Vacation Home Rentals

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jul 30

In this part of our guide to holidays in Greece we focus on how you can get around the country…

It is inexpensive and easy to hire a car or moped in Greece. All you need is an internationally recognized driving license and a passport. Prices per day start at about $40 for a car and $15 for a moped – but make sure the quoted price includes all insurance and taxes. Hiring a vehicle offers the freedom to travel where you please. Most roads are good, but be careful in some parts of rural Greece or on the islands as some roads in these areas can be narrow and poorly maintained.

Greece’s superb ‘KTEL’ (intercity) bus system lets you travel easily anywhere on the mainland. It’s great value for money and lets you visit parts of Greece that you would otherwise never get to see. But the system was designed for locals, not tourists, so you might run into some language problems. However, most young Greeks have a little English and you will probably find one is willing to assist you.

Taxis are readily available and reasonably priced, and by law every cab must have a meter. Tipping isn’t customary, but continuing to pick up passengers until the taxi is full is a local custom. So you can flag cab that already has passengers as long as they are going in the same direction that you want to travel. On the islands and in the cities, most – but not all – drivers will speak some English.

Getting to the islands requires either a boat ride or a short flight. For islands close to the mainland, ferries are the best option; they run regularly throughout the day, but keep in mind that they might take longer than you expect because of making several stops on different islands en route to their final destination. For islands further away, you can fly to them (many islands have airports) from Athens or Thessaloniki; the distances within Greece are small, so even the furthest destination is less than an hour flight.

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jul 30

This part of our guide to holidays in Greece sees us covering shopping and money…

While Greece isn’t known as a great shopping destination, it does offer some fine and unique local products. The country produces good handicrafts, pottery, jewelry, metalwork, knitwear, lace, rugs and leather goods. In addition, its local wines and spirits make distinctive purchases.

Large international style shopping malls can be found in nearly all of its cities, and you’ll recognize many of the retailers and brands stocked within them. Prices are similar to elsewhere in Europe for such goods though so don’t expect to find any real bargains unless shopping during the sales.

Tourist souvenir shops and some family-owned arts and crafts stores tolerate haggling, but otherwise it is frowned upon. In places where bargaining is accepted, you can reduce the price by at least 10-20%, and being able to speak some Greek can help you get price as low as possible.

Most items incur Value Added Tax (VAT) and this is generally but not always included in price tags. However, some shops do provide tax-free shopping for non-European Union residents. Under this system, people who do not live in the EU can seek a VAT refund when departing the EU. To do this, ask for a VAT voucher when buying an item and show a customs officer all such vouchers and the related items upon leaving the EU.

Greece’s official currency is the Euro, and other currencies won‘t be accepted at all. You can easily exchange currency can easily in larger cities and in any touristed area though.  Banks tend to offer the best exchange rates, followed by specialist shops, and then automated currency exchange machines. When changing money, it’s a good idea to get mostly smaller notes, and nothing larger than a €50, as many businesses will be reluctant to accept them.

ATM machines are ubiquitous. Visa, Mastercard and Eurocard are widely accepted in hotels, retail outlets and travel agencies, but some restaurants and local souvenir shops will not accept them.

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jul 30

This part of our guide to holidays in Greece sees us covering the types of accommodation there and how / when to book it …

Most Greek hotels are basic and unpretentious and the rooms are usually small. However, most rooms include balconies and air-conditioning and are well cleaned and maintained, even in the simpler hotels. The biggest problem can often be noise from local roads, bars and eateries. While the cities and the more popular islands do offer more upmarket accommodation, the choices are limited and generally are not good value for money.

In addition to hotels, almost every popular Greek destination offers self-catering accommodation, called studios or apartments (the terms are pretty much used interchangeably). Though not listed very often in travel guides, they’re a viable option, especially for budget conscious travelers. They are similar to hotel rooms in almost every aspect, with the only real difference being that they also have basic cooking facilities.

Travelers with bigger budgets can consider renting a villa. As well as being spacious, villas tend to be near – or even on – the beach, offering convenience and good views. With most villas able to comfortably house up to eight people, this is a cost-effective option for groups.

Whichever type of accommodation you opt to stay at, you’ll probably be able to book it online as most, even the smaller ones, have web sites and will take bookings by email, though sometimes fax is a more reliable way to communicate. There are also numerous Greek and international hotel booking services which will make bookings.

Alternatively, you can usually find a place on a walk-in basis without too much trouble on all but the most crowded islands, where rooms can be difficult to find at the peak of the season, and on major holidays. If you do get stuck for a room, try a local travel agency (preferably one endorsed by a reputable guidebook) or alternatively, ask at a cafe whether the owner knows of any rooms for rent; often they do. Otherwise, once you’re in Greece, you can usually find a place without a lot of trouble. But don’t try this in summer on the most popular islands, where rooms can be difficult to find at the peak of the season, and on major holidays. If you find yourself stuck for a room, you can ask at a cafe whether the owner or staff know of any rooms for rent, or seek help from a local travel agency (if possible, one recommended by a major guidebook).