Visiting Greece - Advice, Suggestions?

[Ginseng]

Hey folks,

I have a conference this summer on the island of Crete and I'm thinking of taking my family. Well, either I take them or they kill me in my sleep, sooooo, family vacation, yay!

I'm wondering if there are any experienced travelers who might be able to offer advice on where to stay, especially family-friendly, and things to do, including tours.

We're not planning to stay the whole time on Crete but would like to take advantage of the time there to see some interesting stuff. We're very much culture-oriented and would like to focus on authentic experiences. Custom or guided experiences would be wonderful.

So if you have any experiences to share, please feel free. I'm just starting to research now and am quite flexible. Aside from the fact that this trip will take place in late-June, early-July.

Wilkey

[CaptainQuintero]

You literally can't go wrong with Greek islands, the people are the warmest and most friendly you could ever dream of meeting, beaches are stunning, sea warm, fantastic food and you're surrounded by ancient history. My favourite area in the world.

Very jealous of you, you'll all love it!

[semifan1]

I didn't make it to the Islands but went to Athens, loved that place would go back in a hot minute of course I would hit the Islands this time.

[Monteandmakers]

I went to Athens and loved it! The people are really nice and the food/drink culture is great. Didn't smoke any cigars there because it was before the time I was really into them. Try to avoid the ammonia district b/c it was as advertised with a bunch of druggie beggers. The hotel I stayed had a roof top terrace/bar overlooking the acropolis which was awesome at night to hang out at. The only issue I ran into was the public transit strikes during rush hour but thankfully they ended before I had to catch my flight. I highly suggest going to the poet sandal shot to get some custom fitted Greek sandals. Mine have withstood everything I put them through for the part 4 years.

[Dimmers]

Wilkey great tho hear! will send you a message this weekend with some ideas. How much time will you have in Greece? Spent a month there in late 2012 , and there was so much we didn't have time to get to. You could do a week in Crete alone and barely scratch surface.

[Dozerhead]

My wife and I went to Greece back in 2006 and we loved it. I would definitely recommend Santorini as a place to see. The views of the Caldera are incredible. We took a little day cruise in the caldera. The water is the deepest sapphire blue I have ever seen. You almost can't stop staring at it. At one point in the cruise they let you dive in the water. They tell you they are close to some underwater hot springs and the temps are not that bad, but I froze my arse off! While we were there we rented a Smart Roadster and drove all over the island. The car was a blast to drive but was hell getting in and out of since it was the size of a large go-cart.

We also went to Mykonos which was nice, too. If you are interested in ancient ruins, as I am, then I would suggest a day trip from Mykonos to the island of Delos where there are plenty of ruins to explore.

On our trip Athens was our last stop. Don't get me wrong, I've been to Athens twice and I've enjoyed it, but after spending a week on some of the islands it was a bit of a shock to go to a big busling city. I like the Plaka, which is close to the base of the Acropolis. There are all kinds of shops and restaurants and clubs to check out. Last time they went they had a Starbuck's in there which kind of cheapened the whole thing for me, but it was still nice. The Parthenon is still one of my favorite places to see. They also have an LCDH not terribly far from the Plaka. On one of the days my wife and I decided to take the subway up to the main site of where most of the Olympic venues were. This was 2 years after the 04 Olympics and the complex was alredy a dump. Sad, but not uncommon. And, yes, as mentioned in one of the other posts, the people are generally very friendly. When you eat at restaurants they generally anticipate you staying for several hours. It's a big change from America where we generally shovel our food in quick and move on. It was a very nice and relaxing change.

Enjoy your trip!

[Ginseng]

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. It's much appreciated! I've got a few great leads to follow up on it seems.

Cheers!

Wilkey

[poorman]

Hiking the Samaria Gorge is a must.

[StingMeadery]

Hey folks,

I have a conference this summer on the island of Crete and I'm thinking of taking my family. Well, either I take them or they kill me in my sleep, sooooo, family vacation, yay!

I'm wondering if there are any experienced travelers who might be able to offer advice on where to stay, especially family-friendly, and things to do, including tours.

We're not planning to stay the whole time on Crete but would like to take advantage of the time there to see some interesting stuff. We're very much culture-oriented and would like to focus on authentic experiences. Custom or guided experiences would be wonderful.

So if you have any experiences to share, please feel free. I'm just starting to research now and am quite flexible. Aside from the fact that this trip will take place in late-June, early-July.

Wilkey

Crete was my favourite place, get out of Heraklion as fast as you can and head up the island to a little fishing village of Sitia ...it is georgeous!

The pirate settled palm tree covered area and beach of Vai is close by. This part of the island is simply stunning, laid back seaside living.

[Jeremy Festa]

A few good suggestions already. One I would add is a visit to the old leper colony on the tiny Island of Spinalonga, which is just off the coast of Crete up near Elounda. Pretty impressive.