The insiders Greece Travel resource

Harry is half Greek, has lived in Greece for 17 years, has been going to the Greek islands and best Greek beaches all his life and all his travel associates are resident Greek professionals.
YOU get reliable and timely insider Greece travel information. And individualized service!

Harry's Greece Travel Guide covers almost all of Greece, not just Mykonos and Santorini, and within I tell you where the major and minor attractions are, how to get there, the best place to base yourselves from and how to separate the hype from the reality.

You will also learn where the strictly fun stuff is too: the great beaches, the nightlife to rave about and the Greek islands that haven't been over run or ruined by development.

Eco Travel: You can make a difference in Greece

If Eco travel or being friendly to the environment is part of your style then welcome! Some Greek Islands like Zakynthos in the Ionian have unrestrained development and are unfriendly to protected species like loggerhead turtles and allow 4 wheels drive vehicles and beach umbrellas on turtle nesting grounds. They also build hotels right across the street from these nesting grounds which is also illegal by EU law.

Other islands in Greece such as the Allonisos archipelago in the Sporades chain are designated Protected Marine Preserves and very strict about where you can go and even swim. If you care about nature and where you spend your money you can make a difference and send a message

Singles in Greece looking to Party

Some hot spot islands like Mykonos and Corfu, in my opinion, have seen unrestrained development and some beaches too have been ruined, like Lindos, in Rhodes, but those locations are still a lot of fun and worth visiting off season or even during season depending on what or whom you are looking for.

Singles should know that lots of beautiful people come to Greece and high season (July & August) is the best time to meet them even though the Gods seem to smile upon lovers all year in Greece. Serious skin and plenty of it is shown in summer however! Greece is too cold in the winter! If you are a single and looking to meet people click on the Greek Islands and Schedules link up top and learn about the fine points of Greece in the summer and which are the party islands you are just about guaranteed a good time on.

Worried about the language barrier? Don't be because most Europeans study English in school and are better educated, more mature and sophisticated than many Americans of the same age or even older! Plus they are on their home turf. Being a Greek American, I can usually get away with comments like that and have seen it time and again in practice. I also freely admit there are exceptions to every rule so be my guest and break this one!

Got Greek island hopping questions? Read why these are 5 good choices: Athens & Greek Islands Itineraries (Good to know for singles and families, groups of friends and couples)

Greece for families, groups of friends and couples

On the other hand, families, groups of friends and couples have several choices available to them:

• They could design their own private tours of mainland Greece via a/c'd bus or taxi and see all the sights they've always wanted to and pop into the water when ever they fell like it because in Greece you are never more than 60 km(36 miles) from the sea!
• They could hire a car and drive wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted as well.
• They could then head to the Greek islands with major ruins and great beaches too!
• Or any combination of the above time and budget depending.

Are you thinking about going to Greece but aren't sure exactly where to go for the perfect Greek holiday? Maybe you aren't sure if you have enough time to see the major sights and visit the islands too?

Did you know you can combine the Saronic Gulf islands with the Peloponnese and see some of Greece's most important major sites like Agamemnon's' Mycenaean Citadel, the original Stadium of Olympia and the acoustically perfect Theater of Epidavros and still have time to visit 1 or two islands like Aegina, Hydra, Poros or Spetses within a 3 to 4 day period without breaking a sweat? You could even take a the one day cruise to 3 Greek islands. Aegina's' Temple of Aphaia is unique and well preserved and only an hour from Athens.

Only 2 hours north of Athens you can day trip to the ancient oracle of Delphi and one of Greece most pleasantly located monasteries; Ossios Lukas.

Perhaps like me its maps and history you love and you want to plot your travels in Greece visually. Maybe you've got a family or group and want to make sure everyone has a good time because what may please one may not please the other? Surf around the site some and you'll soon see how to please everyone. Greece is small but jam packed with things to do and sights to see!

Greece Travel Tips

One of my biggest travel tips is to use a reputable travel agent and that's just what you'll achieve by using this site. Just contact us once and you will receive our low price bids and firm quotations in writing!

We live in Greece and know what is going on first hand! We specialize in arranging Greece tours, Athens private tours, Greek island cruises, and Greece hotel accommodations for single travelers or for large groups. We also excel at Greek taxi transfers and Greece mainland private tours by taxi, limo or coach and Greek island weddings. Its true, you can design your very own tours of Greece and we will organize it according to your budget and instructions.

We are real live people to answer your questions and help you plan your vacation with solid knowledge of the country and its quirks. We know how to give you what you want while saving you money while we do it! So whether its a Greek island vacation, classical tour, cruise in the Greek islands, Santorini Caldera view with pool or traditional hotel room we can arrange it all for you... legally and with recourse.

After sending us your questions and quote requests, you may receive responses (where relevant; e.g., transfers and cruises), from more than one of Harry's travel partners allowing you to pick the bid that's right for you. Simply respond favorably, to the relevant agent, and you will be sent a https URL in which to enter your credit card information safely and securely. That's just one of the benefits of using our site!

Paul; The Greece travel time advantage!

Make the best use of your hard earned travel time with
Paul the Honest Greek Taxi Driver

Greece visitors in the know choose English fluent (with 21 yrs in the US), non-smoking, non-drinking Paul, the honest Greek taxi driver. When you have a few hours to kill between a cruise or flight connection Paul is the affordable and sensible solution and will show you a Greece that the others missed! His low prices, top condition a/c Mercedes vehicle(s) & knowledge of Greece solve all your Greece travel needs from transfers to tours. 2006 a/c Mercedes Bus available for groups, limo available too.
Testimonials | Sample Itineraries | Vehicles | Contact

Another Greece travel tip, and perhaps the Biggest Travel Tip of All is that the winds can delay your Greek island departure to catch your outbound flight.

The Meltemi winds don't give a hoot about your finely timed itinerary but we do! Some percentage of unfortunate voyagers and Greek Island hoppers miss their flight every summer! So plan the bulk of your Athens, Greece sightseeing for the return leg of your travels in the Greek Islands!!!!

Use this link to ask us questions about Greece or for a free quote!

Stay in Athens the night before or even two nights before traveling abroad. You didn't come all the way to Greece to miss the Acropolis and Parthenon did you? Its sunny up there too so pack some sensible shoes and your sun hat!!

How to use this Greece Travel site

At the top of every page of Harry's Greece Travel Guide there is a static link back to this page (the home page).

Just click on the purple Logo to return to this page at any time.

Use the purple menu on the top left of every page to view options that will save you time and money should you decide to travel to Greece.

Use the purple drop down menu at the top of every page to learn all about various aspects of Greece and to plan your travel itinerary.

The top menu changes depending on which section of Harry's Greece Guide you visit.

For example the Greek islands and Athens sections have their own unique sub-menu. The left hand menu remains the same on every page of the site. Use the Logo to return to this page and the main menu!

We are here to advise you. For your questions contact us for a free quote and we will prove to you that we are the fastest and least expensive. Just by reading this site you'll definitely pick up a trick or two that will save you time and money!

Use us to book and you will be glad you did - read the many testimonials from satisfied Greece holiday makers who have used our services! Read the FAQ's too to get an idea of the support we can give you and send us your questions. We are here to answer your questions and to make you feel at home!

Got Greek island hopping questions? Read why these are 5 good choices: Athens & Greek Islands Itineraries

Greece Travel: Greek Island Overview-Synopsis

If the Greek islands are on your list of places to go then be sure and read my
Greek Island Overview-Synopsis. From its drop down menu you can also access individual Greek island guides and see their ferry schedules. I also list the islands with the best ancient ruins, the nicest medieval castles, the best beaches, golf courses, 5 star hotels, internet cafes and 15 other such topics.

Then decide, depending on time and money, which exactly are the best islands to visit. You'll learn which island group is closest to Athens. I also show you which are the family oriented islands and which are the party and which are a combination of both so they whole lot of you can have fun! That wont be a problem! You'll also learn tricks and how to think out side the box so you have a less stressful time and save money too. I'll show you how to get more out of your Greece travel time or Greek island vacation.

Greece Travel: Greek Island Ferry Schedules

Below is a handy and accurate Greek Islands ferry schedules chart that you should click to see larger and which will open in a new window. Best of all you can even print it out. Since Greek Island Ferry Schedules announcements are only officially posted 2 weeks prior to departure, its difficult to have an accurate schedule projected several months in advance. On the other hand these Greek island itineraries are nothing new and one can get a very good general idea of departure and arrival frequencies from looking at last years schedules and that's just what been done here. Even if the schedules were printed months in advance they would still be subject to the weather.

So you, dear Greek island hopper, best bear that in mind before you try to cram too many islands into too short of a time period. Plan on delays of a few hours or even longer. Have a plan B and make sure you can get back to Athens in plenty of time to catch your next international flight. The Meltemi winds cause people to miss their flights every year and can delay boat departures up to 4 days in extreme cases. To play it safe, and as the chart key points out, the islands connected by thick black lines are the islands with the most connections. For more Greek island hopping info use the main menu at the top of the page. - Let us to do all the work for you - and we'll save you Greece travel money and only book your credit card 2 weeks before arrival! Free Greece Travel Quote

Greece Travel: use resident professionals for research, itinerary planning and bookings

Hi! I'm Harry and this isn't your typico travel Guide to Greece or the Greek Islands. Unlike certain others to who profess to be experts on Greece but live in California, Australia or who knows where, I actually live and travel here in Greece. If you think about it for about 2 seconds, you'll conclude that might make a difference when it comes to knowing what one is talking about when it concerns Greece Travel.

I have been involved in the Greece travel business for a good portion of my seventeen years here in Greece and through dint of hard work and hard knocks have come to learn who the reliable and trustworthy parties are.

These are the people I work with and through whom you, gentle reader, will make your forthcoming Greece travel arrangements as thousands have before you with only two complaints.

My Greece travel associates have proven track records and have been in business for a long time. What's more they are fully licensed, honest, hard working and have low prices. Remember too, that any site with a .com extension is a commercial site no matter how altruistic or creative they try to appear.

Everybody on the internet is trying to sell you something Greece travel related, be it a book or a hotel room and this site is no exception except that here, you get a great deal, plain speaking and wont need a book because you can learn a lot about Greece from the site alone! I also try to cut down on all the hyperbole when I can hold my self back, which occasionally takes some effort. I don't have a direct line to Mt. Olympus but some others would make you believe they did. Live your myth indeed but get what you pay for in this life!

So be warned! You are about to save time, money and hassle on Greece Travel including Greece hotels, Greece cruises and Greece tours and acquire free insider information from someone Greek-American who has lived in Greece and the Greek islands for over seventeen years.
Contact Us for Lowest Prices or a Free Quote

Greece travel Accommodations

Booking on line may cost you a dollar less (funny thing about that) but we can do so much more for you; such as complete itinerary planning and have offices on many Greek islands just in case you need us and all at no extra charge! Not only that, but we carefully scrutinize each and every Greece hotel, room, caldera view apartment and traditional home as to cleanliness, value, service and location!

Enhance your Greece travel experience

Harry's Greece Travel Guide(s) isn't just about separating your from your Greece tourism dollar (albeit while saving you a lot of money). It's also about learning about travel in Greece so you can have a better time when you get here!

You have questions and Harry has answers and if he doesn't have them he can find them for you (usually) - see the Contact link below!

Unlike some Harry doesn't profess to know everything -
you should be wary of Greece travel sites and books about Greece that do - if it sounds too good to be true it probably is! Unlike my Greece travel partners, many books also have disclaimers which disavow responsibility for their often inaccurate information. Go figure!

I have picked up, first hand, during years of Greece traveling, and my many Greek island vacations, quite a few time and money saving pointers and tips that I share with you. You may learn, if you want to, about going to Greece, traveling in Greece and living in Greece.

Ask Harry a question or two after you kindly familiarize your self with his Greece Travel site(s).

Please don't Contact me about the nitty gritty of booking hotels, organized tours, private tours or cruises. Use the links associated with those topics. Then your Contact will go to the professional people whose job it is to answer your specific Greece travel questions. The people who are legally responsible for the services you are interested in purchasing and the people who can actually book you exactly what you indicate: upgrades, downgrades, singles rooms, double cabins and so on.

Sometimes you may get two bids to your requests from 2 or more different companies I work with - This gives you choices and options for saving money by comparing prices. Contact me about other stuff, tips on where to go, what to eat, what to buy and similar subjects!.

You will get what you pay for and more when you use Harry's Greece Travel Guide(s)!
But our service to you doesn't stop there: off the top of my head, I can think of 20 reasons you may need us without even trying! Your flight was delayed? You need to change a date? Your ferry was cancelled or delayed, you lost your luggage, you need a place to keep your luggage while waiting to board an island ferry, you want directions as to the best places to eat or shop .. the list goes on and on and on!

Our offices all over the major Greek islands mean you have back up and security in a foreign country where you don't speak the language and are out of your element. Most people find that Greece agrees with them, the people are friendly, the water is safe to drink, the food is good and the sun shines 300 days a year!

Multiple Offerings ensure Competitiveness, Choices and Savings for Our Customers

Greek Islands Cruises
on various size Greece cruise ships

There are separate cruise companies you may book with and separate Athens Taxi Transfers companies you may inquire transfer rates from. So have a care when you fill out a form and don't be confused if you get more than one transfers response because sometimes I forward them to the proper place. Essentially; the cruises companies can be defined by boat size: large cruise ships vs. smaller cruising yachts of various sizes.

Athens Transfers and Taxis

Only new mercedes air-conditioned vehicles are used but after that the Transfers Companies can be defined by one criteria and that's price. If you book a Athens hotel through this site you will be offered a transfer option and by all means enquire as to the price of the transfer. You will save money on your hotel booking this way but not your transfer. Also Enquire of English speaking Paul the Honest Greek Taxi Driver and compare. More on Paul below!

Tours of Greece

I also work with more than one Greece tour company. You can take an organized luxury coach tour or design your own taxi or mini-bus tours (up to 14 passengers) or take a cruise and a tour with the same company!

We do the Greek Island Ferry Schedule
Worrying For You

If you book Greek island hotel accommodations with us you will never have to worry about ferry schedules! The first thing we check is hotel availability and second, where necessary, the ferry/flight schedules, to ensure the possibility of your on time arrival!

No matter how hectic or convoluted your schedule is, we make sure its possible for you to make all connections weather permitting!

On arrival you will receive a welcome pack with maps, vouchers and everything you need to have a great vacation in Greece or the Greek Islands!
Contact Us for Lowest Prices or a Free Quote

That's why I can tell you "you will get what you pay for and more!"

Did I mention we have been doing it for years too? Well we have!

This traveler said: "my only regret was not listening to you about our hotel choice in Santorini - where price & service was very disappointing - we shall listen to you next time. Thank you for taking the time to visit us in Mykonos - that was a nice surprise and shows a professionalism which I thought had long gone away from this industry. Well done!"

The only thing you have to arrange yourselves is your international air to Greece. Our services are provided to our Greece hotels, Greece cruises, Greece tours and Greece weddings and honeymoons customers only! And since we have helped thousands of visitors travel to Greece, the odds are, we know what we are doing far better than your local travel agent or some folks who visited Greece once 15 years ago and wrote a book about it!

Use this site and you wont need a book especially one with a disclaimer and incorrect information. Its not a lonely planet anymore!

Greece & Greek Islands Decision Making: Knowledge is Power! And Savings!

Enjoying Athens Greece or Avoiding Athens

Most visitors who go to Greece spend a night or two in Athens. Perhaps to see the Parthenon & National Archeology Museum or shop in some of Athens' truly world class stores. Its a real shame to come all this way and miss some of Athens' treasures! You'll be kicking yourself later I know! There are many Greece Hotels to choose from too! Athens is where all Greece Cruises and most Greece tours embark as well.

I recommend spending a night or two in Athens on the return leg of your Greece vacation to ensure catching the flight home especially returning from the windy Greek islands. Unpredictable Meltemi winds can and do cause ferry cancellations every year. So its smart to have a time-safety-net and in Athens, to stay as centrally as possible! A centrally located Athens Greece Hotel is crucial!

Athens Accommodations: Another Option

Harry's Athens Apartment for Rent My apartment for rent which has special rates for singles and couples may be rented for a single day or more. Centrally located in Exarhia Sq. and only a 6 min. walk from Central Metro Station Omonia Square! Its also only a 7 minute walk to the National Archeology Museum one of Athens two must see sights! (The Acropolis is the other one) You'll save time coming and going to both Piraeus Harbor for Greek island departures and "ATH" / E.V. International Airport. Its a short walk to the Hellenic rail station too or take the trolley to anywhere in town! The trolley stop is right down the street too along with a lot of other cool stuff like 150 restaurants and bars! The Exarhia neighborhood, according to Athens' lovely, smiling Mayor Dora Bakoyianni has more Phd's per square meter than anywhere in Greece! Exarhia boasts imported beer and bank machines too! In fact there is a beer garden a block away with 100's of beers from all over the world. There is a ferry ticket office too right across the square!  A 20 minute walk away, touristy areas Plaka and Syntagama cost more are noisy and can't be called the real Greece.	My superbly located apartment sleeps up to seven with 3 BR's available year round and is perfect for those who want perks, privacy and more than typical hotel room ambiance. Couples and singles for sure will save money but it really shines for groups of friends and families find it ideal! Children? Of course! This is Greece! The Blue Polikatikia (1932-33) is a historically registered Bauhaus building built by my grandfather to whom I dedicate my Athens Greece Guide! Check it out and visit us, you'll be glad you did! (see Athens Guide Link at bottom of page) This work was praised by Le Corbusier who said of it: "C'est très beau", when he visited it in the construction stage, having come to Athens for the Fourth International Congress of Modern Architecture (IV CIAM). Safe, clean and with its own full kitchen facilities you can rent your own furnished apartment short term! From one night or more. Travel to Greece does get busy so book early. There are two double and a triple each with Sony color TV and a/c. Click to reserve/inquire.

Groups or Independents: Bookings for Greece

If you book your Greece hotels through my site, my travel partners will make all the necessary arrangements for you including ferry tickets (after you tell us your dates, budget and proposed schedule).

Here is an example of how we can take care of you in Greece; for independent travelers, who design their own Greece Travel itinerary or for Groups with a set itinerary of their own design.

We do as much or as little as you indicate and are totally flexible! You choose what you want to do in Greece, where you want to go; either the Greek Islands, sites on the Greek mainland or both and we make the necessary arrangements for you on time and on budget!
Contact Us for Lowest Prices or a Free Quote

Greece Travel Itinerary Example

"Please note that the prices indicated here are for 2 PERSONS sharing a double room and includes all the above services such as the hotels, breakfast, tours including entrances, 2 transfers, and domestic boat tickets, taxes, vat, levies and port duties."

GREECE TRAVEL FLEXIBILIITY: ITS YOUR CHOICE

Suggested Itineraries for Travelers to Greece

For travel within Greece and the Greek Islands we make it as easy as possible, and, for starters, have made several
Greece travel budget and deluxe itineraries which may serve as intro programs to Greece
that we give you the option to change to your hearts content to suit your dream vacation!

Whatever you choose; Greece cruises, Greece tours which entail multiple Greece hotels, or your own taylor designed Greece Itinerary including or excluding Greece Hotels or any combination thereof we can arrange it for you efficiently, inexpensively and quickly and it will always be open to your up-grade, down grade or date change to within approximately two weeks of your arrival in Greece or even less depending on the season. Note depending on what you choose to add to your itinerary, say a cruise or hotel in high season, for example, different cancellation penalties may  be imposed by the cruise companies and individual hotel owners. Please make specific enquiries to our customer service department for each major segment of your Greece itinerary.

What if you need to cancel you Greece travel plans?

Whenever possible, plan your Greece traveling in advance and book in advance.
These ancient Greek axioms still hold true: 'haste makes waste' and 'the early bird catches the worm'.
It'll also catches the good deals too.' Like our inexpensive caldera-view apartments and rooms on Santorini in the Cyclades!

'Last minute travel' companies charge more and last minute flights are no bargain either! So do your best to plan and book ahead.

But what if something comes up and you just have to cancel your booking through Harry's Greece Travel Guides?
If your booking is a high season one (July and August) then be aware its not called high season for nothing.

High season really is the busiest time. Most of Europe is on vacation. The French, the Brit's, the Italians and of course the Scandinavians and Germans and Austrians too. Guess where they are headed? The good news is you get to meet and party with them too if you want!

Greece is the most popular destination for Europeans in Europe in the summer and consequently when its hardest to make last minute revisions.
Due to a general lack of availability many hotels, cruise and tours companies charge late and no-show fees because they can. They can because its high season and they have turned away others to make your reservation.

We will help you avoid that if you give us enough time!
On many Greece travel items, up to 2 weeks before your arrival, you can still make changes or cancellations with no cancellations fees.
But not on everything! Different hotels have different policies depending on how popular they are as I am sure you know.
We wont charge your credit card until 2 weeks before your arrival anyway!
For cruises, the cruise companies give you up to 46 days before arrival to cancel and may need earlier deposits from you.
Because of our special arrangement with cruise companies we can often minimize these issues but we can not guarantee it.
Contact Us for Lowest Prices or a Free Quote

Greece Cruise companies also impose cancellation fees and here they are:

Here below you can find the correct cancellation policy only for Louis and Monarch star cruises: 45-31 days prior to sailing: 20% cancellation fees apply 30-16 days prior to sailing: 50% cancellation fees apply 15-08 days prior to sailing: 75% cancellation fees apply 07- Sailing date: 100% cancellation fees apply.