# Leaving for Greece Tuesday



## Zac495 (Jul 3, 2011)

I will report back. So excited: Athens, Naxos, Santorini, Rhodes.


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## Bellatrix (Jul 3, 2011)

Zac495 said:


> I will report back. So excited: Athens, Naxos, Santorini, Rhodes.


Special Olympics about to finish up in Athens!!


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## Carol C (Jul 4, 2011)

I loved my trip to Greece. Bookended a week in a timeshare on Rhodes with several days/nights in Athens. I hope you'll have a great time, and please do report back, if only to let us know how far your dollar stretched against their troubled currency. Tip well, please...they need the tourist $ to spread around!


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## Jimster (Jul 4, 2011)

*greece*

I hope you are not renting a car.  If you do, may god be with you.  Driving in Greece is dangerous.


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## Zac495 (Jul 4, 2011)

Jimster said:


> I hope you are not renting a car.  If you do, may god be with you.  Driving in Greece is dangerous.



We are renting in Naxos and Rhodes.....


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## Zac495 (Jul 4, 2011)

Carol C said:


> I loved my trip to Greece. Bookended a week in a timeshare on Rhodes with several days/nights in Athens. I hope you'll have a great time, and please do report back, if only to let us know how far your dollar stretched against their troubled currency. Tip well, please...they need the tourist $ to spread around!



Carol - I assume 20% is proper at restaurants. Any other tip tips? 
And yes, yes - I will report all - including our dollars/euros.


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## Jimster (Jul 5, 2011)

*tipping*

If you tip 20%- A. You will be regarded as foolish; B. You will ruin it for everyone else who leaves a modest tip;  C. You will reveal your ignorance of the customs of the country.

Here is an article from Trip Advisor:

"Most of the Greek hotel stays include breakfast (BB) and fewer of them breakfast and a meal (HB) in the room rate. 

A 13% service fee used to be included in the bill at restaurants, bars etc., but not since the late 80's!

 An additional tip is is not obligatory, but it is common to round off the amount, especially when paying in cash. For example, you may choose to pay 20 Euro for a 18,60 Euro bill, if you are satisfied with the service. Such tips can be left on the table, or you may tell the server that you don't expect to be given any change. In general, a 10 to 15% tip is usually sufficient.

 Try to avoid the places that offer "free" wine or have insisting aggrevators following you to the end of their restaurant lane, trying to convince you on their quality and prices. ALWAYS check their menu, don't stay on the page with the salads. Last tip, do follow the locals, or even ask them, as they know better.

Check to see if the bill agrees with what you've read on the restaurant's menu. The price quoted at the end of the bill is final, incl. taxes etc."

Just because we pay our wait staff here dirt cheap wages and make them rely on tips, does not mean that is the way they do it all over the world.  Whereas  here a CC bill will have a place for a tip, many places there don't even have such a space.


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## Zac495 (Jul 5, 2011)

thank you for the tip on tips!!!


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## X-ring (Jul 5, 2011)

> If you tip 20%-  B. You will ruin it for everyone else who leaves a modest tip;  C. You will reveal your ignorance of the customs of the country.



I agree as it also leads to scenarios like the following.

We were with a tour group in Naples for lunch 2-3 years ago. At the end of the meal, the waiter knowing we were North Americans, came around to all of us with a plate looking for tips.  We ignored him and the tour leader had a little chat with the manager.


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## X-ring (Jul 5, 2011)

Jimster said:


> I hope you are not renting a car.  If you do, may god be with you.  Driving in Greece is dangerous.



I circumnavigated the Pelopennese (Nafplion, Monemvasia, Mani Penninsula, Kardamyli) from Athens last fall with a rental auto and had no problems. 

One minor annoyance: coming into a settlement was usually indicated by a reduction in speed. Quite often there was no corresponding sign to end the reduced speed zone so after 10-15 minutes I suddendly wondered how come I was driving so slowly. 

I somehow missed the bypass for Kalamata and ended up driving thru the heart of the city one morning. I drove thru several intersections where the overhead traffic signals were non-operational.  After several of these, I noticed while driving thru one that there was another set of signals (these ones working) on the far right, next to the sidewalk. It left me wondering if I had driven thru any of these where the light was red!


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## Jimster (Jul 6, 2011)

*driving*

Well, I drove in Greece too and lived to tell about it, but that doesn't deny the fact that the drivers in Greece are horrible drivers.  They consistently rank 1 or 2 in auto fatalities in Europe every year.  Road signs are virtually non-existent; they will pass you when there is no clearance; they horn you at stop signs because they regard them as optional; guardrails don't exist and every square inch of space near the road is seen by them to be a parking place.  Some people think that they can drink and drive and text while driving and i suspect that many survive, but that doesn't make it a good idea.  Of all the countries in Europe (including Italy and Portugal), Greece is the most unsafe.  Romania is no picnic either because of slow moving traffic on thoroughfares.   I stand by my warning about driving in Greece.  However, once advised, if a person chooses to drive anyway at least they know the problem and can make a reasoned decision to drive or not drive.  I just think that many people approach the decision like they would if they were driving in the USA or Canada and that is a mistake.


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## jlp879 (Jul 7, 2011)

Ellen,

Are are of your stays timeshare stays, or did you negotiate other options?


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## Zac495 (Jul 11, 2011)

Hi All,
YES - Greek drivers are horrible (and so is my American husband). so far we're still alive.
Anyone interested in pics at this point - friend me on fb Ellen Gleitman Luchette.

Here's a few


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## Carolinian (Jul 11, 2011)

Having driven several times in Greece, I would concur completely.  It was generally worse on the mainland than on Rhodes or Corfu, but I did get rearended with substantial damage to the car on Corfu.  The lack of guardrails many places going through the mountains, where the road fell over to a sharp and deep drop not far from the edge, was also rather hairy.  Driving in Romania or Bulgaria or Moldova is a piece of cake compared to Greece,



Jimster said:


> Well, I drove in Greece too and lived to tell about it, but that doesn't deny the fact that the drivers in Greece are horrible drivers.  They consistently rank 1 or 2 in auto fatalities in Europe every year.  Road signs are virtually non-existent; they will pass you when there is no clearance; they horn you at stop signs because they regard them as optional; guardrails don't exist and every square inch of space near the road is seen by them to be a parking place.  Some people think that they can drink and drive and text while driving and i suspect that many survive, but that doesn't make it a good idea.  Of all the countries in Europe (including Italy and Portugal), Greece is the most unsafe.  Romania is no picnic either because of slow moving traffic on thoroughfares.   I stand by my warning about driving in Greece.  However, once advised, if a person chooses to drive anyway at least they know the problem and can make a reasoned decision to drive or not drive.  I just think that many people approach the decision like they would if they were driving in the USA or Canada and that is a mistake.


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## Zac495 (Jul 18, 2011)

We didn't drive in Santorini but others did. We SAW this happen. the people scampered out a minute later - shockingly unharmed by in tears.





Anyone who said Santorini is boring and not worth it didn't stay there. Maybe if you pass in a ship and only shop at the port - but WOW was it great. 





I will share a full report upon return!


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## pianodinosaur (Jul 19, 2011)

Zac495:

Looks like you are having a great time.  No traffic accidents permitted on this vacation.  Stay safe.


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