AboutDenny Expertise Greece on a budget, The Islands, Mainland, Athens and its burbs. For the basics on getting around...maybe I can help...I go there yearly and you can`t be as cheap as me .
Experience Worked & lived in Athens area for 5 years. (78-83 Was AFRS Radio Announcer (Denny West)at the time. Last visit: Mar/Sep 2005. Last time in Europe, June
2008 (Spain & Germany).
Organizations Janesville Library (I have a card)
Publications Stars & Stripes
Education/Credentials I have a BS degree from UTSA, guess that means I can expound on just about anything ?
Awards and Honors USAF Broadcasting's 'Thomas Jefferson Award'
Past/Present Clients I am NOT a travel salesperson.
We would like to visit Athenes, Mykonos, Santorini and Paxos for 12 nights starting between 20 and 23 of July. No flight information yet because . . . and here is the question . . . would it be better to book through an agency or directly on our own. We would like to stay in a pension (something cheep) but we don't know if transportation is regular for example or if other problems could occur if we do it alone. . . and the agencies are quite expensive.
We would like to spend no more than 800 euros per person (without flight).
Thanks a lot for any information you may have for us.
Adriana
ANSWER: Yiasou Adrianna, Thankyou for the question,
It is difficult to tell you to just go and book when you get there as you are headed there in the middle of JULY, the busiest time of the season. Temperatures and Prices will be thru the roof and space will be limited at best.
Trouble is ...travel agencies don't book PENSIONES...they deal in expensive HOTELS...Also, you have so many places that I would take up alot of time I do not have today with writing down PENSIONES that you can call in Athens and elsewhere. And by now, or very soon, there will be few spots left...
I will get back to you in a day or two and give you some suggestions on places...
til then consider checking out the EASY CRUISE out of PIRAEUS...it is a regular LARGE ship that you take, stay overnite on and hit most of those islands you mention during the day. They leave the island late in the evening...IE:Mykonos around midnite, Santorini around 11pM ... sail overnite to next stop ... ONE PRICE for 4 or 5 or 7 nites...as you wish. It is NEW this year. Saves you from having to find a room in middle of July.
also drop my friend rita an e-mail ... she is on MYKONOS.
rita@windmills-travel.com ... she may have some suggestions on Pensions on Mykonos and other islands.
good luck
and dress for the sun
Calh taxiedi
DENNY
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks a lot for your answer. I have already sent an e-mail to your friend Rita.
I would like to ask you two more things thought. The first concerns the transportation . . .would you recommend to book on the Internet the ferry tickets?
We would like to visit Santorini. From the information we have the nice place to be is Fira, but we would arrive with the ferry in Athinios. Could you please give me some information about the transportation between these two towns?
Thanks again for the help.
Adriana
Answer Yiasou Adrianna, Thanks again for the question,
FIRA is the main town of Santorini. It is located right above the port and sits high atop and next to the cliffs.
There is a very nice HOSTEL as well as a equally nice Camp site...to get to each take the bus or taxi or finicula from the port to FIRA and then ask directions...the camp is about a 300-mtr walk from the bus station on the road to OIA, and set back off the road about 100-mtrs. the HOSTEL everyone knows...and it is also in walking distance of the bus stop. These are apt to be popular locations at the time you are going. So whenever you go, ask in Athens
for guidance from the ticket agencies in Plaka area.
From PIRAEUS it is about an 8-hr ferry to Santorini. Best to take one of the daily AM ferries (Deck class)...27-euro
aproximately, these ferrys sail around 8-am and begin boarding around 7:AM. You are advised to buy your tickets from an agency in the Athens-Syndagma area. At that time you can also ask them about other ferrys to Santorini, the ones that leave between 3 and 7 in the afternoon...as you may wish to take one of these instead, and save yourselves the cost of a nites lodging in Athens; opting instead to sleep on the ferry.
IF you can find an internet site to book ferry passage do so, as you will be heading into a busy time of the season and there will be less of a chance of getting a ticket if you wait until you get to Greece. This is the ONLY time of the year I advise the reservation by e-mail. Months other then July and August you should have no trouble getting tickets at boarding time for the regular ferrys.
For the HYDROFOILS/FLYING DOLPHINS...[they have limited seating capacity]...you should try to reserve in advance from May thru September. They cost about double the normal ferrys but do cut sailing time by half in most cases.
