Dreaming of a trip to Greece, but you’re not exactly flush with cash? Don’t worry. Try the following tips to help turn your dream into a reality, while staying real with your budget.
Decide Exactly What You Want From Your Trip
Are you visiting Greece in order to bask on a lovely beach? Do you plan to soak up millennia of human history at ancient sites? Would you like to visit–and photograph–iconic Greek architecture strikingly set against a blazingly blue sky? Are you interested in down home Greek cooking and other bastions of Greek culture? Your answer may be “yes” to all of the above answers, but note that much of what Greece has to offer isn’t bound up in typical (read: pricy) tourist destinations. In other words, decide wherever possible to soak up the ambiance of Greece away from the well-trodden tourist trails. It’s out there. Just do a little more research on the paths less taken, and as a result, your budget will thank you. In all likelihood, your interactions in country will probably be even more enjoyable.
When Could You Go?
It’s a maxim for any budget travel you happen to be contemplating: the time of year you set out on your adventure can really affect its cost. Peak season travel for Greece starts in June and runs through the first half of July, and again from September until the middle of October. During peak season, you should find relaxing weather and all tourist support systems up and flying, but you’ll also find more people and higher prices.
The off-season certainly offers lower costs and fewer crowds to contend with, but the weather can be windy, wet, and cold. Plan ahead not only for shorter days, but for more limited tourist services. The spring and autumn are good “shoulder season” times to visit Greece, and strike a good compromise both in experience and in cost.
Shop Around For Inexpensive Flights
Rather than a direct flight into Greece, sometimes it’s less expensive to fly into England or Germany, and then take another flight into Greece. Shop around; you’ll probably be surprised by how a little digging can net you plenty in savings.
Munch Inexpensively
Stupid is as stupid pays. And the basic rule of supply and demand applies to food, as well. If you exercise a little initiative and take your meals away from the tourist hot spots, you’ll find the prices will be lower. Rather than a restaurant, an “estiatorio”, look for a taverna. Better you go where the local Greek families go, and enjoy good food without a higher price tag!
Recharge Inexpensively
In addition to simple, clean hotel rooms, think about private rooms for rent. These frequently offer not only lower prices than hotels, but can also give you an interesting, up-close look at Greek architecture. Rooms tend to be clean and straightforward, and you aren’t paying a four-star price, either.
Heading to the Peloponnese? Consider an even cheaper option, and stay the night in a campsite.
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