| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 7/28/2006 1:55:04 AM | I'm heading over there in a few weeks, any pointers on where to go for food, museums, clubs....?
Thanks,
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 7/28/2006 1:23:14 PM | Greece is beautiful, especially the islands. I suggest not staying to long on the mainland near Athens as its dirty and busy but the islands are a dream. Ios is good for a major party, Santorini is great with a cuge cliff side. Mykonos is the Gay Island, Corfu is fantastic. You can buy an island hopping pass for pretty cheap if you want to go from one to the next. It's all by ferry but easy sailing. Big boats and roomy.
Have a wicked time in Greece!! | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 7/28/2006 5:33:03 PM | | Chania on Crete is awesome!! There are a bunch of small hotels buried away on back streets near the bay. They are so buried away that I don't think you can drive to. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 7/28/2006 10:35:43 PM | I've been over to Greece twice, and visited most of the islands in the Cyclades...where are you going?
Ios - crazy party place....and full of backpackers...check-out www.iospartyisland.com, great site. Ios is pretty cheap too.
Myconos - full of honeymooners, backpackers, and single's, and has a HUGE gay-scene. It's really buy, and really expensive compared to other islands.
Paros - mix of everything...and really cheap.
Naxos - chill-out island, with fantastic beaches
Santorini - probably my famous place on the planet bar none....especially the little village of Oia....best sunset in the world. Also noted for the club scene...and popular with honeymooners. Beaches are black sand, as it was esentially a volcano once upon a time
Athens - no biggie...Acropolis and the Plaka area are a must see though. But you don't need alot of time there. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 7/30/2006 12:11:53 AM | I went there about 10 years ago for 3 weeks and, contrary to the other postings, had the best time in Athens. I had bought this book "Greece on $30/Day" (Frommer's) and it was indespensible--we found a room in the Plaka for $24/night (yeah, yeah, I know--it was 10 years ago) that overlooked the Acropolis. We went right after Christmas and they celebrate it until the middle of January, so that was a bonus. And on New Year's Eve, we went out on our balcony and drank Metaxa and watched the fireworks at the Acroplis.
Since it was the off-season, it was near impossible to get to some of the smaller islands, but we did fly to Crete and rented a car and spent about a week there.
When I travel, the most fun for me is meeting native people. We met a man in the Plaka on our first night there--he managed a fur salon--and we had the very best time with him (actually, when I came back, I named my dog after him (it was a female, and he got a tad miffed) and we stayed in touch for awhile. He took us to restaurants we never would have known about and turned us on to all things Greek.
The really cool thing about the Plaka is that the proprietors of the stores leave their stores unlocked and meander down the street to play cards or shot the crap. The police don't carry guns and stop in every store and have a drink and move on to the next store. The are totally blitzed by the end of the night (which is why they don't carry guns). Plus they have a bar in every store, which was fun. Even in a toy store, they had a bar.
I always have a good time when I travel, mostly because I love meeting people from other cultures. I guess a smile is in the same language wherever you go. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/8/2006 4:56:59 PM | | Greece rules, but get off of the mainland as fast as you get there, hope on the ferry and head for the islands. mykonos ( not sure on spelling ) was great, good hotels good bars ( check out the scandinavin) and also great scuba, if you want to head to tino's and check out the old church there it is right cool, and if you end up on the mainland head up the coast and check out some of the sea side ruines, was very cool, and The locals rock. ps gyro's are addictive stand warned lol | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/12/2006 8:38:54 AM | I worked in Ios one summer...having landed there after months of travelling through Europe and no money left...I had a blast! :) Though I was a lot younger then and could take the party crowd...
The Islands are wonderful. Though they hardly represent the way Greeks live...they've become tourist destinations, but still well worth one's while.:)
Athens has marvelous history to offer, however it is difficult to stay there too long because of poluation.
One thing's certain, if I was to go back, I'd spend more time travelling the inland rather than the islands... Would love to see the mountain top monasteries for instance. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/13/2006 1:33:00 PM | | Sure, the islands are beautiful, and they're a great time party-wise, but they're overrun by tourists. Don't be afraid to visit Thessaloniki in the north. It's the second-largest city in Greece and, unlike Athens, is fairly clean and orderly. A visit to this city will give you a taste of how the Greeks really live. With regard to historical sites, there's plenty of stuff related to Alexander the Great, there's no shortage of awesome restaurants, and the clubbing is second-to-none. Plus, the real advantage here is when you go out, you'll be among the Greeks themselves, instead of a bunch of dirty, drunken Brits... | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/14/2006 9:52:19 AM | | It's a beautiful country. You will love the scenery, the lifestyle, the culture, the weather, the people, the food, the beaches, the nightlife. There are so many good things about that country that make it such a desirable place. And your not too far from other beautiful neighbouring nations worth exploring as well. Have fun on your trip. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/15/2006 10:04:00 PM | | Has anyone seen the movie "Shirley Valentine"? If you have, you'll understand the allure of Greece. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/20/2006 11:35:02 AM | Head for the islands (any group) and enjoy...
Avoid Athens in summer. Noisy, dusty, unpleasant.
Take the ferries, eat at Taverna's and wonder why we ever need to go to work. Just slip into a different way of life. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/23/2006 10:30:49 PM | I agree with the last reply get out of Athens ,i've been to alot of cities all over Europe and Athens was my least favorite ,the traffic was terrible ,getting a taxi was near to impossible ,i got turned down by numerous taxi drivers who thought reading the newspaper and sitting in the car smoking was more important than making some money by accepting a fare to pay thier bills hmmm...?A "friendly Greek" tried to pull a scam on near the Acropolis ,but thanks to Lonely Planet i was able to see right through it and walk away from it .The border customs guys were the rudest people on the planet .
Go to the north in Thessaloniki the people are much more friendly and city is beautiful ,and is alot less humid and dry and arid than Athens in the south .
The Acropolis is one of the biggest "tourist traps" i have been too ,altough the ancient site was fascinating but i found the hordes of other tourists blocking my view of getting a decent shot of anything extremly annoying !!
Greece is a beautiful place i share the Orthodox religon with them ,and almost half of my is Greek but Athens is either a hit or a miss ?
Hope you enjoy Greece !!
Yasou ! | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/25/2006 2:23:04 PM | Well, I will be going there at the end of Sept. There is a website check it out for some good rates on Hotels. www.bootsnall.com, just go into the Hostels even though that is not what you are looking for. It will give you the best rates and it even gives you direction from the airport and so on. Alot of info, I used in last summer for Europe, saved alot of money, and time, everything was ready and in my hands.
As for Greece, yes I have been told that the islands are the places to be. So we will be heading to the main land and then maybe ferry or take the the plane. Santorini, is the hot spot, but it depends on what you want. Alot on this thread have given alot of info, even for me thanks everyone!!!!! Also the other website is www.whichbudget.com for the airline.
Good luck babyboyben | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/30/2006 3:49:30 PM | I lived in Athens for 3 years and it was the best time in my life. Yes, the Islands are fantastic and individually characteristic, but you really must spend a few days exploring the centre of Athens with the Acropolis and Parthenon you can really feel the history. They also have some really quaint tavernas at the base of the Acropolis in the market area. Oh how I envy anyone who is going to visit! Memories!?!
Have a great trip! | |
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causal
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Joined: 7/22/2006
Msg: 15 | |
| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/30/2006 6:29:58 PM | | Been there - didn't like the vibe - it was off season, so it was mostly just the Greeks. They seemed crabby to me. Italy, now there is a country of zest. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 8/31/2006 8:32:49 AM | I have had the pleasure of travelling to Greece, and hope to make it back! 
It is beautiful, the people are beautiful and if you are a history buff well then... Nuff' said.
I do agree with most posts, the Islands are outstanding and it's not very expensive to hop on a ferry or take a mini cruise and do some exploring. Take a Frommers book with you, eat at the small mom and pop places- the food is to die for! Best pizza I've ever had was in Athens washed it down with some green beer (was St. Patty's Day) while others around did shots of uzo... Great nightlife... Lots of fun, and in my opinion a safe country.
Enjoy!
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 9/3/2006 6:08:47 AM | Flew to Athens, hopped over to the island airport and took the first plane to the islands, loved them all! Ferried around from island to island with a "Let's Go" travel guide, Crete takes a while longer than the others. Spent a month and that wasnt enough! We went in mid Sept to mid October and that is end of summer season and by mid Oct the small islands hotels and pensions start to close and owners head back to athens. Just follow the ferry schedule and go from island to island-all are different- given opportunity to get to Patmos - dont miss the Caves of St. John then ferry over for the day to see the ruins at Exphus(bad spelling) in Turkey. I could have stayed six months! | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 11/2/2006 8:07:04 PM | | The islands are fantastic, but you should go to Athens just to say you saw it. The people arent friendly, but everything else is great, especially Santorini and Mykonos. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 11/22/2006 5:25:30 AM | I just returned from Greece last week. I had a great time! I was only there for about 8 days, and that was split between Athens and a cruise.
Athens was cool, but dirty. It reminded me more of the middle east than it did of Europe. Just different than what I expected. The Acropolis, Temple of Zesus, Hadrian's Arch, the museums, several of the parks, Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, etc. were all great to see. I enjoyed it, but my hotel and the tour I was on left a lot to be desired.
They did have a semi riot the last night I was in town. Apparently November 17th is a date in history when the old military junta sent the army in to break up some student protests, so that seems to have evolved into a day of protest every year on the anniversary. I got to see a lot of protestors, but left before they started the crazy stuff. Saw on the news the next morning these idiots throwing Molotov cocktails right outside my hotel. lol
Mykonos - Rained, so I did not see much of anything.
Kusadasi, Turkey - Went to Ephesus and LOVED IT! It is amazing when you walk among the ruins and imagine what it must have been like 2000 years ago. The town of Kusadasi was decent. Great hand made carpets!
Patamos - Went to some Monastary where John supposedly wrote the book of revelations. It was interesting, but I was surprised it was a tourist destination. Lots of pilgrim type people were there, but most were just tourists.
Rhodes - Probably the best preserved medieval towns left. Beautiful! Also went to the Tempe Of Athena in the top of some mountain. That was really cool. :)
Crete - Beautiful, as are all the islands. Went to Knossos and that was weird walking among the ruins of one of the largest cities in antiquity. Makes you wonder how history will regard us in a few millennium.
Santorini - One of the most beautiful places on earth. I am glad I went off season because I can imagine it being swamped with tourists. Absolutely stunning! | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 11/22/2006 5:26:42 AM | | Btw, the last four pictures on my profile are from last week. The other ones are from Ireland during the summer. Woo hoo! | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 1/1/2007 5:45:43 PM | I can certainly Recommend Greece too: I have not been to Mainland Greece but have Visited Corfu....All the mad Nightlife is down the South of the Island in Kavos but there are many Beautiful Beaches scattered around the rest of the Island Including up North. Mainland Greece is Visible from Corfu too so it is only a short hop over there if you wish to go.
Rhodes is Great, Quite a few things to do there, If you stay towards the North of the Island Take plenty mosquito repellent the buggers will feed on you there, The North is cooler than the south of the Island (and noticably greener too, hence the Mosquitoes.) Down South you have a fantastic resort called Lindos, the accomodation is very basic as it is a traditional greek village converted to a resort. Plenty of Restaurants and bars too. All very pleasant. The water is the clearest I have seen anywhere...The sand is white too !! Lindos is also Extremely hot in August...I measured 50 degrees celsius at Noon on my first day there !!! Room temp everyday (before the air-con was turned on), was 47 degrees celsius !!!
You also have the famous cliffs from the film The Guns of Navarone here too for all you movie buffs and another nice little resort there which I cannnot think of the name of at present.
I have also Visited Lesbos but unfortunately it does live up to it's name of being the Resort for Lesbians.....and the real dog rough looking ones too !!!. The Island itself is in the Aegean Sea too so it is not as warm there. There is not a lot to do tourist wise on the Island either So I certainly would not go back there.
And seeing as Greece Owns half of it.....I cannot fail to mention the Island of Cyprus....the other half is owned by the Turks but I do believe you can visit either half now. Plenty to see and do there. (Certainly in the Greek Half.....They cater very much for the British there so you will feel at home fairly easily. They drive on the same side of the road as the Brits. The Power Supply is standard UK 250V mains so english plugs will be required and yes you can drink the water from the taps there safely.....I did all 3 years I lived there and it never made me ill)
My eldest sister has a 2 bed villa over there now which all our family use.
I think the other islands have been covered in this thread too so not to hard to make a choice really.
Overall Greece is Cheap, Friendly and a great Holiday !!! | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 1/2/2007 12:00:13 PM | Hey Ilegion: The itinerary for the Greek Isles/Mediterranean cruise I went on in 2005 is identical to yours. Too funny! I had never been on a cruise prior to that trip and thoroughly enjoyed the whole *cruising* experience. I cruised in late September/early October but, unlike you, I had phenomenal weather on my trip. I really enjoyed Athens and did a day-trip to Delphi.... if anyone is into history/ancient ruins/Greek mythology Delphi is definitely worth the side-trip (approx 3 hours by car).
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Phenomenal photos of Delphi: http://www.galenfrysinger.com/delphi.htm
About Delphi: Delphi, town of ancient Greece, site of a celebrated oracle of the god Apollo, situated on the slope of Mount Parnassus, in Phocis (now Fokís Department), about 9.5 km (about 6 mi) inland from the Gulf of Corinth. Considered by the ancient Greeks to be the center of the earth, Delphi was once the site of an oracle of the earth goddess Gaea. According to mythology, Apollo defeated the monstrous serpent Python, which guarded Gaea, and expelled her from the sanctuary, which he then shared with the god Dionysus. The Delphic priests developed an elaborate ritual, centered on a chief priestess called Pythia. Her utterances were regarded as the words of Apollo, and the oracle was consulted by private citizens and public officials alike. The Sacred Way to the temple was lined with structures housing rich offerings given by Greek cities. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 1/3/2007 9:11:56 AM | Definately go island hopping.:) By ferry or hydrofoil.... The Dodacanese Islands are amazing and there is plenty to see. Kos,Rhodes,and even a day trip into Bodrum,Turkey makes an amazing day trip! I enjoyed the many islands alot more then Athens...check it out.
ToF | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 1/4/2007 12:33:48 PM | | I worked and lived in Greece for a year in the late 80s, dare say it has changed a fair bit. I do know the islands are just jam packed with tourists looking for the real Greece which they will not find. I agree with the poster who reccomended the Pelloponese, get away from the islands if you want to see thre real Greece. If you want to party till dawn and sleep all day then go ahead, but the people are fantastic away from the tourist spots. Go and enjoy. | |
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| Anybody been to Greece?
Posted: 1/4/2007 1:57:27 PM | Kassie, that makes no sense. There are 1000's of islands in Greece, and to not go to any one of them because of tourists is ridiculous. I agree there are many english tourists in the summer season who do nothing but party until dawn and sleep all day,but does that mean the rest of the place is just empty space? What a narrow minded comment.
What is the 'real' Greece anyways? There is an enormous amount of history, culture, and beauty to be found anywhere you travel...stay off the beaten path.
To the OP: I'd recommend doing some due diligence on the net or pick up a travel book to see what it is you want to 'see and experience' before you go. | |
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