Greece Thread

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

Looking at trip two week  trip in 2020 if all things work out.   I went to Greece in 1985 when I was 13 to visit island my grandfather was born and raised on and we spent a good chunk of the trip in Athens to see the usual stuff that attract people to Greece.  I'll just say the visit to island and the beach was an eye opening experience for me as a little shit going through puberty.... LOL.  

Thing have had to change since then  so I wanted to hear from you ladies if any have been to Greece recently.  What islands should I visit and avoid?   I think we will do a four or five days in Athens and the rest on an island or two.  For some reason I've always wanted to go the Create, but haven't talked to anyone who has actually been there to confirm if it's worth the inexpensive flight from Athens.  

[DFWTexEx 276]

There will be lots of opinions on this topic.  We took a trip in 2016 and loved it.

Athens:  3 days, 2 night, including arrival.  We loved it and thought it was way better than what we expected based on online comments (including on here and TOB).  Great city to talk around, city cool historic stuff and eat.  

Santorini:  Bucket list. It was like being in a movie, so beautiful.  I recommend staying in one of the villages up from Fira. We stayed in Imerovigli and it was perfect.  And, yeah, stay in a cave hotel overlooking the Caldera. It's why you are there.  Oia is beautiful, but for us, it was really, really crowded and not as fun. Do a catamaran cruise at sunset.  Walk the villages.  It's really nice and I would go back in a hearbeat.  Santorini is not really a place for kids, which was a plus for us.

Crete:  We liked Crete.  If Santorini is where you want to visit, Crete is where I would prefer to live.  Had a Mexico vibe to it, with the colors and friendliness of the people.  We stayed on the East side in Elounda, overlooking spooky Spinalonga island.  It was a resort that was much more family friendly, even if the beach was pebbles and rocks and the water was not nearly as nice as Santorini.  There are beautiful sandy beaches in Crete, but we did not get to them.  We did the  Palace of Knosses as well and enjoyed it. The Herkalion airport is the worst shitshow airport  (of any decent size city) that I have been to.  

[texasdago 7573]

Everyone will go to Santorini.  Go to Milos, Karpathos, Skopelos, Folegandros, etc... so many amazing islands with fewer crowds and amazing experiences.

[elfenix 34241]

that really seems like too long for athens.  you can see all the major things in a day.

[DaysOff 7951]

Following. We're going to Mykonos in September to party with the gays. I never vacation during the season, but agreed to this during rage after the Maryland game. Really don't know anything.

[Digdogger 1344]

We spent a day in a half in Athens in May, it was basically enough to see the main sights.

I personally was very underwhelmed with Santorini.  There are beautiful parts, but its also kind of dumpy and a humongous tourist trap.  Some cool hotels, but the island itself is desolate and barren, though there are some cool beaches.

We went to Heraklion in Crete (the overnight ferry from Athens was nicer than I expected).  Its a dense city, but seems fairly clean and not too bad to get around in.  I thought Knossos was kind of lame.  The actual ruins were ok, but they had recreated a lot of them with concrete and weird red paint, so it looked kind of like a parking garage.

I liked the mainland much better.  Delphi and the area around it is awesome, its up in the mountains with gorgeous scenery.  There's a little village just before you get there that's pretty cool.  A bit of a tourist trap, but it was pretty quiet in May.  Olympia was good,.  The town was another shocking tourist trap.  We stayed a few nights in Tolo, near Nafplion, which was pretty nice.  Again, we were before the busy season, so it was pretty quiet.  Mycenae was pretty cool.  Nafplion was alright, the Palamidi Fortress was pretty neat.  The Epidavros theatre was impressive.  Corinth was good.  We got to Acrocorinth and they had closed early, but it looked awesome from the outside (similar to Palamidi).

[lemonlime 5503]

Went to Santorini and Mykonos a few years ago, and was locked in to going to those two really touristy island because of others on the trip.  Santorini was a bucket list item and gorgeous, but very snooty and crowded.  People just standing around taking selfies all over the place.  I'm glad I saw it, but have no desire to spend the money to go back.  We did have a great meal at Ammoudi Fish Tavern.  And the hike between Oia and Fira was cool.

I enjoyed Mykonos more.  It was a lot more fun, chiller atmosphere, with nicer beaches. Delos was pretty neat.  It was also really crowded.  Had a good meal at M-eating.

If I had the trip to do over again, though, I would spend more time on the mainland and go to a less touristy island.

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

1 hour ago, elfenix said:

that really seems like too long for athens.  you can see all the major things in a day.

It probably is.  Just doing some off the cuff planning right now.  

[Telegraph_it 3357]

Whatever island you go to don’t do it in late June, July, or August. We went in April and the locals told us it is overrun during those months. 

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

1 hour ago, DFWTexEx said:

There will be lots of opinions on this topic.  We took a trip in 2016 and loved it.

Athens:  3 days, 2 night, including arrival.  We loved it and thought it was way better than what we expected based on online comments (including on here and TOB).  Great city to talk around, city cool historic stuff and eat.  

Santorini:  Bucket list. It was like being in a movie, so beautiful.  I recommend staying in one of the villages up from Fira. We stayed in Imerovigli and it was perfect.  And, yeah, stay in a cave hotel overlooking the Caldera. It's why you are there.  Oia is beautiful, but for us, it was really, really crowded and not as fun. Do a catamaran cruise at sunset.  Walk the villages.  It's really nice and I would go back in a hearbeat.  Santorini is not really a place for kids, which was a plus for us.

Crete:  We liked Crete.  If Santorini is where you want to visit, Crete is where I would prefer to live.  Had a Mexico vibe to it, with the colors and friendliness of the people.  We stayed on the East side in Elounda, overlooking spooky Spinalonga island.  It was a resort that was much more family friendly, even if the beach was pebbles and rocks and the water was not nearly as nice as Santorini.  There are beautiful sandy beaches in Crete, but we did not get to them.  We did the  Palace of Knosses as well and enjoyed it. The Herkalion airport is the worst shitshow airport  (of any decent size city) that I have been to.  

First I like your dog.  I have one that looks almost identical  to yours.... pinkish nose and all.

I'd like to to Santorini to see what it's all about, but it is sounding more and more like it's tourist trap like Venice where the locals who once encouraged tourism are wanting to dial it back and thus become assholes.    I'm sure this thread (as it already has) will reveal similar places to visit.   Still, I'd like to check it out even for an overnight stay.

Seen plenty of pics in Crete and it looks like it has more of  Mediterranean Spanish or Italian feel to it in some of the bigger towns, so I  can see where you can draw some comparisons to some destinations in Mexico.  

[elfenix 34241]

1 hour ago, Digdogger said:

We spent a day in a half in Athens in May, it was basically enough to see the main sights.

I personally was very underwhelmed with Santorini.  There are beautiful parts, but its also kind of dumpy and a humongous tourist trap.  Some cool hotels, but the island itself is desolate and barren, though there are some cool beaches.

We went to Heraklion in Crete (the overnight ferry from Athens was nicer than I expected).  Its a dense city, but seems fairly clean and not too bad to get around in.  I thought Knossos was kind of lame.  The actual ruins were ok, but they had recreated a lot of them with concrete and weird red paint, so it looked kind of like a parking garage.

I liked the mainland much better.  Delphi and the area around it is awesome, its up in the mountains with gorgeous scenery.  There's a little village just before you get there that's pretty cool.  A bit of a tourist trap, but it was pretty quiet in May.  Olympia was good,.  The town was another shocking tourist trap.  We stayed a few nights in Tolo, near Nafplion, which was pretty nice.  Again, we were before the busy season, so it was pretty quiet.  Mycenae was pretty cool.  Nafplion was alright, the Palamidi Fortress was pretty neat.  The Epidavros theatre was impressive.  Corinth was good.  We got to Acrocorinth and they had closed early, but it looked awesome from the outside (similar to Palamidi).

it's as if you went to a country whose only competitive advantage in anything is tourism. 

[TornACL 7698]

I went to Hydra and Crete in August. 

Hydra was a nice day trip from Athens on the ferry. Small, no vehicles, but a nice hike from the town along the coast with bad ass views and some good patio dining. 

I liked Crete. I was in Chania and Rethymno. Chania and the Old Town was, no surprise, very touristy, but Rethymno could have been any beach town anywhere. 

Two highlights of Crete were hiking the Samaria Gorge and meeting some locals away from the tourism. As expected they said the experience is much better during spring and fall, not in August when the entire continent goes on holiday in the islands.

[Loco 3752]

On 1/29/2019 at 11:05 AM, texasdago said:

Everyone will go to Santorini.  Go to Milos, Karpathos, Skopelos, Folegandros, etc... so many amazing islands with fewer crowds and amazing experiences.

Going in July, Iwanttoknowmore.gif

[texasdago 7573]

On 5/5/2019 at 7:09 AM, Loco said:

Going in July, Iwanttoknowmore.gif

What do you want to know?  Research Milos and Karpathos.  Milos is fantastic for beaches and with a car, you can get all over the island.  A 4x4 is better since there are some dirt roads that lead to amazing spots.  There are direct flights to Milos as well as ferries from Piraeus.

[Loco 3752]

I guess any recommendations other than just the island names...   maybe your thoughts on pros/cons... you know, the experiences that make you recommend them?   Just some flavor, I can and will research the hell out of it, but I also value feedback from folks who don't seem to want to travel in an American bubble.

The group of friends we are going with are leaning towards just renting a place on Santorini

[elfenix 34241]

1 hour ago, texasdago said:

What do you want to know?  Research Milos and Karpathos.  Milos is fantastic for beaches and with a car, you can get all over the island.  A 4x4 is better since there are some dirt roads that lead to amazing spots.  There are direct flights to Milos as well as ferries from Piraeus.

which one of you is this?

 

[52-80 19159]

1 hour ago, elfenix said:

which one of you is this?

 

 

Jade.

[texasdago 7573]

Props to that guy.  Not me.

[South Austin 52507]

My wife saw a guy get stabbed in Athens outside her cab.  That's all I got.

[texasdago 7573]

So, as I said up above, everyone goes to Santorini.  Milos is more chill and more of a real Greek island... prices are cheaper for hotels.  Lots of great local food and I think there are 70 beaches and man, there is a big variety... sandy, rocky, colorful, stinky (aka sulfur since its a volcanic island) and more.  People were very chill the last time we went and we're going again.  Its thankfully not on the cruise itinerary.   You will come across some Americans but not a lot - if will be outside of the American bubble.  We encountered more Greeks, Italians, N. Europeans, etc.  On Karpathos, it was the same thing.  They were baffled that someone from Texas was visiting without having a relative on the island.  

[texasdago 7573]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffreymorrison/2016/08/27/the-beaches-and-beauty-of-milos-island-greece/#1bcb35973fe0 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/mar/28/marvellous-milos-the-greek-island-full-of-fresh-flavours 

[Spur08 382]

which one of you is this?
 

I like the old guy driveby

[Loco 3752]

Ok, well when traveling with 3 different families of 4  (couple + 2 teens each) sacrifices will be made.   We are a tight knit group, 3 of us are friends from high school, with another being a college friend from dorm days (un-airconditioned @ UF means you get to know a lot of folks very well... all the doors and windows are open all the time)   We are like voluntary family so we are going to have a great fucking time regardless.

Ended up with 3 night/2 days in Athens  => Fly to Santorini (one family could NOT be talked out of this) 2 days/2nights =>  Fly to Athens and drive to a villa in the Peloponnese 3 days/3 nights just north Dimitsana  (day trips to Olympia, Naflio, and Mystras)

 

Things I'm looking forward to...

• Dinners in Athens
• Kids (teens) are really into greek Mythology...  and my God-son wants to be an Archaeologist... he's going to lose his shit Mycenaea
• Hiking from Thira to Oia
• 999 steps climbing to Palamidi Fortress
• Foot race in Olympia...  this is not going to go well for me.. there are 3 iron man finishers in attendance...  but I am a quick twitch guy, so we will see
• Seeing the world expand in my kids eyes....
• Possibly teaching my son to drive stick on some farm roads in the Peloponnese
• And I fucking love Souvalki/Gyro

Gonna finish it up with 2 days/2 nights in Lake Como Itlay...   have a kick ass Agriturismo booked.

 

@Texasdago...  I tried to get the group to a non tourist island.   I'm not thrilled with the whole Disney Greek experience... thanks for the info/recs.  If it was up to me I'd skip the islands all together (I have access to much better beaches year round)  That said Karpathos looked like a blast.  RIP

[texasdago 7573]

On 5/26/2019 at 7:39 PM, Loco said:

@Texasdago...  I tried to get the group to a non tourist island.  

Fighting groupthink is a bitch.  Look, eveyone says we should go to X so we should all go to X.  It sucks.  That said, I'm sure you're going to see amazing places on your entire itinerary.  At some point, make it a point to head to places like Karpathos or Milos or Folegandros or Skopelos... so many amazing islands without crowds.  Karpathos has a town that we visited that is visually stunning and only got power in something like 1980.  It used to be a time capsule and is still relatively quiet compared to other places.  

[texasdago 7573]

For future reference...

 

http://www.greece-is.com/best-greek-islands-visit-7-types-traveler 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19101]

I'm seriously thinking about Greek islands for trip #2 next year. Been looking at Milos a lot. Looks amazing.

[texasdago 7573]

It is.  Very laid, not overrun.  Its awesome and if you have a sense of adventure and don't mind exploring the island, the variety of beaches is endless.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19101]

On 5/30/2019 at 9:35 AM, texasdago said:

It is.  Very laid, not overrun.  Its awesome and if you have a sense of adventure and don't mind exploring the island, the variety of beaches is endless.

Do you recommend renting a villa via AirBnB, Homeaway, or VRBO?  Or do you recommend a hotel?  There is a small chance I might try and squeeze a week in this September.  But most likely, I will try for next September.  

 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19101]

Anyone have any experience on Serifos?

[texasdago 7573]

21 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Do you recommend renting a villa via AirBnB, Homeaway, or VRBO?  Or do you recommend a hotel?  There is a small chance I might try and squeeze a week in this September.  But most likely, I will try for next September.  

 

 

First time we went there was in September and it was great because the water was still warm but the crowds were light (not that it gets packed).  We have typically stayed in small hotels in Pollonia.  Our first stay was at the Milos Milean.  Also look into Capitan Zeppos.  Adamas is closer to more action but not quite as charming as a town like Pollonia.  Will also check with some friends who have stayed in Paleochori.  The later in September, the more the island starts to shut down so do it earlier in September.

On Serifos, found this https://greekcitytimes.com/2018/08/05/exploring-stunning-serifos-island/ 

[texasdago 7573]

BTW, what Greeks are telling me is that Santorini and Mykonos are a massive disappointment.  One told me, what you see in the pictures is not reality.  Mass tourism has ruined those islands.  

[TornACL 7698]

1 hour ago, texasdago said:

BTW, what Greeks are telling me is that Santorini and Mykonos are a massive disappointment.  One told me, what you see in the pictures is not reality.  Mass tourism has ruined those islands.  

I skipped Santorini and Mykonos. I was very skeptical of Santorini because every picture of that island is the exact same iconic shot. Cynic that I am, I assumed that meant that the rest of the island is a shitheap and that's the only thing worth seeing. I could be wrong, but I didn't worry about it much while I was on Ios, Hydra, Crete, etc.

[elfenix 34241]

40 minutes ago, TornACL said:

I skipped Santorini and Mykonos. I was very skeptical of Santorini because every picture of that island is the exact same iconic shot. Cynic that I am, I assumed that meant that the rest of the island is a shitheap and that's the only thing worth seeing. I could be wrong, but I didn't worry about it much while I was on Ios, Hydra, Crete, etc.

there's also the red beach, black beach, and an archaeological site on santorini.  black beach looks like its more built up than it was when i went ~15 years ago.  but still probably less crowded than mykonos's beaches. getting around santorini was a pain in the ass, but maybe uber has made it better. 

[texasdago 7573]

Talked to someone today who said that traffic between the two main towns in Santorini takes an hour.  Tourists told us they now have a funicular railway to shuttle tourists up and down and that gobs of Chinese tour groups now come to the island - heard that from around 3-4 people.  Meanwhile, we hit one beach today that peaked at about a dozen other people other than us.

That said, I've heard many more Americans than I had expected and saw a hipster walking around with a SXSW shirt to please tell everyone this place sucks.

Edited June 11, 2019 by texasdago

[eljinca 279]

Spondi in Athens was a great meal.

http://www.spondi.gr/spondi/

[Dbeasy 15051]

Ok, finally have airfare booked to Athens the first week of May for 10 days. Now, I'm trying to figure out the itenerary outside of Athens. Is it best to do day trips and come back to Athens like to Delphi, or go somewhere west and camp there for a few days as well. I'm not sure where we would set our home base west.  

Also, kicking around the idea of going to one island, but I'm trying to be conscious of not changing hotels too much. 

 

Edit: Penelope, I remember you stayed in Plaka in Athens on one of your trips. Any hotel recommendation?

Edited June 18, 2019 by Dbeasy

[Etexhorn13 3051]

On 6/11/2019 at 9:37 AM, texasdago said:

Talked to someone today who said that traffic between the two main towns in Santorini takes an hour.  Tourists told us they now have a funicular railway to shuttle tourists up and down and that gobs of Chinese tour groups now come to the island - heard that from around 3-4 people.  Meanwhile, we hit one beach today that peaked at about a dozen other people other than us.

That said, I've heard many more Americans than I had expected and saw a hipster walking around with a SXSW shirt to please tell everyone this place sucks.

Your first paragraph is more or less true, from my experience last year right around this time. Tons of Asians, but they mostly just clog up the main touristy path so you can avoid them if you don’t go full blown idiot tourist. What we found was key was staying in Firostefani, about a ten min walk south of Fira. Still great restaurants within a minute or two walk, much less crowded, and the walk to Fira to catch a bus to Oia was like ten minutes. Oia was crowded but still pretty neat, there’s a great book store there  Amoudi Bay was also pretty cool to check out but maybe not worth the trek.

Otherwise, we rented a four wheeler to hit the black beach and that was pleasant. We also did a daytime catamaran that basically just turns into a booze cruise with swimming stops and lunch, which was probably my favorite activity of our whole trip. I’m glad we went, because we went to Naxos next which was very laid back so it was nice to do a little bit of both. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by Etexhorn13

[texasdago 7573]

I have to say... after spending 11 days on Milos, I've decided that I'm going to keep my trap shut on great places.  Milos has changed... its now on the American tourist radar and while there still aren't many ships coming (only one a day) and the airport can only handle tiny planes, there are definitely more Americans.  That drives prices up, people can't drive worth a crap on the island (we saw people simply stopping in the middle of the road allll the time), the tipping culture starts showing up, people start partying harder, etc.  Locals tell us that in two years Pollonia went from barely any Americans to about 70%.  The island still doesn't have the infrastructure to handle a lot of tourists so, to some extent, it limits the big crowds but that will change.  Also, the roads, electrical grid, sewage, etc will all have to be upgraded to keep up.  On the plus side, its not on the Russian tourist radar.  

[Loco 3752]

13 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

Ok, finally have airfare booked to Athens the first week of May for 10 days. Now, I'm trying to figure out the itenerary outside of Athens. Is it best to do day trips and come back to Athens like to Delphi, or go somewhere west and camp there for a few days as well. I'm not sure where we would set our home base west.  

Also, kicking around the idea of going to one island, but I'm trying to be conscious of not changing hotels too much. 

 

Edit: Penelope, I remember you stayed in Plaka in Athens on one of your trips. Any hotel recommendation?

may??? You've got some time to think about it.  I'll be there in mid July.  I'm staying in Pysri (grittier art/entertainment district just north of Monastraki Square) and later in the Peleponeese

As far as recommendations, what are you traveling for?  History, culture, relaxation...  I know it's not for the easy spelling..seriously Greece wtf

If you're interested in the history and have some time, I suggest Yale's free courses on the Ancient Greeks (I'm having my kids watch these before our trip and read the accompanying books Plutarch, Herodotus, and theo...fuck it old greeks) and of course a comprehensive book on Greek mythology

 

[DFWTexEx 276]

When I daydream of places I'd rather be than at my desk working, lots of places come to mind, but one that keeps popping up is the Chromata hotel on Santornia, where we stayed in October 2016.  It was as beautiful, interesting and tranquil place as I have been.  Floating there at the end of the infinity pool overlooking the caldera with a drink in my hand was perfect.   Santorini is getting trashed on this thread for the crowds.  Maybe it was because we were there in October instead of July, but except for a terrible few hours in overcrowded Oia, we did not have that problem.

We stayed in Imerovigli, a little village about a 15 minute walk up from Fira.  Yeah, there were other tourists on the paths, but not enough to spoil the place.  We explored, found tavernas, hiked out to the Skaros promintory and otherwise just chilled.  In the evening, we could walk into Fira for more bustling nightlife, but never had a problem getting into a bar or restaurant.    A sunset catamaran trip let us get in the sea and hang out with a few good folks (pick one with only about 10 people) but otherwise we just relaxed.  We didn't even do the wine tastings.  The whole thing had a "Truman Show" feel to it because you just could not believe it was real.

I understand that there are other cool islands, but don't dismiss Santorni.  It really is spectacular.

[Dbeasy 15051]

We like a mix of attractions. We like to visit historical sights, walk the streets, hang out drinking wine in a cafe, hike, see museums, really anything. However, we don’t like bad crowds and long lines, which is why we are going in May rather than June-Sept. I’m also a little worried about driving over there. I don’t like the hassle of not getting lost. However if that’s the only way to go west we will do it.

[DFWTexEx 276]

6 hours ago, DFWTexEx said:

When I daydream of places I'd rather be than at my desk working, lots of places come to mind, but one that keeps popping up is the Chromata hotel on Santornia, where we stayed in October 2016.  It was as beautiful, interesting and tranquil place as I have been.  Floating there at the end of the infinity pool overlooking the caldera with a drink in my hand was perfect.   Santorini is getting trashed on this thread for the crowds.  Maybe it was because we were there in October instead of July, but except for a terrible few hours in overcrowded Oia, we did not have that problem.

We stayed in Imerovigli, a little village about a 15 minute walk up from Fira.  Yeah, there were other tourists on the paths, but not enough to spoil the place.  We explored, found tavernas, hiked out to the Skaros promintory and otherwise just chilled.  In the evening, we could walk into Fira for more bustling nightlife, but never had a problem getting into a bar or restaurant.    A sunset catamaran trip let us get in the sea and hang out with a few good folks (pick one with only about 10 people) but otherwise we just relaxed.  We didn't even do the wine tastings.  The whole thing had a "Truman Show" feel to it because you just could not believe it was real.

I understand that there are other cool islands, but don't dismiss Santorni.  It really is spectacular.

Maybe I should learn to spell Santorini.

[texasdago 7573]

On 6/19/2019 at 1:57 PM, Dbeasy said:

We like a mix of attractions. We like to visit historical sights, walk the streets, hang out drinking wine in a cafe, hike, see museums, really anything. However, we don’t like bad crowds and long lines, which is why we are going in May rather than June-Sept. I’m also a little worried about driving over there. I don’t like the hassle of not getting lost. However if that’s the only way to go west we will do it.

Driving in Greece is fine.  We did it for nearly two weeks... that said, you could spot typical American drivers in a heartbeat.  Usually pulled over with their blinkers and a map or quite literally stopped in the middle of the road.  Do yourself a favor... get T-Mobile and the free data plan and you can use Google maps to your heart's delight.

 

My continued recommendation to people - be it Italy or Greece or whatever - is don't go for 2-3 days.  Go for a week or more and get into the rhythm of the place.  If you need side trips, take side trips but have a base.  

Edited June 21, 2019 by texasdago

[Loco 3752]

10 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Driving in Greece is fine.  We did it for nearly two weeks... that said, you could spot typical American drivers in a heartbeat.  Usually pulled over with their blinkers and a map or quite literally stopped in the middle of the road.  Do yourself a favor... get T-Mobile and the free data plan and you can use Google maps to your heart's delight.

 

My continued recommendation to people - be it Italy or Greece or whatever - is don't go for 2-3 days.  Go for a week or more and get into the rhythm of the place.  If you need side trips, take side trips but have a base.  

Or download the maps onto your device so that you can use them offline.   I found a wireless hotspot for 2-3 euro a day..   So i'm going to do both.

 

I totally agree about the 2-3 days and getting more immersed...  it's just time... for most folks that don't travel as much they want to see as much as they can...  I'm in this boat

[texasdago 7573]

24 minutes ago, Loco said:

Or download the maps onto your device so that you can use them offline.   I found a wireless hotspot for 2-3 euro a day..   So i'm going to do both.

 

I totally agree about the 2-3 days and getting more immersed...  it's just time... for most folks that don't travel as much they want to see as much as they can...  I'm in this boat

I used to be in this boat and found over time that the experienced felt more stressed, rushed and just overall not as pleasant.  I hear what you're saying but its kind of like Japan... when we went, we only stayed in Tokyo.  Everyone said, go to Kyoto, go to Mt Fuji... but we stayed in one place and got to know it a bit better.  This last trip taught me, screw famous sites, I'm going to go for amazing places with less people.  I enjoyed going to the beach outside of Athens (Vougliameni) and just swimming and chilling more than seeing the "you have to see it" Parthenon. 

 

 

 

[TornACL 7698]

There's nothing in the world you must see. Go see what you want. I personally hate checklist vacations. 

The Acropolis is fucking amazing though if you have any sort of interest in that stuff. I cannot stress this enough, get there 30 minutes before they open for the day. You can take an Uber, you don't need to take a tour bus. 

My the time the masses have really started invading, you'll be done and ready to head over to the Acropolis Museum, its cool artifacts and cold a/c. From there you can look up and laugh thinking about all the dumdums battling crowds and fighting each other for good spots to take the perfect selfie. 

 

[Dbeasy 15051]

Great advice. We are staying for 10 days. Over the years I’ve also started to become less interested in typical site sighting and more interested in wandering around.

What about a private driver. My in-laws did that and said it was awesome and not that expensive. Kicking around the idea of staying a few days in Athens, and a few in Nafplios, using Nafplois as a base to launch out to Olympia and other sites.

[Loco 3752]

21 hours ago, texasdago said:

I used to be in this boat and found over time that the experienced felt more stressed, rushed and just overall not as pleasant.  I hear what you're saying but its kind of like Japan... when we went, we only stayed in Tokyo.  Everyone said, go to Kyoto, go to Mt Fuji... but we stayed in one place and got to know it a bit better.  This last trip taught me, screw famous sites, I'm going to go for amazing places with less people.  I enjoyed going to the beach outside of Athens (Vougliameni) and just swimming and chilling more than seeing the "you have to see it" Parthenon. 

 

 

 

I know what you mean, and I see TornACL's post about check list vacations...also agree.  But, this is the meat of it...  I'm taking my family and two young teens to the actual physical birthplace of democracy, philosophy, and the foundation of culture for all western societies.  We are going to see the Agora, Pnyx, Aeropageous hill, the Acropolis, Mycenae, Olympia... then add in that my kids are really into Greek mythology so put that in 10 days.  Yeah, 30 days would be much better, I don't have 30 days to spend.  

There will be plenty of time to sit back an enjoy just being there.   Will I have wine in my pack and enjoy the sunset from Aeropageous hill, sure, will I shillelagh some obnoxious selfie douche with the bottle (hydroflask) perhaps...  but got damnit it's going to be glorious.

 

 

[Loco 3752]

1 hour ago, Dbeasy said:

Great advice. We are staying for 10 days. Over the years I’ve also started to become less interested in typical site sighting and more interested in wandering around.

What about a private driver. My in-laws did that and said it was awesome and not that expensive. Kicking around the idea of staying a few days in Athens, and a few in Nafplios, using Nafplois as a base to launch out to Olympia and other sites.

Just rent a car and drive...

lulz....reads notes while driving

Edited June 22, 2019 by Loco

[troph 24798]

We are doing Athens for 5 days and a 7 day cruise on a 150 guest clipper ship in late August. Athens, Milos, Santorini, Bodrum Turkey (super fucking stoked), Mykonos, Sifnos, and Spetses.

 

Here’s the cruise map:

 

 

I’m leaning toward exploring Athens with a minimal historical focus, getting a car and just wandering with some planning. Probably stay in an Airbnb in a central neighborhood just now figuring it out.

 

I wickedly excited about a stop in Turkey, my tennis doubles partner is from Turkey and she moved back to Istanbul and summers in Bodrum. So I’ll get to see her!