shelemm

This is mostly general information:

I double mask in crowded situations like airports. A study showed it is 83% effective against COVID... so other people's behavior is less crucial. Airports are particularly problematic.

So many people have no choice when they take a major vacation..If you have that luxury, then almost anyone in their right mind would choose the shoulder season for less and expensive and nicer weather. It seems April has a pretty good amount of daylight hours. However, very importantly, go when you can. Don't put it off to time it perfectly. The more you wait, the more your plans can get derailed. Summer is hot, yes, but you also have all those daylight hours to take advantage of.

There's a big difference between 2 and 3 weeks. Figure out how many nights (not days) you have to spend actually on the ground and plan from there.

MFNYC

We did a trip to Greece last September and it was perfect. Much of it was outdoors to, so good for any Covid worries you may have. Here's a brief description of our trip, Quick trip report on aa days in Greece (excuse typo 'aa' in heading, it s/b '11' days), one of these days I'll do a more descriptive trip report with photos.

With 2-3 weeks, you can definitely see more than this. We loved it so much, we're going back this September, this time to Crete/Nafplio/Athens. Note, if people tell you a day in Athens is enough, I beg to differ. We spent 2 nights there, and wish we had more time, hence we're spending 2 more nights there in this trip. So much history there. As far as cost, Greece overall is reasonable, with some exceptions, like Santorini, but even that can be done on a budget.

zandarzenderis3771

Thanks for the tips travelguy1919!

zandarzenderis3771

Yes, I firmly believe that the mask is effective, despite the down-players. I have not flown during pandemic, are they requiring masks to be pulled down during security check-in?

Thanks for the tips shelemm, I feel as though I can handle the heat so summer could be an option as well if the cots are nice and crowds not overwhelming. I believe that I would like the trip to be slightly more than two weeks but not too much more. To save costs but also to make the most of a very long trip (I am not good at being sedentary for long periods of time, so this will also be new to me as my longest flight has been six hours and that was rough).

Heimdall

>> “I have not flown during pandemic, are they requiring masks to be pulled down during security check-in?”

I don’t know the current situation in the USA, but a few weeks ago I flew from London to Lisbon for a short break. Security didn’t require people to pull their masks down, because none of the passengers were wearing them. Same when we got on the airplane — neither passengers nor cabin crew were wearing masks, and it was the same again when we flew back to London from Lisbon.

MFNYC

Our last flight this past September, RT NYC/Athens, we had to pull down masks at security on both ends, and as Heimdall said, few even wore them (we did). In Greece we used the masks indoors and in cars/buses. Most didn't.

We actually took a trip to Spain in fall '21 when there were still strict restrictions. We wore N95s for as long as we could stand them (the ones I had were almost as big as my face!) then switched to kn95s. We had to do the testing, etc. The trip was mostly outdoors, and we traveled by rental car, to avoid indoor contact as much as possible. The riskiest place was the airport.

We still tested for the fall '22 trip but it was not required. We had home tests with us for both trips. We are fully vaxxed as well.

zandarzenderis3771

thanks for the feedback Heimdell!

zandarzenderis3771

I beleive masks on during airport and airplane is mandatory for me until I feel more comfortable with COVID rates. Interesting, is testing still required as well entering countries? (mask would have to pulled down is why I ask)

KarenWoo

No, testing is not required any more. I believe testing to enter the US ended in June or July 2022. We flew several times in 2022 and no one wore masks. We wore masks on one of our flights but we were probably the only ones.

zandarzenderis3771

Thanks for the insight here. I wish that I was not so cautious, but I can't seem to shake the fear, but I also want to travel so I am at a crossroads!

zandarzenderis3771

Does anybody find that Greek is preferred? As in do you need to know a little bit to get by and will locals appreciate you more if you speak the language? I enjoy the language, but only know a little. Looking to expand upon that and going to Greece is a perfect excuse!

travelerjan

Greek schools now start ENglish instruction in kindergarten ... almost anyone under 40 , outside of isolated villages away from tourism, can speak at least limited English. Almost all shopkeepers and restaurant waiters are fluent. ZZ, what you are now asking about is not what you should be requesting to get fast and easy on a travel forum. If you will shell out a few bucks for any major Guide book) like ROUGH GUIDE, LONELY PLANET, FODORS etc (used copies $8-12 on AMazon)you'll find excellent short list you can copy for your pocket of "Beginner greek words-phrases" -- which you can use to shop, find directions, order food, act polite to GReeks etc. There's also a useful online set of video lessons "talk greek" that can be very helpful in pronouncing --https://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/greek/talk/ Yes, locals can understand your English, but they will Very much appreciate your using even a little Greek.... if you ask for "krasi" instead of "wine" or "nero" instead of water Even more appreciated is when you can praise something -- a dinner, a view, an experience. Words I use a lot in greece: NOS-ti-mo (delicious) AhMorfo (beautiful) and Maji-KI! (Magical). So stop asking, start studying, OK? (BTW, "Okay" or "Agreed" in Greek is another I use a lot ... En-DOX-ee).

Heimdall

Yes, it’s useful to know a little Greek, if even only a few courtesy phrases. A cheery kaliméra when you greet someone in the morning, or kalíspéra in the evening will be appreciated. The accent mark tells you which syllable is emphasised. Don’t worry about it though, because most people who serve customers can speak passable English, even the older generation, and some welcome the opportunity to practice it.

MFNYC

From our experience, the Greeks speak beautiful English. We noticed lots of humor and sarcasm which is difficult if you are not fluent in a language. It was very impressive.

travelerjan

I can testify as to the enthusiasm of young Greeks about communicating, both in their language and English. I remember in 2005, sitting on the terrace of a family-run hotel in Samos, while the owner's 5-year-old daughter proudly read to me the English for "dog" and "ball" from her workbook. Another time, in Sifnos, my landlady's 5-year old, "painting" a board with water, patiently told me the Greek for "paint" and "board." Yet again, when I was in a village near Nestor's Palace in the Pelopoonnese, looking for the bus stop, I was helped by a little boy with his granny. When I dredged up from my memory the word "leoforio" (bus), he grabbed my hand and said "Ela! "(come!), and pulled me to a street corner, jabbering all the while. He was delighted when I could thank him in Greek. So yes, every effort brings its rewards, for young & old alike.

zandarzenderis3771

Thanks for the advice and I'll cease my inquiries here. Roger that!

zandarzenderis3771

Okay great, thanks for the tip! I'll make sure that I can speak as much as possible when I am there. Maybe DuoLingo will help me a bit, ha!

zandarzenderis3771

Interesting, thanks! Greeks usually seem to be a very jovial group of people. Can't blame them, they live in paradise afterall!

zandarzenderis3771

That is adorable. Sounds like Greece will be a very accomodating place. I cannot wait. I am starting to plan for last week of May and into June of 2024. Thanks again for your help!

zandarzenderis3771

My promise to refrain from too many more questions everybody!

1) As part of my stay on or near Thira, which of these is the best bang for the buck given scenery, if I could only choose two of these: Milos, Paros, Naxos?

2) Some outliers that look to be off the easy path given other destinations, but are they worth it: Skopelos, Rhodes, Zakynthos, Corfu, Mount Olympus, Delphi, Corinth?

I often have bigger eyes than my stomach...

Here is my tentative plan given insights from this wonderful community, not asking for too much free advice, but just wanted to know if this plan is achievable or would be too rushed (too great of travel distances and time spent traveling between locations) and also when and where I should opt for a car rental versus a bus, on foot or bicycle:

DAY ONE: 5/27/2024 (estimated)
Depart PDX or LAX (depending on if I move back to LA)
DAY TWO
Arrive Athens
DAY THREE
Travel to visit Mount Olympus and Meteora or skip and spend more time Zakynthos/Corfu or Peloponnese region (Corinth)?, Overnight here
DAY FOUR
Day two Mount Olympus and Meteora or Peloponnese region (Corinth)?, Depart
DAY FIVE
Pass through Delphi and visit briefly? then to Zakynthos and Corfu, Overnight in Z or C?
DAY SIX
Delphi / Zakynthos / Corfu, Depart
DAY SEVEN
Travel to Crete, Overnight here
DAY EIGHT
Crete
DAY NINE
Crete, Depart
DAY 10
Santorini, Overnight here
DAY 11
Santorini w/ day trip to Milos, Overnight Santorini or Milos?
DAY 12
Santorini w/ day trip to Naxos or Paros?, Overnight Santorini or Naxos or Paros?
DAY 13
Santorini
DAY 14
Santorini, Depart
DAY 15
Athens
DAY 16
Athens
DAY 17
Depart Athens
DAY 18
Arrive PDX or LAX