RushBijoux

Okay, so this is my umpteenth post on Europe in late July. To recap, I want this holiday to coincide with my birthday but I want to avoid the crowd + heat + expensive cost. I considered going in April but seems like most hotels are closed in the off season and also, why go to Greece if I'm not gonna enjoy the beach? Some of you say that Greece is the best in June & July so I'm thinking, why not just go there and embrace all the crowds & heat? With some preparation and by keeping my expectation in check, I think I can have a fabulous trip.

So, my #1 question is: just how crowded can it get in late July? I'd like to visit for a week and split them into half in Athens to see the Acropolis and half on one of the islands for a beach getaway.

Since Acropolis is a must and I won't be renting a car, can anyone recommend the best hotel to base ourselves? (I don't mind a more upmarket one). Can you walk to Parthenon from the hotel? Last time we were in Pisa, we stayed nearby the Leaning Tower and we went there early in the morning (7:30am) or late evening (8:30pm) and the place was virtually empty, and so I'd very much like to repeat this experience in Athens.

Also, is hiring a tour guide really necessary or can we just explore on our own?

Now, comes the island question. Which island still has beautiful beaches and typical white-washed Greek buildings but somehow with less crowds? I've checked out the Shangri La (Mare Dei) hotel in Peloponnese and it looks gorgeous. Is Peloponnese a good idea?

Thank you!

thursdaysd

"why go to Greece if I'm not gonna enjoy the beach?"

Why not? I spent six weeks there - the northern mainland, Athens, the Peloponnese, and islands - never set foot on a beach, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. (See the link on your other thread.)

Athens has good public transport. As ever, you don't need a guide if you have a good guidebook. Or you could try this:
http://www.globalgreeternetwork.info/index.php?id=310

traveller1959

I do not know if it is a good idea to start a new thread - you will have to check both for new posts.

On your other thread you wrote
"I've heard driving in Greece is an absolute nightmare".

That's absolute rubbish. In fact, driving in Greece is very easy. The roads are excellent, there is hardly any traffic on the roads, the signage is very good (always in Greek and in English) and the Greeks are pretty relaxed drivers. Even in small villages, the streets are wide and easy to negotiate (better than in some Italian or French villages). You find public parking lots everywhere and, having said all this, I see absolutely no reason to complain or to be afraid.

The only exception is the city centre of Athens. There are sometimes traffic jams in some small streets. But compared to other large cities like Paris, London or (worst of all) Washington D.C., the traffic in Athens is a breeze.

I have been driving in Greek more than 1000 kilometres and can confirm this for all parts of Greece.

One word to Mare Dei Suites: We loved this hotel - but I am afraid it will be a bit difficult to get there without a car.

About July: I have never been to Greece in July, but
- expect it to be EXTREMELY hot,
- expect it to be crowded (not as bad as August, but still bad.

The best months to travel to Greece are May, September and October. June is still okay, but the sun will be high and burning. If I had a choice I would rather travel in April than in July.

Odin

The season starts at Easter (not the Orthodox one which is later) and doubt that hoteliers will want to miss out on that slice of the business. Are you sure that most hotels are closed on the islands in April? The best time to travel to Greece is what you determine. I could not envisage a trip without being in the sea at some point but others are not beach people.

traveller1959

My friend who owns a vacation home in Koroni says that seawater temperature never drops below 20°C - not even in January. He goes swimming year-round.

And judging from the colourful tropical fish in the water and the seaturtles' nests on the beach, it must be warm year-round.

By mid-November (this is four weeks ago) we were swimming on Rhodes with sea temps of 23°C - very agreeable. Of course most hotels were closed, but a few remain open year-round and make their business. Just check.

travelerjan

I am VERY confused about your wishes -- maybe it's because YOU also are confused. You originally insisted you wanted to be in your chosen destination in late July, to celebrate your birthday, but also said you hated crowds and heat & cost. THese are at their hateful height in Mid-july in Greece (and even in many other Med. countries). So you switched to saying possibly Mid-April, but that brings the worry of things being still closed, and weather/sea too cold to enjoy beaches and Swims.

Several people very sensibly suggested that an absolutely ideal time to visit Greece from the standpoint of weather (divine), swimming (do-able) and crowds/activity (everything open, nothing crowded) and economy (prices still off-season). The response to this on another thread was that you'd consider May except it would be too near your birthday.

Please say, what is it about the Birthday Mandate? Either Right Bang on it, or must be Far Far Away. Going in mid-may would solve all your worries ... and we could help you design a dream trip. so please please say why it must be either April or July.

thursdaysd

Of course, there is always the other hemisphere, where it will be winter in July....

Heimdall

<i>Of course, there is always the other hemisphere, where it will be winter in July....</i>

Excellent time for Far North Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef!

RushBijoux

Hi, thanks for all the replies!

travelerjan, perhaps this can clarify your confusion: yes, I originally said I wanted a European destination that was less crowded and with agreeable weather which could be a problem because my birthday is smack-dab in the peak season (late July), and while all the suggestions were fab (Scotland, Scandinavia, Valle D'Aosta, etc), none of them was what I had in mind and I feel like I'm forcing myself to come up with a list of good reasons to go there but in my heart I'm not feeling it.

So, I've decided to just embrace the situation fully, it's gonna be Greece in late July and I'm gonna go in fully aware that it's gonna be hot and crowded so hopefully all the seasoned travelers on here can impart their knowledge on how to make the most of Greece in late July.

What's up with the Birthday Mandate? Well, for one thing, it's one of the big birthdays. If you are not one of those people who think birthdays are important, then it's OK, but it is important to me.

Hi, traveler1959, I tried booking Mare Dei for mid April and it wasn't available (I understand this means the hotel is closed, not fully booked), I tried again, this time for my birthday week and it was available. I'm not saying is impossible to find hotels in April, just more difficult / less options.

About driving, I'll think about it. My partner doesn't seem to object so we might be renting a car after all.

As for the heat, I'm thinking wear loose-fitting clothes made of cotton, wear a hat + sunglasses, carry a bottle of water all the time, wear sunblock, and avoid going out at high noon. I'm thinking of staying at a good hotel, hopefully one with a view so if it's really unbearable outside, I could at least lounge by the pool / restaurant. Any suggestion?

About the crowds, you mentioned the crowds would be bad, you mean at the beach or in the city? And I'm thinking, surely there will be less crowded areas, right? It can't be that every inch of all the Greek coastline will be packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people?

travelerjan

You stated the paradox at the beginning "Which island still has beautiful beaches and typical white-washed Greek buildings but somehow with less crowds?" Answer: none (in late July). Yes, all islands with the above features will be packed ... because, unlike USA, All the countries in Europe take their holidays at the same time -- mid-july to lat August. Look it up. And they have jumbo charter jets dumping thousands daily on all islands with airports, and ferries going to the others. Athens in July-August will be less crowded than in May or September -- but I don't see you wanting Athens.

If you want a less-crowded island you will have to go to an inconvenient one...and one with pebbly beaches rather than sandy, and stone houses rather than the white-washed cubes (which are only in the Cyclades group, not everywhere). To find a less-populate isle, Here's a map (clilck & it enlarges) http://www.explorecrete.com/crete-ma...ges/greece.gif

Here are some possibilities:
SKOPELOS -- In the Sporades Group, Off N.E. Coast, u must fly or take bus or train to Volos, then a ferry... This island was part of what was seen in movie Mamma Mia, even less crowdy, another ferry to SKYROS unnamed island right next to us.

LIMNOS -- In the N.e. Island, near Lesvos. But not much reason to visit.

IKARIA -- In the N.E. Aegean Sea, just before Samos. Village charm, Almost no tourism, but also, almost no transport, so u must rent a car.

ASTYPALEA -- not crowded, by all reports is perfectly lovely -- see this website http://www.greek-islands.us/astypalea/ The deal is, it's off by itself (see Far right of map, right under the word Dodecanese) there are 4 flights there per week, ferry from Piraeus 4x a week, connections with the Cycladic isles 2x per week. And it DOES have the white-cube houses. Book ahead ... lodgings & connections limited. This may be your answer!

mariha2912

Although I have not been on Lemnos for a few years, I disagree there is not much reason to visit. There are some really awsome beaches and some nice corners to explore, a few of the more ancient settlements in Europe and really un-touristed villages, but one definately needs a car to really explore around. Although a ferry from Athens takes for ever, there are flights every day and on less than an hour you are there.

Odin

The Pelion region of Greece is largely undiscovered by foreign tourists. It is a spectacularly beautiful area, surprisingly green even at the peak of summer. There are some calm beaches facing the Pagasetic Gulf which are sandy, the beaches on the north coast can be pebble, beautiful big marble pebbles and clear water.

There are charming villages with buildings that have overhanging balconies, hiking trails (too hot for that unless you start very early or go late) including old donkey trails which connected villages before roads, called kalterimia, it's mountainous. This is the area that parts of Mamma Mia was filmed in

You could visit Meteora if you have a car, some of the monasteries are very crowded, people from all over the world descend to see this spectacular area.

When we did this trip, we rented a car from Athens and drove to Volos, Pelion, Meteora and on the way back, stopped at Delphi, Galaxidi etc.

The area outside Athens towards Sounion is lovely, has beaches, hotels etc.

RushBijoux

Sounds like Astypalea fits the bill, travelerjan! I did a quick research on it and it looks like what I have in mind.

I do want Athens, I wrote in my first post I wanted to split the trip into island getaway and city excursion which is to explore the Acropolis in Athens.

Hi, Odin. From a quick glance, I think I prefer Sounion to Pelion. Thanks for the suggestion, though I wonder, how's the crowd like in late July in Sounion?

WWK

RushBijoux,

You're going to have to deal with heavy crowds almost everywhere you go in July and August. Sounion will be extremely crowded by mid-day. You can avoid some of that by staying overnight at The AEGEON BEACH HOTEL, which is on the beach just below The Temple of Poseidon.

The beach itself will be packed, especially on weekends, but you'll be able to take the short climb from the beach up to the temple in the afternoon hours when most day trippers have gone. We've done it quite a few times.

About Athens: We really love AVA HOTEL AND SUITES, which is in the heart of The Plaka, about a ten minute walk from The Acropolis. There are several suites with large terraces facing right into the Acropolis, which is lit up at night. If you want one of those look into it now. This is one of the best deals ( I think) in Athens because it's much cheaper than The Grande Bretagne which has lots of tiny rooms for tons of $$$$.

HOWEVER, if you want a pool, you will have to go to GB or The ELectra Palace. Keep in mind that the pool at GB is more like an over sized rooftop bathtub. But no doubt the public spaces make it one of the most elegant hotels in Europe.

About the islands: We are huge fans of Paros ( we have gone almost every year), Naxos, and a new favorite haunt, Nafplion on the mainland. All of these will be insanely crowded starting end of June, but if that's when you're going, you'll just have to cope with it. Make sure that you book hotels with AC, since temps can sometimes reach high 90s, even 100 degrees.

RushBijoux

Thank you for the hotel suggestions and pointers, WWK! Much appreciated. Ava Hotel and Suites sounds great, I'll be sure to check them out. Do you know any villas to recommend for our beach getaway part of the trip?

travelerjan

I am sure you would enjoy AVA ... not cheap, but ideal location. If it is fully booked for your dates, check the nearby "sister hotels" of Hotel Herodion and Hotel Phillipos, specifying high floors & balcony -- they are each about a block from the New Acropolis Museum, on the south side of the Acropolis. On this excellent online map (click to enlarge) == http://www.orangesmile.com/destinati...ns-map-big.jpg -- they are located as follows:
AVA - On lisikratos street/lane, between Red boxes #79 & #60
NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM -- the "Ikon" building-shape right by the Akropolis Metro Symbol.
PHILLIPOS and HERODION -- below #40, just off Roberto Galli street.

HOTELS on ASTYPALEA -- since few of us have been there, u might look at Trip Advisor ... Kalderimi seems to get raves, including from people who were there in high season, so it sounds promising. Its ranked as #4 of 14 hotels reviewed in that Isle... so it sounds as if accommodation is limited there. THat means it's a good idea to book very early, because otherwise everything will be full ... but on the other hand, it's good news, because if an island has limited lodgings, it can't get crowded. Good luck!

RushBijoux

Thanks, travelerjan. We're actually considering Villa Melograno in Astypalea since they provide pickup / dropoff from the airport (and the property looks great, too).

As for Athens, we're still deciding between several options, namely all of the hotels mentioned above (Ava, Herodion, Plaka, etc.)

travelerjan

It may be just me, but Hotel Plaka surroundings right now are a bit of a downer. To get there, you travel down busy Metropolis Street, not that traffic is bad, but the entry to Plaka Hotel itself is on a street leading off, and many of the shops nearby are closed down & there's a lot of graffiti (unless it has been scrubbed away since last summer). Also, as I understand it, the views of Acropolis are mainly from a public area (breakfast room?). As a whole, I find the south side of the Acropolis a quieter setting. The Hotel Plaka location is closer to Syntagma Square, if that is a factor .. but not as close to Acropolis.

WWK

AVA is quite a step or two up from either Plaka or Herodion. Of course probably more $$$, too.

I don't know of villas in the islands since we tend to stay at small boutique hotels. If that's of interest, post again and I'll give some recommendations. But have never been to Astypalea.

WWK

BTW, forgot to mention that many hotels sell ATHENS EXPERIENCE tickets which allow you to skip the long lines at The Acropolis and many museums. The tickets include a meze lunch which, depending on the year and restaurant choice, varies widely, but that's no big deal.