Greece? before Civitavecchi>FL transatlantic cruise in Nov

[AKJonesy]

We will sail on Nieuw Statendam from Civit to FL November 16.  We have visiting and seen much of Italy in the past, but have never been to Greece.  I have read that Greece in November can be cool and drizzly.  We don't care about missing out on visiting beaches anyway.  We were thinking of flying over a week or even two in advance to see the well-known sites in Athens, etc, BUT would like to get to the less visited places, if possible.  If possible means taking ferries to other places, but not sure of where those "other places" are and if it is even possible to do such a thing in November.  I also have to considering that I am limited to walking probably 3 miles a day due to a hip replacement that didn't work out too well on top of dragging luggage around.  Are we wrong for thinking about visiting Greece in November.  If not, other than the typical tourist sites, where else could I start researching?  I know it's a big question, but thanks in advance for any information.  

[AKJonesy]

@Hlitner I'm not getting any responses, and am beginning to wonder if this is not a very good idea.  I could not find an old post of yours talking about getting out to some of the other islands in Greece.  As I said, we have not been to Greece and thought, considering the time of year, it would be a great time to visit...and a bit warmer than Northern Europe, for example.  I'd appreciate any input you might have.  Thanks.  

[mapleleaves]

You might ask your question on the Greece forum on TripAdvisor; perhaps a local Destination Expert can offer suggestions.

Also, borrow a few Greece travel books from your library to read about various points of interest within Greece. 

 

[zqvol]

Here are some island places I would go to:

 

Aegnia

Hydra

Paros

Patmos

Mykonos/Delos

Delphi through one of the many towns near there

See the Corinth Canal or if your lucky get a boat/ship through it 

 

Maybe this will help

 

 

[Hlitner]

I am also surprised at the lack of response to the OP's questions.  I do think part of the reason is that most experienced travelers, that post here on CC, tend to travel in-season or during the shoulder seasons.  When we do island hopping (using ferries) in the Greek Islands, it is during the season (or shoulders) because it suits our own style which does include gong to some beaches, outdoor night life. etc.  Sitting at an outdoor restaurant in Naxos, at 10pm, is fine during (or near) the season, but not likely to be something we would want to do in late November.  You might want to consider some short day trip ferries such as to Aegina and/or Hydra.  But I have no clue what those islands would be like that late in November or the frequency of ferries in the off season.

 

I should also mention that taking ferries (which are often the size of a small-medium size cruise ship) does favor folks who are mobile, can handle their own luggage, etc.  Just getting on a large ferry, with luggage, can require some effort and one is not likely to get much help.  It often means walking up ramps, negotiating some steps, etc.  And once arrives at their destination island, they must reverse the process. try to find a taxi, get to a rental car location that may or may not be convenient, etc.  For some of us, this is just normal travel life and we are well within our comfort level.  For many folks we have met on cruise ships, this would not be their idea of fun.

 

So what to do in Greece in November?  We would certainly take advantage of the smaller crowds to enjoy the usual attractions found in and around Athens.  Climbing up the Acropolis in cooler weather would be a welcome change from doing it in 100F.  The OP might also want to consider a full day trip to Delphi.  Many of these day tours include visits to some other historic places and the ccoler weather will be a real plus.  A drive down to Sounion is also a nice way to spend at least half a day.  There are also some interesting caves (for folks that like to explore such places) in Greece and I recall once stumbling on a cave while driving from Sounion to Athens along the less popular inland route.  

 

Off season, I would favor going to Crete, which is a huge island that has its share of historic sites and some nice towns.  The popular islands, such as Santorini and Mykonos, go into something akin to hibernation after their shoulder season.  Many shops and cafes will even close for the winter season.  The thing to remember about Crete is that it is a very large place that is over 160 miles long (east-west).  One could probably plan a nice, off season, driving trip on that island.

 

Hank

 

 

[AKJonesy]

Hank, @Hlitner I am the OP and going to Greece would be probably around the late first to second week of November and not the end of November...just as an FYI.  Thanks for all of the information from all of the posters.  I will continue to do more research, but think Greece, as far as Europe goes would be warmer obviously than the north.  Being from Alaska also we are not considered about weather in the 40-60 F degree range.  

[Hlitner]

3 minutes ago, AKJonesy said:

Hank, @Hlitner I am the OP and going to Greece would be probably around the late first to second week of November and not the end of November...just as an FYI.  Thanks for all of the information from all of the posters.  I will continue to do more research, but think Greece, as far as Europe goes would be warmer obviously than the north.  Being from Alaska also we are not considered about weather in the 40-60 F degree range.  

LOL about the temps.  You will certainly not freeze.  DW and I do enjoy the beach, the sea, etc. so we prefer the warmer weather (we live in Mexico during the winter).  The last time I was in "your neck of the woods,"  Ak was having a heat wave!  We went hiking in Denali in shorts and t-shirts and were sweating in 80 degree temps.  On the other hand, Athens can easily top 100 in the summer, and it really is an awful place during their too frequent heat waves.

 

Hank

[marazul]

@AKJonesy

It's a great idea. It's good your time is flexible.  I really advise splitting your time between the mainland and some of the islands.  You have heard about the islands, so here are "must" see sites on the mainland.  Do consider renting a car.

 

North of Athens: Absolute must sees are Delphi and Meteora.

South of Athens: The entire Peloponnesus. You can divide it into sections. 

     Close to Athens: Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio. This is the Argolis area.

     Further south: Mystras and Monemvassia 

     South coast: Gytheio and Mani peninsula

     West coast: Olympia

     Central: Loussios gorge

 

I recommend you look at Matt Barrett's website for all about Greece:

https://www.greecetravel.com/

https://www.greecetravel.com/greek-mainland.htm

Edited July 30 by marazul