Has any member traveled to Greece?

[MTGunner]

We are contemplating a spring, April/May, 2026 trip to Greece for a vacation. We have traveled internationally many times, but not Greece. Any and all information that members could extend would be very helpful. Thanks in advance. MTG

 

[texwest44]

Visited a couple of times while I was living in Moscow, Russia - would recommend to anyone. Especially if they like ouzo with every meal.

Greeks are a very friendly, loud people. Never shy away from asking locals for recommendations on things or for help with directions, they are happy to assist.

The public transit can be flaky in some places/times. Is the bus coming? If there's no one else at the bus stop, it isn't a good sign. But its easy to get rides from people or have them help get a taxi called.

I hope you like seafood or lamb. Personally, I ate a lot of moussaka, and was happy to do it. Ouzo was served with every meal past about 10:30am.

Lodging is fairly cheap if you're willing to stay in little hole in the wall kinds of places. There's about a zillion of them.

Kasseri cheese is one of the greatest cheeses ever created, do not pass it up while you're there. It's the best of the Greek cheeses, hands down.

If you're fond of the country of Turkey or Turkish people, keep it to yourself.

Greeks do a sideways head tilt thing to indicate "yes". They do a head and eyebrow raise to indicate "no". But they understand nods and shakes, too.

Visit Athens to see old historic sights and spend way too much money on souvenirs. Visit Thessaloniki for a more relaxed experience and less outlandish prices.

Develop a taste for ouzo before you get there. I cannot stress this enough.

 

[MITCHMO]

My wife does free travel service stuff and has some friends there right now. Happy to give you her contact info if you want to reach out to her and get some feedback on the recent trips.

 

[Rainer]

Also I been to Greece a couple times and I agree with everything that's been said. One thing also is that the Greeks like to do things on their time, So don't expect them to be fast or on time.

 

[Triggw]

Also I been to Greece a couple times and I agree with everything that's been said. One thing also is that the Greeks like to do things on their time, So don't expect them to be fast or on time.

It's been decades since I was there, but the whole place closed down between 2:00 and 5:00 or so, and restaurants didn't open for dinner until 9:00.

 

[SFC B]

We were just there and stayed in a condo on Vouliagmeni Beach. We had a great time. If you want to go in the water April will still be a bit chilly (doesn't bother me, I was in the water every day) but everywhere we went around the area south of Athens and out on Aegina the water was GORGEOUS and clear. From where we were to/from downtown Athens an Uber (they are all taxis even though you use Uber) was about 25 US and easy. Food and drink (especially compared to Europe as a whole) was very reasonable. People were very nice and accomdating. Historical locations were easy to access and at that time of the year not incredibly crowed. I would have loved to have stayed longer. Ate a LOT of feta, tzatziki, fresh bread, olives etc There is a great Amstel brewery and the beer was good, cold and about $4 per .5 liter, Ouza was everywhere but I have to say the Mastica liquor was my favorite. I have the contact for the condo owner if you would like.....we had a 3 bedroom ON the beach and it was not bad at all with dining and shops within walking distance. Here are some pics.

 

[belshawelk]

for me the coolest part was going to the original Olympic site. Just in awe of what it must of been like back then. Pretty county but the I am not a fan of the food but I know I am alone on this.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Texwest is spot on. My wife is Greek, both her parents immigrated and a lot of family is still there. Heed the Turk warning, especially in Thessaloniki. You mention Turkey to my mother in law and you’re in for a lesson/scolding.
The islands are more interesting to me than mainland. You can take cheap ferries to most. Flights are also cheap within Greece.
Santorini is worth it, even though very popular with tourist.
I like Ithaca as well, not a big tourist destination but some really cool fishing villages. I mean Odysseus’s home island….
Corfu and Crete are well worth the visit as well.
I’d skip Mykonos….
Food is regional, generally more seafood on the islands and meat on the mainland. Generally all the food is seasoned the same though. While walking there will be people trying to pull you into every restaurant. There are some mountainous areas known for cooking different meats over open fire pits which are really good, I like Makrinitsa/Volos.
There are some cool monasteries if you are into that kind of thing.