Home > Plan Your Trip > Graffiti Wall > Tips on Greece

Tips on Greece: 2008

If you have any tips on Greek hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, fun activities or creative angles on enjoying the art and culture (especially in Athens and the Peloponnesian Peninsula), we’d love your help. Thanks! Rick

Nafplio, Santorini, Crete, Delphi, Athens
I spent alomst three weeks in Greece in October and it was great! You need a jacket and pants in the evening but shorts were fine in the daytime. Nafplio was a great central location to explore some of the ancient cities (Mycanae,Epivaridus, Corinth). I took the bus everywhere without any problems. Nafplio has nice restaurants and shops and is a very charming city. Hotel Leto was a good stay. Friendly owners and very clean. Just the basics but I didn't need much else here. In Thira I stayed at Hotel Aressana. It has a fabulous pool, spa, bar and great breakfast. There is no caldera view but you are a few steps from it and a few minutes walk to the bus station. They also had two computers with internet access free for guests' use in the lobby. The hotel can arrange tours and airport transfers. Fabulous customer service! An interesting half day - take the bus to Perissa (mostly just shops and restuarants and of course the beach) and then hike up he mountain to reach ancient Thira at the top.After a tour and a pinic lunch, hike down the other side to the town of Kamari and hang out on the black sand beach. I stopped at a grocery store and picked up water and snacks. It was a great day. You can catch the bus in Kamari back to wherever you are staying. In Crete, I was not a fan of Iraklion which I only saw half a day. I ran quickly for Chania. From Chania you can catch a bus to hike the Samarian gorge, walk to a neaby beach in 20 minutes and the shopping was much much cheaper for gifts. I went out of the old town to where the locals live and found some wonderful holiday gifts for my family. Delphi was a nice experience. I stayed at Hotel Tempi. A very basic and very clean hotel. Nice staff and easy to check in/out. I noticed they were holding bags for people. I went to the museum early and then back to town to relax and eat lunch. I went back to the ruins in the late afternoon when many tour buses had left. The temple of Athena was magical. Athens was nice but I only needed a day and a half to see everything. I took the bus from Delphi and the locals were nice to point out where I could get off the bus in the city and catch the metro (otherwise you go to the bus depot north of the city and need to take a cab back). Once you get to your hotel you can walk everywhere easily though the metro is a good option if it's cold/windy and you are going from one side of the city to the other. It's also cheap! Tickets were .80 cents. Food in Greece can be just so so and it was hit and miss. I loved the souvlaki and gyros which were perfect for lunch. I did several picnic lunches too. For dinner, I steered clear of the hosts trying to usher people in (they get a percentage of the profits) and looked to see where the locals were eating. I enjoyed nice seafood and duck too. Take your time and ask around to find the best places. People in Greece were for the most part very friendly. I am a single woman in her 30's who did this trip solo. People gave me directions when needed and wished me a good journey. Everyone asked where I was from and wanted to know about places to see in the U.S. A very positive experience.
Rachael
Colorado Springs , CO   USA  Sun 11/16/2008

Athens
I forgot to mention - there was a strike for metro workers the day I was leving back to the U.S. The metro was open the day before and the sign indicated the strike was from 5am to 9pm? Plan ahead! I quickly walked to Stygmata Square and took a bus to the airport. It was 5:30 am so traffic was minimal and the bus made good timing to the airport but in the middle of the day it would have been a nightmare. Know your options and have a backup plan. That goes for anywhere in Europe not just Greece. I have traveled through a few protests and strikes and found knowing alternative travel options has saved me time, money and dissapointment.
Rachael
Colorado Springs, CO   USA  Sun 11/16/2008

Greece
I don't know what Greece Kathy was in, however, here is a nice article with a lovely video: http://www.thestar.com/Travel/article/530264
john
dudley, mi   USA  Thu 11/06/2008

Warning to Travelers
We just returned from a 7-week trip to Athens, Porto Rafti, Paros and Santorini. We are Greek, so the language and customs are not "foreign" to us. However, visitors should be advised not to take the idealized view of this country as reality. As soon as we arrived there was a gasoline strike, leaving us without gas for our rented car. When we were in Athens, there was a general strike, so we left the city without doing the "tourist" route because everything was shut down. Finally, there was an Olympic Airlines strike (luckily, we had tickets with Lufthansa to depart.) The city of Athens is dusty and dirty. Loose dogs and dog droppings are everywhere. There are beggars asking for money, and if you give them something, they ask for even more. The cafes and restaurants are crowed and filled with cigarette smoke. Everyone smokes, even while they are eating! Food is very expensive, but you cannot enjoy a meal when the people around you are constantly smoking. It is best to use only bottled water, but that contains minerals which can disturb the digestive system. The driving conditions are very dangerous. Most drivers have not had formal lessons or know how to properly drive a car. There was a news item on Greek TV that stated most people "buy" a drivers license. People were interviewed who stated openly that they "bought" a drivers licese. There is total disregard and disrespect on the roads. Public restrooms are horrific! Restuarants do not have screens on their windows and flies are everywhere. I was horrified to see flies on the food to be served, and no one seemed to care. Visiting Paros was a nightmare. There were snakes in the garden of the small hotel we stayed at in Dryos. The water was not fit for drinking, and it was so hard, it was impossible to work up a lather to wash my hands.
Kathy
Philadelphia, PA   USA  Mon 11/03/2008

Greece in September
visited greece in mid-September-- 3rd time we have been there. Stayed at Hotel Attalos in Athens --very adequate-- recommended by Matt Barrett website. We found it a great location with good value. Excellent view of Parthenon at night. We also found that you can take the subway now from the airport to Syntama Square station for 5 euros each--very close to the hotel. Walked all over central Athens --still safe even at night-with reasonable precaution. Stayed at Hotel Agios Prokopios on Naxos. Nice location just a couple blocks off the beach. Beautiful hotel --good value--book at their website--rent a scooter and get lost on this the biggest of the Cyclades. Santorini--beautiful but so many cruise ships now--exuding their diesel fumes over the caldera.--It is being loved to death--where do they get enough fresh water?? Stayed at Apts. Gaby--superb location and view--excellent value--book early--take the bus or taxi don't hassel a car. Nice ferry crossing from Naxos to Santorini. Subway in Athens is very user friendly.. Good travels
Bill <email>
Anacortes, Wash   USA  Sun 10/26/2008

our trip to Greece
We just returned from a wonderful 2 weeks in Greece. In Athens we stayed at the Hotel Plaka - clean and modern and just a short walk from the Monastiraki metro station. It has a rooftop terrace with spectacular Acropolis views especially at night. The free breakfast is particularly good. The Athens metro is an easy and inexpensive way into town from the airport. Our best meal in Athens was at Taverna Platanos on Diogenous street. Good Greek home cooking outdoor under the trees, very fun. From Athens we rented a car and did an easy 2-hour drive to Nafplion. We stayed at the little Hotel Aetoma, a charming converted mansion with wonderful staff. In Nafplion don't miss the gelato & the chatting with Marcello the owner at Antica Gelateria di Roma. Nafplion is a beautiful old harbor town. After Nafplion we drove back to Athens & flew Aegean Air down to Crete. We rented a car at Heraklion airport and drove 140 km to Chania in western Crete. Chania is another quaint and charming old harbor town. Of course you have to find your way to the old town through the traffic chaos of the new town. If you've done Palermo, it's nothing. We stayed at Casa Delfino - another beautifully restored and converted mansion about a block from the water. Our best meal in Chania was at the family-run Portes restaurant. Best moussaka on our trip. The Mediterranean around Crete is amazingly deep blue. After a few fun days in Chania, we zipped back to Heraklion, stayed overnight at the modern Atrion Hotel near the ferry terminal, and in the AM took the big Flying Cat hydrofoil to Santorini. Luckily the sea was flat and only a few passengers had to make hurried trips to the back. Santorini is cramped by daily hordes and I mean hordes of cruise-ship tourists but the spectacular scenery is like nowhere else. If you go to Greece you can't miss it. All in all we totally enjoyed Greece and it definitely deserves a Rick Steves guidebook!
Tom Duffy <email>
Northbrook, IL   USA  Sun 10/19/2008

Athens, Nafplio, and Delphi
We spent a week in Greece, 5-11 October. Athens is a must for seeing the Acropolis (amazing, but the crowds are absolutely insane even in the off-season--go early in the day!) and the National Archaeological Museum. Besides these sights Athens is just a dirty, graffiti-covered city ravaged by the tourism industry. It's also extremely difficult to find a central hotel whose rooms do not look/feel like prison cells, i.e. Hotel Tempi. We rented a car and headed to Nafplio and found it much more quaint and scenic! And we never ran out of stuff to do--we made day trips to Mycenae and Epidavros (both only a 1/2 hour away and very much worth it) and went scuba diving in Tolo (just fifteen minutes away), and explored the beautiful Palamidhi Fortress. Unlike most sites, there are virtually no roped off areas at Palamidhi! And the view is fantastic. Nafplio has a ton of atmospheric restaurants with outdoor restaurants. We stayed at Hotel Leto for 80 Euro a night (a triple), and it was the best! Very friendly and helpful staff, our room was spacious and comfortable, and the breakfast on the terrace (included) was delicious! We stayed one night at Delphi--definitely worth seeing, but very touristy and crowded with visiting school students. We stayed in Piraeus our last night, an area I don't recommend, but if you must--Hotel Acropole was OK. Our final day we visited lovely Cape Sounio--which would make a great day trip from Athens--saw the Temple of Poseidon (on a cliff above the sea--gorgeous!), and lunched in a quaint little port town called Lavrio. Overall we had a fabulous time!
Lauren
Olympia, WA   USA  Wed 10/15/2008

Greece hotels
We just got back from Greece and visited Santorini and Naxos islands. On Santorini we stayed in Oia at Villa Delfini. Rena was the most welcoming hostess I have ever met while traveling. The rooms are great and affordable. 90 Euro's per night with a balcony overlooking the caldera. Very beautiful island. On Naxos we stayed at Nissaki Beach Hotel and the rooms were very nice. The restaurant at the hotel was very good. The beach was not as nice as pictures led you to believe. In Athens we stayed at the Attalos Hotel for 94 euro and that was not a good choice. Extremely noisy in a very busy, touristy part of the city. But it was close to the subway.
cindy <email>
fox island, wa   USA  Fri 10/10/2008

Greece
Last July we stayed on Rhodes for 2 weeks at Johanna's Studios, a family run hotel, which is on the beach at Haraki on the east coast of Rhodes. This is a small town on Vlycha bay with a view of Lindos and Lindos Castle which is lit at night. There is a ruined castle above Haraki which is also lit at night. For travelers wanting to relax away from crowds on a quiet beach with calm water and reasonable prices this is it. Small hotels, bars and restaurants with good food selections line the beach. In Old Rhodes Town we stayed in Niki's Hotel which is a nice family run hotel with views of town and excellent service from the English speaking owner. All of the old town is within easy walking distance. The new town and marina are also an easy walk from Niki's. Day trips to Marmaris, Turkey are offered from the marina every day. In Athens we stayed at the Economy Hotel which is within walking distance of major sites, is well run by friendly staff and is clean and comfortable. The roof offers views of the city and the Acropolis. Traveling by car we stayed at the Hotel Galaxa in Galaxidi after visiting Ancient Delphi. In Ancient Olympia we stayed at Hotel Inomaos. We recommend each of these family run hotels to travelers in those areas. Visiting Ancient Corinth and Acrocorinth we stayed in the Korinthos Hotel near the marina and restaurants downtown. Ancient Delphi and Ancient Olympia have excellent museums displaying artifacts from excavations at those sites. Other sites we recommend include Ancient Brauron, Ancient Eleusis, the Monastery of Osios Loukas and Mycenae.
Tom and Kathy staly <email>
Kennewick, WA   USA  Sat 09/20/2008

Athens/Mykonos/Crete/Santorini
My husband and I did 2 weeks in Greece (August 6-20, 2008).

Two nights in Athens at Electra Hotel near the Greek parliament. Hotel was clean and very adequate and had a good hot breakfast. Close to Acropolis and other sites of interest. Recommended.

Took the fast ferry to Mykonos and stayed three nights at the Porto Mykonos Hotel just on the edge of Mykonos town. (Recommended) Lovely hotel and great location...unless you want beachfront. Took the bus to one of the beaches...it was pretty cheap and easy. Ten euros on the beach for two chairs and an umbrella.

Took the fast ferry from Mykonos to Crete. Seas were a bit rough and ferries were running late. It was a *long* trip to Crete (Heraklion). If we were to do it again, we would fly between these two islands. Stayed at Candia Park Village in Agios Nikolaos. Huge rooms (really a timeshare...we didn't know that) and lovely grounds. Very well kept. Hot breakfast included and it was fine. Recommend this hotel. Would love to go back to Crete as we only spent three nights there...not enough time! Took a boat cruise to Spinalonga island to see the old leper colony. Very worthwhile, especially the swim off the back of the boat in the sea!

Saved Santorini for the last and it was our favourite. Stayed at Volcano View Hotel and we highly recommend this place. Outside of Fira but within walking distance. Free shuttle available from the hotel or it's a 5 euro cab ride. The view from this hotel is fantastic.

Stayed our last night in Athens at the Sofitel at the airport. Beautiful rooms and SO convenient to the airport!
Carrie
Toronto, ON   Canada  Mon 09/08/2008

Urgent Alert for visitors to archeologic sites June 2008
Please be aware that sites run by Ministry of Culture are closing at 2:45 or 3, even though lots of materials list them as open till 6:30 or 7:30 pm. There is a labor dispute--the staff want two shifts, to stay open more than 8 hours, but the ministry will only pay for one shift. So we got to a couple of sites (Delphi, Phaestos) before we got wise. This is true for big sites like Knossos also. Check with Tourist Info--our hotel was not aware of the change.
Ruth Emerson
Seattle, WA   USA  Sun 06/15/2008

Athens/Santorini/Paros/Tinos
We just returned from a 3 week trip in Greece and had an amazing time.

In Santorini we stayed at the Margarita Hotel. The hotel was nice and the staff fairly helpful. We thought it was in a great location. It doesn't have a view of the caldera but it is within a 5 minute walk. There is a great restaurant just up the hill towards the caldera called Aktion. The specials are fantastic.

The second island we visited was Paros. We stayed at the Hotel Asterias. It is in a great location. The hotel room was quite comfortable, balconies are a little small but the sea view is fantastic. The pool is small but very clean with comfortable lounge chairs. There is a restaurant near by called Ambrosia that is fantastic. It is worth taking a walk up the monastery...fantastic view. Santa Maria beach was beautiful.

Our last island to visit was Tinos. We stayed outside Tinos Town at a hotel named Akti Aegeou. The beach here is amazing. The restaurant in the hotel can be a little procey but the food is fantastic. We actually had the restaurant to ourselves one night. We spent only a couple of hours in Tinos Town. The church is worth seeing but other than that we didn't really enjoy Tinos Town. I would recommend heading out of town to the beaches.

Our last stop on the trip was to Athens. We stayed at the Cecil Hotel. Our room was very small but very clean. It's location is great, within walking distance to all the major attractions.
Marion
NL   Canada  Wed 06/04/2008

Athens, Greek Isles
Just returned from 3 weeks in italy/ greece. Athens, stayed at Cecil Hotel, good, central location, walk to Acropolis, market nearby, plenty of restaurants. Athens is dirty, grafitti is overwhelming, two days there was enough.

Ferry to Paros, recommend Kalypso Hotel, 10-15 minute walk from Noussa, small fishing village now being discovered, but pristine, fisherman hang octopus on rails, order calamari wherever you go there, it is so sweet, delicious, grilled or fried. Ten minute taxi from Paros ferry to Noussa. Local wine is good all over Greece.

On to Santorini, spectacular scenery, wine, food, walked 6 miles along ridge, from Ia to Fira, views are one of a kind.
carl knirk
seattle, wa   USA  Fri 05/23/2008

My sister and I just got back from Athens and Mykonos. Athens was great but not as many sights to see as say Rome, Paris or Berlin. You really only need a couple days to cover all the good stuff. We stayed at the Central Athens Hotel in the Plaka a couple block from Syntagma. Our room looked out at the Acropolis. A fantastic view!! They had a great breakfast and reasonable prices. 99 euro for a double with bathroom and shower, but this was during February. It is right next door to the Hermes Hotel that Rick recommends in his Athens article.

We took an overnight trip from Athens to Mykonos through Hop In Sightseeing. We paid 269 euro each and they promised transportation to and from each port, ferry tickets, and a 4 star hotel room. The price was a little steep but my sister and I were at the very end of a 6 week trip through Europe so decided to pay it instead of having to work through all the details ourselves. They took us to the ferry, but they purchased u economy tickets, which mean you sit in a cafe for 5 hours instead of an "Air Seat". We upgraded for 4 euros each but I felt this was something Hop In should have taken care of since we were paying so much. When we got to Mykonos no one was there to take us to our hotel as they promised. We finally found it ourselves. The room had a great over Mykonos, but we knew Hop In was ripping us off. The ferry tickets were 120 euro round trip for 2, that left a little over 400 euro for transportation that wasn't provided and one night in the hotel. Our room was probably 100 to 150 euro a night, at the most 200. They also did not provide transportation to the ferry at mykonos, which went to the new port so we had to take a taxi and once again upgrade to the Air Seats, while Hop In rolled in our euros. They did pick us up at the ferry but only took u back to Syntagma Square and demanded we get out there. We had to haul our luggage back to our hotel 4 blocks away. I wanted to warn people about taking this tour. My recommendation is to book the ferry tickets and hotel on your own, it would be a lot easier and save you a bunch on euro. Mykonos was great while we were there though. I would love to go back but just not through Hop In Sightseeing!!
Kaiser <email>
Macon, GA   USA  Sat 03/01/2008

RE: Islands/Mainland?
I lived in Greece for about a year then went back and there is never enough time because you will want to go back as well trust me. I say split your time between the islands and the mainland. No one rushes in Greece unless you are driving then watch out.

I took my mom back one year and just so she could see as much as possible I booked a day cruise that went to 3 different islands. It was just a nice and relaxing day. They are of course not the best islands but she still was able to get a little taste of a Greek islands. I also took her to Corinth, amazing and of course the Parthenon everyone should see at least once. Roaming the Plaka is a tourist trap but going down there to eat is great and you can walk past the shops. In fact you can do the Parthenon and Plaka the same day because it is just out the back entrance on the second park on the Parthenon. Meteora a must see and if you drive you can stay at a hotel around there.

Bottom line is there is way too much to see and do in Greece. My suggestion is to map out what you really want to see and fit it into your schedule and plan to go back to see other things or repeat. I always stay in apt’s and use the metro and buses. Apt give you a chance to shop in local shops and grocery stores. The metro and buses are super easy to get around with and you can rub elbows with some locals.

You are going to have a blast. Start planning now to go back.
Parker
Newport Beach, CA   USA  Fri 02/29/2008

Meteora, Greece
A trip to Greece would be incomplete if you didn’t include a few days in Meteora. The thing that makes Meteora so special is the many monasteries on top of the rock towers. The monasteries represent a unique example of monastic life as it was in the 14th century. The monasteries and area bring a calm and peace that you don't find in most places. There is truly something spiritual here. Hotels were reasonable and the people very friendly. It's worth a visit.
Frank & Serije Partyka <email>
Killeen, Texas   USA  Sun 02/24/2008

Islands/Mainland?
Going to Greece first time in May. We're only going to be there for 6 days. Should I rent a car and just drive around to smaller towns outside of Ahtens - or go to the islands? Is 6 days enough time to do much? I wasn't sure how long island hopping took....
Janet
Dallas, TX   USA  Mon 02/11/2008

I’ve been to Athens twice and it is only a 1 or 2 day trip for me tops. If you are going to go to Greece make sure to check out the beautiful towns of Finikoundas and make sure to stay a day or two in Methoni and enjoy the castle they have there. Rent a car, or catch figure out the bus schedule. We went in October and like Rick says it was fabulous. We swam, lounged on the beach, stayed right next to the water and ate deliciously for 40 euros a night! The people were great! We most definitely will go back!
Jai <email>
Portland, OR   USA  Fri 02/01/2008

Oh and the trains are horrible! Milk trains and buses will get you around, but it takes an incredible amount of time, patients, and scheduling. Rent a car if you want to go anywhere other than Athens!
Jai
Portland, OR   USA  Fri 02/01/2008

Road Trip Greece, Trikala
If anyone really wants to see mainland Greece they ought to rent a car from just outside Athens and plan a road trip. The roads are in great condition, and are being improved everyday, and most rental cars come with a GPS option which I recommend. As far as cities are concerned; Trikala is a lovely city with a fantastic night life. The people are charming and were surprised to hear our American accent; few people from the states go there apparently. There are many great restaurants and bars near the river in the city center along with decent accommodation. I highly recommend visiting Trikala for anyone wanting to see areas other than Lamia, Larisa, and Athens.
Josh Barbour
San Francisco, CA   USA  Mon 01/21/2008