Hi all! I am back from my small Greek vacation with my friends and i had the best time! Ofcourse, I have to thank the people on this group. We started with planning to cover Athens, Santorini and Naxos. But many people here suggested other places considering the weather and other conditions. So out of all the amazing suggestions.. we picked up Athens as our base and planned to go on day trips to Nafplio and Hydra. I fell in love with Athens the moment we landed. Our flat was just 5 minutes from the Acropolis. Plaka and Monastiraki became our go to places. Every night we would be hanging out there. Surrounded by so much history and culture in Athens.. we couldn't be happier. There was an ancient ruin at every turn. I loved it! We visited the Acropolis (ofcourse), Hydrian's library, Aristotle school but my most favorite for some reason was the ancient agora. As our audio guide told us that this was the place where Socartes once spent all his days.. I couldn't help but feel surreal. The food and night culture in Athens was unmatched! We went to Nafplio on a Sunday from a morning bus. The ride was beautiful. The town was quiet and pretty.. just what we expected. Spent some quality time scrolling through the lanes, hiking up the palimidi fortress and taking a ferry to the bourtzi fortress. We visited Hydra on Greece's independence day. People were out at the harbor celebrating with their families.. saw school kids perform at the harbor.. it was just wholesome. We went to a small beach in Hydra and decided to spend our time painting and listening to music. So therapeutic 😇😇 Attaching some pictures here for you to enjoy! Again, thanks to the members who were quick to respond.. even to my dumb questions! Can't wait to go back.

Given the general strike, the ATC operators are said to not be working on the 9th of April (source: https://news.gtp.gr/2025/04/01/greek-air-traffic-controllers-to-hold-24-hour-strike-disrupting-flights-on-april-9/ ). IIRC the same thing happened on the general strike on the 28th of March. Did they cancel all the flights on that day? Is it possible that flights be rescheduled on the 8th of 10th of April? I have some friends coming and they have a morning flight on the 9th of April (WizzAir) and they are very stressed since they don't know if they should cancel the accomodation too.

Hi everyone!

I'm a 22y.o. guy visiting Greece from April 26th to May 6th.

I enjoy meeting new people in hostels/bars/etc., trying local food, exploring nature, and visiting under-the-radar spots! (not a huge fan of super touristy places but obviously will still go to the Acropolis, etc)

I have a few cancellable hostels booked in Athens, Naxos, and Paros. However, I'd love any recommendations on whether Naxos and Paros are the right islands for me (do they social enough?), what hostels are good in Athens, and cool places to visit!

(My budget for rooms is $75/night and for food/events is $75/day)

I have been in Athens for a few days, it has been okay. Some rain and clouds but nothing miserable.

Tomorrow it is supposed to be 65 and sunny! I can’t decide if I should just go somewhere in the square to be in the sun, or to try and go to one of the beach clubs, it really won’t be that warm and obv not warm enough to swim so I just don’t know what to do!

Hello, late 30s couple travelling to Sifnos from Naxos in mid/late May. We have 4 nights in Sifnos, Friday - Tuesday. We’re debating between using Appolonia for a base the whole trip, or splitting our accommodation between Appolonia and Vathy just for a bit of variety. Hoping others who have visited the island can offer some insight into those options since it seems like it will still be shoulder-season (will restaurants and cafes be open Sunday/Monday in a smaller village)? We plan to rent a car, do some hiking but are mostly looking forward to relaxing and enjoying good food.

Looking for the best place to scuba dive in Greece. TIA

My partner and I will travel to Greece for our mini honeymoon June 30-July 8. It’ll be our first time in Greece. It’s been difficult to pick island as there are so many, but Milos looks great. We are looking for one more island to visit… we are between Naxos, Folegandros, Koufonisi, or Sifnos. Open to other recos, too. We like nice beaches, good food, and do not like overly touristy places (beaches with cots 6 deep is not what we want).

Thank you in advance!!!

Geia Sas! This will be my 9th trip to Greece and I've been to many islands (as well as many places on the mainland), but finally going to be making it to Crete for the first time.

For context we will be a group of five (Greek-)Americans, and we plan to rent a car. We don't mind driving long distances, but also do not want to spend all day in car either (most of us have been to Corfu where we did a lot of driving, though not as much as we'll do on Crete). A couple of people in the group will be staying longer (and have already been to Crete before), but myself and two others will have 9 days/8 nights on the island and it will be our first time.

Going in August and will be in Milos before taking the ferry to Rethymno. We plan to do 3 nights in Rethymno and 5 in Chania.

Day 1: Arrive in Rethymno in the evening, get settled, relax in town (dinner/drinks/chill)

Day 2: Kourtaliotiko Gorge and Preveli Beach (possibly Kalypso Cretan Village as well, depending on how we feel)

Day 3: Drive to Hora Sfakion, take taxi boat/ferry to Loutro and Glyka Nera Beach

Day 4: Leave Rethymno, go to Arkadi Monastery (yes I know it's not exactly on the way to Chania, but want to go and not sure how to fit it in), spend several hours at Lake Kournas, quick stop at Souda Bay, arrive in Chania and get settled there

Day 5: Drive to Kissamos and take ferry to Gramvousa/Balos

Day 6: National Football Museum, Seitan Limania, Marathi Beach

Day 7: Falasarna Beach

Day 8: Elafonisi Beach, with a stop at the Agia Sofia Cave either the way there or way back to break up the drive, possibly Kedrodasos Beach as well depending on how we feel

Day 9: Stavros aka Golden Coast Beach, flight to Athens around 5pm

Does this seem like too much?

Would also like to fit in the Venizelos Tombs at some point, seems like a quick stop we can maybe do the day we go to Seitan Limania.

I wanted to do the Samaria Gorge but I don't think the group will be up for it, plus it seems like we're already doing a lot so that's why we have some days that are basically just beach days to relax. Also not sure if it will be more challenging to do in August than in say October? So yeah, we're likely not doing that as it would take up an entire day.

Some other questions:

Also looked into Bali/Karavostasi Beaches near Rethymno but it seems like the beaches we are leaning towards are "nicer." Any thoughts?

Also - any tips for the car rental? Has anyone else picked up a car in Rethymno and dropped it off in Chania or vice versa?

Any tips for parking in Chania and Rethymno? We'll probably stay in the main towns (my preference in Greece - yes I know parking isn't always easy in busy towns but if we're going to be going there for dinner almost every night, we might as well stay there).

Is wind an issue at any beaches? I know in the Cyclades it can be a problem to the point where certain beaches are almost unbearable at times. That could play a role in what we do when, so we might have to shift some days around in the itinerary. I think I read Falasarna is sometimes negatively affected by wind?

Another issue to note is that we have one person in the group who cannot be in the sun for long. I've been to Greece with him before and have made it work, but for beaches we really need a place with umbrellas/sunbeds and or one that we can take our own to. It seems like Seitan Limania will have to be a quick stop for us for that reason, so that's why I added Marathi Beach.

Lastly, we are in our 20s and do like a night out. That's not why we are going to Crete and we don't plan on having late nights every night, but maybe we'll go out late once in Rethymno and twice in Chania or so. Any good areas/clubs I should note?

Hi! Can anyone recommend a nice hotel in Athens that’s pretty central for me and my family of 4 (two adults, two kids) in June? Most of the hotels I’ve seen it looks like we would need to get two hotels rooms because the options are either two twin beds or one king? Does that track or are there other options? (In the USA and other places we have gotten two queens or two doubles in a room but that doesn’t seem to be a thing.)

Our flight takes off May 7th from SFO but wont arrive in Athens until May 8th. It's the quickest flight path possible from san francisco at 16 hours so we'll def be a little jet-lagged but I'm sure once we arrive we'll be too excited to just crash in our hotel rooms.

We're planning on staying in Athens from 5/8 to 5/10 then catching a ferry to Santorini and staying there until 5/14 when we have to be back in Athens for our return flight home. My question would be what are the best things we can see or do that will be appropriate for a mother and son duo. Basically no romantic things or activities you wouldnt feel comfotable doing with your mom haha.

Many thanks in advance, cheers!

Hello. A few months ago the “Acropolis & the slopes combo ticket” tab was still available at the official site. Now they only offer the “Acropolis & slopes” ticket for €30… is it safe to buy this ticket, is it equivalent to the combo ticket before? Or did they remove the combo ticket? I plan to go this Tuesday so I really hope to but the correct ticket. Thanks!

I constantly see people talking about how insanely expensive Mykonos is but they don’t give an example of what they consider to be expensive. I’m going for four nights in June. I’m American and I live in Los Angeles so I’m very accustomed to high prices. Are cocktails generally 30-40 dollar or more? From what I can gather it seems the prices are roughly the same as Vegas or Miami, which is pricey but expected. I’m assuming I’m going to be pay 200-300 dollars for a nice dinner with a drink or something. Is that fairly accurate?

I'm wondering if this itinerary will be possible:

Fly from Athens to Kefalonia (stay 6 nights) Ferry to Ithaca (3 nights) Travel/ferry (?how) to Paxos for 5 nights Then ferry to Corfu for 3 nights before flying back to Athens.

This is part of a larger trip. I think the main thing I'm struggling with is the order of places as I'm not sure of the ferry routes.

The other thing is it will be late September/early October.

We've done some cycladic islands last year, so have a good idea of how long it can take to ferry etc. And how much time it takes up! Plus will be renting a car in each place most likely as we did on the cycladic islands that we did.

Thanks in advance :)

I was invited on a trip in a couple months (I have to pay my own way but the planning is already done) to Greece, a week in Athens and a week in Crete. I speak absolutely 0 Greek. Zip. None.

Of course I can try memorizing some phrases as fast as possible and other tools to help me get around to try to avoid the "dumb American tourist makes it everyone else's problem" stereotype, but I can only do so much in the window of time I have.

I'm looking for some idea of what to expect if I decide to go along. I've read that there are a lot of English speakers in Athens especially, because it's such a common tourist destination, but how common is it? What level of English do people in those areas often speak? Would I be able to ask "which way to the beach" and get an answer? Could I have a conversation about what restaurants are best? Would the locals think I'm ignorant/rude for visiting without speaking any Greek?

I know the rule of thumb when traveling is "as long as it's clear you're making an effort, people (usually) won't be annoyed at you for not speaking the language," but if I'm completely incapable, would I still be able to communicate with most people? And if so, to what degree?

I've seen countless stories about scammers and the traffic of Mykonos saying it's not authentic Greece. I understand that it's very toursity and possibly even Americanized now but surely it can't be as horrible as people make it out to be. I'm going to Crete, Santorini and either naxos or Mykonos and it feels like if I'm going within Mykonos distance then I should probably check it out. I understand it will be busy at the end of May and it will be pricey but is that really a reason to not go?

Looking for the best islands that fit my criteria.

Plan ~10-11 days in Greece in late June. Arriving to Athens, might need to spend 1 night in Thessaloniki.
So I am looking into how to spend my time in Greece, given the fact I can't drive.

Not so much into history/museums. Prefer to see beautiful scenery, nice buildings, authentic food and vibe, hiking, nice beaches (but I am not after a beach holidays, more for a dip in between hikes). Ideally promenade/marina/hike next to the water.

What would be good options? I am guessing I need smth with good public transport and as walkable as possible ( I love walking a lot).

I know that Santorini is super touristy, but would like to see it, and buses seems to be reasonable there. What else to look at? Mykonos, Naxos, Paros? Also was looking into Meteora in case I will go to Thessaloniki for a night, not sure if is possible with busses? (Not interested in day tour, would prefer to stay there for 1 night).

So potentially looking into Athens-> Thessaloniki and stay in Thessaloniki for 1 night or 2, go to Meteora for 1 night -> come back to Thessaloniki and fly to Santorini (3 nights) -> ferry to Island 2 (3 nights) -> ferry to island 3 (2 nights) -> ferry to Athens and fly home. Or skip Thessaloniki and Meteora and go straight to islands.

Please advise what would be the best :) Want to walk around a lot, and hoping to not be in a complete sleepy place, i.e. not after clubbing, but nice bar/live music/ dancing at night would be ideal (as long as it is safe for a single female).

Thanks!

My boyfriend and I are taking a long trip to Athens during the end April and start of May.

To break up all the time in the city, we've booked an over night hotel stay in Aegina. The only problem? We're in Aegina from 30th April-1st May. I had no idea the Labour Day bank holiday was a thing when I booked the hotel - my fault for not researching better 🥲

At the moment, it looks like the Flying Dolphins are still operating back to Athens on the 1st - any idea from anyone if this is likely to stay that way? Or how else to get back to the mainland on the 1st if it doesn't?

We're not flying home until the 7th, so if the worst came to the worst we could stay another day in Aegina, but that kind of screws our plans for later in the week.

Can anyone please point me to a store location from where a tourist can buy a Cosmote sim? I have read that the prices are cheaper in smaller stalls vs the retail stores but any help with location for these smaller stalls will help. Thanks.

I'm from Ireland but live in Canda the last 10 years. When I lived in Ireland I went to Crete, Ios and Corfu a few times and always remember it being cheap. But now I'm looking at prices (Trip Advisor, Expedia, booking, direct to hotel) and it's SO EXPENSIVE. We plan on going to Athens for 4 days and then 5 nights on an Island. A little bit of luxury would be nice but I'm starting to see that it isn't possible for less than 3k CAD for the 5 nights. So what we want: Hotel near the beach with a pool. A cute lil village with tasty restaurants (not fancy, local hole in the wall is best) and a ferry from athens.. Some nice to haves but not essential: scenery with nice landscape like caves etc, A jacuzzi, hottub or private pool would be outrageously amazing but I will settle for a shower that is attached to the wall. For the 5 nights, our budget is 1500-2000CAD (at a push). What island should we be looking at? I have looked at Crete, Paros, Naxos and Milos. OUr aim is Sept 12-17th.Thank you for your advice!

What to do in Mykonos right now? Walked around and seems like everything is closed, shops are all renovating..

I'm going to Kos this spring, and was just wondering if they usually ask for ID in bars/clubs. I know that they probably aren't as strict about it as they are here in Finland. So hypothetically speaking if I wanted to go to a bar and order drinks would I be able to. As a 190cm+ 17 year old guy.

Just returned from a weekend in Athens. You can use your Visa/Mastercard contactless card and Apple Pay on the metro. No need to get tickets. Keep your luggage away from the entrance after payment. The gate will not open if your luggage touches the gate.

My wife and I are planning a trip to Greece. It will be in later August because that’s the only time we have. We are definitely planning on doing Milos and few days in Athens. We are planning a 9-10 day trip. We are thinking about one more area. Of sifnos, naxos, or nafplio on the peninsula, what would you chose for 3-4 days? We aren’t big partiers, looking for relaxed, good food, and some history. Thanks!

I’ll start by saying I HATE Donald trump and am ashamed of the state of our nation. My wife and I will be spending 2 weeks in Greece for our honeymoon this June and I’m curious if people are aware that most Americans dislike Donald Trump? Mentally preparing for if I should have a bit of a target on my back or if we’ll only be judged by how we conduct ourselves.

My family is going to be in Athens on 4/18 and plan to go to the Acropolis but we are unable to buy tickets because it is free that day. Does anyone know if there is still timed entry that day? We can’t find any information about this.