Athens Tips, Suggestions, Examples to Enjoy!

[iancal]

On our Peloponnese tour we parked out car on the mainland (Motovi I believe), near Nafplio,  in the morning and took the ferry over to Hydra (no cars on this island) for an overnight stay.  So easy to do.   

Edited September 5, 2020 by iancal

[TLCOhio]

On 9/5/2020 at 11:51 AM, iancal said:

On our Peloponnese tour we parked out car on the mainland (Motovi I believe), near Nafplio,  in the morning and took the ferry over to Hydra (no cars on this island) for an overnight stay.  So easy to do.   

 

Appreciate this above great tip/creative idea for travels in and around Greece from this highly-experienced traveler.  Many forget about the many and varied options to explore Greece and to get beyond just the expected highlights in Athens, etc.  Keep up the excellent sharing. 

 

From the Associated Press/AP newswire yesterday, they had this headline: “In Athens, rare snow blankets Acropolis, halts vaccinations” with these highlights: “Heavy snowfall blanketed the Acropolis and other ancient monuments in Athens, caused power cuts and halted COVID-19 vaccinations in the Greek capital on Tuesday as the weather brought many services across the country to a standstill.  Greek media reported that three deaths in separate parts of the country were linked with the bad weather.The snow, an unusual sight in the Greek capital of more than 3 million residents, also stopped most public transport services. Hundreds of toppled trees downed power cables, causing blackouts in several suburbs, while one area on the city’s northern fringes was declared in a state of emergency for the next month.”

 

Full story at:

https://apnews.com/article/snow-blankets-athens-halts-vaccinations-be193363451279cc4d105d025d0fb2b6

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!  Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture.  This posting is now at 89,648 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

 

From the AP, here is their visual for how the snow looked when covering the famed and historic Acropolis.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

[ski ww]

Saw it on the news last night, never think of snow when I think about Athens. Have a cruise booked for July 2022 to Athens, hopefully things are back to what ever passes for normal by then. 

[marazul]

Great pictures of Athens in the snow:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56089815

[bennybear]

Love this one! 

[bennybear]

On 2/18/2021 at 4:22 AM, ski ww said:

Saw it on the news last night, never think of snow when I think about Athens. Have a cruise booked for July 2022 to Athens, hopefully things are back to what ever passes for normal by then. 

You’ll be fine,  most likely sweltering in July.  

[caligirl49]

We founds Athens to be very crowded and the Parthenon was disappointing after visiting Agrigento in Sicily.  I suggest avoiding Athens unless you really have the Parthenon on your bucket list and head to Sicily and see the Valley of the Temples outside Agrigento.  

[bennybear]

On 3/31/2021 at 11:05 AM, caligirl49 said:

We founds Athens to be very crowded and the Parthenon was disappointing after visiting Agrigento in Sicily.  I suggest avoiding Athens unless you really have the Parthenon on your bucket list and head to Sicily and see the Valley of the Temples outside Agrigento.  

Athens is a large city of course, so lots of people are to be expected.  But we have never felt overcrowded in our many visits to Athens.   
 

To dismiss Athens and the Unesco world heritage site the Acropolis is very shortsighted in our opinion!   It is an amazing site,  we visited at sunrise and were literally blown away.  

There are of course other interesting Greek temples, such as in Paestum, Didyma etc.   But to skip the acropolis which is much easier to visit than Agrigento, particularly on a cruise would be a real shame. 

[TLCOhio]

On 3/31/2021 at 1:05 PM, caligirl49 said:

We founds Athens to be very crowded and the Parthenon was disappointing after visiting Agrigento in Sicily.  I suggest avoiding Athens unless you really have the Parthenon on your bucket list and head to Sicily and see the Valley of the Temples outside Agrigento.  

 

While certain urban parts of Athens can be crowded and somewhat "third-worldish", I am very much in the camp of bennybear for having super loved our experience in first visiting the Acropolis in 2006.  It was just my wife and me having a super excellent guide who provided many detailed insights about what was involved in constructing these structures 2500 years ago, etc., etc.  AND, it was all done without today's modern tools and techniques, etc.  Overall, it was an AMAZING and very enlightening experience!!  Plus, the views from up there are wonderful, too.  

 

We have not yet been to Sicily and love the suggestion to see the Valley of the Temples outside Agrigento.  Sounds wonderful.  

 

THANKS for all of the various pictures and other posts.  Great sharing! 

 

Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 68,256 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

[ski ww]

We have also been to Athens twice before but this time we are taking our 12 year old great grand daughter so that she can see & experience other cultures. To see & walk through history is much more interesting then reading about it in a text book.

[bennybear]

6 hours ago, ski ww said:

We have also been to Athens twice before but this time we are taking our 12 year old great grand daughter so that she can see & experience other cultures. To see & walk through history is much more interesting then reading about it in a text book.

To me this is an incredible gift!  When we took our children to Europe they learned so much! 

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, ski ww said:

We have also been to Athens twice before but this time we are taking our 12 year old great grand daughter so that she can see & experience other cultures. To see & walk through history is much more interesting then reading about it in a text book.

 

17 minutes ago, bennybear said:

To me this is an incredible gift!  When we took our children to Europe they learned so much! 

 

Agree -- my parents traveled with me from a fairly young age (just a little older than your great-granddaughter, and I loved it. In fact I was incredibly annoyed with them when they didn't take me with them on a trip to Egypt and the Middle East in the mid-1970s (I suspect they thought it was a little dangerous...)

 

Find out what things interest your GGD if you can and see if you can include them on your travels. Makes things so much more interesting. I was fascinated, for example, by the Tower of the Winds (and the mystery of its history) in Athens and loved the several stories behind the karyatid pillars on the "other temple" (LOL) on the Acropolis -- as well as the whole sorry tale of the Turks, the Venetians and Lord Elgin's "acquisition" of the Parthenon marbles...

 

 

[TLCOhio]

On 4/4/2021 at 1:25 PM, cruisemom42 said:

My parents traveled with me from a fairly young age (just a little older than your great-granddaughter, and I loved it. In fact I was incredibly annoyed with them when they didn't take me with them on a trip to Egypt and the Middle East in the mid-1970s

 

Great above background from cruisesmom42 about her early travels and experiences that have span a lifetime of fun and excitement.  More to come?  What is next as we come out of the Covid shut-down?

 

With many cruises planned for Greece this summer, the below article might be of interest.  Does anyone feel any sense of "risk" for doing these upcoming "adventures" to Europe and Greece?

 

From the New York Times Travel Section today to be published this weekend, they had this headline: “‘We Cannot Wait Until June’: Greece’s Reopening Gamble" with this sub-headline: "In easing its restrictions, the country, largely dependent on tourist dollars, has jumped ahead of a broader European Union plan to welcome visitors from outside the bloc.”

 

Here are some of their story highlights: “Greece has reopened to many overseas visitors,jumping ahead of most of its European neighbors in restarting tourism, even as the country’s hospitals remain full and more than three-quarters of Greeks are still unvaccinated.  It’s a big bet, but given the importance of tourism to the Greek economy — the sector accounts for one quarter of the country’s work force and more than 20 percent of gross domestic product — the country’s leaders are eager to roll out the welcome mat.  And although the U.S. State Department recently added Greece to its long list of countries with the designation 'Level 4: Do Not Travel,' Greek officials maintain that — with social distancing measures and testing protocols, alongside the warming weather — tourism in the country will be safe, for visitors and residents alike.  In easing its border restrictions, Greece has jumped ahead of a broader European Union reopening. Among European Union members, Croatia and Cyprus have also already opened to vaccinated and Covid-negative tourists. President Emmanuel Macron of France announced last week that, if the country’s epidemiological situation allows, the country will open on June 9 to all non-European Union visitors, provided that they carry a “health passport,” details of which have yet to be announced. Outside the European Union, but still within Europe, Iceland, Montenegro and Serbia have already taken steps to ease their border restrictions, including for American visitors.  According to the current rules, visitors arriving from the United States, the European Union, Britain, South Korea, Australia and a handful of other countries are now allowed quarantine-free entry into Greece, on the condition that travelers provide proof of Covid vaccination or a negative PCR test taken up to 72 hours before their arrival. Arriving visitors may also be subject to random, obligatory rapid tests at the airport; anyone with a positive result will be required to quarantine at a Greek hotel along with their traveling companions for at least 10 days, at the expense of the Greek government.”

 

Here is more from their highly-detailed reporting: "Greece has been in various stages of lockdown since November, with residents subject to a curfew and limits on movement within the country. Shops, schools and cultural institutions have been forced to close, while restaurants and bars have been limited to takeaway service only.  The restrictions gutted the lively cafe culture in Athens, where the past winter was even quieter than usual, said Georgia Nakou, a political and economic analyst for the media outlet MacroPolis. But compliance with the rules has slackened as the weather has warmed, and many Greeks have begun congregating in large numbers in the squares of central Athens. Everyone, it seems, is ready for a break."

 

Full story at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/04/travel/greece-travel-covid-usa.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 51,281 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

[marazul]

5 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

 

Here are some of their story highlights: “Greece has reopened to many overseas visitors,jumping ahead of most of its European neighbors in restarting tourism, even as the country’s hospitals remain full and more than three-quarters of Greeks are still unvaccinated.  

 

Here are Greece's ambitious vaccination plans:

https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1160606/greece-aims-to-vaccinate-all-adults-by-early-july/

[irvington]

I am hoping that Greece will have accomplished a lot of vaccination by the time we are there in late August. But in any case should be a memorable trip. 

[Lois R]

16 hours ago, irvington said:

I am hoping that Greece will have accomplished a lot of vaccination by the time we are there in late August. But in any case should be a memorable trip. 

I sail in July and I agree, it should be a very memorable trip🙂

[Hlitner]

We are also heading to Greece in late July (for a 2 week cruise and another week doing some independent island hopping).  Our hope is that it will simply be one more trip to Greek (and the islands) as enjoyable as all of our previous visits.  I have no reason to think that COVID will have a major impact on our visit other then to increase the amount of tourism in Greece (mostly from other EU countries) as many Europeans look to escape the more draconian measures found in their own neck of the woods.  

 

I have read the article that Terry referenced and it is good reading...even if it is from the NY Times.  Most of the info in the NY Times article has been readily available on line (and by simply reading the Greece newspapers) for weeks.  Although we booked our hotels and rental cars in early April there was already evidence of heavy booking as many Europeans are heading to Greece to escape the draconian measures in their own home areas.  

 

Is there much risk?  To us, no!  We are fully vaccinated with one of the two best vaccines so have nearly 99% protection from COVID.  With a little common sense mitigation we have no COVID fears (we have never stopped traveling during the pandemic).  The Greek government's program to get nearly all the islanders vaccinated also reduces the risk (on the islands) to a minimum.   We have no intention of spending significant time on the mainland (been there, done that) but as of this week most of the ancient sites and museums are open (some with limited hours).  The national curfew is being lifted (this week) to at least 00:30 which is past our bedtime :).  Restaurants are reopening and the Greeks are always fantastic hosts.  

 

There is an interesting side story (which means the NY Times ignored it).  Tourist booking in the many Greek Islands are very heavy.  It is likely that those who think they can wait until the last minute and then book are going to find no rooms at the inn, no available rental cars, etc.   I suspect that Croatia, another fantastic country for tourism, will also see an excellent tourist summer.

 

Hank

[TLCOhio]

On 5/14/2021 at 9:27 PM, Hlitner said:

We are also heading to Greece in late July (for a 2 week cruise and another week doing some independent island hopping).  Our hope is that it will simply be one more trip to Greek (and the islands) as enjoyable as all of our previous visits. Hank

 

Good luck for those planning to do Greek sailings and travel this summer, including Hank, Lois, etc.  Things are getting closer and more "real"!!

 

From the New York Times yesterday, they had this headline: “Greece opens its doors to international tourists” with these highlights: “The first signs of the tourism season creeping back to life were visible at Greece’s ports and airports on Saturday as the country officially opened its doors to international visitors.  After lifting quarantine requirements for dozens of countries last month, the Greek authorities expanded the eligibility to more nations on Friday and relaxed some restrictions. Travelers must present a certificate of vaccination, proof of recovery from Covid or a negative PCR test.  The first flights arriving at Athens International Airport came from France, Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia and Switzerland, with most visitors heading for the Greek islands. Hundreds lined up for ferries at the country’s main port of Piraeus, near the capital, joining Greeks taking advantage of the ending of a ban on travel between the country’s regions.  The mood was upbeat on many islands, where a vaccination drive has been ramped up with the aim of inoculating hundreds of thousands of permanent residents by the end of June, in time for peak tourism season.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/15/world/greece-reopen-tourists-mykonos-santorini.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Kotor/Montenegro:  Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 48,289 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

Edited May 16, 2021 by TLCOhio

[Lois R]

Thanks Terry🙂

[Hlitner]

50 minutes ago, TLCOhio said:

 

Good luck for those planning to do Greek sailings and travel this summer, including Hank, Lois, etc.  Things are getting closer and more "real"!!

 

From the New York Times yesterday, they had this headline: “Greece opens its doors to international tourists” with these highlights: “The first signs of the tourism season creeping back to life were visible at Greece’s ports and airports on Saturday as the country officially opened its doors to international visitors.  After lifting quarantine requirements for dozens of countries last month, the Greek authorities expanded the eligibility to more nations on Friday and relaxed some restrictions. Travelers must present a certificate of vaccination, proof of recovery from Covid or a negative PCR test.  The first flights arriving at Athens International Airport came from France, Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia and Switzerland, with most visitors heading for the Greek islands. Hundreds lined up for ferries at the country’s main port of Piraeus, near the capital, joining Greeks taking advantage of the ending of a ban on travel between the country’s regions.  The mood was upbeat on many islands, where a vaccination drive has been ramped up with the aim of inoculating hundreds of thousands of permanent residents by the end of June, in time for peak tourism season.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/15/world/greece-reopen-tourists-mykonos-santorini.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Kotor/Montenegro:  Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 48,289 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

Terry, I have actually earned the approval of DW (we know how important that is) who says I have been 2-4 weeks ahead of the curve.  Last winter, while enjoying our time in Puerto Vallarta, I told DW that we would simply take advantage to whatever travel opportunities opened up for the summer.  When I saw that the Greece Minister of Tourism I spend some time reading the Greek news (in English) and quickly concluded that most of the Greek population (and just about everyone on the Greek Islands) supported opening up to tourism.  Once Seabourn announced their Greek cruises and they answered a few of my questions over the phone it was an easy decision.  And then deciding to do some island hopping and which islands was the real fun (for me).  The shocker was that even a month ago (when we were booking hotels and cars on the islands) we found a few of the hotels we desired where already booked (others were ahead of me).  

 

I will say it again (this has been previously posted).  Those who want to travel this summer season had best complete their bookings and solidify plans today!  Because tomorrow they may well find that there is no room at the inn, air fares have soared, etc.  Yes, there are still many folks who think that staying locked in their basements (or homes) is the best way to deal with COVID.  But many others of us are fully vaccinated, feel safe from COVID, and are looking for the best way to resume our normal lives.  So those that stay locked down this summer will be able to read all about the millions who are going on with their normal lives.   You might ask yourself who will be happier.

 

Just like I predicted (in multiple posts on CC) that everyone in the USA that wanted vaccinated would be able to get it done by mid-May, I am now predicting that this summer we will have an unprecedented travel crunch.  Like with vaccines ( a simple math calculation said our US supply would exceed demand by later April) the demand for travel (both domestic and international) will far exceed the supply/opportunities.  Sea resorts along the east coast are going to be packed with hotel space at a premium (we already have our condo booked and paid).  International travel to Greece, Croatia, and Iceland will exceed almost any expectation and those who hesitate to book will find nothing left to book.  With the gradual opening of Italy (you can now fly there on Delta or AA and avoid quarantine) demand will quickly increase but the ability to get the limited "no quarantine flights" may well be a huge problem since there are only a limited number of seats (perhaps Delta and AA will quickly add more flights).

 

I salute the Greek Government (and will say it again and again) for understanding the science of COVID vs the realities of economics.  They have rolled the dice and will reap the economic gains.  Whether they can meet their own ambitious vaccination goals remains a question.  But the vaccinated tourists that are going to flock to Greece will be safe because of their own vaccination.  I would really enjoy meeting the Greek Minister of Tourism (Henry Theoharis) so I could shake his hand and say "thank you for doing your best to get the world out of this COVID funk.

 

Hank

 

 

[Lois R]

Hi Terry, I decided to look over all your photos again😃....I fly out 2 weeks from tomorrow😃....getting closer and it feels a bit strange after 18 months of basically doing nothing😲. So looking forward to sailing again👍

[TLCOhio]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Hi Terry, I decided to look over all your photos again😃....I fly out 2 weeks from tomorrow😃....getting closer and it feels a bit strange after 18 months of basically doing nothing😲. So looking forward to sailing again👍

 

Appreciate these great comments and follow-ups from Hank and Lois.  Yes, as predicted by Hank, things this summer are booking up and getting busy.  

 

Good luck to Lois and others as they commence their sailings in and around the Greek Isles.  Been following along with a Silversea cruise from Athens that started late last week.  All seems to be going well.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Dubrovnik!  Nice visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 47,979 views.    

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

[highplanesdrifters]

Terry - following in the footsteps of Lois - THANK YOU for all your great posts.  Just booked the Grand Suite at the Ava hotel for our September cruise.

[TLCOhio]

On 6/21/2021 at 8:04 PM, highplanesdrifters said:

Terry - following in the footsteps of Lois - THANK YOU for all your great posts.  Just booked the Grand Suite at the Ava hotel for our September cruise.

 

Appreciate this above post/kind comments.  YES, after your stay at the Ava hotel in September, let us know here how things worked, what you did in Athens, how your cruise worked, etc.

 

From this below-connected website and MSN News yesterday, they had this headline: “On the ground: What it’s like visiting Greece right now” with many details for what reality/life is operating for tourists in that historic and scenic country.

 

Here are some of their reporting highlights: “On May 14, Greece reopened its borders to tourists and just a few days ago, lifted most of its lockdown measures.  I live in the U.K., so I flew British Airways to Kos airport (KOS) — you can read about that experience here. To enter Greece from the United Kingdom, the European Union or the United States, you will need to present a Passenger Locator Form (PLF), completed no later than 11:59 p.m. (local time Greece) of the day before arriving in Greece, as well as one of the following:  Negative COVID-19 PCR test, undertaken within the 72-hour period before arrival into Greece; or Proof of a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test from an authorized laboratory, undertaken within the 48-hour period before the scheduled flight; or Proof of two COVID-19 vaccinations completed at least 14 days before travel. Acceptable vaccines are: Pfizer BioNtech, Moderna, Astra Zeneca/Oxford, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Sinovac Biotech, Gamaleya (Sputnik), Cansino Biologics and Sinopharm; or A certificate of recovery from the COVID-19 virus infection issued by a public authority or a certified laboratory; or
Proof that the traveler tested positive with COVID-19 in the past two to nine months. This can be proved either by presenting a positive P.C.R. molecular or an antigen test result performed by an authorized laboratory or a medical certificate confirming that the holder was tested positive with COVID-19 virus infection.”

 

Seem simple, quick and easy??  And, this is just for Greece!!  You get the idea of the challenges for both the cruise lines and their passengers in being prepared and ready as they/we are seeking to visit a variety of different countries and ports?  All of these required steps will require time and patience.  And, my guess is that certain of these rules and requirements will be changing and evolving over time during the coming months and into next year.

 

Here is more: "It is critical you complete your Passenger Locator Form at least 24 hours before travel here. You will not be allowed to board your flight if you have not completed this in the required timeframe.  On arrival in Greece, there was a normal immigration check and stamp of passports. Passengers then proceeded to the baggage claim hall. Before collecting luggage, travelers were directed to a COVID-19-screening desk where the QR code from the PLF was scanned and the test, recovery or vaccination records were checked.  I did not print anything out to present on arrival in Greece and this did not cause any issues — everything could be easily read from my phone screen."

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tips/on-the-ground-what-its-like-visiting-greece-right-now/ar-AALCzzi?ocid=BingNewsSearch

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast.  Now at 31,765 views.  Many interesting pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

[Hlitner]

Terry, Good info and links :).  We love to read about places we are visiting and always learn new things from your posts and wonderful pictures.  But we also rely, to a great degree, on our own personal experience when it comes to places we have visited numerous times.  So I do think what is often understated by many travel sources is the oppressive heat that can overwhelm Greece in the summer and even the Fall.  Today it is 98F in Athens (slightly cooler on the islands) and we have been in Greece when the temps have exceeded 110f (the Government actually stopped reporting the accurate temps at that point).  

 

So my advice to anyone (including myself) traveling to Greece this summer is to have a "Plan B" if and when the temps reach dangerous levels.  Personally we now choose to avoid the mainland (other then to get on a cruise ship or ferry) during the summer months.  I honestly thought we would never return to Greece in July-August, but COVID issues convinced us that the benefits of heading back to Greece exceeded the downside of dealing with the likely heat.  We shall see how that works out :).

 

Hank