Paros

Where to stay

Budget travelers base themselves in Parikia, the port town, where most hostels sit within a ten-minute walk of the ferry dock and the old Kastro neighborhood. Naoussa to the north is more picturesque but noticeably pricier, making Parikia the practical choice for anyone watching their daily spend.

Getting around

• The KTEL bus between Parikia and Naoussa runs regularly through summer and costs under two euros each way. Rent a scooter only if you want to reach the southeastern beaches around Aliki or Drios, which the bus barely serves.
• The Panagia Ekatontapyliani in Parikia is free to enter and one of the best-preserved early Christian basilicas in the Aegean. It takes about an hour and saves you the cost of a boat tour to feel like you've actually seen the island.
• Ferry tickets from Piraeus vary a lot by operator and booking window. The high-speed catamarans cut travel time roughly in half but cost nearly double. If your schedule allows flexibility, the slower Blue Star overnight sailing is the better deal.

When to go

Hostels are cheapest in May and early June, then again in late September. They fill up and prices spike hard through July and August, with the last two weeks of August being the tightest.