Travel

Four Useful Tips for Planning a Big Fat Greek Vacation

Greece Resort

The media might have been full of financial and refugee crises surrounding Greece. That shouldn’t be a reason to not visit, though. There are many reasons to travel there. There are glorious beaches and breathtaking mountains. That isn’t even mentioning the food or the hospitality of the locals. So if you would like to visit one day, what is stopping you? Here are some tips for visiting and planning a trip.

Use Local Businesses

There are many luxury resorts and all inclusive hotels on the Greek islands or mainland. If they are a large brand chain, then little of the money you spend will stay locally. So to contribute, you could look for locally run villas or homes. The same for restaurants and activities too. Then you are getting to know the locals, as well as helping out their businesses. Plus, if you are at an all-inclusive resort, their food will pretty much be the same each day. When there is so much good food to experience on the islands, why wouldn’t you want to eat out?

Try to Avoid Peak Season

If you are thinking of traveling to Greece in July or August, then you might want to think again. Not only are the rest of Europe have school holiday times, but the Greeks take time off then too. So unless you want to pay more for things and everywhere be much more crowded, try other times. May and June are good months, still having good weather. The flowers are all in bloom then too, so it is a beautiful time to visit. The other side of the peak season is September and October. The weather is still good then, and the sea will still be nice and warm after the hot summer period.

Respect the Culture

Orthodox Church Greece

More of the younger generation wouldn’t class themselves as religious. However, the older generations in Greece would. So the country is still quite conservative in views, stemming from the Greek Orthodox background. So it is just something to bear in mind. Topless sunbathing is frowned upon unless you are at a specific nude beach (though they are few and far between). It is also recommended to not visit the local churches or cathedrals in just a bikini or skimpy clothing. Some might even offer you a shawl to cover your shoulders if they are exposed.

Learn a Few Key Words

The Greek language is not very common, so the locals aren’t expecting any tourists to be fluent. Having said that, being able to interact with a few key words or phrases can help you a lot. Being able to say polite things like please and thank you, will impress everyone for sure. You will find in the real tourist areas, that everyone will speak English. But you’ll stand out from the crowd if you can speak some of the lingo.

Have you ever been to one of the Greek islands before? It would be interesting to hear if you have any tips to add to the list.

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Dr. Jade Marie Tomaszewski is a pathologist-in-training at McGill University, where she also did her degree in MSc Pathology. She obtained her medical degree (MD) from the University of the Philippines, after completing a BSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. In her (little) spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, curling up with a book and a large mug of tea, and trying out new recipes in the kitchen. You can follow her on LinkedIn and Twitter.

3 Comments

  • Johanna Micks

    If anyone comes to Greece for the first time for summer vacation, should definitely try Santorini, Paros or Kefalonia. Greek summer is the best!

  • Christee Watson

    Such a beautiful blog with good information, Greece is a perfect place for a travel addict. If you are planning to visit this awesome place then don’t forget to make a list of activities that you gonna do here. You can do a lot of stuff here. Also, the most important thing is booking of the villa before you start to travel. There are a lot of villas in Mykonos but MLV is the best one. They are offering a Luxurious stay at your budget, Impeccable hospitality, Concierge services, In-house chef, Security services, Spa treatment and Personal Training.

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