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| A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life. WAVE Journey is your one stop online resource for women oriented businesses and services around the world. WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one online resource. |
| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations, Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
GREECE: Ten Things You Really Ought To Know Before You Go!
Article & photos by Helen George
Article & photos by Helen George
There’s something exhilarating,
magical, and beguiling about going to
Greece. It’s like going to Disneyland
for the first time: You build yourself up
for something incredibly amazing, and
when you get there, it’s even better!
That’s Greece. Her air, her people, her
food, her music, her history…she is a
country with endless charms and the
creator of warm, everlasting memories.
magical, and beguiling about going to
Greece. It’s like going to Disneyland
for the first time: You build yourself up
for something incredibly amazing, and
when you get there, it’s even better!
That’s Greece. Her air, her people, her
food, her music, her history…she is a
country with endless charms and the
creator of warm, everlasting memories.
But before you go, there are a few important facts to keep in mind. These are not meant
as a deterrent, by any means (everyone should go to Greece at least once in their lives),
but rather as a few bits of wisdom gleaned from the experience of travelling there five
times in the last three years:
as a deterrent, by any means (everyone should go to Greece at least once in their lives),
but rather as a few bits of wisdom gleaned from the experience of travelling there five
times in the last three years:
1. PACKING
The suggestion to pack lightly bears repeating. The absolute necessities include:
~ VERY comfortable walking shoes
~ Enough prescription meds to last throughout your trip
~ Prescription glasses and/or contacts
~ Cash and/or credit/debit cards
~ And, of course, your passport
The suggestion to pack lightly bears repeating. The absolute necessities include:
~ VERY comfortable walking shoes
~ Enough prescription meds to last throughout your trip
~ Prescription glasses and/or contacts
~ Cash and/or credit/debit cards
~ And, of course, your passport
Keep clothing light, but bring a sweatshirt, sweater or light jacket for any possible cool
weather. However, depending on what time of year you’re going, it’s usually warm and
slightly humid, even in the evenings, so you won’t need much in the way of heavy
clothing. And make sure to leave room in your luggage for some fun souvenirs and
maybe a little ouzo and olive oil!
weather. However, depending on what time of year you’re going, it’s usually warm and
slightly humid, even in the evenings, so you won’t need much in the way of heavy
clothing. And make sure to leave room in your luggage for some fun souvenirs and
maybe a little ouzo and olive oil!
2. LAYOVERS
Some itineraries include long layovers at airports; a 12-hour wait at JFK comes to mind.
But you can usually find something to fill those seemingly endless hours. There are
plenty of places in most airports to sit and have something to drink and eat or do a little
shopping. Also, you can make the time go quicker if you have something to read or if
you bring a travel-friendly game with you, like cards or dice. One of my personal
favorites is a game in which you toss little rubber pigs instead of dice, and score
according to how they land. Seriously.
You can also sometimes take advantage of long layovers by taking a quick tour of the
city you're in. A recent 7-hour layover in Brussels prompted us to contact our friends in
Antwerp, who picked us up at the airport and took us on a tour of the city, including a
little shopping and a marvelous lunch.
On the other hand, you should keep an eye on layovers that are too short and don’t
give you ample time to make your connecting flights. This is especially important on
overseas flights, which usually require being at the airport two hours ahead of
departure times. Watch for this when making your flight plans.
Some itineraries include long layovers at airports; a 12-hour wait at JFK comes to mind.
But you can usually find something to fill those seemingly endless hours. There are
plenty of places in most airports to sit and have something to drink and eat or do a little
shopping. Also, you can make the time go quicker if you have something to read or if
you bring a travel-friendly game with you, like cards or dice. One of my personal
favorites is a game in which you toss little rubber pigs instead of dice, and score
according to how they land. Seriously.
You can also sometimes take advantage of long layovers by taking a quick tour of the
city you're in. A recent 7-hour layover in Brussels prompted us to contact our friends in
Antwerp, who picked us up at the airport and took us on a tour of the city, including a
little shopping and a marvelous lunch.
On the other hand, you should keep an eye on layovers that are too short and don’t
give you ample time to make your connecting flights. This is especially important on
overseas flights, which usually require being at the airport two hours ahead of
departure times. Watch for this when making your flight plans.
3. FLIGHT/GATE CHANGES
Speaking of airports, check the overhead Departures boards frequently. These days,
it’s quite common for your gate to change, often more than once. Flight times can also
change, and sometimes flights are cancelled altogether. Most airlines provide you with
alternatives and can often put you on standby on the next flight to your destination,
especially if you let them know that you need to make your next connection on time.
But the sooner you’re aware of the change, the better your chances are of getting on
that next flight, so keep an eye on those boards!
Speaking of airports, check the overhead Departures boards frequently. These days,
it’s quite common for your gate to change, often more than once. Flight times can also
change, and sometimes flights are cancelled altogether. Most airlines provide you with
alternatives and can often put you on standby on the next flight to your destination,
especially if you let them know that you need to make your next connection on time.
But the sooner you’re aware of the change, the better your chances are of getting on
that next flight, so keep an eye on those boards!
4. PAY WITH CASH
Payment in Greece is almost exclusively done with cash, in Euros. Hotels will usually
accept major credit cards, but most other places…tavernas/restaurants/cafés, taxis,
kiosks, street vendors, groceries and other types of shops…deal strictly in cash.
You should familiarize yourself with current exchange rates between Euros and US
Dollars before going on your trip. Also, when you use ATM’s in Greece, the
transactions will appear on your bank statement as the US Dollar equivalent of your
Euro withdrawals. So, if you withdraw 200 Euros at an ATM in Greece (or any country
that uses Euros), and the current exchange rate is $1.42 USD for every one (1) Euro,
your statement will show a withdrawal amount of $284.00.
Payment in Greece is almost exclusively done with cash, in Euros. Hotels will usually
accept major credit cards, but most other places…tavernas/restaurants/cafés, taxis,
kiosks, street vendors, groceries and other types of shops…deal strictly in cash.
You should familiarize yourself with current exchange rates between Euros and US
Dollars before going on your trip. Also, when you use ATM’s in Greece, the
transactions will appear on your bank statement as the US Dollar equivalent of your
Euro withdrawals. So, if you withdraw 200 Euros at an ATM in Greece (or any country
that uses Euros), and the current exchange rate is $1.42 USD for every one (1) Euro,
your statement will show a withdrawal amount of $284.00.