Jim Stoddard

Me and my wife (ages 49 and 47) would like to travel to Greece this year last part of June 2002 for about three weeks. Our desire is to have a base hotel that is non-touristy, preferably by the shore, 4-5 star and definitely by an area that has some awesome cuisine. We invision this hotel (and location) to have a very relaxing, unpretentious atmosphere....large pool, perhaps. Immediate beach access. Great service.<BR>From this base hotel, we would like to explore some of the surrounding areas. We prefer not to drive or travel any extensive distances (2-3 hours by public transportation acceptable). Perhaps one of the small outlying islands? I've read the threads and researched some of the websites, but, as we all know, the travelers are the ones who know. Which hotel? What location for the requirement of the traveler? Thanks for all your help!

Elaine

Hmmmm don't want much do you? I mean, a 4-5 star hotel by the beach, but non-touristy - surely the whole point of a hotel like that is to attract tourists and would only be found in an area where lots of tourists visit? And what's a big swimming pool if it's not pretentious in a country that often suffers from water shortages throughout the summer months? I think you may have to do a little more research on Greece and revise some of your criteria before you plan any further.

kevin

Jim, to experience Greece you need to explore. I think you should give up on the base hotel thing. Get to Athens and deflate for 2 days. I reccommend hotel booking online thru Dilos ( www.dilos.com ) they have better rates than you can get at the hotels front desk. Last year my wife 10 year old daughter & I stayed at the Acroplis View Hotel for about $78 USD/ night. We are staying there again this year, but the price this year is 99 euros. ( go fiqure). Anyway its a good hotel with friendly staff and a great location to walk to the best spots.<BR>You should decide on and island or mainland exploration. The Greeks are very friendly. After 5 visits I would suguest an Island. I like Santorini, naxos, paros ( Myconos is to much at 48 with a daughter ). Book a room online and go for it. You will find you spend very little time in the hotel. It's easy to get around and everyone speaks english.<BR>I thing you need 3 - 5 days per Island.<BR>The ferries run like busses to the islands, but not every day, & there inexpensive. Check the ferry schedules online.<BR>You will have time to visit 4 or 5 islands, and it will be a great adventure. Almost all the info you need is online.<BR>Wish I had 3 weeks.<BR>HAVE FUN,<BR>Kevin<BR>

Watson

Please: "My wife and I" instead of "Me and my wife."

Carolina

Here are a few ideas:<BR>1. Rhodes, possibily Lindos.<BR>Touristic but very beautiful and some superb hotels as well as restaurants with roof gardens etc. However, Lindos is very hot and air conditioning is absolutely essential.<BR>The Lindos Mare hotel is very nice.<BR>2. Crete, somewhere in the west of the island: possibly Chania area or Rethymnon. Most of the hotels that look good are, have a look on the web. I stayed at the Creta Paradise near Chania, and the Rethymna Beach is also good. It is easy to get taxis to get around and both Chania and Rethymnon are nice towns. <BR>Whichever hotel / town you pick, don't stay half board. It is much better to be able to pick and choose where you eat, and in Greece hotel food often leaves a lot to be desired.<BR>There are many other options, however, Crete sounds like it might suit you the best.<BR>I would personally consider starting with one or two nights in Athens. There are some wonderful hotels there and you might be glad to have a rest after a long flight.<BR>Athens can be relaxing or tiring depending on what you try to do. I stay there for two or three days at the start or end of many trips. If you are not rushing round all the sites and museums and stay in a central area it can be a pleasant start (or end) to a trip to Greece. For Athens, the Electra Palace is a lovely hotel, right in the centre of the Plaka which is pedestrianised. It also has a lovely rooftop pool, rare for Athens.<BR>Anyway,<BR>Good luck,<BR>Carolina

fiona

Agree with Carolina( again!). do not go half board wherever you choose. Its much more fun to eat out, particularly Lindos. Lindos is picture postcard Greece. quite a few of all inclusive guests in the hotels there ate out a lot. Lots of nice places to eat there, narrow roads, infact no cars there. Bars there are small and housed in ancient buildings with original mosaic flooring.I also agree with Elaine- look again at your criteria. It is unlikely that you will find a non touristy ,4-5 star hotel with a large pool. Santorini is VERY touristy. Poros may fit your bill. particularly with good food as it caters for the yachting crowd. It is a beautiful island and also a good base for island hopping. Crete is also good as there are quite a few good hotels there-Aghios Nikolaos would fit your bill. Hope this helps!

Sue

Re Agios Nikolaos: we found it very touristy; much preferred western Crete as compared to the area east of Heraklion. Crete is wonderful, tho!

Melanie

We went to Greece last June for 2 weeks and found 3 islands to be very manageable. We stayed one night in Athens and then took a Hydrofoil to the island of Hydra. Great island - stay at the Bratsera - soo beautiful and charming (great food too!) We were there 4 nights, then off to

wendy

melanie<BR>where was your third island?

Carolina

Fiona's suggestion of Poros is very good. This would work well if you want to see the sites on the Argolid (Epidaurus, Mycenae, Corinth etc.) <BR>Poros itself is pretty small but Poros Town is lovely to stroll around. It can easily be reached to ferry / hydrofoil from Athens (1 - 2 hours). There are also connecting ferries to the islands of Aegina and Hydra. These run very frequently and can make pleasant daytrips.<BR>Carolina