Greece Travel Tips

Following are regularly updated travel tips for Greece.

The text below is from the comprehensive holiday travel tips to be found at
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May 22 2010 Greece travel tips

Note: tough financial austerity measures introduced by the Greek Government to tackle its debt crisis in early 2010 have sparked mass protests in the country. Police have clashed violently with protesters in central Athens during late February and a general strike has grounded flights, shut schools and crippled public services. Travellers should monitor the media closely to determine whether the social unrest will affect their holiday plans or if there are areas in Greece they should avoid to remain safe.

In June 2009, the new Acropolis Museum opened about 400 metres from the Acropolis. This glass and concrete museum spreads over five levels and houses some of the best surviving works of classical sculpture that once adorned the Acropolis temples. The basement contains the excavated remains of an ancient Athenian district. The Acropolis Museum is open from 8am to 8pm daily except Mondays. The main off-street public entrance is from the pedestrian walkway of Dionysiou Areopagitou St. A bus drop off point for groups is available at Hatzichristou St. Ticket sales are available at the Acropolis Museum or on the web and entry is one euro for all visitors till at least the end of 2009.

Hydra is located between the Saronic and Argolic gulfs some 65 kilometres from the Athens port of Piraeus, from whence it can be reached in less than three hours by ferry and about 90 minutes on the Flying Dolphin hydrofoil.

Catch but E96 from Athens Airport to Piraeus, a journey that takes about an hour. A high-speed hydrofoil from Piraeus to Hydra costs about US$23 each way.

The island covers about 90 square kilometres of fairly rocky landscape with plenty of hills and mountains - the Zogeri range to the south and the Ombari range to the north. Hydra has a 56 kilometre coastline.

Hydra was "discovered" by high profile writers and by Hollywood producers in the '50s and '60s, and the island has since retained a bit of a hippie reputation as a hideaway for artists. Canadian poet/singer Leonard Cohen owns a house on the island.

A fleet of water taxis is the only motorised transport in the town of Hydra.

The town harbour, encircled by shops, bars and restaurants, is one of the most picturesque in the Aegean. Much of the surrounding township consists of simple red-roofed houses dotted with mansions built by sea captains during past centuries.

Jewellery makers can be found everywhere in Hydra and its best to avoid the expensive harbourside boutiques, Instead, seek out the small jewellery workshops and studio that can be found in the backstreets.

Hydra has become a popular weekend hideaway for wealthy Athenians over recent years.

Despite its tiny size, Hydra has raised five prime ministers of Greece.

Hydra Travel Tips

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