gourmet2go

Is anyone familiar with visiting the Greek Islands in December? What are we likely to encounter? Will most hotels still be open? Is it posible to swim then or is it too cold? December is our favorite time to travel...fewer tourists, and the Christmas Markets in some countries are fabulous. Our plan is to fly to Istanbul for a few days, boat to a couple of Islands from Bodrum, and then by boat to Venice for a few days, finally Paris for a few days.

thanks for your help

Gourmet

qwovadis

Things shut down frquently cold and windy...

Larger islands such as Rhodes, Crete, and the Ionians

have the most activity...

www.greecetravel.com good insider info...

Weadles

I've only been in Athens during December, but the weather was pretty miserable. If you could reschedule your trip, you'd probably be better off. Turkey and Greece are really at their best in the spring/summer months.

zeppole

I share your love of off-season travel and applaud your decision to take in Venice during that time. I live in Italy by the sea, and I would not plan a December trip that depended on boat connections. And you should be aware that snow is a real possibility in that time frame throughout the med.

In fact, you could find yourself unable to make plane connections, or experiencing a lot of delays.

You won't be able to swim anywhere on the med, but since your screenname is "Gourmet", could I possibly interest you in an Italian trip that is more oriented toward Naples -- which has an amazing Christmas tradition?

If the weather is clear, December can be a fabulous time to tour Pompeii. And even in rough weather, there is a daily boat that goes out to the island of Capri from Naples.

You could go from Naples through Rome and onto Venice, then train to Paris.

And you'd really eat well. Trust me.

brotherleelove2004

The Greek islands in December: cold, rainy, cloudy, windy, damp and verrrrry quiet. Most hotels, shops and restaurants will have closed in November, not to reopen until mid-April.

travelerjan

Agree with All the above... in fact Greece was created for the spring summer or fall ... and to be there in midwinter is not to see it as its Creator wants it to be seen, at its sunny glorious best.

Heimdall

Since you've been to Christmas markets, presumably in northern Europe, you are used to travelling in winter weather. From the wording of your post you seem to think that Greece and Turkey have warm winters, but that's simply not the case. Warmer than northern Europe, yes, but not warm enough for swimming and other summer activities.

There's no reason why you shouldn't visit Turkey, Greece, and Italy in December. Think about cities rather than islands, and airplanes rather than ships. A trip by air to Istanbul, Athens, and Venice (or another Italian city) could be very rewarding.

zeppole

I think going to Athens in December would be a very compromised experience of the city, whose outdoor cafe and open air restaurants are really so much a part of enjoying Athenian life.

Heimdall

Zeppole is correct, but any trip in December is full of compromises. ;-) Athens has many indoor diversions (museums, shopping, restaurants, etc). Visiting ancient sites, unless the weather is really foul, would be more pleasant during December than when fighting the crowds in the heat of summer.

zeppole

I'm going to disagree again about Athens having sufficient indoor sites to keep you happily amused, unless maybe you are a marathon shopper.

I am a museum hound, but I was surprised that I was in and out of the National Archeological museum in half a day, and I had expected to spend at least a full day if not more there. It possesses incomparable treasures, and I would go back again, but it's not like holing up in the Louvre until the bad weather passes. There are a number of other museums in Athens -- and I have not seen the new Acropolis museum -- that have points of interest. But I would definitely recommend reading up on them before you buy a plane ticket to learn if you find them really compelling. It's not Venice or Florence or Amsterdam when it comes to museums.

Again, regarding Athenian restaurants, they are immensely more enjoyable in the summer when the are completely opened up and spill out onto the sidewalks. They are not "indoors" places by and large.

The charm of Athens --because basically it is not a charming city -- is the enjoyment of the extraordinary heat and sun offset by cooling drinks, deep lounge chairs in cafes, whiling away the hours reading a newspaper, or over a fresh salad, people watching...And it in the warmth it is easier to get a grip on how these people interacted even in Ancient times and developed such a robust public culture.

I was glad not to be out in the shadeless heat amid hordes of summer tourists on top of the Acropolis, for sure. But last time I went it was March, not late December.

GeoffHamer

I've been to Greece in December twice. The weather can be cold, mild, sunny, wet or snowing. It certainly won't be suitable for swimming or sunbathing.
Very, very few tourists go in December, so hotels and restaurants on the islands are nearly all closed. Most islands have at least one hotel that will stay open for the odd visitor, and there will be somewhere to get something to eat. The bigger islands not entirely dependent on tourism, especially Crete, are worth visiting in winter, but the smaller islands can be depressing and are best visited in summer.
Boat services for tourists do not run in December. Ships run to take islanders to and from the mainland, but getting between islands or to Turkey will be difficult.
Ferries from Greece to Italy run all year; in winter, very few passengers travel but the ships carry lorries, so most passengers are lorry drivers. The ships still have restaurants, etc, open, but swimming pools are empty.

gourmet2go

I want to thank everyone for their replies on this subject...we decided to skip the islands altogether, but we are going to Venice instead...which is supposed to be very romantic at Christmas...thanks again!

mes2525

I have been to Athens in December. It is cooler, but there are many days when you can sit outside. Since the Olympics, there are more museums open and a greater range of art. There are some nice galleries in the Kolonaki, too. I think December is a good time to visit, it just isn't as hot, or polluted. On the pollution front, I was in Athens three weeks ago and was able to see Mt. Lycabettus clearly from the Acropolis which means some of the green laws that were put into effect are working. I think visiting Rhodes or Crete would be ok too. The historical sites are open but fewer hotels, shops would be. Both of those islands have a population to cater to, unlkie Santorini. I like peace of the off-season and have found enough to keep me occupied.
That said, Venice is very pretty around the holidays. Have a good trip.

elina

And I have been to Istanbul in December. Nice +10°C and pale sunlight. Plenty to see and do. Two days later after we were back home it snowed so heavily it made to the news (even on other side of the continent) and went to freezing temperatures.

gourmet2go

I can't resist musing on some of the helpful comments from folks that understand the whole concept of traveling to Europe in December. Here are essentially the reasons for doing this (in no particular order): (1) fewer tourists...we spent a day a couple of years ago in the Palais de Papes in Avignon and were the ONLY tourists they had for the entire day! (2) even the best restaurants are not crowded (3) its the "season" when most of the opera and classical music takes place (4) the holidays don't count as vacation days (5) hotels have lower rates (especially around Christmas and New Years) (6) lower air fares (7) Christmas is a festive time with lots of lights (8) Starbucks in London sells mince pies...I could go on. So here's to all of us who don't mind carrying an umbrella, dressing warmly, and enjoying the happy glow from sharing a beautiiful time of year with newly made friends! Merry Christmas!