Anyone been to Greece?

[CyCoug]

We went in 2022. I recommend two days in Athens at the most. It has a compact area of main sights, while the rest of the city is run down.

We stayed another few days at a resort focused on locals at the end of the Sounio Penninsula. It was nice and not crowded or expensive.

Did a long day trip to Delphi, which was highly worthwhile.

We did not go to Santorini as we heard it is overrun with tourists. I have heard there are very nice, less crowded islands, but those were not on our agenda for that trip.

 

[RonBurgundy]

We are planning a trip to Athens and Santorini. Has anyone been there recently with tips on what to see? We plan on seeing the Acropolis and major museums. We won't have a lot of time for other islands. What else should we plan for within the Athens area and Santorini? A couple day trips would be fun if they were fairly close.

We are doing a Greek island cruise next month. Athens we are obviously doing the Acropolis. As another poster noted, the top of the Acropolis has the major sightseeing splendors all in one area.

Here is the wine tour excursion we have signed up for in Santorini.

After a short tender ride from ship to shore, board a Pyrgos-bound coach for a guided walking tour that features remnants of a large Venetian castle, an 18th century monastery, and the winery. Conclude with a ride to Fira Town for a bit of free time to sightsee and shop.

 

[cyfanbr]

We are planning a trip to Athens and Santorini. Has anyone been there recently with tips on what to see? We plan on seeing the Acropolis and major museums. We won't have a lot of time for other islands. What else should we plan for within the Athens area and Santorini? A couple day trips would be fun if they were fairly close.

Did a cruise a couple years ago that started in Athens. We flew in a couple days early to spend some time there before the cruise. Loved the place.

I recommend doing a guided tour of the acropolis and the museum. You get so much more information that way.

 

[cyfanatic13]

Never been but make sure to bring plenty of coffee for those sleepy mornings. Dawn is tough on Greece

 

[Cyhig]

I went in 2007 in the middle of one of the worst heat waves the area has seen. Temp was 45 degrees Celsius, which is about 114F. It was miserable. Attractions closed at noon due to the heat.

Beautiful area. But always be wary of pick pocketers. If you can make it to Santorini, it’s worth the visit.

 

[HFCS]

We are planning a trip to Athens and Santorini. Has anyone been there recently with tips on what to see? We plan on seeing the Acropolis and major museums. We won't have a lot of time for other islands. What else should we plan for within the Athens area and Santorini? A couple day trips would be fun if they were fairly close.

I absolutely loved Santorini. I could have enjoyed just relaxing at the place we stayed, but the little excursions to the town center we were near Fira, slightly further town Oia and beaches on opposite side of island were very nice.

I liked Athens and glad I went, but outside of the food it didn’t click with me like other southern European cities seem to.

I also went to Mykonos but I greatly preferred Santorini…the food was great everywhere. I drank the cheap local beer “Mythos” and it became a joke.

 

[Farnsworth]

My wife really wants to take the family to Greece. I've developed this phobia about leaving the country and have convinced myself that nowhere else is safe anymore. Should we go?

@ruxCYtable SO?! Did you make the trip in the last 10 years? Or phobia now?

 

[NodawayRiverClone]

Can't help with recent experience in Greece, but years and years ago bussed from Istanbul to Athens - yes to acropolis/parthenon/amphitheatre/ouzo. Took a ferry to Crete to visit a college friend stationed there in the Air Force. Depending on your interests, historical spots in Athens plus an island visit is your best bet.

Side experience - my traveling buddy and I found a Dodg'em Car ride. The Greeks were operating as if they were learning proper etiquette on the road. We showed'em what the ride is about - head-on collisions! Vendor gave us a couple free rides when more Greeks found out it was more fun to crash than defer.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

We are doing a Greek island cruise next month. Athens we are obviously doing the Acropolis. As another poster noted, the top of the Acropolis has the major sightseeing splendors all in one area.

Here is the wine tour excursion we have signed up for in Santorini.

After a short tender ride from ship to shore, board a Pyrgos-bound coach for a guided walking tour that features remnants of a large Venetian castle, an 18th century monastery, and the winery. Conclude with a ride to Fira Town for a bit of free time to sightsee and shop.

We did a Greece/Turkey cruise late last summer. One of our granddaughters was signed up for a shore ex very similar to this. It got cancelled.

 

[NWICY]

My wife really wants to take the family to Greece. I've developed this phobia about leaving the country and have convinced myself that nowhere else is safe anymore. Should we go?

Go

 

[ImJustKCClone]

I absolutely loved Santorini. I could have enjoyed just relaxing at the place we stayed, but the little excursions to the town center we were near Fira, slightly further town Oia and beaches on opposite side of island were very nice.

I liked Athens and glad I went, but outside of the food it didn’t click with me like other southern European cities seem to.

I also went to Mykonos but I greatly preferred Santorini…the food was great everywhere. I drank the cheap local beer “Mythos” and it became a joke.

There was a Disney film from my girlhood filmed on Mykonos - the MoonSpinners. Always wanted to go there to see the windmills. Bucket list item checked off last summer.

 

[isufanz1]

We are planning a trip to Athens and Santorini. Has anyone been there recently with tips on what to see? We plan on seeing the Acropolis and major museums. We won't have a lot of time for other islands. What else should we plan for within the Athens area and Santorini? A couple day trips would be fun if they were fairly close.

Just got back from 14 days in Athens and Naxos. Incredible trip (studied there 35 yrs ago). I would recommend staying in an AirBnB in the area SW of the Acropolis (near Petralona station). Quite residential area with easy subway access to tourist area and 1/2 the cost of places north of the Acropolis. Cape Sounion and temple of Poseidon is a bucket list item to see at sunset and is a cheap tour leaving late afternoon and getting back in the evening. Epidauros is amazing and the best ancient theatre still surviving (day tour can go there and Nafplio which is a nice seaside city). Delphi would be the other day trip I would recommend but make sure you get one where a guide goes in with the group. These tours can be researched and booked on the Get Your Guide app which has a ton of day trips and other tours in Athens proper. Use Google maps to identify all the high rated restaurants/tavernas (some we liked include Athena’s Cook, Greek Stories, and Valitsa. Food is incredible and about 1/2 the price here. And don’t be afraid of the house wine - decent and dirt cheap. Have a great time!! Wonder country.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

We are planning a trip to Athens and Santorini. Has anyone been there recently with tips on what to see? We plan on seeing the Acropolis and major museums. We won't have a lot of time for other islands. What else should we plan for within the Athens area and Santorini? A couple day trips would be fun if they were fairly close.

I wouldn’t necessarily call it recent, but we went just over 12 years ago…Athens and Crete were part of a cruise (no Santorini). I was glad we got to see Athens, but Rome and Italy in general were way better. We spent a week in Italy prior to the cruise, and it had everything Athens had in terms of art and ancient buildings…but way better and safer. My wife had a couple guys work to pick her pocket on the train. One had his hand in her pocket while he was looking at her.

I liked seeing the acropolis and such, but I have no desire to go back. I actually somewhat dreamt of seeing the Greek Isles, but I guess I’m less interested than I was after Crete and Athens. I’d love to go back to Italy, would like to see Spain, and also would rather see Paris.

 

[HFCS]

My wife had a couple guys work to pick her pocket on the train. One had his hand in her pocket while he was looking at her.

When I studied abroad in Rome I saw a few things...I absolutely loved the city and the people so I'm only commenting on the street crime craft.
- My roommate was about to get off a bus and a woman holding a baby picked her pocket with her free hand the exact instant the bus doors closed. Free hand under the baby was clearly the trick, but the timing was incredible. My friend could only look back at the closed door. Luckily it was only bus tickets and a little cash.
- There was this tiny old lady in a black cloak with a 90 degree warped back always begging for money in a little wooden pot. One night I was getting out of the bars around 3am to an empty city and I saw her, suddenly threw off the cloak and started sprinting. It was a little boy, maybe 8 years old.
- This young guy with a sign that just said "Aiuto/Help" would sit on his knees in the middle of our street by the school for many hours a day lifeless in despair. I saw him with a date at a movie theater laughing it up with a big soda and popcorn on the same day once.

 

[2122]

Visited Greece during post-college summer in Europe many moons ago. Views in Santorini were stunning, unforgettable. Islands of Crete and Corfu were worth a visit.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

When I studied abroad in Rome I saw a few things...I absolutely loved the city and the people so I'm only commenting on the street crime craft.
- My roommate was about to get off a bus and a woman holding a baby picked her pocket with her free hand the exact instant the bus doors closed. Free hand under the baby was clearly the trick, but the timing was incredible. My friend could only look back at the closed door. Luckily it was only bus tickets and a little cash.
- There was this tiny old lady in a black cloak with a 90 degree warped back always begging for money in a little wooden pot. One night I was getting out of the bars around 3am to an empty city and I saw her, suddenly threw off the cloak and started sprinting. It was a little boy, maybe 8 years old.
- This young guy with a sign that just said "Aiuto/Help" would sit on his knees in the middle of our street by the school for many hours a day lifeless in despair. I saw him with a date at a movie theater laughing it up with a big soda and popcorn on the same day once.

Nice. I will say that I felt safer in Rome than Athens, but none of what you’re saying surprises me. Athens just felt dirtier and poorer as well. The ancient sites were less well maintained. We had a small group of wild/stray dogs following us through the acropolis (from a relative distance). I just wasn’t greatly impressed. Again, was glad at the time I got to see things, but nothing about that day stands out as being as memorable as the Italian portion of our trip.

 

[Cycsk]

Make sure to go to a basketball game in Corinth.

 

[cyclone13]

Go to Meteora. That place is incredible

 

[zumbro clones]

Tell me more about Santorini. What are the good restaurants and sightseeing places to go?

I absolutely loved Santorini. I could have enjoyed just relaxing at the place we stayed, but the little excursions to the town center we were near Fira, slightly further town Oia and beaches on opposite side of island were very nice.

I liked Athens and glad I went, but outside of the food it didn’t click with me like other southern European cities seem to.

I also went to Mykonos but I greatly preferred Santorini…the food was great everywhere. I drank the cheap local beer “Mythos” and it became a joke.

 

[cyclone13]

Tell me more about Santorini. What are the good restaurants and sightseeing places to go?

Santorini is wonderful but it is not for everyone. It can be too crowded. We stayed at Allure Suites Hotel that is literally right next to Three Bells of Fira and by the caldera. You can also see Oia at night. We stayed 3 nights: first night we saw the sunset from Fira, 2nd from Oia castle (we got there at 4 and crowds already formed - this was in June). Last night we just enjoyed sunset from our hotel.
If you want to rent a car and drive around Santorini, that’ll be nice. We didn’t do any swimming at the Caldera (some people did). But we went to see different beaches and little towns there.

I like Santorini but it was too crowded - my favorite was witnessing the sunset from our hotel, which is a cave hotel. I would recommend you exploring Allure Suites Hotel.