Hi. My name
is
Matt
Barrett. I have been
traveling or living in Greece since 1968 and since 1996 I
have been adding information to this website that I think is
helpful to travelers to Greece and the Greek
islands. I have created my
Greece
Travel Guides to help you avoid some of the
problems people have while traveling in Greece and
also to share my knowledge of
the country. You can follow links to stories and
articles I have written on various Greek
subjects. This site had previously been one big page but grew so much I had to split it up into sections. But it can easily serve as your basic guide to Greece and you can follow the links to even more information. You can also e-mail me with any questions and I usually respond pretty quickly.
Take a one minute spin in the video above and if you like it please share it with your friends on Facebook and by e-mail. It's a commercial I would make if I were the head of the Greek National Tourist Organization.
This index will give
you an idea of what sections are on each of
the main Greece pages. If you are a first time
visitor the best way is to skip this index for now
and scroll down so you don't miss something
important. First read my article:
Why Greece?
ATHENS SURVIVAL GUIDE
Athens is a
Wonderful City when you get to know it. But
most guidebooks are as confusing as Athens
seems to be for those unfamiliar with it. Not
my Athens Survival Guide. My Athens Guide
makes the city and surrounding areas simple
and enjoyable by following my steps and just
doing what I do. Includes restaurant reviews,
hotels, archaeology sites, nightlife and more
and hundreds, maybe thousands of
photos. You can print out the whole thing and take
it to Greece or use it on your iphone or whatever media device you bting with you. It is the only Guidebook you
will need and it is free. Recommended by Travel Guru Rick Steves and even used by Athenians themselves.
Visit my Athens Survival Guide
at
www.athensguide.com
.
Greek Island Guide I have written a brief review on all the
islands and turned it into a web page that
links to more detailed Greek island
information including lists of hotels
available, beaches, restaurant reviews, archaological sites, history, nightlife and museums and whatever else there is to do on the islands, plus which islands are easy to get to from which other islands, an important thing to know when you make up your itinerary. If you don't know much about the
Greek Islands this will give you some idea of
what each has to offer.
Visit myGreek Island Guide
Many people use the Greek Island Guide to research their trip before going to my
Create-an-itinerary page where they can
fill in a form that tells which islands, how
many days, category of hotel, tours and so on
and an agent comes back with a price for that
trip. It's a pretty creative way to plan your
holiday.
Read my step by step approach
on "How to go to a
Greek Island" which will tell you how to to everything from the moment you leave your hotel, to buying metro tickets, ferry tickets, finding your boat, going to an island and getting home by dinner.
Index of
My Greece Websites
I am
continually adding and updating this page and
the hundreds of other Greece pages to which it
is linked. There are over 5000 pages of
information so for easy navigation there is an
index at
www.greecetravel.com
which has
all my pages. It is the best way to find your
way around my site. Many people use this as their home page. If you have a moment click on that link and then save it to your favorite places or as your homepage. Yes I know it is confusing that there is a Greecetravel.com and a Greektravel.com but the site grew organically and by the time I discovered that this was not the way things are done, there was too much info to change so I just left it. There is now a Chinese Language version of my Greece Travel Guides in case you don't speak English though if you didn't you probably would not have gotten this far. Anyway there is one. There is also my Guide to Turkey which I recently completed since so many people combine Greece and Turkey.
My Hotels of Greece Project
After Sept 11th when nobody was traveling and
I had plenty of time on my hands I put
together a Directory of hotels in Greece with photos and
descriptions. It was kind of tedious but I
think I was sort of in a state of shock and
needed something mechanical to do for awhile.
Now I am kind of proud of it in a simple
workmanship way. It is not every hotel in
Greece but it is every hotel that has been
recommended by the agencies and travelers as
well as hotels I have stayed at and recommend
myself. I have tried to link them to the
travel agencies that have the best prices for that
particular hotel. For those who still want to
just show up and book hotels as you go I still
recommend at least booking your hotel in Athens in advance even if
you don't book any others. Seewww.hotelsofgreece.com
Hotel Search and Automated Booking
For those who have been wondering if I was ever going to get an automated hotel booking site in my guide so people who don't want to go through a travel agency you can stop wondering. Through my friends at Booking.com you can now book hotels from my site and not feel guilty about getting all my free information and booking elsewhere. I still urge travelers to use reliable Greek travel agencies but if you want to do your own hotel arrangements at
least you now have that option and the prices are as low as you will find. See Matt Barrett's Booking.com Hotel Search
What's New on Greece Travel for 2013?
For the latest on what is happening with me in Greece read my Greece Travel blog. But the answer to the question that many people are asking is "Yes people are traveling to Greece." The numbers for Americans traveling seem to be down but that has as much to
do with the American economy as it does with Greece. Europeans, Australians, Indians, Chinese, Canadians, Brazilians and of course Greek-Americans continue to spend their summer holiday in the Greek islands and tourism is one of the bright spots in the Greek economy.
New Economical Packages: Fantasy Travel has put together a number of packages that offer quality accomodation for economical prices. Most packages that seem too good to be true are actually not as good as they seem, often using hotels that are in areas you really don't want to stay in, to keep the price down. But Fantasy's economy packages feature hotels in and around the Plaka in Athens and are all good quality hotels.
I recommend Fantasy Travel's program The Pursuit of Pleasure which is 12 Days and 11 nights in Athens, Mykonos and Santorini including hotels, ferries, transfers, tours, admission to archaeological sites and breakfast starting at 940 euros per person. You can't beat the price for these hotels and this itinerary. Or their 8 day package
that includes a 4-day cruise plus Athens-Delphi-Meteora which starts at 595 euros per person. For these and more visit Fantasy Travel's Special Offers Page
Greece Videos: These are the best HD videos of Greece that you will find on the internet, created by my pal Andy Emery who did the video for the song 'All My Friends from Greece'. He has filmed a dozen of the most popular hotels, a cruise, and lots of shots of Athens, the islands and Turkey from his honeymoon. Go to www.greecetravel.com/videos
Far from the Maddening Crowd: In response to the travelers who worry that recent demonstrations in Athens may disturb their sleep pattern, at my request Fantasy Travel has put together a 10-Day Athens-Mykonos-Santorini package which includes a tour of Athens and all transfers and ferry tickets. The package starts at 639 euros per person. What makes it unique is for the Athens part of the trip you will be staying
by the beach in Faliron, just 20 minutes from downtown by taxi or 30 minutes by bus or coastal tram. For more information see www.fantasytravelofgreece.com/farfromcrowds.html
I have added a new section in my Athens Survival Guide about the coastal suburbs or what some people call the Athenian Riviera, for those who want to stay at the beach instead of in the center of the city. See www.athensguide.com/coast and if you want to stay in the leafy cool suburb of Kifissia see www.athensguide.com/kifissia
Disabled Travelers: I have added a service that specialize in travel for the physically disabled. Go to www.greecetravel.com/handicapped and click on the links to Christianaki Travel who provide tours and itineraries of Athens and the mainland.
'All My Friends from Greece' is a rock-travel-video put together by Andy Emery to promote Greece (and my website). We have big plans for it but for now you can see it at www.greecetravel.com/videos
If you like it tell your friends by sharing it with them on Facebook and other social media and if you love it tell me.
Easter in Greece
This year Easter comes late. Orthodox Easter is May 5th 2013 which means the weather should be warmer than it has been in years. Flights should be cheaper than in the summer and there are several Easter packages which enable you to experience the week of Easter with Greek families, seeing the ceremonies and in the end roasting a lamb and celebrating the resurrection. Even if you are not religious it is a festive time to be here. It is my favorite time to be in Greece. See www.greecetravel.com/easter and also see Easter in Lesvos and spend the holiday on my favorite island.
Budget Tour: Athens-Mykonos-Santorini
Many people write that they want to go to Greece on a very meager budget, but they are nervous about doing all their hotels, and ferry bookings on their own. They would like to stay in economical hotels but the thought of trying to figure out the metro, buses and taxis scares them a little. So I asked Fantasy Travel to put together a 10-day package for people who think they can't afford to go to Greece. They came up with something pretty special that includes 3 days each in Athens, Mykonos and Santorini,
all transfers, breakfast, ferry tickets and a one day tour of Delphi or the one day Saronic cruise for as low as 62 euros a day per person. And everything except lunch and dinner is taken care of. Even entry fees at the archaeological sites included. See www.greecetravel.com/budget-travel
Weekend in Athens
For those lucky enough to live close enough to Greece so you can just pop in for a weekend I have put together a plan that crams as much fun, food and history as any mortal could stand in 3 days. It does not have to be a weekend either. Any 3 days. See www.athensguide.com/weekend
Greek History My History
of Greece which I worked on non-stop
for much of 2005 and have been adding to it ever since is becoming one of my most popular sites. For those who want an
introduction to Greek History which begins
with prehistoric times and runs through to thepresent there are not too many Greek history sites that also include rock bands.
Pictures of Greece
I just finished scanning all my father's slides of Greece in the Sixties. Some are really amazing. See www.greecetravel.com/photos/sixties and while you are at it see some of my 35,000 photos of Greece at www.greecetravel.com/photos
Last but not least is my new Guide to Turkey which I put together after my trip to Istanbul in June of 2012. Lots of cool photos and hotel and restaurant reviews.
Matt's Greece Trip Planning Aids
What kind of person are you? Are you the type that knows they want to go to Greece, don't know exactly where they want to go or what they want to do, but don't want to spend hours or days or weeks trying to decide? Well for you I have created a page that will make it easy for you. It is my suggested itineraries page at it is at www.greektravel.com/suggestions
If you are the type who knows what you want to do but just needs help putting it together in a sensible way that suits your budget then I have a page for you too. See www.greecetravel.com/create-an-itinerary
Index of
Testimonials For travelers
who want proof of the reliability of my
websites and the hotels and agencies listed on
them I have created this site which contains
hundreds (maybe thousands) of e-mails from
happy readers. I encourage you to
It may give you some
ideas too because many people give a blow by
blow account of their trips. If there is an
agency or hotel that you want to know about
you can read the experiences of other
travelers here kind of like Trip-advisor but without all the complaining.
Visit
www.greektravel.com/testimonials
Winter in Greece
Despite what you have read
about the Greek islands closing for the winter, as if Greece
is some kind of seasonal theme-park, there are people like me
who think that the winter-season, which goes from late October
to the end of March, is one of the best times to go to Greece.
No crowds. Generally good weather and many
days when you can swim. There can be periods of cold or rain and even
snow in the mountains. (You can ski in Arahova near Delphi and
then go swim in the Corinthean Gulf the same day). But even
when it is cold it is not the brutal cold that anyone in the
northern US experiences in the winter. The most amazing thing is that everything is green! The dusty archaeolgical sites that are parched and dry in the summer are alive with grass and wild plants and if you go in March or April, millions of wildflowers. (The photo is Myceneae in January) If you want to see the
real Greece, including islands that have returned to their quiet
winter-ways after the summer tourists have left, and take advantage
of low season rates and cheap airfare then winter is the time
to go. And as I have written elsewhere Athens is the best city
in the world from November to May with more restaurants, music,
and shopping than most people get in a lifetime and Apokreas, a two week
Carnival Season just like New Orleans and Rio. For more information
on off-season travel see my article on Winter
in Greece and also the new Off-Season Travel in Greece which has some winter itineraries and links to more info.
Traveling with
Children in Greece:
I have a daughter
and have taken her to Greece every year since
before she was born. Greece is a great country for kids, especially the Greek islands. It is safe and the Greek people love children. There are also lots of children around which is a key ingredient for your child having a good time while traveling with his parents. Trust me. I know. If you are traveling to
Greece with small children, you may want to
learn the secrets of
"Strollering Through
Athens"
or take a look at my
guide for traveling to Greece with Children
at
www.greecetravel.com/kids
Getting Married in
Greece The Greek islands have always been one of
the most popular destinations for
Honeymooners. In the last few years there has
been a dramatic increase in the number of
people who want to get married there too. Why
not? You combine the wedding with the
honeymoon. Now there are all sorts of wedding
packages available of all sizes and prices.
Before you make your decision, whether you are
doing a full-blown wedding or a simple
exchange of vows, or just a renewal of vows
see
www.greecetravel.com/weddings and for those who are already married but just see Honeymoon in Greece and speaking of which.....
Honeymoons in
Greece!
Before you commit to
anything (besides each other of course) take a
peak at Fantasy's Honeymoon Package
.
Most Honeymooners go
to
Santorini. Personally if I were going to
get married I would go somewhere more quiet
and traditional like
Sifnos.
But with a good travel agent helping you, you
can do both.
College Students coming to the Greek
Islands!
Take advantage of low off-season rates and spend Spring Break in Athens and the
Greek Islands. See
www.greecetravel.com/springbreak
This summer see the party cruises
at
www.greecetravel.com/sailing
which visit
every party island in the Aegean. Otherwise
head for
Mykonos,
Ios
or
Santorini
if you want to party or
Sifnos or
Lesvos if
you want to go somewhere quieter and more
traditional. The Greek islands are the place
to be in the summer whether you are in your
teens or wish you still were.
Imagine the world's best spring break atmosphere but with young people from every country in Europe and many from all over the world. If you think
that a year or two studying in Greece might be
just the inspiration you need to fulfill your
destiny check out the schools and study abroad
programs at
www.greecetravel.com/schools . You can also search hotel booking sites to find the best deals at www.hotelsofgreece.com/search
Alternative Travel: Sea Kayaking, River Rafting and Climbing Mount Olympus
Not everyone wants to come to Greece to just lay on the beach and relax. There are those among us who are truly adventerous and live for excitement and there are also those among us who think that they too might be adventerous and enjoy some excitement as long as it is not too much exceitement. I have both needs covered at www.greecetravel.com/trekking
The
15th of August is the biggest holiday in
Greece along with Easter. The days preceding
and following these holidays are the worst
times to be traveling. If you are on an island
there will be lots happening but it is also
the best time to be in Athens because the city
will be empty.
Make sure
you have your hotels and ferries booked if you
are traveling during this period. In June there is a Holiday called Agios Pnevmatos which is the saint day for the Holy Spririt. It is similar to Memorial day in that it is a 3 day weekend and the island hotels and ferries are packed. Don't plan on showing up on an island and just finding a place to stay on this weekend. To make it even more complicated it is a moveable feast so its a different weekend every year.
Apokreas
is
the Greek version of Mardi Gras, with
celebrations in Athens, Patras and many
villages and towns in Greece. This is a great
time to go if you like nightlife, parties,
dancing and have nothing better to do in
February. It is also a good time to get
discounted rates on flights and hotels. Greek
winters are mild and Athens can be wild! The
last two weekends are the best.
Easter
is a very special
time to be in Greece with the celebrations and
the services and the roast lamb and the smell
of spring and the wildflowers in bloom.
Seewww.greecetravel.com/easter
Christmas in
Greece?
In the past, few people went to Greece in the winter. Greece
was a place to lay out in the sun, swim and
enjoy meals in outdoor tavernas overlooking
small harbors full of colorful fishing boats.
You can't do that in the winter can you? Well,
what many people have discovered is that the
Christmas holidays in Greece is a great time
to be there. Low rates on hotels and the
weather is usually a lot nicer than wherever
it is they have come from. Many days it is
warm enough to dine outdoors. It is a great
time to be in Athens and visit the
archaeological sites and nearby islands and
Athens nightlife in my opinion is among the
best in the world. Read about my Christmas in
Greece
at:
www.athensguide.com/christmas
I definitely
recommend using a Greek travel agency for your trip to Greece despite the appearance that booking on your own seems to be so easy. The fact is that the booking is easy. It is only after you get to Greece that you may discover that there is more to booking hotels and ferries than booking hotels and ferries.
Every hotel in Greece has their
own website these days and the quality of the
web design does not always reflect that of the
hotel. Unless you are back-packing and
prepared to sleep anywhere, a trip to Greece
is a lot easier if you work with a travel
agent who knows what they are doing. They can
organize ferries, flights, transportation to
and from airports and ports, find the right
hotel for you, deal with any unforeseen
circumstances, answer all your questions and
in the end save you time, money and your
sanity. You can choose from dozens of
itineraries or you can create your own and by
using my website you should have a pretty good
idea of what you would like to do.
What is the best way
to book your holiday to Greece? Can you really
save by using auto-booking systems or by
booking directly with the hotels? Are Travel
Agencies a thing of the past? From my
experience sites like Travelocity and Expedia
are great for booking your flights but for
booking hotels in Greece and arranging your
trip it makes much more sense to work with
someone who knows the territory. The number
one cry for help I get is from people who
booked their accommodations on their own
and found themselves committed to hotels they
could not reach because there was not a ferry
that day or any day. What many people
don't understand when they book hotels in
Greece is that by booking directly with a
hotel you are not getting a better deal or
saving money. The travel agent does not pay
the same price as you do for a hotel and add
his comission. He pays less than you, in most
cases a lot less. He is then able to offer you
a price equal to or lower than the hotel
offers when you book directly. The same with
cruises and tours. The travel agent's
commission does not come from you. In essense
the hotel pays it by taking less money. So not
only are you paying the same or less but you
now have someone who can answer your
questions, book your ferry tickets and assist
you in planning your holiday.
Read my article
Endangered Species about the internet and
the disappearance of the small
personalized-service travel agency for more on
this subject. Personally I think travel agents
are an under appreciated and important group
and if they get squeezed out of business by
automated systems we are going to really miss
them.
Strikes and Demonstrations in Athens
During the summer of 2011 people who used Greek travel agencies only found the strikes to be a minor inconvenience if that. The agencies made the changes to the ferries and the hotels and for some it meant an extra day in Athens and for others an extra day on an island. The people who were most affected by the strikes are those who did not even know there was a strike and only discovered it when the went to the port and could not board their ferry to the island they had
already booked a hotel on. Strikes are a minor inconvenience when you know they are going to happen and merely require a slight change of plans, something a Greek travel agency can do a lot easier than you can. As for demonstrations they all take place in a small area of Athens and only last an hour or two. On those days there were demonstrations the agencies called their clients and told them to avoid these certain areas during these times. Keep in mind that demonstrations are a way of life in Athens but not
on the islands. So if you want to avoid strikes and demonstrations then spend less time in Athens and work with a reliable Greek travel agency.
My Recommended
Greek Travel Agencies...
That being said let
me introduce the travel agencies in Athens
that I have been recommending with confidence
for years. There are hundreds of travel
agents in Greece who have websites and with a
good webmaster anyone can have an impressive
site that resonates with efficiency and
professionalism. The trouble is not all
agencies are as impressive as their websites.
These agencies are.....
Established
in 1983 by Mr George Gerassimidis,
Fantasy is a team of experienced travel
agents, who insure each
client has an unforgettable holiday
in Greece. Specializing in the Cyclades
Islands and cruises to the islands and Turkey,
they offer
numerous combinations of islands including
hotels, ferries, transfers, excursions,
cruises and can take care of all the details
so you can sit back and enjoy the holiday
instead of worrying about ferry schedules and
tickets.
They have contracts with the most
popular hotels and in many cases will have
availability for hotels which are supposedly
booked full and in all likelihood better
prices. They have earned the reputation of
being one of the most efficient and
professional companies in their field,
covering all aspects of travel to Greece,
Turkey and Egypt. The Fantasy Travel office is
conveniently located a block from Syntagma
Square so you can easily meet with them for
advice or to fine-tune your itinerary by
adding tours and excursions. They are also
happy to help you create your own specialized
itinerary and in fact invented the
Create-an-itinerary
page
that has become so popular with people
using my website. Their website has dozens of
suggested itineraries and different island
combinations which can be customized to fit
your taste. Visit George and his staff at
www.fantasytravelofgreece.com or
contact them with
this
form. Or
see what others have said at
www.greektravel.com/testimonials/fantasy.html
Meet Fantasy Travel
I
wholeheartedly endorse Kiki Zikou and the gang
at DOLPHIN
HELLAS TRAVEL,
one of the oldest and most respected travel agency in Athens,
Greece that has been in business for almost
half a century. They can help you book
reservations in Hotels all over Greece,
Flights, Cruises, Tours, Buses, Ferries,
transportation to and from the airport, and supply you with all the information you
need to have the best holiday of your life.
Dolphin Hellas has booked thousands of people
through this site and others and have a
stellar reputation. They have what many
agencies want, repeat customers who come to
Greece every year and do their hotel bookings and get information from Dolphin.
One of the most efficient travel agencies in Greece is not even based in Athens but on the small Cycladic island of Sifnos.
Aegean Thesaurus
Travel has
all the capabilities of any of the Athens travel
agencies. Apostolis Dimopoulos left the hustle and
bustle of Athens and opened his agency on this
quiet island because he realized with the internet
and other modern tools of communication it would
not matter where in Greece an agency was
physically located. Putting together a terrific
staff and running a high-tech efficient agency is
the reason why Aegean Thesaurus Travel is one of the fastest growing travel agencies in Greece.
Specializing in tours for the disabled with a fleet of accessable vehicles. They also know which hotels are wheelchair friendly in Athens and the islands and are the best agency to use if you or someone in your group is
in need of assistance. They are the first and only Greek tour operating company that specializes in tailor-made itineraries for the physically challenged. They can fulfill all of your travel requirements by providing you with transportation, hotel booking and guides to escort you around historic sites and attractions in Greece and Europe. They can also provide you with business/conference facilities, or if you prefer, arrange a custom-made itinerary to suit you, featuring any of the above choices.They
have over 20 years of experience in the traveling business and guarantee the best service for you. See Christianakis Travel
Other Services in Greece
George the Famous Taxi Driver
Athens best Taxi driver is George Kokkotos of
V.I.P. Taxi Service. Having your own
air-conditioned personal taxi in Athens is
like having your own chauffer, translator and
guide for a fraction of the cost. George
speaks perfect English and knows all there is
to know about Athens. It's a great way to see
the real Greece. I recommend him for
excursions such as Delphi, Meteora, Naphlion,(Epidavros, Corinth and Myceneae),
Sounion, Olympia,
or anywhere on the mainland. (He says he will
go to the islands too.) If you are in a group
of three or more people it is cheaper to use
George then to go on the guided tour bus, and
more fun since he will be more flexible.
George knows the country and will help you
find many bargains and hidden places not on
most tourist itineraries. He can also take you
on a tour of Athens nightlife. If you are in
Athens and need a car at your disposal for
business or pleasure, George is at your
service. One of the few taxi drivers in Greece
who does not smoke. For sightseeing, guided
tours, excursions all over Greece, or even a
day of golf, call or FAX George. Also for
transfers*, he will meet you at the
airport when you arrive and take you to your
hotel, to and from cruise ships, ferry boats
etc.
Oh yes...George has a brand new Mercedes and
also a Mercedes Limo for VIPs and a bus for larger
groups!
He also provides a car seat for infants. For
more about George read his
testimonials.
For rates and more info see
www.greecetravel.com/taxi
or or e-mail
georgetaxitours@yahoo.com
Driving in Greece
SWIFT-AVANTI
CAR RENTALS
Located on 50, Syngrou Ave is a small
family-run company owned by Elias Manouas who
prides himself on specialized personal
service. Excellent cars and low prices plus
delivery or pick-up to your hotel, the airport
or wherever you are in Greece. He can also
make arrangements with his affiliates on the
Greek islands (or you may want to bring his
car on the ferry like a mobile closet for your
luggage.) Not only will he give you a 15%
discount for mentioning my website but he will
also drive you to the outskirts of Athens
where the driving is easier. You will
never have to experience what the Athens
drivers go through every day until you are ready for it. For info on cars
and prices visit www.greektravel.com/swift or use this Form
GM Sailboat and Yacht Charters
OK. I am hooked!
A few summers ago I took a 5-day cruise on a
sailboat on a sixty-foot boat with 6 cabins
and plenty of room and Captain Billy Joe Leck,
a true renaissance man from the UK, skilled in
the arts of sailing, story-telling,
guitar-playing and baby-sitting who knew more
about the islands than I could learn in a
lifetime! I am not a sailor so I was a little
reluctant to go but when the trip was over I
wished I had booked 10 days or a month. We
swam in sheltered coves in incredibly clear
sea and sailed into ports in the late
afternoon for dinner and entertainment. (The
boat had AC but we never needed it.) This is
the best way to see the islands, (like a
cruise but you choose your own itinerary). If
you like a particular island you stay longer
or even return to it. The captain doubles as a
guide/host and knows the best restaurants,
bars, beaches and is your private interpreter
making ordering in restaurants easy. The
surprising thing is that it can actually
be cheaper then staying in a hotel and a lot more
interesting! Be sure to read my article
about my experience sailing in Greece
at
www.greecetravel.com/sailing
David Econopouly of
GM Yacht Charters has gathered together
the best boats and some of the finest and
most entertaining skippers in Greece to
offer a large number of specialized sailboat
or motor-yacht cruises for honeymooners,
archaeologists, people traveling with their
pets, disabled, students, naturalists, and
more. If you have ever wanted to sail the
Greek islands (or Turkey) and find your
own special beach or make up your own cruise
take read Why Charter A yacht with David at GM Charters
Getting to Greece
The way
to get a cheap flight is to book early.
Airlines sell tickets in blocks and each
flight can have a number of different prices
for the same seats. When the cheaper tickets
are sold then you have to buy the next
expensive ones. By the time you get to the
summer all that is left are the expensive
tickets. (Some airlines don't have inexpensive
tickets in the summer.) To find the best fares
to Greece from the USA go to
www.greeceflights.com and use the form.
When can you get the best deals on flights?
When the airlines need cash. When they are
short on cash they have sales. If you are
coming from Europe you don't have to fly. You
can drive and take the ferry from Brindisi,
Bari, Ancona, and Venice in Italy. For
information on flights and getting to Greece
visit my Athens Survival Guide and see the
first section, called
Getting To
Athens.
Greek Ferry Boats
There is more on ferries in the Greek Island section but here is some basic info. Most ferries leave from Pireaus which you can get to in 15 minutes by metro or taxi from central Athens.
There are modern highspeed ferries that cut travel time in half and cost twice as much as the regular ferries. There are also the Blue Star ferries which are somewhere in between. You may read that ferries are unreliable and while I would not go that far in describing their service they can be cancelled because of weather or mechanical problems or can be delayed. To avoid any problems with your trip home because of a ferry delay I suggest saving Athens for the end of your
trip. A good plan is to arrive and spend the first night in Athens and see as much as you can that day and leave for the islands the next day. Give yourself 2 or 3 days at the end of your trip to experience Athens and the mainland.
Economical Cruise Packages
Fantasy Travel's Smart 7 cruise allows you to spend 2 nights in Mykonos at the beginning of your cruise and 2 nights in Santorini at the end of your cruise. The cruise is 4 days and includes Kusadasi, Turkey, Patmos, Rhodes and Crete. See http://www.fantasytravelofgreece.com/smart7.html
Greek Mainland Tours:
The most important sites are in the Greek mainland and include Delphi, Meteora, Nafplion, Myceneae, Epidavros, Olympia and others. Take a look at Fantasy Travel's 7 and 5 day mainland tours which can be combined with an island or two or a short cruise. You can take care of your historical needs and then relax on the islands at a very low price. See Mainland Tours
CULINARY TOURS in GREECE
Join famous Greek chef Aglaia Kremezi and friends
on a culinary experience on the island of Kea with her famous Kea Artisinal program. Click on the link for more info and dates. What a great way to
spend your holiday in Greece.
FANTASY
TRAVEL If you can't find something that appeals to
you on Fantasy Travel's new website then I don't
know what else to say. They have hundreds of
possible itineraries and you can even customize
them if you can't find something that's perfect
for you.
Athens
and the Saronic Gulf Islands in the high or
low season:
Hydra
,
Spetses,
Poros
,
Agistri
and
Aegina
. (You
can stay in Aegina, Poros or Angistri and do day trips
to Athens to see the sites if you don't like
cities.)
Vatera/Lesvos:
Incredible
beach on a fantastic island, great for
families with kids.(For more on Lesvos
see
www.lesvos.com
)
Cycle Greece: Bicycle Tours of the mainland and the islands.
Run the Athens Marathon: 2010 was the 2500th anniversary of the first Marathon which starts in Marathon and ends in Athens. You may have missed it but that's no reason not to run it next year.
Day Sails in Santorini with Captain Ted to the volcano, remote beaches and gourmet lunch and dinner.
River Trekking and Rafting in the Peloponnese: This 5-Day trip features Rafting in Lousios Gorge, River Trekking in Neda Gorge a visit to Ancient Olympia, site of the first Olympic Games and the 5th century BC Temple of Apollo in Vasses. For more information see www.greecetravel.com/trekking/peloponessos
Trekking in the Pindos Mountains and the Zagori
Villages: The region of Epirus boasts some of the most scenic green
nature in the country. The Vikos Aoos National Park, in the area known
as Zagori, is an ideal location for nature enthusiasts. See www.greecetravel.com/trekking/epirus
Sea Kayaking in the Ionian Islands: Sea kayak in crystal blue seas, sleep under the stars in isolated beaches, sample real Greek life. This program is designed for those who enjoy sea kayaking and desire to discover the hidden beauties of Greece. www.greecetravel.com/trekking/sea-kayaking
Is Segeway the best way to see Athens?
Take the opportunity to experience the unique and original Segway form of transport. A tour around the must - see places in Athens, combining the ancient with the modern. Ride, slide and get the best of Athens in an original manner. Stop to take pictures on the way anywhere YOU like and enjoy the experience of moving in the most environmentally friendly way around town.It is easy to do and fun too. (If you have kids they will love it and you probably will as well. With the pedestrian streets of Athens
that go for miles, you will be insulated from the notorious Athens traffic. See www.athensguide.com/segway-tours
TURKEY
If you are going to
Greece and want to do Turkey as well then have a
look at My
Greece-Turkey
Guide. It has a guide to Turkey, listings of
tours, ferry schedules from the Greek Islands to
Turkey, hotels, cruises, a great travel agency and
can help you have a seamless trip combining the
two countries. Also Hahathakis Tours on the island of Lesvos specialize in trips to Turkey and the North Aegean Islands.
Travel Insurance
With the state of the airlines and the
world, you'll never know when you need to protect your holiday!
Read about it. Think About it. Even Buy it Here: Travel Insurance
Schools, Churches and Groups coming to Greece Did you know you can get great discounts on
hotels, cruises and tours if you come as a
group? If you are a school, a wedding party, a
company going on a trip, a family reunion, a
cultural organization, church or if you are
just someone who wants to come to Greece with
friends and family or a travel agent check out
the Groups page at
www.greecetravel.com/groups
where you can put together a specialized
itinerary for your people and then get a
price per-person. And you won't have to negotiate with the hotels one-by-one. Everything is taken care of and all you have to do is make sure everyone gets on the plane.
By the way....Help Support My Website!
This website began as a hobby about 15 years ago and since then
it has grown in popularity and size. People have been asking me how they
can contribute. First of all you can
contribute by using the agencies I recommend.
Without their support this site could not
exist. The best way to contribute is to help
spread the word about my Greece Travel Guides.
Tell your friends. Tell your family. Tell
strangers on the travel bulletin boards. If
you have your own website or blog make a link.
The only way I can compete with the big
commercial sites is with your help. Some people use my site to gather all this free information and then go shopping on the web to save a couple euros but if you are thankful for the info you find on my site and the work I have put into it you can support it by using the travel agencies I recommend or if you prefer to book hotels individually by using the Hotel Booking
Site that was created for me by Booking.com you will find prices as cheap as you will find them anywhere.
OK.
You made it through the first page. But there
is lots more. You can click on one of these links or Return to
the top
Help Support Matt's Greece Travel Guides
Do you enjoy using my site? Have you found it entertaining as well as useful? If so please show your appreciation by booking hotels through the travel agencies and the links found on my Hotels of Greece Website. The small comission I make on the bookings enable me to keep working and in most cases you won't find them any cheaper by searching elsewhere. You can also book at Booking.com's Greece Page and they give me a small percentage on each booking.
Athens is a
Wonderful City when you get to know it. But
most guidebooks are as confusing as Athens
seems to be for those unfamiliar with it. Not
my Athens Survival Guide. My Athens Guide
makes the city and surrounding areas simple
and enjoyable by following my steps and just
doing what I do. Includes 
I have written a brief review on all the
islands and turned it into a web page that
links to more detailed Greek island
information including lists of hotels
available, beaches, restaurant reviews, archaological sites, history, nightlife and museums and whatever else there is to do on the islands, plus which islands are easy to get to from which other islands, an important thing to know when you make up your itinerary. If you don't know much about the
Greek Islands this will give you some idea of
what each has to offer. 
After Sept 11th when nobody was traveling and
I had plenty of time on my hands I put
together a Directory of hotels in Greece with photos and
descriptions. It was kind of tedious but I
think I was sort of in a state of shock and
needed something mechanical to do for awhile.
Now I am kind of proud of it in a simple
workmanship way. It is not every hotel in
Greece but it is every hotel that has been
recommended by the agencies and travelers as
well as hotels I have stayed at and recommend
myself. I have tried to link them to the
travel agencies that have the best prices for that
particular hotel. For those who still want to
just show up and book hotels as you go I still
recommend at least booking your hotel in Athens in advance even if
you don't book any others. See
Despite what you have read
about the Greek islands closing for the winter, as if Greece
is some kind of seasonal theme-park, there are people like me
who think that the winter-season, which goes from late October
to the end of March, is one of the best times to go to Greece.
No crowds. Generally good weather and many
days when you can swim. There can be periods of cold or rain and even
snow in the mountains. (You can ski in Arahova near Delphi and
then go swim in the Corinthean Gulf the same day). But even
when it is cold it is not the brutal cold that anyone in the
northern US experiences in the winter. The most amazing thing is that everything is green! The dusty archaeolgical sites that are parched and dry in the summer are alive with grass and wild plants and if you go in March or April, millions of wildflowers. (The photo is Myceneae in January) If you want to see the
real Greece, including islands that have returned to their quiet
winter-ways after the summer tourists have left, and take advantage
of low season rates and cheap airfare then winter is the time
to go. And as I have written elsewhere Athens is the best city
in the world from November to May with more restaurants, music,
and shopping than most people get in a lifetime and 
College Students coming to the Greek
Islands! 
Established
in 1983 by Mr George Gerassimidis,
Fantasy is a team of experienced travel
agents, who insure each
client has an unforgettable holiday
in Greece. Specializing in the Cyclades
Islands and cruises to the islands and Turkey,
they offer
numerous combinations of islands including
hotels, ferries, transfers, excursions,
cruises and can take care of all the details
so you can sit back and enjoy the holiday
instead of worrying about ferry schedules and
tickets. 
One of the most efficient travel agencies in Greece is not even based in Athens but on the small Cycladic island of Sifnos.
Aegean Thesaurus
Travel has
all the capabilities of any of the Athens travel
agencies. Apostolis Dimopoulos left the hustle and
bustle of Athens and opened his agency on this
quiet island because he realized with the internet
and other modern tools of communication it would
not matter where in Greece an agency was
physically located. Putting together a terrific
staff and running a high-tech efficient agency is
the reason why Aegean Thesaurus Travel is one of the fastest growing travel agencies in Greece. 
Athens best Taxi driver is George Kokkotos of
V.I.P. Taxi Service. Having your own
air-conditioned personal taxi in Athens is
like having your own chauffer, translator and
guide for a fraction of the cost. George
speaks perfect English and knows all there is
to know about Athens. It's a great way to see
the real Greece. I recommend him for
excursions such as 
SWIFT-AVANTI
CAR RENTALS
GM Sailboat and Yacht Charters
Is Segeway the best way to see Athens?
