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 of 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 junction of West and East, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. The length of the coastline is 15,000 km (including islands)! Our map will help you find a unique corner or island, which I haven’t been to yet. We offer daily feed news. In addition, for many years we have been collecting photo And reviews.

Holidays in Greece

Acquaintance with the ancient Greeks in absentia will not only enrich you with the understanding that everything new is well-forgotten old, but will also encourage you to go to the homeland of gods and heroes. Where, behind the ruins of temples and the debris of history, our contemporaries live with the same joys and problems as their distant ancestors thousands of years ago. An unforgettable experience awaits you rest, thanks to the most modern infrastructure surrounded by pristine nature. On the site you will find tours to Greece, resorts And hotels, weather. In addition, here you will learn how and where to register visa and you will find Consulate in your country or greek visa center.

Real estate in Greece

The country is open to foreigners wishing to purchase real estate. Any foreigner has the right to this. Only in border areas do non-EU citizens need to obtain a purchase permit. However, finding legitimate houses, villas, townhouses, apartments, correct execution of the transaction, and subsequent maintenance 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 immigrant forum discusses how legal issues , as well as 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 last years the country does not meet the economic expectations of immigrants from countries former USSR, in connection with which we are seeing a reverse migration of peoples.

The idea of ​​traveling independently arises among tourists for various reasons: some are tired of standard, similar tours, some want to exclude communication with representatives of travel agencies and guides, and some simply want to save money. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a self-organized holiday in Greece? Let's try to figure it out.

Are there any savings?

When it comes to traveling to Greece on your own, most often we hear the comments “Oh, this is very cool! You'll save a lot of money!" But in reality this is not entirely true. Whether you save money or not depends on the type of trip you're on.

If the main goal is a beach holiday in good hotel with food, animators and a lot of other entertainment - then it is more profitable to buy a tour from an operator. They most often buy places in such hotels in blocks, for which they receive a significant discount.

The second option is a vacation with local flavor. In Greece there are a lot of cozy hotels with rooms at affordable prices. Here you get a chance to get closer to local life without unnecessary tourist props, but you will be deprived of the benefits that hotel complexes promise: free swimming pools, discos, cocktails, etc.

And the third vacation option is traveling around the country, and this always costs money. In this case, you are unlikely to be able to save money so much that you end up paying less than the cheapest package tour.

My own director

So, what do we get by vacationing in Greece without a tour operator?

• Responsibility for everything lies solely with you. What does this mean? Many tourists tend to blame the tour operator for all errors associated with their vacation, ultimately blaming him for the “ruined vacation.” Flight delay? It's TO's fault! Is the air conditioner in the room broken? It's TO's fault! It's raining at the resort - it's his tricks again! But when you organize the trip yourself, perhaps all the minor shortcomings will not look so terrible.
• Free excursion program. You decide what and when to see, and hotel guides do not impose their services on you at inflated prices. You can find a good Russian-speaking guide via the Internet, and if it’s really “cheap and cheerful” - go sightseeing only with a guidebook!
• Are you tired of Crete? Why not live for a couple of days in the famous Santorini? Has the weather turned bad in the Cyclades? Then let's go to the Peloponnese! By the way, we haven’t seen Olympia yet! Absolute freedom of movement - this is how a real vacation should be, and this is what it is if it is organized according to your scenario!

But, as you know, in every barrel of honey there is a fly in the ointment. Let us list the main pitfalls in the field of independent tourism.

• The main disadvantage of this type of vacation is lack of time. Not every working person has the luxury of spending precious hours on paperwork, bookings, confirmations, transfers, etc. It is easier for busy people to pay money for a ready-made tour and calmly wait for the departure day.
• Anxiety, self-doubt. Many people, especially older people, will feel much more comfortable under the wing of a travel agency than if left to their own devices. If even the thought of organizing yourself makes you panic, it’s better not to torment yourself and feel free to go for a ready-made tour.
• The language barrier. Let’s say you are not a polyglot, and you don’t know any language other than Russian. Constant walks with English dictionary in your hands they make you feel sad, and you can’t learn Greek in a short time - then the journey will not be as easy for you as you would like.

photo: travelswithpersephone.blogspot.com

And one moment…

In April, news sites and travel portals spread the news that the Greeks were going to issue Schengen visas to Russian citizens for a period of 5 years. To do this, you must have at least one Schengen visa in your passport, preferably multiple entries. In practice, this is not entirely true: you should not flatter yourself with hopes for the coveted 5-year multiple visa, especially if you are not an experienced traveler.

However, almost everyone can now get an annual Schengen visa. In 2014, the Greeks intend to attract at least 1.5 million Russians to the country's resorts, which means, among other things, the loyal attitude of the consulates.

• Do not rush to make an advance payment for the hotel, since there are no guarantees that you will like the chosen room and the surrounding area in general. In this case, you will either have to lose the money that the hotel freezes on the card, or spend your entire vacation relaxing somewhere you don’t like.

On booking.com you can select options for hotels, hotels and apartments without prepayment or with free cancellation: such documents are also accepted at consulates.

• Study customs regulations well. Organized groups of tourists always warn what and in what quantity they can buy, so that later there are no problems at the border. If you are vacationing on your own, there is a temptation to buy a lot of everything - and it is not a fact that all the souvenirs can be taken out of the country and transported to Russian territory.
• The Internet is your main assistant when traveling around Greece. Therefore, it is worth deciding in advance the question of which operator’s card you will buy. Compare prices and calculate what will be more profitable for you.

Greece is one of the best places in order to try your hand at organizing a holiday. Tourists here do not feel the consequences of the protracted economic crisis: food prices in Greece are lower than ours, the quality of life is an order of magnitude higher. There is practically no question of security here, so tourists can easily travel around the country without worrying about the crime level. And in general, Greece with its numerous islands looks like a specially created scenery for bright vacation photos - perfect place for traveling!

It suddenly fell out of the blue. One wonderful evening I was flipping through the feeds social networks and then bam - amazing photos of a classmate from Greece. Want Want! I immediately opened the website of one of the travel agencies and sat down on her butt in surprise - the cost! This prices! And I want to go to Greece even more intensely.

I decide to fly savage, especially since this has already happened in my practice. ;)

Well, what are you doing with me? Let's fly!

How to travel to Greece on your own

To begin with, I made plan actions:

• route;
• Schengen visa;
• insurance;
• tickets;
• hotel reservation.

If you act according to plan, it won't be far off. ;)

Of course, you won’t be satisfied with concepts alone, now I’ll tell you how I did it independent trip planGreece.

Where to go

At the very beginning you need to decide route. To be honest, it was difficult for me, I wanted both in and on Crete warm your butt, and before Rhodes get there. I was literally torn to pieces; in the end, Crete won my internal duel. :)

Schengen visa

No one has canceled the visa regime, so the second important thing is obtaining a visa! Of course, if you are a holder of a multiple visa or a Schengen visa, then you can skip this section, but if not, then read on. I thought that getting Schengen to Greece would be difficult, but I was wrong, Greek Embassy in Moscow give it to me issued without special problems , very loyal to Russian tourists;).

Insurance

This mandatory condition, if you already have a Schengen visa, then you can risk your health and travel without insurance.

And if you, like me, needed to register Schengen, then I want to tell you, It's impossible to get it without insurance! 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 for treatment crazy money . I think everything is clear with insurance, let's move on.

Tickets

Since I was flying to tourist season, then from Moscow to the island of Crete itself was straightflight, we can say that we were lucky. :) I know from experience that the easiest way is to find direct flights With mid May to mid September, at other times it is possible 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 reservation. I always compare the cost of staying in hotels in different booking systems, for example, I choose the most profitable option where I make the reservation.

So, the hotel is booked, all that remains is to pack your suitcase and board the plane, have a nice trip! ;)

Organizing a trip to Greece on your own is not at all difficult - if you have the desire. Of course, the simplest and, often, budget option is to buy a tour from an agency and shift all the worries to the 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, enough information has accumulated on Grekoblog to find answers, if not to all questions related to organizing an independent trip to Greece, then to most of them. Therefore, now we are more likely to try to systematize the information rather than “discover America” in a new way.

Visa application

Despite all the vicissitudes associated with rumors about the country’s possible exit from Schengen, it continues to remain one of the members of the European Union. At the same time, as Greek officials assure, exit from the EU is not expected. Thus, you must obtain a Schengen visa to travel. If you already have it, then you can safely skip this section and move on.

All countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement impose fairly standardized package requirements on tourists necessary 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 to obtain visas to Hellas.

Among 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 case of Russian tourists, on whose attraction significant 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 multiple visa instead of a single visa by default. Consular offices in Ukraine cannot yet boast of such loyalty, but there are positive changes in Independence.

During the crisis years, it became easier to get a visa to Hellas

Flights

In recent years, air traffic with Greece has become much more intense. A number of airlines have entered both the Russian and Ukrainian markets, offering air tickets at very affordable prices and posing significant competition to air carriers that previously served these routes.

If we talk about specific figures, then air tickets can be purchased at a price of 115 Euro one way from Russia and from 134 Euro one way from Ukraine, respectively. And these are regular flights, not to mention promotional offers. It is clear that Russia and Ukraine are rather large countries, and Greece also has its own characteristics. Therefore, the most profitable approach may be to search and purchase air tickets through the website aviasales.ru, which allows you to search through more than 700 airlines and several booking systems simultaneously.

For budget travelers, we would recommend paying attention to options with transfers. Often the cost of such air tickets is much more favorable than direct flights, especially if you are not traveling from capital to capital, but are heading to the islands.

Hotels

As we said above, the price of hotels largely depends on the month of travel. Reaching peak values ​​in the summer, room rates are very affordable in the off-season and winter months (with the exception of ski resorts).

The hotel infrastructure of Greece is in many ways inferior to other popular destinations in the Mediterranean. Many experts see the reason for this in the absence of significant competition between local hoteliers and international chains. However, in Hellas there are a number of chains with local roots that delight you with full-fledged five-star service, and the owners compensate for the shortcomings of service in numerous private hotels with such hospitality and responsiveness that you will not find even in the most fashionable hotels in Western Europe.

Some Greek hotel chains offer service no worse than famous international ones

A decent three-star room 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 soar 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 possibilities to book a hotel both through a travel agency and via the Internet. When we travel from Hellas, we most often use the booking.com service, which provides a good choice hotels in every tourist area and pleasant prices. By the way, at one time a review about Booking was written on Grekoblog, so if you have not yet encountered 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, a romantic trip or a vacation 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. Highly recommended.

When to go

Greece is a country with a pronounced seasonality of tourism. From late autumn to early spring there is a low season here, and prices for flights and hotels are pleasantly pleasing. On the other hand, the main charm of the country is its summer weather, sea and islands, so you won’t be able to fully enjoy them during the off-season months.

At the same time, of the 17-18 million tourists visiting Hellas annually, most of them come in the summer. Therefore, from mid-June to mid-September, prices for everything related to tourism and recreation are at their zenith. If budget is not a problem for you, you don’t have to bother, but if the cost of a vacation is a sensitive issue, it makes sense to pay attention to the off-season.

The period from the end of April to the beginning of June, as well as from the second half of September to the end of October, many, including the author of this blog, believe the best months to plan your trip. At the same time, each of these periods has its advantages.

Rhodes has become increasingly popular among Russians in recent years.

Late spring is the flowering time in Greece. The weather pleases with pleasant temperatures from 18 to 28C, and a huge amount of greenery and flowers that have not yet experienced the scorching summer sun, make this time ideal for lovers of auto tours. The downside of the end of spring is the unpredictable sea temperature, which may still be quite cold for the opening of the swimming season. Prices for hotels, air tickets and car rentals during this period are also still far from peak.

Mid-autumn, along with good weather and still summer temperatures by our standards, on the contrary, pleases with the still warm sea, warmed up during the summer months. You can swim in Greece in September and October without any restrictions. In some southern regions of the mainland and on Crete, sometimes the air and water temperatures allow swimming 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 for something for everyone. By and large, you are safe regarding the choice of your final destination. In all significant tourist areas of the country there are many opportunities to combine a beach holiday with an excursion. The most developed tourist destinations include Crete, Chalkidiki, Peloponnese, Rhodes, Kos and Corfu. Details about each of them can be easily found in abundance on Grekoblog.

A separate line is worth highlighting 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 scientists associate with the legend of Atlantis, is known for its breathtaking views and is the only island in Hellas with a year-round high season. Mykonos is an island whose development was given an artificial impetus. Today it is considered the most “party” island in 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 solitude, you can easily switch your attention to less popular islands - fortunately, there are a great many of them in Greece. At the same time, you probably won’t lose in terms of service or experience. The sea and beaches in Hellas are magnificent everywhere, the food is healthy and nutritious, and Greek hospitality is famous throughout Europe.

The famous saying about almost does not exaggerate the number of its advantages - in a country familiar to everyone from history lessons Ancient world, there really is absolutely everything to make your vacation leave a pleasant mark. It's about not only about a perfect tan, but also about a sea of ​​new experiences that await each of her guests during the trip.

Important points

• Obtaining a Schengen visa to Greece, according to experienced travelers and travel companies, is much easier than to other EU countries.
• The birthplace of Odysseus is a popular destination for beach holiday, and therefore tours, air tickets and accommodation in Greek hotels should be booked in advance.
• The weather in Greece is shaped by the Mediterranean climate, but swimming season on its beaches does not begin simultaneously and depends on geographical location resort.
• Don’t forget to fill out a special form for purchases over 120 euros in stores that support the Tax Free system. You can return from 16% to 21% of the tax paid upon departure at the airport.
• There are ski resorts in Greece.
• Women are not allowed to enter Holy Athos, but they can see the monastic republic from aboard a cruise ship.
• You can and should rent a car in Greece. Many sights are much more comfortable to explore on your own, and the prices for renting a car will not make an independent excursion more expensive than an organized one. Especially if you are traveling with family or company.

Choosing wings

Many airlines connect Russia and Greece and directly from you you can get to several cities and resorts:

• Aegean Airlines, Ellinair, S7 and Aeroflot fly directly to popular destinations among tourists. The ticket price starts at 300 euros during the season, and the flight lasts just over 3 hours.
• Connecting flights are traditionally cheaper and with a transfer in, for example, you can get to the Greek beaches near Thessaloniki for only 200 euros.
• Both Aeroflot and Greek airlines regularly send their aircraft to. The flight time is 3.5 hours, and the ticket price starts from 320 euros. With the same connection you can get to the Greek capital for 200 euros. Transferring on board domestic airlines will allow you to get to almost any Greek island or resort.
• Charter flights to Greek beaches in the summer are carried out by many airlines, and flights begin not only in, but also in St. Petersburg and other cities.

Hotel or apartment

Hotels in Greece have their own classification system and the deluxe category corresponds to the generally accepted five stars, C is equivalent to a two-star rating, B is equivalent to a three-star rating, and by checking into a class A hotel, you will receive the amenities of a 4* hotel. To be sure of your choice, you should study the reviews of previous guests.
A room in an Athens 3* hotel near a metro station and with free parking for guests will cost 35-40 euros. A hotel of the same category during the beach season will cost from 30 to 45 euros. In addition to standard amenities in the room, guests will have the opportunity to use the swimming pool, the Internet, and the road to the beach will only take a few minutes.
Greeks willingly rent out their own apartments and rooms in them for tourists. On specialized websites you can find enough advertisements and offers. An apartment for two in resorts, for example, will cost from 20-30 euros per night, a separate house with a swimming pool - from 70, and for a room in an apartment with the owner the guest will be asked from 10 to 15 euros.

Transport details

Traveling to Greece starts from the airport, and this type of transport is well developed and very convenient. Air routes connect the country's capital with all resorts, and many islands connect with each other. The only negative is that ticket prices are not the most affordable, but if your main goal is time saving, then aviation will make your vacation optimal from a logistics point of view.
Ferry crossings are another popular form of transport in Greece. Ferry ticket prices are very affordable and you can get from one island to another for 10–20 euros. Ferries also take buses on board, and therefore it is sometimes convenient to travel from the mainland to the islands using this type of transport.
In cities, the same buses and taxis serve as public transport. The capital has metro and trams. The price of one trip in Athens is 1.5 euros.
Greek taxi is an inexpensive and fairly common form of transport. However, at night the rates double. It is better to agree on the price of the trip during boarding, or insist on turning on the meter so that there are no misunderstandings.

Nightingales are not fed fables

Tourists who have traveled to Greece note that the prices for food in its restaurants and taverns are very affordable, and the portions are large, so one salad or hot dish can be safely shared between two. A dinner with a meat main course, Greek salad, wine and dessert in a restaurant will cost about 35-40 euros for a couple. Breakfasts with freshly squeezed juices and delicious fresh pastries can be found in any cafe for no more than 8-10 euros per person.
Many taverns offer a “lunch of the day”, which includes salad, main course and dessert. This pleasure costs about 15 euros, but you will have to pay extra for drinks.
If you rent an apartment, you can buy vegetables, fruits, cheeses and other products at the market. In this case, you are guaranteed fresh food from ingredients of ideal quality and significant savings.

Best trip to Greece

Beach season in the south of the Balkan Peninsula starts in late April, but the most comfortable conditions for relaxation still arrive a little later - in early May. On the island of Crete, the most impatient people jump into the sea already in mid-April, when the water on its southern coast warms up to +23°C.
Greece is an ideal place for summer holiday. Even at the height of the season, the heat does not bother their guests, thanks to the freshness brought by the sea breezes.
It is better to plan an excursion and educational trip to Greece on early spring or late autumn. At this time, the sun is not too hot, precipitation is minimal and sightseeing will not seem tiresome.
The ski season in Greek resorts begins in November and ends in mid-spring. Modern equipment guarantees athletes a stable and stable artificial snow cover throughout the entire skiing period.