Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Traveling to Greece
#1
Hey Everyone, I might be travelling to greece before I'm 18, so that means within a little more than 5 years. I'm pretty sure about that it will involve flying into athens, but I hope it's not a nonstop flight so I'll be able to spend a few hours in rome :wink: and driving to places like SPARTA ( sorry have have to yell it like in 300 ) ,Delphi, Olympia, thessaly, ect. How easy is it to climb to the Mytikas summit on Olympus? ANd how long does it take on a ferryboat to many of the islands of the aegean, rhodes, and troy? I know I'm not going anytime soon, because I have no passport, so I guess I'm stuck in the US. But would many of these plans work? ANd are there any "american resturants?" because I'm allergic to most greek food ( this reminds of a greek feast at school, all I had was "wine" and pita bread ) so, I'll just pack as much food if needed. I left out one place I'm sure I'll go, THermopylae!
Dan/Anastasios of Sparta/Gaius Statilius Rusticus/ Gaius Germanicus Augustus Flavius Romulus Caesar Tiberius Caelius (Imperator :twisted: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_twisted.gif" alt=":twisted:" title="Twisted Evil" />:twisted: )
Yachts and Saabs are for whimps!
Real men have Triremes and Chariots 8) <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_cool.gif" alt="8)" title="Cool" />8) !
Reply
#2
Dear friend,

Make sure that you can legally enter and travel if you are under 18 an on your own. (probably not a hindrance but better check).

Assuming that you are based in Athens most islands are reachable within a few a hours (ranging between 1h to 6h)

Sparta (south) and Delfi or Thermopyale (north) are within 4 hours drive from Athens

Yes you can feed yourself in "Mc Donalds" or their local variations.

You are allergic to what is "passing as Greek food" or "maskaradeing as Greek food"abroad.
I suggest you google "Greek kitchen" or "Greek cusine"and you will see you have nothing to worry if you eat proper Greek food.

I wish you success in your effort to visit our beutyfull country
Kind regards
Reply
#3
When we got ready to go to Greece last year, my friends (who go there A LOT!) gave us older travel guides and freytag & berndt road maps. Check out used bookstores (on-line, too) for Fodor's, Frommer's, Lonely Planet, Cadogan guides. We were able to get around quite well. We found amazing sites from all eras using those guides.

See if you can pick up the Greek alphabet. It helps when you can read the road signs off the beaten track.

Don't worry about the food. I loved the meatballs. The local bakeries and sweet shops are great. You will do just fine.
Cheryl Boeckmann
Reply
#4
Food in Greece is great, and traveling is catered for by a variety of means, bus, train, and vehicle rental, if you are with an older person.
I met a few younger students backpacking through europe when I was in Athens, and they all seemed to be getting on great, and had no problems getting about!
You can catch ferries at Piraeus, and have the bonus of being in walking distance of the sights that the harbour has in plenty! Some of the best food is available around Piraeus, but there is also the industrial side to it, so it can be a bit hectic there!

I love Athens, aan would suggest you travel in a loop to thermopolae, then across to Delphi, then acroos the new bridge, down to Ollympia, then to Sparta. Then across to Argos, Myceanae, Corinth and back to Athens....

The list of sights to see on this route are too many to mention....... Big Grin
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
Reply
#5
Quote:I'm allergic to most greek food
Greek food is different from cuisines based on French cooking (i.e., almost all western dishes), because (a) Greeks prefer to have their meat without elaborate sauces and (b) Greek cooking is rather uncomplicated.

Both points are essentially the same. Because Greek cooking is straightforward -you just take good stuff, like fresh vegatables and good meat- there is no need for sauces to disguise the shortcomings of the ingredients that are common in Western Europe and the USA. Greece is, when all is said and done, not only interesting because of its ancient and Byzantine culture, but first and foremost a gourmet's paradise.

Other delights from Greece: very good museums (I fell in love with the Byzantine Museum in Thessaloniki and the Christian and Byzantine Museum in Athens); fairly priced, clean hotels; nice beaches; and a climate of rapid economic and social change, which often has nice results.

There are, of course, snakes in paradise. I am sure that Cerberus in person is the teacher of the museum guards, which are often rude and impolite. But this is just a detail. I am sure you will like your visit.
Jona Lendering
Relevance is the enemy of history
My website
Reply
#6
I'd love to return to Greece, I've only visited around Corfu and Western Greece. Parga and the Necromantion (Oracle of the Dead) is well worth a visit if you decide to travel up that way!
As for Greek food, it's the best in the world! Far better than McDonald's. :wink: In Greece you are sure to be served very fresh, good food without any nasty additives in. I'm sure you will be fine.
Memmia AKA Joanne Wenlock.
Friends of Letocetum
Reply
#7
Wow Dan, you're gonna go to Greece -- thats so exciting!! I've always wanted to go there.

LIsten to the advice of our friends here at RAT and I'm sure you'll have a great time! Do you plan on going with your friends/family?

Oh, reading about everyone's experience in Greece makes me a bit envious. Sad cry:

Smile
Sara T.
Moderator
RAT Rules for Posting

Courage is found in unlikely places. [size=75:2xx5no0x] ~J.R.R Tolkien[/size]
Reply
#8
I can't wait to go back, it's been 4 years now....god, where does time go! Confusedhock:
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
Reply
#9
Quote:I can't wait to go back, it's been 4 years now....god, where does time go! Confusedhock:
I've visited the country several times in the eighties, and revisited it in 2000 and this summer. What continues to strike me is the rapid pace of change - a change that is often an improvement. Of course it helps that the EU transfers lots of money to Greece (45 billion euro in 2003-2007), but I think this is only part of the explanation. Perhaps the successful 2004 Olympic Games were another boost for Greek self-confidence?
Jona Lendering
Relevance is the enemy of history
My website
Reply
#10
I may be going within the next year or so, actually. Big Grin Since my sister went there earlier this year, she's been promising to take me to Mykonos sometime.

These tips will come in handy for me and I'm sure any other tourists too, so thanks. Smile
[Image: parsiaqj0.png]
[size=92:7tw9zbc0]- Bonnie Lawson: proudly Manx.[/size]
Reply
#11
Quote:Wow Dan, you're gonna go to Greece
It's not quite gonna happen, but possibly someday, maybe before I'm 18. But I'm almost 100% sure that I'll go to greece in my lifetime. My friend is going there next summer, though. But I'll try to visit greece ASAP. I really would love to go there soon there, because all we have from ancient greece to my knowlege in chicago are a few statues, and a coin with Alexander the great on it (wich I saw today at the field museum, in chicago) which isn't really showcased in an exhibit about greece, but to show monney. But it was still pretty cool. The funny thing is, the coolest thing related to greece I've seen in my life was the parthenon in nashville tennesse, and It dosen't even have any original stuff from ancient greece. But I will take full advantage of the fact that I don't have any plans to visit greece and get ready, I know most of the greek alphabet, (the one they taught me at school, which says Iota is the equivalent of english "I" (I think the first part is true) and "H" ) So I'll learn greek, I guess I'll have to learn modern, even though I was originally learning ancient, and I wouldn't go to a resturant and order my burger as "I requesteth a quality hamburger, and a sideth of the fries of france" (because ancient and modern greek are like old and modern english, right?) So, I have years to plan this trip. I'm already looking forward to it, and it might not even happen to I'm an adult, but that's okay.
Dan/Anastasios of Sparta/Gaius Statilius Rusticus/ Gaius Germanicus Augustus Flavius Romulus Caesar Tiberius Caelius (Imperator :twisted: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_twisted.gif" alt=":twisted:" title="Twisted Evil" />:twisted: )
Yachts and Saabs are for whimps!
Real men have Triremes and Chariots 8) <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_cool.gif" alt="8)" title="Cool" />8) !
Reply
#12
Quote:I love Athens, aan would suggest you travel in a loop to thermopolae, then across to Delphi, then acroos the new bridge, down to Ollympia, then to Sparta. Then across to Argos, Myceanae, Corinth and back to Athens....
I'm probably gonna do something like this, especially If I'm gonna do this before I'm 18, because my family and I almost always take vacations when we go to one place, stay there for a while, then move on tho the next.
Dan/Anastasios of Sparta/Gaius Statilius Rusticus/ Gaius Germanicus Augustus Flavius Romulus Caesar Tiberius Caelius (Imperator :twisted: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_twisted.gif" alt=":twisted:" title="Twisted Evil" />:twisted: )
Yachts and Saabs are for whimps!
Real men have Triremes and Chariots 8) <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_cool.gif" alt="8)" title="Cool" />8) !
Reply
#13
Jona
Well, they also have new govt and it was a good feeling everywhere there, before the games!
But seeing the news last night has me worried, as the fires were raging right in the residential districts! I don't have the numbers for my relatives there, and not sure which part of town was on the news.......

But I hope my Dad will be in touch with them in the next day or so!
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
Reply
#14
When I do go someday, I just will rember what I always will avoid on vacations, hostels, and bad hotels, but I'm not worried about either, all I want is a good deal on a place I could tollerate.
Dan/Anastasios of Sparta/Gaius Statilius Rusticus/ Gaius Germanicus Augustus Flavius Romulus Caesar Tiberius Caelius (Imperator :twisted: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_twisted.gif" alt=":twisted:" title="Twisted Evil" />:twisted: )
Yachts and Saabs are for whimps!
Real men have Triremes and Chariots 8) <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_cool.gif" alt="8)" title="Cool" />8) !
Reply
#15
Quote:I love Athens, aan would suggest you travel in a loop to thermopolae, then across to Delphi, then acroos the new bridge, down to Ollympia, then to Sparta. Then across to Argos, Myceanae, Corinth and back to Athens....
SHould I spend a few days on each destination? I might look at stuff in those cities to see how long I should stay at each of them.
Dan/Anastasios of Sparta/Gaius Statilius Rusticus/ Gaius Germanicus Augustus Flavius Romulus Caesar Tiberius Caelius (Imperator :twisted: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_twisted.gif" alt=":twisted:" title="Twisted Evil" />:twisted: )
Yachts and Saabs are for whimps!
Real men have Triremes and Chariots 8) <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_cool.gif" alt="8)" title="Cool" />8) !
Reply


Forum Jump: