Irrelevant
Well-known member
Great tip but not applicable this time
Greece
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TwistedSage
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I went to Greece when I was 18 and stayed with a buddy who had family there and would go every other summer or so. It was on a small island called Ikaria and it was absolute paradise. The normal thing to do there at the time or i guess for the younger crowd was to wake up go meet up for lunch in the town square, go swimming for a while at whatever beach we decided then everyone would go home, take a nap and then go out to dinner at like 10 at night then spend the night going from bar to bar dancing drinking just having a good time until the sun came up then youd eat breakfast at sunrise and go home to sleep. Then do it all over again.
My time in Athens was just getting from the airport to the peir and then we got tattoos on the way back. Athens was pretty bad and I would not want to spend time seeing the sites there. I saw multiple pick pocket attempts in my few hrs there.
My time in Athens was just getting from the airport to the peir and then we got tattoos on the way back. Athens was pretty bad and I would not want to spend time seeing the sites there. I saw multiple pick pocket attempts in my few hrs there.
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FairWeather
Well-known member
Maybe I’m confused. It’s your wife’s bucket list trip, but it all has to be on your terms?
Where in Greece does she want stay? Where does she want to see, and how does she want to see it? Getting recommendations is great, but you should really be getting her input rather than from people here. None of us will be on the trip with you, she will.
Where in Greece does she want stay? Where does she want to see, and how does she want to see it? Getting recommendations is great, but you should really be getting her input rather than from people here. None of us will be on the trip with you, she will.
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BirdManMike
Well-known member
I was in Athens for a couple days this past spring after visiting my brother and family who currently reside in Cyprus. Layovers were in Athens so it made sense.
Despite being dirty, crowded, full of tourists, yadda yadda, I loved the experience. The Acropolis, other archeological sites, and all the museums were amazing. Every meal I had was wonderful.
Ive spent a lot of time in a lot of European countries, and while I still enjoy the small towns and villages more overall, I have come to appreciate most of the cities in which I have spent time. As Ive gotten older - maybe more, dare I say, mature? - I have found it easier to tune out all the 'noise', maybe realizing it doesnt really affect me even though it isnt what I am accustomed to. (but Id never want to live in one of these cities, of course).
I dont really have any advice for Greece since I only spent a couple days there in Athens, but Peloponnese has always looked incredible and the NW mountains around Albania and Macedonia looks really rural and nice (with some supposed half-decent trout fishing, too!). The worst of the worst is sitting on a freaking beach all day, but thats true of anywhere.
Have fun on your trip! Post some pictures when you return.
Despite being dirty, crowded, full of tourists, yadda yadda, I loved the experience. The Acropolis, other archeological sites, and all the museums were amazing. Every meal I had was wonderful.
Ive spent a lot of time in a lot of European countries, and while I still enjoy the small towns and villages more overall, I have come to appreciate most of the cities in which I have spent time. As Ive gotten older - maybe more, dare I say, mature? - I have found it easier to tune out all the 'noise', maybe realizing it doesnt really affect me even though it isnt what I am accustomed to. (but Id never want to live in one of these cities, of course).
I dont really have any advice for Greece since I only spent a couple days there in Athens, but Peloponnese has always looked incredible and the NW mountains around Albania and Macedonia looks really rural and nice (with some supposed half-decent trout fishing, too!). The worst of the worst is sitting on a freaking beach all day, but thats true of anywhere.
Have fun on your trip! Post some pictures when you return.
Hawk Tuah
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My mom lived there for 16 years and just started back living in the states last month. She was in Athens, which can be seen in a day.
As far as European countries go, it has some neat places. I spent time on Corfu island while backpacking through in 2006 and quite liked it.
As far as European countries go, it has some neat places. I spent time on Corfu island while backpacking through in 2006 and quite liked it.
FishN4Eyes
Well-known member
Although I liked Athens, it was my least favorite place in Greece.
I think missing the islands is a big mistake. They were the best part of Greece by a country mile and were absolutely spectactular.
We went in mid-April and it wasn't crowded at all.
Santorini gets most of the press for a reason. It has some incredible things to see and the views are breathtaking.
We island hopped for about five days and it was super easy with the ferry system they have.
Food, weather and sights were fabulous.
I'd go back to the islands and I don't say that about too many places.
I wouldn't go back to visit Athens other than flying in and out.
I think missing the islands is a big mistake. They were the best part of Greece by a country mile and were absolutely spectactular.
We went in mid-April and it wasn't crowded at all.
Santorini gets most of the press for a reason. It has some incredible things to see and the views are breathtaking.
We island hopped for about five days and it was super easy with the ferry system they have.
Food, weather and sights were fabulous.
I'd go back to the islands and I don't say that about too many places.
I wouldn't go back to visit Athens other than flying in and out.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
You are confused, you clearly aren't picking up what I'm putting down. She has no real idea what Greece will be like, what it'll mean to both travel there and travel around it. She also has zero desire to look into it. But having been married to this woman for 16 (maybe 17 yrs), she doesn't want a resort, she doesn't want crowds. She does want to see some of the famous stuff just because we're already there. There's going to be some adjustment we're both going to need to make on the fly, I know that, I'm trying to prep her for that. But, if I said we'll go as soon as you tell me ______. We'd never go. She'll never commit to that, it's not that important. To which an acceptable rebuttal might be then why go if it's not worth a dozen or so hours of "looking into" something. Again, to head that argument off at the pass, because so far our adventures have been horrendously unfair, we've almost always gone where I want to go, and while she enjoys it, I, as her husband, would like to do something she wants to do, even if I have to do all the leg work.
I appreciate the feedback, but I'll pass.
...
There's almost always a hack to get 95% of the experience without 95% of BS.
cbat
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We spent 10 days there a couple years ago. I would love to go back. The island hoping was great but driving around the countryside was incredible. We rent a car and drove almost 1500 kilometers sightseeing. We stayed in the smaller towns and most people were friendly. Get the guidebooks they do help. Go see the monasteries at Meteora . Unbelievable ! Take a guided tour of Delos it is considered the birthplace of the Greek Gods . I will check back on this thread to follow along as I don't log on very often.
BirdManMike
Well-known member
Also since you wrote ‘no hotels’, I just want to add that short of agroturismos that also provide meals, a hotel in town - whether big or small town - is the way to do things IMO. I’ve done it all and will choose a hotel every time now unless there are no other options.
It can’t be emphasized enough how slow things move, especially in Mediterranean countries.
If you are in a hotel, you’ll often be able to eat breakfast and even just get a coffee an hour earlier than otherwise (cooking everything yourself aside) - in some of my favorite towns in Spain, for instance, it’s literally not possible to get a coffee before 9am but at the hotel breakfast, and coffee, opens at 8.
A hotel in town lets you walk everywhere. When you day is done and you are back, you can walk to the square and sit at a cafe with a drink and snack. Dinner time is much later than the US and you may find yourself with a lot of downtime late afternoon/early evening. It’s a real joy - especially in small towns - people watching it’s a real eye-opener and you’ll see a sense of community lacking even in small town USA with every kid in town chasing one another around kicking soccer balls thru the square and every adult not still working socializing. And you don’t have to drive with the note that legal alcohol levels are basically 0 and there is no ‘walk the line’ or ‘say the alphabet’ - it’s basically ‘blow into this’ then your trip is effed if you’ve had a drink.
And, the kicker, is that hotels have become more cost effective than vacation rentals, AirBnB and the like. (often investment properties owned by some Brit). Sure it may seem less expensive upfront, but that’s not taking into account both the fees and the benefit of the often-included breakfast full of delicious local cheeses, fresh bread, cured meats, etc (holy hell do I love euro breakfasts).
The hotels in smaller towns are usually family-run places where you’ll see the same faces every day, faces happy to give you local advice and will go out of your way to, for instance, navigate the utterly ridiculous fishing-license system of the local municipality (that’s entirely in Catalan without even a Spanish option).
Anyway, that’s my 2 cents which O realize you didn’t ask for. As I’ve said, I’ve done it all and a family-run hotel in town cannot be beat IMO.
It can’t be emphasized enough how slow things move, especially in Mediterranean countries.
If you are in a hotel, you’ll often be able to eat breakfast and even just get a coffee an hour earlier than otherwise (cooking everything yourself aside) - in some of my favorite towns in Spain, for instance, it’s literally not possible to get a coffee before 9am but at the hotel breakfast, and coffee, opens at 8.
A hotel in town lets you walk everywhere. When you day is done and you are back, you can walk to the square and sit at a cafe with a drink and snack. Dinner time is much later than the US and you may find yourself with a lot of downtime late afternoon/early evening. It’s a real joy - especially in small towns - people watching it’s a real eye-opener and you’ll see a sense of community lacking even in small town USA with every kid in town chasing one another around kicking soccer balls thru the square and every adult not still working socializing. And you don’t have to drive with the note that legal alcohol levels are basically 0 and there is no ‘walk the line’ or ‘say the alphabet’ - it’s basically ‘blow into this’ then your trip is effed if you’ve had a drink.
And, the kicker, is that hotels have become more cost effective than vacation rentals, AirBnB and the like. (often investment properties owned by some Brit). Sure it may seem less expensive upfront, but that’s not taking into account both the fees and the benefit of the often-included breakfast full of delicious local cheeses, fresh bread, cured meats, etc (holy hell do I love euro breakfasts).
The hotels in smaller towns are usually family-run places where you’ll see the same faces every day, faces happy to give you local advice and will go out of your way to, for instance, navigate the utterly ridiculous fishing-license system of the local municipality (that’s entirely in Catalan without even a Spanish option).
Anyway, that’s my 2 cents which O realize you didn’t ask for. As I’ve said, I’ve done it all and a family-run hotel in town cannot be beat IMO.
Schaaf
Well-known member
If history had taught us anything, it’s to never trust the Greeks.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
That's a really interesting take that I completely hadn't thought about. I generally like to travel self-contained, thus part of my loathing of hotels. I also like to cook, and need a fridge for drinks. But again, my bucket of experience doesn't include anything like this, so I could be setting myself up for disappointment.
longbow51
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Our kids have travelled extensively in Europe, being deployed there multiple times, and you should listen to @BirdManMike.
Nearest we got was St. Barth; great food, wine and beaches. Close enough for us.
Nearest we got was St. Barth; great food, wine and beaches. Close enough for us.
rideold
Well-known member
I was there last June. We spent almost the entire trip in the Peloponnese and had a fantastic time. We will go back for sure. We stayed in one Air BnB and took day trips all around. Took random drives through small towns and tried out small restaurants and were met with only cheerful, welcoming folks. We did go to Athens and it was well worth the few days we were there. However, I would flip the trip around and do the Athens leg at the beginning. Go from big city to small town and the straight to the airport to head home. The shock of going from the quiet countryside to the big city was pretty rough. As for the tourist factor in Athens I agree that it is a bit much to take in but the things we saw and did in Athens was a pretty amazing experience. You have to take off your tourist hat and put on your traveler hat and embrace the gritty and rough. Athens is such a good lesson for us folks from the USA.
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