Building the Best Holiday in Greece

Holidaymakers, start booking your getaway: Greece’s economy may be in trouble, but that doesn’t mean that tourism is going to come to a complete halt. If anything the time is now to start traveling to the country. If you’ve never made holiday to Greece before, you’re truly in for a treat. Plenty of beaches, great sun, great people, and the food is out of this world. Some of the best wines in the world are found in the Greek Isles, and that alone is well worth taking the time to plan a trip.

Of course, if you’re looking for good deals it goes without saying that you need to do a little bit of research. Sensationalist headlines in the press means that everyone will be trying to get you to go to Greece for a holiday through t heir channels, which may or may not be the best deal. Here are a few things that you need to know in order to score the best deals, as well as have the best experience once you land.

First and foremost, make sure that you budget how much money you need to spend upfront. As the bailout situation for Greece looks dire, you have to also realize that infrastructure may take a bigger hit than you realize. For example, you probably think nothing about getting your money from a bank. But if you’re going to Greece, you’re going to have to think about taking the money you need with you. You cannot count on the exchange service to take care of you, and you will not be able to get money out of an ATM.

The solution? Carry cash with you into the country. Many in the hospitality industry are asking for cash up front anyway, so you might as well bring it with you. If you’re worried about reaching some kind of limit for traveling money as you enter or exit Greece, don’t worry. While there is no set limit on how much you can take in or out of the country, you still need to declare everything that you’re taking with you. So it makes perfect sense that you’d want to take what you can.

That being said, it’s important that you travel smartly and avoid trying to keep all of your money in one place. If you have a safe inside the hotel room, that’s a good place to park the cash that you don’t need. If you have to go out, try to keep some of your cash in multiple places on your person. If a thief tries to shake you down, they won’t get all of your money.

Will travel insurance cover you if you go to Greece? While some plans have announced they won’t, other plans will still over you. If you’re in doubt of what’s covered and what isn’t, make sure that you ask your insurance rep before you even begin to book your Greek getaway.

A good way to save money is to see what types of package deals to Greece exist. You could plan a trip that lets you enjoy the package trip to the fullest, and then go to another country after you finish with Greece. Who said that your return trip had to be about you going back home? There’s a big world to explore out there, you know.

If you want to make the most of the trip, be sure that you’re negotiating fairly with the people around you. A lot of holidaymakers excel at getting the best deal, even if they have to be cutthroat in order to receive it. Try to remember that Greece is a very proud country with an incredibly long history. They want to make sure that they are respected even in the worst of the financial crisis. If you choose to travel there, a little respect to your hosts can go a long way in terms of unlocking experiences that you would otherwise have to pay a lot of money for. For example, you may get days added on to your hotel stay at no extra cost, or special services that are usually saved for VIPs. This advice extends to restaurants, shop owners, market places, and anywhere else that you would have to interact with people.

Good luck with your upcoming trip. As long as you follow a few common sense points, there’s no reason why you can’t have a great time!