Greece on my own
It is not difficult to organize a trip to Greece on your own - there would be a desire. Of course, the most simple and often a budget option is to buy a tour in an agency and shift all the worries to managers. Another alternative is to organize everything yourself. This raises a lot of questions, which we will try to answer in this post.
In fact, over the past 2 years, Grekoblog has accumulated enough information to find answers, if not to all questions related to organizing an independent trip to Greece, then to most of them. Therefore, now we will rather try to systematize the information than “discover America” in a new way.
Visa application
Despite all the vicissitudes associated with rumors of possible exit countries from the Schengen area, while it continues to be one of the members of the European Union. At the same time, as Greek officials assure, exit from the EU is not expected. Thus, to travel, you should apply for a Schengen visa. If you already have it, then you can safely skip this section and move on.
All countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement set fairly standardized package requirements for tourists required documents for a visa. Greece in this case is no exception to the rule. In order not to repeat ourselves, we recommend our posts and, which describe in great detail where and how visas to Hellas are obtained.
Of the nuances of the process, it is worth noting that with the onset of the crisis, the diplomatic missions of Hellas became much more loyal to visa applicants. This was especially evident in the part of Russian tourists, on the attraction of which considerable emphasis is placed. In particular, the number of visa centers has expanded, the process of processing applications has been accelerated, and, what is especially interesting, many Russians are given a multi-visa instead of a single visa by default. Consular offices in Ukraine cannot yet boast of such loyalty, but there are positive developments in Nezalezhnaya as well.
It became easier to get a visa to Hellas during the crisis years
Flights
IN last years air traffic with Greece has become much more intense. A number of airlines have entered both the Russian and Ukrainian markets, offering tickets at very low prices. affordable price and have become a significant competitor to air carriers that previously served these routes.
If we talk about specific figures, then air tickets can be bought at a price of 115 Euros one way from Russia and 134 Euros from Ukraine, respectively. And this regular flights not to mention promotional offers. It is clear that Russia and Ukraine are rather big countries, and Greece has its own characteristics. Therefore, the most profitable approach may be the search and purchase of air tickets through the aviasales.ru website, which allows you to search for more than 700 airlines and several booking systems at the same time.
For budget travelers we would recommend paying attention to the options with transfers. Often the cost of such air tickets is much more profitable than direct flights, especially if you are not traveling from capital to capital, but are on your way to the islands.
Hotels
As we said above, the price of hotels largely depends on the month of travel. Peaking in the summer, room rates are very affordable during the off-season and winter months (excluding ski resorts).
The hotel infrastructure of Greece is in many ways inferior to others popular destinations Mediterranean. Many experts see the reason for this in the absence of significant competition between local hoteliers and international chains. Nevertheless, in Hellas there are a number of chains with local roots that delight with a full-fledged five-star service, and the owners compensate for the lack of service in numerous private hotels with such cordiality and responsiveness that you will not find even in the most luxurious hotels in Western Europe.
Some Greek hotel chains offer the same level of service as well-known international ones.
A room in a decent "three stars" in the off-season will cost a tourist from 30 euros per day. The cost of the same room, but in the summer months, can easily "fly up" to 60-80, or even 100 euros per day, depending on the region and the attractiveness of the tourist area in which the hotel is located.
There are a huge number of opportunities to book a hotel both through a travel agency and through the Internet. When we depart from Hellas, we most often use the booking.com service, which provides a good choice hotels in every tourist area and pleasing pleasant prices. By the way, at one time a review was written on Grekoblog about Booking, so if you have not yet come across this booking system, you can read the details.
But when booking a hotel, you can start not only from the price, but also from the purpose of the trip. This could be, for example, romantic trip or holidays with children. With this in mind, Grekoblog has started a series of articles: The Most Romantic Hotels in Greece. And to date, articles about and have already been published. We highly recommend.
When to go
Greece is a country with a pronounced seasonality of tourism. From the end of autumn to the beginning of spring here low season, and the prices of flights and hotels are pleasantly pleasing. On the other hand, the main charm of the country is in its summer weather, the sea and the islands, so you won’t be able to fully enjoy them during the off-season months.
At the same time, out of 17-18 million tourists visiting Hellas annually, most of it is for the summer. Therefore, from mid-June to mid-September, prices for everything related to tourism and recreation are at their zenith. If the budget is not a problem for you, you can not bother, and if the cost of a vacation is a sensitive issue, it makes sense to pay attention to the off-season.
The period from late April to early June, as well as from the second half of September to the end of October, many, including the author of this blog, consider best months to plan your trip. At the same time, each of these periods has its advantages.
Rhodes has been gaining popularity among Russians in recent years
At the end of spring in Greece, it's blooming time. The weather pleases with pleasant temperatures from 18 to 28C, and a huge amount of greenery and flowers that have not yet known the scorching summer sun make this time ideal for lovers of car tours. The minus of the end of spring is the unpredictable sea temperature, which can still be quite cold for opening bathing season. Prices for hotels, air tickets and car rentals during this period are also far from peak.
The middle of autumn, along with good weather and still summer, by our standards, temperatures, on the contrary, pleases with the still warm sea warmed up during the summer months. Swimming in Greece in September and October is possible without any restrictions. In some southern regions mainland and Crete, sometimes, the temperature of the air and water allows you to swim even until the beginning of December. Autumn prices are also more affordable than summer prices.
Where to go
Greece is a very diverse country and allows everyone to find something for themselves. For the most part, you are safe about the choice. end point trips. In all significant tourist areas countries there are plenty of opportunities to combine beach holiday with excursion. Crete, Chalkidiki, Peloponnese, Rhodes, Kos and Corfu are among the most developed tourist destinations. Details about each of them can easily be found on Grekoblog in abundance.
A separate line is to highlight the islands of Santorini and Mykonos. Located relatively close to each other, each of them is a legend of Greek tourism in its own niche. Santorini, which some scholars associate with the legend of Atlantis, is known for its breathtaking views and is the only island in Hellas, where the high season continues all year round. Mykonos is an island whose development was given an artificial impetus. Today it is considered the most "party" island of the country and one of the most attractive destinations for young people in the entire Mediterranean, fully competing with Ibiza.
However, if you want more peace and privacy, you can easily switch your attention to less popular islands- fortunately in Greece there are a great many of them. At the same time, for sure, you will not lose either in the service or in getting impressions. The sea and beaches in Hellas are magnificent everywhere, the food is healthy and nutritious, and Greek hospitality is famous throughout Europe.
Like snow on his head, fell suddenly. One wonderful evening I was flipping through tapes social networks and then bam - amazing photos classmate from Greece. Want Want! I immediately opened the site of one of the travel agencies in parallel and sat down on my ass in surprise - the cost! This prices! And I want to go to Greece with even greater force.
I decide to fly savage, especially in my practice it already was. ;)
Well, what are you with me? Let's fly!
How to travel to Greece on your own
To start, I made plan actions:
- route;
- Schengen visa;
- insurance;
- tickets;
- hotel reservation.
If you act according to plan, then not far off. ;)
Of course, you won’t be fed up with concepts alone, now I’ll tell you how I performed plan independent travel VGreece.
Where to go
At the outset, you need to decide route. To be honest, it was difficult for me, I wanted both in and on Crete warm up the ass, and before Rhodes get. I was literally torn to pieces, as a result, Crete won in my internal duel. :)
Schengen visa
Visa regime no one canceled, so the second important thing is obtaining a visa! Of course, if you are the owner of a multi-visa or Schengen visa, then you can skip this section, and if not, then read on. I thought it would be difficult to get a Schengen visa to Greece, but I was wrong, in Embassy of Greece in Moscow me her done without any problems, To Russian tourists very loyal ;)
Insurance
This obligatory condition If you already have a Schengen visa, you can risk your health and go without insurance.
And if you, like me, needed to draw up Schengen then I want to tell you without insurance it is impossible to get it! In general, if you want to relax in Greece with peace of mind, then I advise you to purchase an insurance policy, if something happens - you will have to pay crazy money for treatment. I think everything is clear with insurance, we move on.
Tickets
Since I flew to tourist season, then from Moscow to the island of Crete itself was straightflight you could say lucky. :) I know from experience that the easiest way to find direct flights With mid May to mid September, at other times there is an opportunity to get to the island with transfer in Athens or Thessaloniki.
Hotel reservation
When the visa and ticket are in your pocket, the route plan has been drawn up, it's time to move on to hotel booking. I always compare the cost of staying in hotels in different booking systems, for example, I choose the most advantageous option where I make the reservation.
So, the hotel is booked, it remains only to pack your suitcase and board the plane, have a nice trip! ;)
She made an invaluable contribution to European culture. Literature, architecture, philosophy, history, other sciences, state system, laws, art and myths of ancient greece laid the foundation for modern European civilization. Greek gods known all over the world.
Greece today
Modern Greece little known to most of our compatriots. The country is located at the crossroads of West and East, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. Length coastline is 15,000 km (including the islands)! Our map will help you find an original corner or island which has not yet been. We offer a daily feed news. In addition, for many years we have been collecting photo And reviews.Holidays in Greece
Correspondence acquaintance with the ancient Greeks will not only enrich you with the understanding that everything new is a well-forgotten old, but will also encourage you to go to the homeland of gods and heroes. Where our contemporaries live behind the ruins of temples and the ruins of history with the same joys and problems as their distant ancestors millennia ago. An unforgettable experience awaits you rest, thanks to the most modern infrastructure surrounded by virgin nature. On the site you will find tours to Greece, resorts And hotels, weather. In addition, here you will find out how and where it is issued visa and find Consulate in your country or Greek Visa Center .Property in Greece
The country is open to foreigners wishing to purchase real estate. Any foreigner has the right to do so. Only in border areas, non-EU citizens need to obtain a purchase permit. However, the search for legitimate houses, villas, townhouses, apartments, correct design transactions, follow-up service is a difficult task that our team has been solving for many years.Russian Greece
Subject immigration remains relevant not only for ethnic Greeks living outside their historical homeland. The forum for immigrants discusses how legal issues, and the problems of adaptation in the Greek world and, at the same time, the preservation and popularization of Russian culture. Russian Greece is heterogeneous and unites all immigrants who speak Russian. At the same time, in recent years, the country has not lived up to the economic expectations of immigrants from countries former USSR, in connection with which we observe the reverse migration of peoples.Greece is famous all over the world primarily for its beautiful beaches, wonderful nature and rich history. Here you can bask in the sun and swim, then go to see the most interesting sights, and then go through the numerous shops, and everything is in each resort town Greece. Prices will please anyone, in Europe this is one of the most low-cost countries, but the level of comfort and safety at altitude. This real paradise for relaxation, so everything more people go to Greece on their own, without travel agencies.
The season in Greece begins in mid-May and ends at the end of October, and the peak of the influx of tourists falls on July-August, during these months most of the hotels are packed to capacity, the beaches are crowded, and the prices for everything rise significantly. But if you carefully approach the choice of a place to stay, you can find picturesque town or an urban-type village with a minimum of vacationers, low prices and clean beaches even in the most popular months.
If you want to relax in Greece on your own at the lowest prices and without the ubiquitous crowds of tourists, then it is better to go to this country from early September to mid-October. At this time, prices are significantly reduced, hotels are half empty, shops offer goods at huge discounts, and the sea is still warm and comfortable for swimming. You can also go from May to mid-June, however, the water in the sea will be quite cool, but it will not hurt to see the sights and go shopping.
Independent rest in Greece compares favorably with the offers of travel agencies in the following ways:
- I travel on my own, only you decide when and where to go to rest
- You can create your own interesting and memorable sightseeing program that will not look like boring standard excursions"for all"
- You can save a lot by going to independent travel in Greece, however, for this you need to follow certain rules for a budget holiday
- You can travel all over Greece by car and see the most Beautiful places who have not yet managed to "trample" millions of tourists
- Exactly independent travelers get a lot more positive emotions And interesting acquaintances, and they also have an amazing opportunity to get to know the mentality of the Greek people, which in itself is exciting and promises many adventures that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Flights
It is better to buy tickets to Greece in advance, so you will save a lot of money, because 3-6 months before the date of the flight, prices are minimal. Of course, you can wait for "burning" tickets, but they do not always happen, and the chance to stay without rest at all is very high, because. during the season, tickets to Greece sell like hot cakes.
You can buy tickets at. I myself am looking for air tickets only on Aviasales, the functionality of the site is completely satisfied, the purchase process is simplified as much as possible, and the prices are low. Thanks to this site, I have already saved so much money that I could afford to take another trip around the world.
Most flights to Greece depart from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kyiv. Most popular route Moscow - Athens (Moscow - Athens), the plane will reach the destination in just 3 hours 15 minutes (the fastest direct flight). The price of a round-trip ticket from Moscow starts from 200 €. The cheapest way is to take tickets with transfers, but then the travel time will increase by several hours.
It will be useful for some travelers to learn how to travel to Greece by car on their own. You can find out about traveling by car in Europe at. Please note that such a vacation requires much more time and effort to organize it, and in terms of money it comes out more expensive than an “airplane” one.
Calendar low prices for air tickets
Check airfare prices:
Hotels
Prices for hotels in Greece depend on the month (in July and August they are the highest) and on the popularity of the resort (in Athens and Thessaloniki they are the highest). But everyone who wants to get to Hellas (this is the "root" name of Greece) can find housing on his wallet. The most expensive rooms will cost in coastal apartments.
And so, you are going to go to Greece on your own! You have already decided which , or maybe you want to combine several types at once - for example, swim in the sea and see the sights. Also, let's assume that you have already planned which places to visit and know how many days you will spend on ancient land Hellas.
- Buy tickets
- Book hotels or apartments at least at one point on the route. (This will make it much easier to get a visa).
- Apply for a Schengen visa
You can book tickets to Greece for almost any date, as airlines offer many options - direct flights and with transfers (by the way, they are usually cheaper than direct ones), regular and charter flights. The starting point for many direct flights is Moscow, but during the summer months, some airlines organize additional direct flights from these major cities like Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.
In case you are planning a trip to beach season(from the beginning of May to the end of September), during the Christmas or Easter holidays it is better to buy tickets in advance, at least three weeks in advance, since then they may simply not be enough.
As for Greece, there are airports in many regions of this wonderful country and even on rather small islands such as Kos and Santorini.
Accommodation in Greece
To rent an apartment
In summer, you can rent an apartment or a room in the private sector. In the high season (July-August), an apartment on the first or second line with two bedrooms, a shower and a small kitchen, will cost 30-40 euros per day.
This apartment can accommodate up to four people. Don't look for spacious apartments, since most apartments in Greece (even those in which the Greeks themselves live all year round) are quite compact. The peculiarities of the Greek mentality are such that a large bedroom is considered a waste of living space. In a normal Greek bedroom, only a double bed, a couple of bedside tables, a small wardrobe and a chest of drawers fit, narrow passages remain between the furniture. Greeks spend most of their free time in the living room and dining room, so houses are built in such a way that these rooms are as spacious as possible.
Of course, few tourists would think of spending precious vacation days sitting in a Greek living room, therefore, apartments for rent in resort areas are several bedrooms connected by a kitchen with one or two verandas or balconies. If you do not want to be satisfied with apartments of this type, you can find more spacious apartments, but the price will be much higher.
Good option for summer holiday is to rent an apartment or house in resort place for one or more months. In that case, it will cost you from 300 to 1000 euros per month depending on the size and quality of housing.
Private hotels (xenonas)
This type is very popular in Greece. private hotel like xenos. It is a large two-three-storey house in the traditional Greek style (walls of huge raw stones, wood trim, wooden windows, stairs, doors, floor and ceiling, wooden awnings on the balconies).
On the ground floor there is usually a dining room, a kitchen, a hall with a fireplace, an administration desk, on the upper floors there are guest rooms, each room has all the necessary amenities. The cost of living usually includes breakfast, prepared by one of the caring hostesses and therefore usually more tasty and nutritious than in ordinary hotels.
Living in xenonas, you feel not so much a tourist as a guest in a large Greek family. A feature of this type of hotel is the atmosphere of home comfort and hospitality. Xenon owners are always ready to listen, help, advise on nearby attractions and entertainment, and even just have a friendly chat. Xenoses are open all year round, they are especially popular in mountain villages, near ski centers and hiking trails. A day in a xenonas (double room) will cost 40-50 euros.
How to find a private hotel
There are two ways to find a suitable xenon. You can, being directly in Greece, see a lot of xenos in the resort and mountain villages (it is easy to distinguish them by the traditional, somewhat old-fashioned type of construction and, of course, a bright sign) and try to rent a room for the right time. But in this case there is always a risk that there will be no free places.
The best way is to reserve a room in Xenonas in advance. To do this, in Google you need to type (preferably with Latin letters) the region where you want to go and the word " xenonas" or " xenonas”, then choose the one you like best and book.
Hotels
And of course, in Greece there are a lot of familiar hotels for every taste and budget. Hotels in resort areas are open from Easter until the first half of October. Hotels in other regions of the country are open all year round. Double room in a hotel with breakfast on average will cost from 40-50 euros per night. Hotels with a rating below 3 stars in Greece should not be considered.
Visa to Greece
If you do not have either one or the other, then you will have to go through a simple registration procedure. Greek visa at the Greek visa center in one of the major cities of Russia.
You can apply for a visa to Greece on your own by contacting the visa application center or through travel company. It usually takes two working days to process a Greek visa.
It should be noted that the provision of documents confirming the booking in a Greek hotel or xenonas, in many respects make it easier to get a visa compared to the situation where you simply provide a written description to the consulate. And although in the latter case, problems with obtaining a visa are extremely rare, it is still better to book accommodation in advance at least at one point on the route and, when submitting documents to the visa center, attach a printout of the reservation to the package of documents.
Also, if you have old passport with Schengen visas, it must be submitted along with copies of all completed pages. It will be returned immediately after comparison with copies.
When submitting documents to the visa center, you need to pay consular fee. For a short stay visa (up to 90 days) it is 35 euros per applicant. It will also be necessary to pay a service fee of 820 rubles for each applicant, except for children under six years of age and children entered in the parents' passport.
If you decide to travel to Greece by your own car, then you must also submit the following documents to the visa center: driver's license, registration certificate, inspection, insurance document for a car, travel plan.
If the children are included in the parent's passport, the parent must have two blank pages in the passport for each applicant.
You can take your pet with you on your trip. To do this, you need to submit to the visa center with a veterinary certificate of health and vaccinations of the animal.
If you received a technical refusal of a visa (which happens very rarely), you can apply for a visa again the very next day.
These are the main tasks that need to be solved for going on vacation to Greece.
There are a number of organizational issues that relate to the direct location in Greece. Them we
