Athens and Greek island holiday Athens will be hot in August, but it shouldn't be too busy. The majority of Greeks take their annual summer holiday at this time and leave for the islands or the countryside, so you could easily enjoy a few days" leisurely sightseeing. Visit the new Acropolis Museum, walk the pedestrian-only "archaeological promenade" connecting the main ancient sites, and maybe catch a Hellenic Festival (greekfestival.gr) evening performance at the Herodion. For the remaining week, there are lots of ferries and high-speed catamarans from Athens" port, Piraeus, to the Aegean Islands. So you could take this opportunity to choose an island that isn't served by direct flights from Britain; those suitable for families and offering a good range of accommodation include Milos (milos.gr), Paros (paros.gr) or Naxos (naxos.gr). The boats will be busy, mainly with Greeks, but reservations are essential only if you want to take a car, and this is not a good idea - it is cheaper to hire one on an island. Alternatively, to avoid the issue of car hire completely, opt for a stress-free holiday on the tiny island of Hydra (hydra.gr), which has no cars at all. If you prefer to stay on the mainland, hire a car in Athens and drive down to the Mani peninsula (insidemani.gr) in the south Peloponnese, known for its rugged mountainous landscapes, remote villages and pleasant pebble beaches, or head north to Mount Pelion (peliorama.gr), behind Volos, which has pinewoods and waterfalls that keep it cool even in summer, plus several restored stone mansions, which now function as b & bs. Click here to read Jane Foster's complete guide to Athens About Jane Foster Based in Athens and Dubrovnik, Jane has written guidebooks on the Balkans, Croatia and Greece and writes regularly for The Daily Telegraph.