Greece has a planning trap unique among Mediterranean destinations: the islands you want to combine into one trip don’t all run on the same operating calendar. Ferries between the Cyclades \u2014 Santorini, Mykonos, and the rest \u2014 run frequently from roughly June through September and taper off sharply outside that window, with some routes not running at all in winter. Book a January “island-hopping” trip the way you’d plan an August one, and there may simply be no boat. This guide starts here because it changes the actual shape of a Greece itinerary more than almost any other single fact.<\/p>\n
Most itineraries start in Athens for good reason \u2014 it’s where international flights land, and the Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, and the old Plaka neighborhood are worth two full days on their own before heading anywhere else. Our existing guide to the Greek islands<\/a> picks up from there with island-by-island detail; our 7-day itinerary<\/a> puts Athens and two islands together into one concrete route with real ferry times and prices.<\/p>\n From roughly June through September, and especially in late July and August, the Aegean gets the Meltemi \u2014 strong, sustained northern winds that can hit 25\u201335 knots at their peak. It doesn’t ruin a trip, but it’s worth knowing about for two practical reasons: high-speed catamaran ferries are more prone to cancellation in strong Meltemi conditions than larger, slower ferries, and choppy conditions can make an otherwise pleasant crossing genuinely unpleasant. Building in a spare day between island hops during peak Meltemi season is a real, practical hedge, not overcaution.<\/p>\n Athens has an efficient Metro system connecting the airport, the city center, and Piraeus port, where most Cyclades ferries depart. Between islands, ferries are the standard \u2014 both slower conventional ferries and faster (but pricier, and more wind-sensitive) high-speed catamarans, bookable in advance through operators or aggregators. A rental car makes sense on Crete or the mainland, where distances are longer and public transport thinner, but is unnecessary and often impractical on smaller islands built around a compact main town.<\/p>\n A realistic mid-range daily budget \u2014 private accommodation, a mix of taverna meals, inter-island ferries, and typical sightseeing \u2014 runs around \u20ac90\u2013140 per person per day, with island accommodation (particularly Santorini and Mykonos in peak season) running noticeably higher than Athens or less famous islands. Ferry tickets between the major Cyclades islands typically run \u20ac45\u201390 each way depending on route and vessel speed \u2014 a real line item worth budgeting for explicitly on a multi-island trip, not an afterthought.<\/p>\nThe wind worth knowing about: Meltemi<\/h2>\n
Getting around<\/h2>\n
What it costs<\/h2>\n
Where the rest of this coverage picks up<\/h2>\n
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