Truly one of the best ways to see Greece is to plan a Greek Island Hopping Vacation. This can be done by air, by sea or a combination of the two. Budget and timing are a serious consideration as they will dictate how many different islands you can see, and what class of hotels you should be looking at. Know that the islands you choose will also make a difference in pricing as some are more visited, thus more expensive, while others are lesser known and less expensive.
Here are some things to consider before getting started; destinations you are interested in, the different types of transportation available, choosing your hotels and then finally planning some sightseeing and fun activities.
Start with your budget and dates. A reasonable budget, for a couple traveling from the USA or Canada to Greece and staying for one week, would be about €2,500 per person. This would include the international plane tickets, your transportation on the islands and accommodations in 3 and 4 star hotels. You should plan on a night or two in Athens, either at the start or finish of the trip, and no less than 3 nights on each island. This will give you a true feel for each place you visit.
Dates will make a difference as the international plane tickets are much more expensive for July and August (as are the hotels) and, you can't check availability at the hotels if you don't have a good idea of the dates you wish to stay in them. Preparing a 1 week island hopping package for the end of May in 4 star hotels will be less expensive than preparing an island hopping package for the end of July which will be double if not triple the price of a May package.
Next, choose which islands to visit. This is a tricky part of the planning process and you will see why when we get to transportation. There are over 6,000 Greek islands with about 230 of them being inhabited and only 78 having a population of more than 100 people. This is still a huge number of potential islands to choose from!
When working with clients I would usually get a sense of who they are through our correspondences and then recommend which islands will be best for them. I have a 6th sense about this but it is absolutely useless when addressing the entire web... but I will try!
If you are looking for romance, look at Santorini and Elounda in Crete. If you are looking for fun, Mykonos, Corfu, Kos, Zakynthos, Hersonissos in Crete. If you are looking for peace and quiet with beautiful landscapes try Paxos and Kefalonia or island hop from Sifnos to Milos to Koufonissi. There are many islands that make great combinations, just open a map that has the sea routes on it and you will see what connections are possible.
Many great Island Hopping trips include a combination of nearby islands that are easy to navigate from one to the other with little waste of time or money for the ships. For a 1 week visit, I recommend Mykonos and Santorini as a good start if you have not been to Greece before. If these islands are too expensive for you or too busy for you, then go for Tinos and Paros, or maybe Folegandros and Santorini, or even Mykonos and Tinos.
Island hopping transportation
If choosing your destination was tricky, this part of the process will seem impossible. There are a few things that you should know before you start, namely that the islands may look like they are close together but the distances are much greater than you think. Most islands do not connect easily by boat to other island chains and none of the islands connect to each other by commercial flight, some of them don't even have airports! If you choose destinations in the same island chain, you have a better chance of making quick, easy boat trips from one place to the other - open a map of Greece and look for the sea routes.
Choosing your hotels on the islands
There are several different types and classes of hotels you can choose from on the islands. Smaller, less traveled islands may not have luxury hotels at all. I have had many clients ask me for a 5 star hotel on Tinos and it just doesn't exist. Most islands have choices ranging from luxury (5 star), first class (4 star), average (3 star) or budget (2 star and pension rooms). There are also studios, apartments and villas. Within these choices you have the standard room, the sea view room, the superior, deluxe, suite etc. You will also need to decide where on the island you would prefer to stay, on the beach, in town or in one of the little villages inland or sea-side.
Sightseeing and activities on your island hopping adventure.
Each island will have something to do and it is worth looking into before you travel although many tours are based upon weather and/or participation so you might not be able to book them in advance. Still, knowing what you want to do when you get there will make it much easier to enjoy your stay.
Sunset and day cruises around the islands are usually done quite well. An Island Tour will always prove interesting and useful in getting to know where you are and taking lots of photos you wouldn't otherwise get. There are scuba diving clubs all over Greece where you can try or enjoy diving; just about all of them will rent snorkel gear for the day. Then there are bigger excursions like visiting the ancient sites or hiking a gorge on Crete. Wine tasting and cooking courses are also a great way to get to know what is grown locally and how it is prepared by the locals. Hiking in itself is a free and amazing way to see the area you are staying in. You should also ask your hotel reception where the locals eat and try it.
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