Surviving Winter Holiday in Greece: Things you need to know, Tips, Itinerary, and reasons why you should visit Greece on winter season

I have been reading and researching a lot of articles online before traveling to Greece on a winter season. I know at first one would find it weird and would ask, why would you travel on a winter in a well-known summer place? Well, that is basically a question most people are asking online, lots of threads and forum telling how bad the idea was. But still, we decided to push it through. After all, my Schengen Visa was already approved and it is going to be a once in a lifetime experience for me to be traveling on that part of the globe.

 The view of Athens from Lycabettus Hill 

Travelling and experiencing a Winter Holiday in Greece, isn’t really a bad idea. Actually, this trip gave me a different perspective of the place.

Monasteraki Square

Why should you travel to Greece on a winter? Here are some of my reasons:

1. Flights are more affordable.
2. Prices of Hotel accommodation and other commodities go down during winter
3. You can enjoy the islands with only a few people on it
4. You can do layering (because its cold)
5. If you just love cold weather then we do not need to argue about it. 🙂 

And because , I just want to share my experience to all of you, thus I created this blog.

This blog is dedicated to all people who are planning to visit Greece on a Winter Holiday. I included some tips and observations, ideas on what clothes to wear, where to stay, food to eat, words to say, all the things I’ve learned that are worth shareable even our very erratic itinerary. I hope you will learn and get something from this blog post.

 The beautiful landscape of Hydra Island

8-day Greek Winter Holiday Itinerary

Language and Basic words you should know

 Postcards from Athens

Greek is the official language spoken in Greece but It was a relief when I learned that English is also widely used. Almost everybody speaks the language that is why it is easier for first timers to get around in here. Other common foreign languages learned by Greeks are from the neighboring country; German, French and Italian.

 Our tour guide at the Meteora trip is fluent on both English and Italian. 

Signs and directions also have English translations. I even saw some menu boards that are translated into 3 different languages. I guess this only means that tourism is really a big thing in this country. Though, some toilets (for men & women) are not translated into English and doesn’t have a male and female logos.  One would really need some keen observation skills for you not be mistaken.

 Do not forget to taste the local street foods

Greeks do appreciate if a tourist could learn a few simple Greek words. Here are some of the words that are really useful:

• Thank you! – efcharisto (ep-ka-ris-to)
• Good morning: Kaleemera
• Good evening: Kaleespera
• Yes -Nai
• No – Okhee
• Hello: Yassoo (familiar) or yassas (formal)
• Where is the toilet?: Pooh eeneh i tualéta?
• Water: Nero
• Please: Parakalo
• The bill please!: To logariasmo, parakalo!
• How much is it?: Poso kanee?

Currency / Travel Budget

 From US$ to Euro ( 1 Euro is equivalent to Php 62.37)

Euro is the currency used in Greece. As of this writing 1 Euro is equivalent to Php 62.37 (January 22, 2018). It is definitely not cheap in Greece, most especially in Athens. This of course if compared to South East Asian countries. But if you compared Greece to other European countries, Greece is way affordable.

Before my flight, I decided to bring US dollars instead of bringing Philippine Peso (PHP). I realized the possibility that the Philippine currency might not be accepted for exchange to the local currency. Also, if it does, it would be in a lesser value. It would be wise to bring the standard US$ on any trip for it is widely accepted.

Cost of living index in Athens is 76.95 higher than in the Philippines. While browsing online, there was an article I read that for one to survive you would need to at least have US$50 or Php 2,500 per day. That of course doesn’t include the hotel rentals and other leisure expenses.

 Coins can be easily distinguish by its color

Perhaps having Php 5,000 (US$100) per day as pocket money would be enough.

Hows the weather? 

 Temperature at Meteora can go up to 3-4 degrees Celsius

Greece have four seasons; Summer, Spring, Autumn, and Winter. It is relatively warm and dry during summer and mild and rainy during winters. But generally sunny throughout the year.

Summer is the most famous climate and of course the best time to visit the place. But with the tourist inflation comes with the high demand for hotel accommodation, food, and other recreational activities. Prices usually double during summer.

What I love about Greece is that it can give travelers a different experience depending on the season of your visit. We visited Greece at the peak of Winter. It was sunny and cold but also rains at times. Temperature is between 7- 13 degrees Celsius. I was told by some locals that colder months are longer than the hot weather. Truly cold days starts from late November to April.

 Exploring Aegina Island

What to wear during Winter in Greece

Being in a tropical country, I felt the need to really prepare for the winter. I easily get cold, that is the reason why I brought thick clothes more than the usual.

In the Philippines, you can get decent warmers at Uniqlo or Terranova. Jacket and sweaters can be bought at Zara, H&M, Forverer 21, Topman, Mango, Pull and Bear or Bershka. Usually, they release items for the cold season at the start of ‘Ber’ months. Of course getting winter clothes off-season would always give you a better deal.

 Wall arts around Plaka Area

For the 8-day trip, I decided to bring 6 warmers both upper and lower, 4 sweaters, 4 button downs, and 3 decent jackets that I can interchange. I also brought summer clothes for the whole day lay-over we would be having on our return.

To make it easier in doing mix and matching, I decided to bring jackets and sweaters that are either Black, dark blue and gray. Warmers are all black while I reserve the colors for the button downs and shirts. I also got boots that are waterproof and another rubber shoes that I can use for long walks. And because it usually rains in Greece during winter, bringing an umbrella or a waterproof jacket would really be useful.

Also do not forget to bring lots of lotion, moisturizer, and lip balm.

 Check out Fernberry

 Transportation System / Commuting in Athens, Greece

Walking is always the best way to roam around Athens especially during winter. But of course, there are other options to go around; taxis, buses, trolleys, trains and the Athens Metro. You can also use Uber when you are in Greece.

I haven’t got a chance to really use all the types of transportation, for I was totally enjoying the walk. But if you decided to use the Trolley system, tickets would cost 1.40 Euros.  Taxi normal tariff starts at 3.40 Euros, while per kilometer distance would be 0.80 Euro. One way ticket at the Athens Metro starts at 1.40 Euro. The ticket can be use for 90 minutes inside the Athens Metro.  

Flight Option

Guess What!? You can now fly to Athens, Greece for as low as Php 10,000 or US$ 200 only. Check out my post: Flying with Scoot

 #FlyScoot

Where to Stay in Athens?

If you already mapped out your preferred destination, keep in mind that it would always be best to stay near it. When we visited Athens for 8 days we decided to get two hotels, one located in Plaka area and the other one on the downtown side. This gave us a view on whats happening on both areas and of course the difference in staying within the heart of the city and outside. Here are the two hotels we booked:

Electra Palace Hotel

Electra Palace Hotel is located at 18 Nikodimou Street, Plaka, Athens, Athina 105 57, Greece. The hotel is situated 2.8 km away from the National Archaeological Museum and just 12 minutes walk going to Acropolis Rock. It is in the center of everything. This upscale hotel also offers a view of the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon on select room and suites as well as at the roof deck.

Electra Palace may be a bit expensive for each night would cost around Php 8,000 to Php 11,000. But it will surely save you time on traveling and money from transportation. Also, we were thankful that we pick a hotel within Plaka area on our first 4-days for a toilet is a bit difficult in Athens. A quick walk back to the hotel has always been our routine.

The room at Electra was good enough for two people. Though I find it a bit dark but I guess it just sets that mood at night. What I really love about this hotel is their breakfast buffet that I look forward to every morning. It is almost the same but there are enough choices to pick every meal.

Stratos Vassilikos

Stratos Vassilikos is located at Michalakopoulou 114, Athina 115 27, Greece. This downtown hotel is an 8-minute walk from the metro stop and is in the cosmopolitan area. Most of the guests here were businessmen, I guess a lot of these individuals are either attending a conference or meeting within the area. Each night At Stratos Vassilikos only cost us half of the expenses we had at the other hotel (Php 4,000-Php 5,000). Though you would need to walk or ride the MRT just to be around the Acropolis.

Room was bigger than Electra but the breakfast was so-so. Thou, I really love the interiors of Stratos and the elevator was just epic (I felt like I was in a cabinet). Getting a room will give you freebies that include breakfast, parking, and a welcome drink. Additional amenities include a refined atrium restaurant, a lobby bar, and a sauna, plus a hammam (Spa) and a gym.

Other Options:

If you will be staying out more often and would be okay staying in a smaller room, booking via AirBNB would always be ideal. While browsing, I actually found out some decent rooms that only cost around Php 900 per night. That is affordable especially if it would be located near the destination spots.

What to Eat?

I can officially say that Greeks do have a huge appetite. The food servings here are just enormous (especially comparing to our food serving here in Manila). One food serving in Greece can already feed 2-3 persons.  Our Greek friend, Nikos, attested to that, saying that most of the time he would share a meal with friends or family and split the expenses. We actually did that and decided to pick different dish per meal so we could be able to share our plate and taste the meal of the other. I actually love that idea.

Greek dishes are really healthy. Most of their foods are grilled and they got an enormous supplies of Olive oil, feta cheese, almonds, and praline chocolates.

A basic Greek meal starts with an appetizer and bread, followed by greens, mains then desserts. The salads is actually a staple. I guess that is the reason why even though they ate a lot it doesn’t add up to their weight that much. Rice meals aren’t too popular and can only be found in a few restaurants.

Most restaurant accepts either cash (in euro) or credit cards. Meals in an inexpensive restaurant (e.g. Plaka area) ranges from  7 euro to 13 euros. A bottle of water will cost you .5 to 1.5 euro. Soft drinks cost around 1.5 euros, Coffee costs around 3-4 while beer also cost almost the same as the latter.

Some restaurants (or most) do offer free appetizers or bread. Each got different ways of serving as well. Most of the tables are covered with a huge paper so it would be easier for them to clean it afterward. Once you ordered, servers will automatically leave the bill on one side of the table. When paying, you can either ask for the total bill or pay it along with the bill inserted on the corner. A tip is well accepted here in Athens.

Kourabiedes & Melomakarona

Here are some of the dishes you should try on your visit:

• Moussaka – is an eggplant-based dish with spiced meat and béchamel
• Saganaki – or fried cheese
• Souvlaki – small pieces of meat or vegetables on a skewer
• Yemista – tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice
• Loukoumades – are fried balls of dough drenched in honey added with cinnamon
• Kourabiedes – are light almond shortbread served during the holidays
• Melomakarona – are cookies with honey and walnuts also served during the holidays

Apps to download & Services to try 

Welcome pickups

For easy transfer from Airport to the hotel or for any other traveling services getting the service of Welcome Pickups could come in handy. Aside from providing an English speaking driver, Welcome Pickups also got extended services like providing local sim cards (3GB internet, 600mins calls between same provider users, 50mins in Greece), hotspot devices, skip the line tickets for  Acropolis rock and Acropolis museum and even tour services just like what we did. Check out www.welcomepickups.com for more info.

 With Welcome Pickups driver Nikos

Klook

We book two Klook tours on our visit to Athens, Greece. We find it very economical and easier rather than doing the tour DIY-style. After all, travel should be all play and no work, so hiring others to organize the trip like Klook would be very ideal.

 Key Tours bus for our Klook Tours to Meteora

Comparing the price with the experience you’ll get, it was all worth it. Here are the other two useful services that were highly recommended by the Municipality of Athens; 

“This is My Athens” is a community of local volunteers who enjoy showing the city and sharing their insights with passionate travelers who care for a personalized walk. You can check out the website for more info:  http://myathens.thisisathens.org/

“Butlair” is a service where you can communicate with a team of local experts through Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or WeChat.  It is an on-demand service, available 24/7, with instant response. You can ask whatever information you would need from the best food to order or the nearest tourist spot to visit.  Check out the website to know more about it.   https://www.butlair.com/ 

Other Tips & Observations:

• Elevators start at 0 and up and also goes down to -1 for basement 1, -2 for basement 2 etc.
• Comfort Room or CR is called as “Toilet”
• Most of the museums or destination places only got 1 toilet area which is a bit inadequate for a huge place.
• The long shopping area around Plaka doesn’t have a public toilet as well.
• Using the toilet in a restaurant is a no-no unless you are dining or buying anything.
• Most of the restaurant doesn’t serve free water.
• Smoking is generally prohibited in Greece, but either way, People still smoke in public places.
• Greeks love to eat and hangout to have coffee. The famous coffee mix here is called “Freddo Espresso.”
• All private vehicles plate number coming from Athens starts with letter “I” while those which comes from Napflio starts with letter “A”
• All taxis plate numbers start with letter “T”
• Taxi’s in Athens are all colored yellow. Taxi in other cities in Greece comes in different color.
• You will find a lot of small cars in Athens that can only fit two persons. This is because most roads here are small.
• Do not underestimate the taxi’s in here, you might be riding on a Mercedez Benz taxi once in a while.
• Oranges in Athens were like mangos trees in the Philippines. You can find it everywhere. You are free to pick the fruits especially if it’s in a public area. Most greeks would just leave it to fall or rot. Did you know that 10 kilos of oranges here only cost 3 euros??!!! (That’s Php 180 which can only buy 3 oranges only here in Manila)
• Buy Olive oils, praline chocolates, almonds, pistachio and other Hellenic by-products. It is definitely affordable here.
• Greeks have this thing about wall arts or vandals. You will find lots of street arts here. Most store owners would not mind painting it clean for it would look like an open canvass to be vandalized again.
• Cats are not being petted here in Greece. Greeks believe that cats are very independent animals. So expect to see lots of cute-furry-cats as you walk the streets.
• Open Theater cinemas is a thing here in Greece but unfortunately closed during Winter.
• Most stores close at 9 in the evening, while restaurants usually extend up to 12mn.
• During New Year, people usually gather around Syntagma Square, Monasteraki or in Thissio, where a free concert and fireworks display is usually held.
• Winter Clothes are mostly on Sale during late December and early January. It is so affordable you cannot resist not to bring home even one.

 Welcome to Greece!

 Canale Cafe Restaurant

 Landscape view of Idra Island

 (Wild) Furry Cats of Greece

 Notice the -1 level? 

 Have you notice the small car? 

 Look up for the flush! 

 Mercedes-Benz taxi

 Streets of Psyrri

 New Year at Syntagma Square

Winter is definitely a season you can consider when visiting Athens, Greece. You may not be on your swimwear (but we found some people still swimming on the beach during winter) but you can still enjoy a lot of things in this wonderful place. I will show one by one all we experienced on my upcoming blog/vlog post.

I hope this blog has helped you even in small way. I would appreciate if you could share or comment on the box below. Maybe you can share some tips as well? Will wait for all your comments and hoping to see you there to enjoy a Winter Holiday in Athens, Greece!

 Special thanks to #Flyscoot & Athens International Airport for the assistance

More about Greece here

Until our next discovery in the City!

またね Mata ne! 

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