Greek Islands Flights from the UK: Real Prices, Honest Takes

Corfu from £67 return on easyJet from Gatwick is the sweet spot right now for a Greek island that delivers without destroying your bank account. Shoulder season dates in May and early June are where those prices live, peak July returns on the same route push closer to £140. Corfu town is genuinely lovely, the food is good, and it doesn't feel like a package holiday graveyard.

Rhodes from £84 return on Ryanair from Stansted is solid value for a larger island with a proper medieval old town worth your time. Ryanair also fly to Rhodes from Manchester and Edinburgh, so you're not stuck driving to London. Prices on the Manchester route sit around £97-£119 return in shoulder season.

Zante from £89 return on Jet2 from Manchester is the one to book if you're travelling with mates or family and want a package-style trip without the full package price. Jet2 also fly Zante from Birmingham and Glasgow, usually £95-£115 return in May. Be straight with yourself about what Zante is in August though: it's Magaluf with a nicer beach, and the flights reflect the demand.

Kos from £82 return on easyJet from Gatwick is criminally underrated for how much island you get. It's quieter than Rhodes, the food is cheaper, and September here is genuinely perfect, 27 degrees with half the tourists gone.

Heraklion from £79 return on easyJet from Luton is one of the best flight deals to Greece you'll find right now, and Crete rewards you with more to do than any other Greek island. The competition between airlines on this route is real, Ryanair also fly Heraklion from Stansted from around £86 return, which keeps prices honest.

The second airport at Chania is the one savvy travellers use. Chania from £93 return on easyJet from Gatwick drops you in the western half of the island, which is quieter, greener, and has better hiking. Jet2 fly Chania from Manchester from around £102 return if the south of England isn't practical for you.

The Heraklion versus Chania decision actually matters. Heraklion puts you close to the Minoan ruins at Knossos and the busy north coast resorts. Chania gives you the Samaria Gorge, Balos lagoon, and a seriously good food scene in the old harbour. Go for a week and split the difference by hiring a car, they're cheap on Crete, usually £18-£25 a day.

May and June are the best months to visit Crete. The sea is warm enough, the wildflowers are still out in the hills, and you'll pay a fraction of the August price both for flights and accommodation. September is the other golden window, the summer rush is done and the weather holds easily into the low 30s.

Santorini from £134 return on easyJet from Gatwick is the cheapest you'll realistically find, and that's before you've spent a single penny on the island. This is the floor price. In July and August, the same flights cost £190-£240 return, and the island at that point is so rammed that Oia at sunset looks like a rugby scrum with better lighting.

The cost on the ground is the real issue. A mid-range hotel in Fira in peak summer runs £180-£250 a night. A sit-down dinner for two with wine will set you back £70-£90 without trying. The caldera views are as good as advertised, but you're paying a serious premium for the privilege of seeing them over someone else's shoulder.

If Santorini is your dream trip, go in late May or early October. Flights drop to around £134-£155 return, the cruise ships thin out, and you can actually walk around without queuing to look at a wall. TAP Air Portugal fly Santorini via Lisbon from various UK airports if easyJet's Gatwick prices don't work for you, worth checking if you're flexible on routing.

The honest take: Santorini is worth doing once. Just don't do it in August unless someone else is paying.

None of these three islands have direct UK flights, which is exactly why they're cheaper and calmer. You fly into Athens and take a ferry, or use a domestic connection. Athens from £68 return on Ryanair from Stansted is the starting point, from there, a Naxos ferry is about £25 each way and takes four to five hours on the fast boat.

Naxos is the one that converts people. It's the largest of the Cyclades, has actual agriculture rather than just tourism, and a good taverna meal for two costs £30-£40 with wine. Accommodation in May runs £55-£85 a night for something decent. Compare that to Santorini's numbers above.

Milos is the photographer's island without Santorini's prices or crowds. The coloured rock formations and sea caves are extraordinary, and in June you'll share the beaches with a fraction of the August crowd. easyJet fly Athens from Gatwick from around £74 return, which is your gateway flight.

Paros sits between Naxos and Santorini geographically and temperamentally. It has great beaches, a lovely main town in Parikia, and ferries run constantly between the two islands if you want a day trip to Santorini without paying to sleep there. That's genuinely the move if the caldera views matter to you, see it in a day, sleep somewhere cheaper.