Greece

[Irrelevant]

I've pressed my wife to come up with some bucket list items/trips for herself. I need a bucket the size of a small stadium to hold all my bucket list trips and activities, but she's pretty content. So she finally said she thinks Greece would be cool. I do too, sorta.

I've tried to convey to her that there probably no other place I can think of where the disparity between IG pics and real life is more stark. No that I've been there, but Google street view is a powerful tool.

So now I'm trying to plan a trip, on my terms, so no hotels, no "guides", the most I'll concede is going to the same historical places as everyone else, because well, there's only one Acropolis.

I have a couple of guidebooks, but I tend to hate guidebooks. But having never traveled much, I recognize I probably need them, if for nothing else than to temper my stress heading into it.

So any tips? Places to see. Places to avoid. We're not doing any of the island BS. Most of the trip will be along the southern Peloponnese Peninsula.

 

[belshawelk]

We went a couple years ago. One of my favorite was Olympus. Birthplace of the Olympics. So much history.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

If you’re ok with less than ideal weather I’d go in the off season.

We’ve done Scotland and Iceland in March and had “instagram” conditions devoid of people.

I would imagine 7:30am on March 10 the acropolis is actually pretty cool .

Guidebooks are helpful if you pair them with internet reviews, you can find folks that are more realistic about how “cool” something really is or how touristy.

Definitely plan out the don’t want to miss parts of the trip but then give yourself plenty of unplanned time, we’ve found lots of cool stuff just by being spontaneous.

 

[Rainer]

So i've been to Greece a couple times now and their are some things to take into consideration.

1. Sense of time: None existent lol. Everything moves a lot slower over there than here, it's a cultural thing
2. Tourism has really changed over the last year. You now have to schedule an appointment if you want to see any of the museums/historical sites.
3. I know you wanted no guides but a trip along the islands is well worth it

 

[Scott85]

It’s so cheap to travel in Europe so I would try and add a country or 2 to your list of time allows.

 

[winmag]

I was going to suggest just island hopping, as they do look like the Instagram pictures. But you said no island BS, so I now have no suggestions. Having spent about a month in Greece (although a while ago now), I wouldn’t bother going if I were only going to mainland Greece.

 

[Irrelevant]

I was going to suggest just island hopping, as they do look like the Instagram pictures. But you said no island BS, so I now have no suggestions. Having spent about a month in Greece (although a while ago now), I wouldn’t bother going if I were only going to mainland Greece.

Interesting. Everyone I've met really ragged on the islands as crowded pos, even my dentist was pretty put off and they like touristy things. The southern mainland is supposed to be closer to what Greece used to be 30 years ago. Ever been to the Mani Peninsula? Elefonisos? The entire trip is still centered around the beach. Heck I'd skip Athens all together if it was just up to me.

 

[winmag]

Interesting. Everyone I've met really ragged on the islands as crowded pos, even my dentist was pretty put off and they like touristy things. The southern mainland is supposed to be closer to what Greece used to be 30 years ago. Ever been to the Mani Peninsula? Elefonisos? The entire trip is still centered around the beach. Heck I'd skip Athens all together if it was just up to me.

Athens is a sh*thole, just spent a few hours there to fly in/out to catch a ferry elsewhere.

Didn’t go to either of those places. There are so many islands so you should be able to pick a couple that fit your purpose. Check out Crete. Large island with varied things to do, and you can definitely get away from the “tourist” BS on its south coast.

 

[Deleted member 52847]

We just went to Greece last year. Some places may be overhyped. But then again, you are there maybe only once so there's things you've gotta see. The acropolis is a zoo, but it's worth seeing.

You said no island hopping stuff...well, hate to break it to ya, but that was our favorite part of the trip. If you go in the off-season you get a little more authentic experience and don't have to deal with as many like-minded tourists.

The island of Idra is our favorite. In case you change your mind. No cars on the island. Just mules and foot traffic

 

[Irrelevant]

If you’re ok with less than ideal weather I’d go in the off season.

We’ve done Scotland and Iceland in March and had “instagram” conditions devoid of people.

I would imagine 7:30am on March 10 the acropolis is actually pretty cool .

Guidebooks are helpful if you pair them with internet reviews, you can find folks that are more realistic about how “cool” something really is or how touristy.

Definitely plan out the don’t want to miss parts of the trip but then give yourself plenty of unplanned time, we’ve found lots of cool stuff just by being spontaneous.

Not going to see enough bikini in March. We're doing early September

 

[Treeshark]

I’m not a cruise guy, but that’s one place where I would consider it. Greece is on my bucket list too.

 

[LousyResident]

Sounds like the trip should be on her terms instead of yours since she's generally so content and has such a short list

 

[winmag]

Not going to see enough bikini in March. We're doing early September

Early September is sacred hunting time! What terrible thing did you do to forfeit early September to your wife!?

 

[Khunter]

Your wife’s bucket list trip and not yours? Ease off of your expectations/requirements and things you ‘won’t do’ and let her pick the where and how of the Greece trip? Or maybe those ‘no’ items were in fact her ‘no’ items. Just a thought.

 

[devon deer]

Athens is a sh*thole, just spent a few hours there to fly in/out to catch a ferry elsewhere.

Didn’t go to either of those places. There are so many islands so you should be able to pick a couple that fit your purpose. Check out Crete. Large island with varied things to do, and you can definitely get away from the “tourist” BS on its south coast.

I would 2nd that, Crete is really nice, Samaria Gorge, Knossos, and great beaches, we also did a day catamaran trip and snorkelling.
We went early September and the weather was great for most of it, although rain hit for 4 days in the middle of our 2 weeks.

Funny story, we went there as a late honeymoon, waves were crashing in on the beach, we were wave hopping, having a great time, (didn't realise red flags meant danger) huge wave hit us, seemed like an age before I surfaced with a bloodied knee, looked for my wife, panic, no sign of her, got hit by another wave, eventually surfaced to see my wife standing up rubbing her eyes, bikini top just a string, bottoms around her knees, lots of Greeks with their eyes popping out!

 

[BackofBeyond]

1. Sense of time: None existent lol. Everything moves a lot slower over there than here, it's a cultural thing

My wife is of Greek decent. It’s not just cultural, it’s genetic.

 

[Nemont]

I have traveled to Greece a couple of times and I 100% agree with the Crete recommendation. Personally I prefer Turkey to either despite the politics. Locals are friendlier, food is as good or better, historic sites are about as cool but more numerous IMO. In addition Turks don’t dislike Americans like Greeks do.

Totally my opinion

Nemont

 

[ovis2]

If you're a lover of history, Greece is an adventure - you've just got to be ready and open for it. The Acropolis (and its museum) are amazing, Delphi gets your imagination flowing, some of the islands are well worth the ferry ride: Santorini is, yes, crowded, but quite beautiful and is the latest guess for the Ancient Alantis - although you have to go off the beat path to get into that part of history. And although its changed over the millennia, how can you not go to the "hot gates" Thermopylae. And, yes, time is on its own schedule over there...

 

[Irrelevant]

Your wife’s bucket list trip and not yours? Ease off of your expectations/requirements and things you ‘won’t do’ and let her pick the where and how of the Greece trip? Or maybe those ‘no’ items were in fact her ‘no’ items. Just a thought.

I can't get her to pick a movie or where to eat out. I sure as shit can't get her to commit on actual locations!

 

[Irrelevant]

Early September is sacred hunting time! What terrible thing did you do to forfeit early September to your wife!?

I gave up archery last year so it's no sweat off my back