I used this forum for part of my trip planning on our recent trip to Greece. Just a few comments here, starting with thank you for all the sound pieces of advice from everyone! It is very
I used this forum for part of my trip planning on our recent trip to Greece. Just a few comments here, starting with thank you for all the sound pieces of advice from everyone! It is very useful to talk with people other than people trying to sell you stuff.
That said, I think Greece is one of the most beautiful countries one could visit. It is rich in history, culture, geography and the people there are wonderful.
I had been there twice before, but that was as a child, once in 67 and again in 72. So my research began anew, and like many others, I used Matt Barrett's website as a starting block. His recommendations were right on, I thought.
Through him I discovered the Attalos Hotel in Athens. I would return to that hotel in a heartbeat. It is a moderate hotel expense-wise, but extremely clean, newly refurbished, great customer service, centrally located (we walked everywhere we needed to go in Athens) and has the best view of the Acropolis from its rooftop bar...arguably the best in Athens. info@attaloshotel.com
Mike with Fantasy Travel, located near Syntagma Square arranged our tour to Delphi and Meteora as well as transfers, ferries to Santorini, and all hotels we stayed at. Everthing went off without a hitch. They met us at the airport, they were there for transportation to the ferries (including taking us physically to the right ferry in Athens!). The hotel in Santorini (Sunny Villas) was exceptional, as was the tour they arranged for us. His focus was on being thorough and making everything worry free, and he was very successsful in that. fantasy_travel_greece@yahoo.com
On Matt Barrett's recommendation we used George the Famous taxi driver for airport transfers. The taxis are clean, smoke free, the drivers met us inside the airport as well as inside the hotel, and they were very informative. georgetaxitours@yahoo.com
I emailed a couple of people privately (from these forums) for specific questions and they were quite helpful. I would like to play it forward and invite questions myself, based on my recent visit. If I can answer them, I certainly will! Jack at sodajacks@yahoo.com
Matt Barrett's site is a MUST for anyone considering a trip to Greece; and he was very gracious in my emails to him as well. I had originally booked at the Attalos myself on my first trip, but found out from someone it might be a bit noisy, so I stayed at the Philippos Hotel, at the foot of the Acropolis, which was marvelous. I too used George on my first trip, though didn't the second time as I felt I had a better idea of the cost of things and therefore wasn't as likely to get "taken for a ride" by the cabbies.
Our family of five stayed at the Attlos hotel after reading it had been recommended by several sources. We found it to be just the place for us. Besides being centrally located where we could walk to most sites, the staff was helpful in giving us information on traveling to other parts of Greece.
My daughter-in-law lost both her engagement ring and a gold ring with stone settings while we stayed there. She wasn't sure exactly if they were in the hotel or someplace else. I emailed them after we'd arrived back in the US. They looked all over the rooms we stayed in and found the engagement ring far back in the room safe. The other ring was found later under the refrigerator.
The staff mailed us the rings as I told them we'd wire money to cover and a tip. They did so. What a great staff there!!! They could've at any time told us the rings weren't found. Their honesty should be noted by anyone making arrangements to stay in that hotel in the future. Not many people would have stories like that to tell in this day and age.
I agree that Matt Barrett's web site is a great place to start planning a trip to Greece. It was most helpful. My group rented cars from a local firm (suggest by Mr. Barrett) and it was much less expensive than the international firms. We drove all over the mainland. Over all we (four couples) enjoyed Greece. Our favorite for friendly people was Rhodes. Our worst experience was cab drivers (picked up near tourist sites) in Athens - four couples, four different trips, all were scammed or tried to be. The scams ranged from charging way too much (claiming that Friday evening in the old part of Athens had different rates - and showed an official looking flyer - written in Greek - to prove it) to switching same colored bills and claiming they weren't paid enough (giving a blue 20 euro that -when dropped -became a blue 5 euro and such). Our experience may have been a statistical anomaly, but four out of four? To be fair, the cab drivers that the hotel called for us were honest and helpful. My advice, don't use cabs picked up near tourist sites.
OK, 3 references to Matt Barrett's site. Web address anyone? We just returrned from China and I want to start planning our 2010 for Greece! Posted by John and Lyn Clarke
Any reason why you can't just Google "Matt Barrett Greece"?
The Matt Barrett site isn't bad, but I too don't find it one of the most useful. Frommers and especially Rough Guides are the Greek guides I find most useful, and most of their content is on their web sites. Unlike many people, I don't think much of Lonely Planet, either their guides or their web site. The wikitravel.org web site's Greek pages have been greatly expanded recently; the quality is uneven, but some of the better pages are worth looking at.
WEBSITES on DESTINATIONS --Some of Matt Barrett's site is outdated, as if he hasn't checked back on certain sites, hotels or restaurants in the 10 years since he first praised them. If you'll check "trip Advisor" forum under "Matt Barrett" you will find chapter & verse on these outdated references, which I can say from my own experience are so. Also many of his "plugs" are -- some say -- related to relationships he has or had ... including taxis. Just be aware. And take some time to explore destination websites that ORIGINATE in the destination and are less commercial (i.e., tied to getting you to book a hotel or tour via them). Examples would be CRETE -- Explore Crete, Interkriti, Crete Travel. ATHENS - Athens Info GUide, athensguide.ORG (not dot-com which is Barretts). Also, for many islands, look at igogreece.com -- which has a knowledgeable traveler do each island, signed-articles, w. recommendations.
TRAVEL FORUMS - Many good ones, like Frommers and Fodor's are mostly Q & A among travelers. Trip Advisor (Greece secion) is different in that MANY of the participants are either Native Greeks or permanent residents, so they give info from "the front" so to speak -- VERY insightful. A couple others that use on-the-spot TRUE EXPERTS are: All Experts: Greece... and livingingreece.gr. Thorn Tree (Lonely Planet) Greece section also has a few experts who actually live in greece.
TRAVEL GUIDEBOOKS - Agree that currently Rough GUide is most detailed and useful (no illstratutions tho); Lonely Planet has gone way downhill especially abandoning its interest in the budget-traveler, an its maps are truly bad. Frommers, while more upscale, thus not as useful for money- savings has good stuff on sites, and refreshing candor. For people who have NO CLUE on what's realistic in getting from one place to another, I always recommend T. Cooks "GReek Island-hopping". Its illustrations show VERY clearly what's do-able in 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks... AND what's not.
-- incidentally, about web travel forums on Greece
The Matt Barrett site isn't bad, but I too don't find it one of the most useful. Frommers and especially Rough Guides are the Greek guides I find most useful, and most of their content is on their web sites. Unlike many people, I don't think much of Lonely Planet, either their guides or their web site. The wikitravel.org web site's Greek pages have been greatly expanded recently; the quality is uneven, but some of the better pages are worth looking at. Posted by Ramblinman
TRAVEL GUIDEBOOKS - Agree that currently Rough GUide is most detailed and useful (no illstratutions tho); Lonely Planet has gone way downhill especially abandoning its interest in the budget-traveler, an its maps are truly bad. Frommers, while more upscale, thus not as useful for money- savings has good stuff on sites, and refreshing candor. For people who have NO CLUE on what's realistic in getting from one place to another, I always recommend T. Cooks "GReek Island-hopping". Its illustrations show VERY clearly what's do-able in 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks... AND what's not. -- incidentally, about web travel forums on Greece Posted by travelerjan
I used Eyewitness books for both my Italy and Greece trips. I have a Rough guide for Greece as well but predominately Eyewitness
Hello I am going to be visiting Athens for a few days after my cruise is over. I would like to know if I'll need a visa to stay in Athens and visit? Also could anyone tell me if it will still be warm enough to swim in the greek islands.? I have no idea what type of clothes I'll need? Thanks in advance
Hello I am going to be visiting Athens for a few days after my cruise is over. I would like to know if I'll need a visa to stay in Athens and visit? Also could anyone tell me if it will still be warm enough to swim in the greek islands.? I have no idea what type of clothes I'll need? Thanks in advance Posted by glow
You should start your own thread, as you are piggybacking here on an old one on a different topic. Information you should include so your questions can be answered: when you are going, and your nationality.
