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Hi,
There are 4 or 5 of us (20 year olds) who are looking to travel from Budapest to Greece this December. We are hoping to be in Greece for 10-11 days. We have no idea what we are doing and we have looked at possibly going to Tessiloniki, Athens, the Peloponese (to see Mt Olympus) and maybe Cyprus. I think that is a lot for 10-11 days so I was wondering what we should maybe take out or if there was anything we should add. Also, what is the best way to get between cities?
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Greece Trip- So in the Dark
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Start with a good guidebook, then come back to Fodor's with specific questions. You won't find Mt Olympus in the Peloponnese, and Cyprus isn't even in Greece, so you have a lot to learn.
and to help with planning how to get around here's a link to the Greek railway (OSE) site (timetables in Greek and English):
http://www.ose.gr/
Unfortunately, the English version of the KTEL (bus) site has been temporarily shut down. The Greek version is here:-
http://www.ktel.org/
Jon
Agree it's best to get a couple of good guidebooks, see what might appeal to you, tell your interests and there are plenty of people on here who can help you focus on an itinerary.
Having said that, in general I'd stick with the mainland - Athens, Peloponnese, etc. There's more than enough to see in your 10+ days. December is offseason and most places on the islands are shut down. Don't think you have time for places like Cyprus [which actually is divided between Greece and Turkey].
As far as transportation, our daughter studied in Athens for a semester last year (when she was 20) and spent lots of weekends exploring Greece. She did not care for the trains at all - very slow, crowded, and sometimes unpredictable. She much preferred the buses (which we've also taken) - very clean, modern, reliable, and very inexpensive.
Mount Olympus is not in the Pelopponese, the 2nd highest mountain in Greece is there. They have skiing holidays in the Pelopponese, not sure about other parts of the mainland.
PS Olympia, the old stadium is in the Peloppenese
...Cyprus [which actually is divided between Greece and Turkey].
Not exactly. The Republic of Cyprus (the Greek Cypriot part) is a separate country, and was controlled by the UK until 1960. The Turkish Cypriots administer the northern half of the country.
The real point, though, is that Cyprus is a long way from Greece - actually just off the Levantine coast, near to Lebanon.
I would definitely suggest you to visit Athens! I have never been in Thessaloniki but I think that Athens deserves a visit. The archeological monuments you can visit there are unique. The transportation in the centre is pretty good and the food is very delicious! You can arrive from Thessaloniki to Athens by bus. A friend of mine had travelled from Thessaloniki to Athens by bus too and he had informed me that the transportation is cheap enough. I always suggest a look at this site when I am asked about Athens (I’ve been there many times), because it has pieces of useful information:
http://www.athens-greece.us