dreamon

I read this forum a lot and have always found hetismij2's responses to be helpful and reasonable. I would have found the links provided useful. Just as I sometimes choose to not respond to some questions, there is no need to react to a response that you don't like. There is always the opportunity to misinterpret the written word as it lacks the nuance of speech.

As for higher inflation, it's worldwide, including here in Australia. The price of a simple coffee seems to have gone up about 50% in the last year or two (no, no science to that evaluation, just a regular coffee drinker). The other thing which has become commonplace here is adding a surcharge for paying with a card. I particularly dislike this when they won't take cash (which I'm not even sure is legal but seems to have become commonplace too). No idea whether this is happening in Europe so you can write off as irrelevant and ignore if you wish.

yestravel

We just returned from a month in Greece and found prices overall very reasonable relative to where we live in Washington, DC. Gas prices were the exception. They seemed to keep rising as the month went on.

Re people asking questions that could be researched -- why answer then? You can just move on if the question annoys you. And isnt asking here a form of researching it? If you are bothered by the questions here dont go on the Country specific forums/blogs. Some of the questions on them are beyond basic which I find annoying, but I just ignore them.

nylilly

Thank you for the information, along with the understanding. A month in Greece sounds dreamy! Did you share details of you trip anywhere in these forums? What was your favorite part of your stay?

yestravel

nope didnt do a trip report here,
Some of our itin was Athens, Rodos, Delphi, Meteroa, zagori, olympus, Mani Peninsula & Nafplion.

billbarr

It may be worth while checking out this Greek online news site which is at https://www.ekathimerini.com/ (all content is in English)

They reported only yesterday that prices for basic commodities in Greece have leapt by up to 30% in the last three months. Not sure if this will work but here's the link to the article:

https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy...-three-months/

Heimdall

Bill, your link does indeed work. Good to see you back on the forum.

travelerjan

Hi Bill! Great to see your posting ... don't disappear again, i get worried. more to you later ...

billbarr

Thanks for your kind words, Heimdall and travelerjan. I read the forum every day but not had a lot to contribute recently. I wish I had a trip report or two to post! I've so missed travelling and I bet you both have too. Kindest regards, Bill

KarenWoo

We just returned from Greece. Gas prices are very high! We found other prices, such as for food and drinks, very reasonable. Obviously, more expensive in Santorini and Athens, but very reasonable on Naxos and Nafplion. And you can still find somewhat reasonable restaurants on Santorini, such as Aktaion.

yestravel

I have started a TR if you want to follow along. 29 Days in Glorious Greece
I want to mention, that the prices I got when I booked accommodations back this winter have nearly doubled for some of our accommodations.

geetika

We’re also just back from Italy and Greece. Gas prices were what caused the most sticker shock, always the case in Europe, but this time it was really high. We started at Nafplio and went to Santorini, by then it had gone up some more, though Santorini is of course an expensive destination.

Food and drink were very reasonable in the Nafplio area, much the same in Athens too, except for some $$$ restaurants. Actually, even in Santorini we only paid $$ thanks to some invaluable tips from fellow Fodorites.

I wouldn’t know how high inflation is, haven’t been to Greece in 7-8 years. Our last time in Europe was almost 3 years back, but prices weren’t much higher than in France and Italy in 2019.

nylilly

Thanks for the added information, Bill Barr, KarenWoo, yestravel and geetika. Fortunately, I won't be renting a car and can avoid the expense of gas on this trip and my accommodations were booked some time ago and have been paid for in advance. When I was in Rome in February, I found the price of meals to be significantly less expensive (and mostly better quality) than food in upstate NY. During my previous trip to Greece in 2019, meals were remarkably inexpensive - and delicious!

yestravel

And the US dollar is stronger to day so future charges etc will be even better than they were a few months ago. I actually saved quite a bit because while I booked back this winter, many I didnt pay until arrival.

jordanburt2648

After reading this string of posts, I'm not sure if it's worth it to travel to Europe lol. Thoughts/opinions on whether it's worth it to go visit somewhere like Greece, or try somewhere traditionally even cheaper, like SE asia?

yestravel

You can’t compare Europe to SE Asia. Totally different trips.

Heimdall

Gasoline and diesel have always been expensive in Europe due to tax added by various countries. The pump price in the UK has increased recently due to various factors, including the strength of the US dollar (oil is sold in USD on the international markets). From what I’ve read into the above comments, inflation is hitting US prices as well, but food in Greek restaurants is still reasonable.

geetika

Indeed, food in restaurants is very reasonably priced and delicious, with fresh ingredients. We were in Sicily/Italy before Greece and there too it was the same. Produce in the local markets came straight from the farms, even the neighborhood mini mart had excellent quality fruit and vegetables. Fish and other sea food was freshly caught, not something you find easily in the US.

Traveler_Nick

It's not a straight forward price comparison when it comes to fuel.

My car uses 3.4l per 100km. In US MPG that's 70MPG if I haven't butchered the conversion. Plenty of European cars under 5litres per 100km.

bblount

Is going in late September/early October a good time to visit the Greek Isles?

yestravel

Best to start your own thread -- many people wont see this.