i like the sound of seeing more of the island and the wine tasting etc even if it is a bit touristy :rolleyes: will see what hubby says .

 

It's a pleasure Dreamgirl! :)

 

Yes, tender from ship, cable car at the harbour there, buy tickets (if you get off early you shouldn't have to queue for long), then using the port map walk to the bus station. It's just off the main road which runs parallel to the cliff edge behind some buildings. It's a little hidden (down some steps on the left as you walk along the main road) but we have always asked people who have been able to help us find it. It's about a 10 minute walk I should think from the cable car station. It's an iconic place - so atmospheric and different from anywhaere else I've ever been. Magical! Enjoy!;)

[Dreamgirl1957]

We dont normally do trips , have only done a couple in the past and booked them on the ship. Do you think theres a need to book now or should i wait? :confused:

[Julessmiles]

We dont normally do trips , have only done a couple in the past and booked them on the ship. Do you think theres a need to book now or should i wait? :confused:

 

We left our Athens one until onboard only because we didn't know what we would be doing - our husbands did the cycle trip; loved it! It means you can pay it now & less to pay when you go & you get the tickets for them in your cabin usually the day after you arrive & one less thing to worry about! Otherwise you just fill in the form onboard & drop it in the destination services box or give it to the staff.

 

You can get a refund if you decide not to go on the trip providing you give them 24 hours notice. I shall be booking ours in the next few days.....

[kruzseeka]

Yes, that would be the one - think it's gone up in price since last year but it was very quick & easy; we were in Athens within 30 mins. My friend who we went with had been twice before & had gone via Metro those times but she said the transfer was so much easier......

 

 

I think I would agree with Jules on this one - we had always gone independently on the Metro (perhaps 3 or 4 times) but for the first time last year we did the Thomson transfer (Athens on your Own) and really enjoyed the more relaxed approach - no worrying about the train to get back and leaving ridiculously early to make sure we were back in good time. We had far longer to wander and for cafes stops (there are some lovely ones in Plaka) and as Jules' friend said, it was very quick - much quicker than I had imagined. If you think the cost of this transfer is reasonable that's what I'd recommend you do - but I would say that it's worth doing your own thing once in the city rather than an excursion which dictates where you go and for how long. Much better to decide those things for yourself once you see what's on offer. The Metro is a very cheap but a far less convenient way of doing it.

 

Incidentally there is a HoHo bus service in Athens (you can pick it up where the Thomson transfer drops you) or there is also one which picks up at the port in Piraeus - so that's another option.

 

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/greece/athens.htm#tourlandingposition

[Dreamgirl1957]

It's a pleasure Dreamgirl! :)

 

Yes, tender from ship, cable car at the harbour there, buy tickets (if you get off early you shouldn't have to queue for long), then using the port map walk to the bus station. It's just off the main road which runs parallel to the cliff edge behind some buildings. It's a little hidden (down some steps on the left as you walk along the main road) but we have always asked people who have been able to help us find it. It's about a 10 minute walk I should think from the cable car station. It's an iconic place - so atmospheric and different from anywhaere else I've ever been. Magical! Enjoy!;)

 

Thanks kruz, will def do this one on our own i think i can just about manage it lol !;);)

[skioncruises]

Hi Dreamgirl1957

 

We've found the "On Your Own" trips at various ports are good as their is normally a guide on the coach from the ship to the drop off point who will give a little bit of history plus tips and a good map to find your way around, tell you where the pick up point is and when to be there by.

 

Because of the short time in Athens last year we did this and found it good. We also did the little train which killed about an hour going in and out all the back streets giving a running commentary with the aid of a map pointing out the various historical sites.

 

Santorini you can do on your own, either with the various suggestions given or just wandering around the little streets browsing and popping into the churches, having a coffee/drink, soaking up the atmosphere, etc. One tip though - to get the cable car back down to the tender DO NOT try to get down between 12.30 and 2pm. There are other ships in and the queue was miles long. It was so bad and very hot that we actually walked down through all the donkeys (and their deposits) who were on their siesta. It took about 50 minutes which we thought was better than standing in a long queue for what we guessed would be longer. There were only six cars each taking six people.

[Dreamgirl1957]

Hi Dreamgirl1957

 

We've found the "On Your Own" trips at various ports are good as their is normally a guide on the coach from the ship to the drop off point who will give a little bit of history plus tips and a good map to find your way around, tell you where the pick up point is and when to be there by.

 

Because of the short time in Athens last year we did this and found it good. We also did the little train which killed about an hour going in and out all the back streets giving a running commentary with the aid of a map pointing out the various historical sites.

 

Santorini you can do on your own, either with the various suggestions given or just wandering around the little streets browsing and popping into the churches, having a coffee/drink, soaking up the atmosphere, etc. One tip though - to get the cable car back down to the tender DO NOT try to get down between 12.30 and 2pm. There are other ships in and the queue was miles long. It was so bad and very hot that we actually walked down through all the donkeys (and their deposits) who were on their siesta. It took about 50 minutes which we thought was better than standing in a long queue for what we guessed would be longer. There were only six cars each taking six people.

 

Thanks skioncruises, that's brilliant, will def do our own thing in Santorini thanks to everyone's help and do the "Athens on your own shuttle" as its our first time there .

 

Really appreciate all the tips which I'm printing off :):)

 

Sent from my Galaxy S111 using Tapatalk

[alli234]

i would like to say thank you to all the replies,doing this cruise on june 7th

[Dreamgirl1957]

i would like to say thank you to all the replies,doing this cruise on june 7th

 

Will uou let me know how you get on when you get back Alli?

 

We go 28th June, got a stay first, cruise starts 5th July :):):)

 

Sent from my Galaxy S3 with Tapatalk

[Julessmiles]

Have you been to Spinalonga before, Dreamgirl? Can thoroughly recommend that trip if you haven't done it before!

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Oooh so do I, especially if you have read The Island by Victora Hislop :)

[alli234]

Thanks skioncruises, that's brilliant, will def do our own thing in Santorini thanks to everyone's help and do the "Athens on your own shuttle" as its our first time there .

 

Really appreciate all the tips which I'm printing off :):)

 

Sent from my Galaxy S111 using Tapatalk

 

Have you been to Spinalonga before, Dreamgirl? Can thoroughly recommend that trip if you haven't done it before!

i have read the book twice and will read it again before i go, Did you do the thomson trip or on your own.

[Julessmiles]

i have read the book twice and will read it again before i go, Did you do the thomson trip or on your own.

 

We did the Thomson trip which was very good as we left fairly early in the morning so we were the first people on the Island; as we were leaving lots of tripper boats were steaming on & it was getting very crowded. The guide who stayed with us for the whole trip brought it all to life, too as she went through the history, the story of the book, The Island and made it very interesting. We had some free time there too and then had a lovely Greek lunch in a taverna overlooking the harbour & Island at Elounda. We then had time on the beach after before we were taken back to the port. It also gave us time to wander around Ag Nik too before the ship left!

 

If you haven't been to Ephesus before, it is definitely worth a visit from Kusadasi too!

[Dreamgirl1957]

i have read the book twice and will read it again before i go, Did you do the thomson trip or on your own.

 

No havnt been but will def look into it and looks like I'd better get the book ;););)

 

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[Little Nell]

Hi Dreamgirl, I have copied the relevant parts of my review from last year. I hope you find it interesting.

 

 

 

Santorini

 

A beautiful place. On Kruzseeka's advice we took bus from Thira to Oia and that is an absolutely idyllic place full of narrow alleyways, blue domed churches and lovely craft shops and little art galleries. The views from here are wonderful. I would recommend you go here early as after we had lunch it was becoming very busy when we headed back to Thira. The queue for the cable car was very long and we decided to walk down the donkey path. Definitely not one of our better decisions and not to be recommended. The path is very slippery and covered in donkey poo. It winds back on itself several times as it snakes down the mountain and it took us over 40 minutes in blistering heat. The worst part of it was the donkeys themselves. They are not donkeys, they are huge. One of them had feet like a shire horse! They veer towards you and there is nowhere to shelter from them. I was terrified. To add insult to injury, we later learned that the queue went down very, very quickly. Must admit we had a good laugh about it afterwards.

 

Athens

 

Not having been to Athens before we decide to do the Acropolis trip with Thomson. We had an excellent guide who started to speak the minute the coach started moving and told us all sorts of interesting information about Greece. We did a bus tour of the main sites, stopping only once for photographs at the Olympic stadium and then on to the Acropolis. This is a real highlight and not to be missed. Very interesting historically, stunning visually and with breathtaking views over Athens on a beautiful day like we were blessed with. I worried about the climb up the stairs, especially after Keith, I think, said their guide rushed them up, but ours did it at a pace I managed no problem. It is a bit daunting when you see how high you have to climb but it was okay. The only disappointment was the early sailing which meant we could not explore on our own afterwards. Another excellent Thomson excursion.

[Dreamgirl1957]

Thanks Little Nell, ive printed your post off too, case will be heavy with all this paper !

 

Not sure what to do in Athens now, its the old saying , i used to be indesisive but know im not so sure........ :confused::confused:

 

Trouble is im trying to keep the cost down but then again if your there its such a shame not to see these things.

We were thinking of doing the "Athens on your own" if we do can you see the Acropolis in the distance from the town?

Will have to do some googleing and see if i can get my head around it !!!

Thanks :)

 

 

Jules , Spinalonga looks lovely and the whole tour sounds really nice especially as there would be time to stroll round Ag Nik after so think thats a def. :D:D

Just looking for the book now to see if can get it for Kindle ;)