We are taking our 3 daughters to Athens for 3 days at the end of August. One of those days we wanted to get out of the city and show the girls a "real" island experience - sort of like the one from "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Which island is the easiest day trip from Athens? What are the logistics about getting to the port (we are staying at the Athens Hilton) and catching a ferry? How much does it cost? Should we try and do it one our own or should we just book the full day tour that goes to Aegina, Poros and Hydra? It does get expensive for 5 people though to go on the tour. Thanks for your help! Claudia

Eleni Gage: Hello, family in Dix Hills,
Check out my answer to Kristine in Lexington and you'll see that Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses are the closest islands to Athens (they're called the Saronic Gulf islands). It's totally doable to go to one of them on your own--and Hydra will look the most like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, because of the donkeys on the harbor! You can get on the subway in front of the Hilton and take it down to the port of Piraeus to catch the hydrofoil (faster than the ferry); schedules and prices are at hellenicseaways.gr, and ferry schedules are at greekferries.gr The cruise you mention is a nice option because you get to see three islands, but you won't have as much time on each island, so if you're concerned about the cost, I'd wing it and go to Hydra on your own. (I gave Kristine some suggestions about what to do on Hydra, so you can check those out, too.) In Athens, I'd recommend taking the girls up to Mt. Lycabbettus for a soda or coffee at sunset; it's a small white chapel to St. George at the top of a hill in Athens, with great views. To get there you can take a funicular or walk up whitewashed steps through a picturesque neighborhood--I would recommend doing that because it will feel very Traveling Pants to the girls. The caf? at the top is expensive--you're paying for the view!--so come back down and eat at one of the more casual places along the steps, or hop in a cab or subway and go to Filoistron, my favorite restaurant in Athens on the pedestrian walkway with views of the Acropolis and Mt. Lycabbettus lit up at night (filoistron.gr). It is affordable and authentic--but keep in mind no one goes to dinner before 10, although you can probably get dinner at 9 if you try!

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Scottsdale, AZ: Next year, in Oct., we want to see the Greek Isles. A day in Athens should be enough; then we want to head for Crete, then some other islands (as many as we can see sufficiently in two weeks). Even though Ken likes to have his ducks in a row (hotels lined up ahead of time), I'm insisting we just wing it. If we want to stay longer on one island, we can; or if we want to move along sooner than planned, we can do that, too. With a plan like that, whats the best way to see Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, and whatever other islands we can fit in? We are both in our mid-fifties, but very active, love hiking, sightseeing, photography. Ken is anxious to see where democracy began; I'm just anxious to see Greece again after 30 years!We live in Phoenix, Az. but would probably leave for Greece from NY or Atlanta, or whatever works out best. Lynn

Eleni Gage: October is a great time to go--beautiful weather and not as crowded. I'd spend at least two days in Athens--you want to see the Acropolis, the subways in Syntagma square, eat at some of the great restaurants (I love Filoistron, filoistron.com), maybe visit the Olympic stadium maybe, roam around Plaka. One night, two days, I'd suggest. The fastest way to get around is flying--a flight from Athens to an island won't take more than 45 minutes--and I think the cheapest and best airline is Aegean, aegeanair.com. But it's nicer sometimes to take a hydrofoil or ferry. Hydrofoil info is at hellenicseaways.gr, and the ferries are at greekferries.gr

Santorini is a great choice--you'll feel like you "saw Greece". Stay in Oia--it's the most beautiful town, recognized by the world monument fun. and Mykonos will be calmer than in summer and is also beautiful--the main town, the windmills. Ken will want to take a daytrip to Delos to see Apollo's island, which is cool. My favorite beach (no chair rental, but there's a monastery at the top of the hill and a taverna with no electricity but great grilled specials halfway down) is Agios Sostis. I'm going to Crete for the first time this summer, but that's great too, and you'll want to hike the Samaria gorge. I'd also try to see Hydra, which is very close to Athens and lovely (a lot of artists and photographers live there--you could even go as a daytrip but you'll wish you stayed), Corfu (the main town is so lovely, the prettiest city I've seen anywhere), and there's a hiking path, the Corfu Trail, you can google. Folegandros is great (in the Cyclades) and I also like Paros (Naoussa especially) and Antiparos. Read up on the places I've named and pick what you can fit in--in two weeks, you should be able to hit four or so I think.
Have a great time!

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Hithland Park, New Jersey: I'll be in Crete for 3 days in August. What is the best way to see the island: local bus, scooter or rent a car?

Eleni Gage: If you can, rent a car--then you're not dependent on the bus schedules. I'm afraid of scooters, personally--I know a few people who've gotten banged up on Greek islands on scooters. Automatic cars can be hard to find if you need one, but Smart Cars are automatics, and cheaper than regular rentals if there's two of you or less. (I noticed this site offers them: motorclub.gr)

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New Market, Maryland: I'm concerned about the political climate in the Middle East. Are the Greek islands that are closer to Turkey safe for travelers? Do you have any suggestions for how we find out about any problem areas before we go?

Eleni Gage: Generally, the Greek islands near Turkey are very safe. I especially love Symi; Rhodes is great, too, and has a lot of history--the Crusaders were there and it once had a large Jewish community, which is interesting--you can still visit the synagogue. If you're concerned, when planning your trip, check out the state department website for travel advisories (travel.state.gov/travel). But overall, Greece is very safe.

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