What should I do in GREECE!?? (renting, hotel, home)

[sponger42]

Hey everyone, I'm travelling around the world in a few months, and I'd like some input on what I should try/eat/do/see/go in each country. I'll be spending a few days to a few weeks in each country and I'd like locals' and other traveller's ideas on what things I shouldn't miss. Feel free to mention anything from scooting through busy tourist traps in a few hours to spending a few weeks working as a volunteer in some remote town.

Some details to help you with your suggestions. My wife and I are in good physical shape, in our late-20's, we're on strict budget where cheaper is always better. We're used to sleeping in tents, cars, hostels, and showering at public beaches or wherever possible. Between us, we speak English, German, Chinese, Taiwanese, and can read a little bit of Japanese.

First stop will be Greece. We'll likely arrive in Athens in early September by plane and set out from there. We're planning to be in the country for about two weeks. We'd like to split our time between visiting the islands in the Agean and touring the mainland. We're planning to depart for Italy by ferry from Patra or Athens.

So... what should we do in the mean time?

Thanks in advance!!

[BlueWillowPlate]

I'd probably do some reading--maybe The Odyssey.
What's your itinerary? Maybe others can jump in as they see places they know.
We took a ferry from Venice to Corfu and really enjoyed it.
After that, we flew to Crete, spent 5 days, and worked our way back to (Piraeus) Athens by way of Santorini and Ios. (I would have preferred Myknonos rather than Ios, with a visit to Delos, but my husband really wanted to retrace Ios, he visited there in the 70's.)
To me, Santorini is a must. There are so many islands, but even my Greek friends recommended Santorini, and I was blown away by its beauty and its volcanic history. Do the volcano hike for sure.
Crete was beautiful. Heraklion is dirty and noisy but had its charm,Chania was delightful--check out the covered market.
Rent a scooter or car and traverse the island. Visit George's World War II museum near Plakias. caveat: driving in Greece can be a little bit crazy, but the signage is good.
When I go back to Greece--and I will--I will visit Delphi on the mainland, and perhaps Olympia.
The Greeks are friendly, educated, kind people. Lodging was not expensive. You can bargain a bit, too.

[sponger42]

Thanks! Making notes of the cities and places! Good suggestion on the Odyssey!

My itinerary? Um... arrive in Athens in September... uh... leave for Italy some time after that. Maybe 2 weeks or so.

[MJay]

Try greek food, its the best, however the desserts are too sweet for me...

[Marodi]

Assuming you do the parthenon, Get there right after the place opens to avoid the crowds. I know when I went, we were leaving right before mobs of people started coming. It was nice to get pictures with only a couple people (or less) in them.

[RTTNFAM]

I know this thread is old, but seeing as how I have some of the same questions...

I want to know if communication is too terribly bad for someone who does not speak greek? We want to visit within the next few years, but we don't want to feel alienated and confused by a major language barrier. Do people there speak much English? I have thought about learning Greek before we go, but I can't seem to grasp it.

[Viralmd]

Learning a few phrases ('thank you,' 'good morning,' 'please,' 'where is...?' and the basic numbers) in Greek is not as hard as you might think!

There is so much to do in Greece (outside of Athens, which is a dirty, nasty city), I hardly know where to start: Delphi is amazing, as is the entire island of Crete.

I suggest you get some books and read up to decide what you'd like to do.

[sailordave]

The Acropolis at Athens has extremely slippery marble steps, worn from thousands of years of foot traffic. Wear shoes with good nonslip treads and walk cautiously. I recommend a visit to the island of Rhodes. Been there several times while in the Navy. What I enjoyed most about the island is it's variety. Here's an example of what I mean by variety. Awake in the morning and enjoy a relaxing breakfast while enjoying the breeze and clean fresh air. Walk the streets to see historical sites and meet people to stimulate the mind. After lunch, enjoy a swim at one of the many beaches; some are clothing optional and if that is what you enjoy then please be aware of which beaches this is allowed. Enjoy some sun before having a few drinks with dinner at a nice restaurant before heading out to the dance clubs. You can also get in some diving or snorkling. Lindos and Rhodos were the main cities I visited there. The island has a long history including being the site of one of the original 7 wonders of the ancient world and home of the knights that went on to become the knights of Malta.

[Mississippienne]

My ex and I visited Athens and Aegina.

Athens is fun for a couple of days. Not far from the Parthenon is the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which is a must-see. It's HUGE!

The docks section of Athens (where you'll go to catch a boat to the islands) is incredibly confusing. We wandered around for a long time before paying a taxi driver to take us to the boat to Aegina.

Aegina is the closest island to Athens. It's small and pretty. We stayed in a small hotel for about $25/night. That was in 2006. Renting a motorbike is the best way to get around the island, but watch out! The one we rented had a broken gas gauge, and we ran out of gas and had to thumb a ride to the nearest gas station.

I regret that we didn't spend less time in Athens and more time on the islands. From what I've heard, Krete and Santorini are the best.

[Scotslass]

We have visited Crete and Corfu a few times on vacation and we enjoyed the local food, the climate, culture, people and the beaches.