My first trip to Greece: Like many people, Greece had been on my “must-see” list of places to visit. The beauty and wealth of history are well known. Now after visiting Greece last week while most Americans were eating turkey, I’d like to share my experience as food for thought. Even more so with all the Covid considerations being dealt with around the world. This trip included 3 nights in Athens and 3 nights in Santorini.
Important Document Info: If you’d like to visit Greece in the near future, then you’ll need to be fully vaccinated. With tons of internet articles on the web about travelling to Greece, I found myself getting a bit overwhelmed in finding some straight-forward answers regarding Covid restrictions. So, I highly recommend using the interactive map by Sherpa to discover Covid-19 test requirements, quarantine protocols, and entry restrictions for anywhere in the world. Simply type in the parameters for your trip and your vaccination status and it will show all documents needed. You’ll also need to install the Visit Greece app and set up an account. Then they’ll send you a QR code for the required PLF needed to enter Greece. PLF stands for Passenger Locator Form. Although we received many notifications from the UK about their own required PLF, we actually didn’t need one since our connecting flight at Heathrow airport kept us “airside transit”. Airside transit means we never left the terminal as we made our way to the next gate for departure. Interestingly, although the US requires an attestation form, no one ever asked to see it. A new leather vaccination card/passport holder was a smart purchase as I was also able to slip my boarding passes in very conveniently.
Masks and Vaccination cards for shops and restaurants: In Greece, most businesses will ask to see your vaccination card. As for masks, it seemed to be optional at most places whether inside or outside. Masks are definitely required at airports and the Acropolis Museum. We did not need a negative Covid-19 test getting to Greece but it is required to return to the US. There are plenty of places to get the test and Rea Hospital in Athens even offers tests 24 hours. We were fortunate that our hotel offered onsite tests and the nurse even came to our room to administer the test. Results came back in 30 minutes for the rapid/antigen test.
Time of year and God’s miracle: Thanksgiving week is always a great time to travel because of the refreshing temperatures which is so good for walking around. In Greece there were no hot sweaty days and no crowds to deal with. An added bonus is the brighter and more festive atmosphere with Christmas lights already displayed. However, in November it’s “hit or miss” with rain in Greece. The week before we left, nearly every day was sunny in Greece. But when we arrived in Greece, the forecast showed 60 to 90 percent chance of rain for every day Thanksgiving week. My heart sank. Feeling really bummed out about sloshing around in rain every day in Greece, I prayed according to John 14:13, John 15:7, John 15:16, Mathew 18:19, Mark 11:24, and 1st John 3:22 that God would hold back the rain from us. Miraculously, the only time it rained was when we were sleeping at night or waiting at our hotel for the Covid test results! One more item to consider, there were almost no ferries running this time of year so we had to fly into and out of Santorini. But while more expensive than a ferry, it also freed up a lot of time!
Friendly people and healthy food: I’ve never seen more friendly and down to earth people than those in Greece. We felt very comfortable in both Athens and Santorini walking around even at night. And their delicious food is very healthy too. You should look into the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the Greek version won’t disappoint.
Santorini – Fiora or Oia? While at the breathtakingly beautiful island of Santorini, we stayed at the capital of Fira. Known to have a more vibrant night life than Oia, the hotels are priced a little better and it’s much closer to the airport. A round trip day excursion to Oia cost just over 3 euros a person by bus and there are many time options for when to leave and when to return to Fira. Another great option is to do a catamaran cruise which will take up most of the day. A Shuttle bus picks you up at your hotel and the cruise will allow you to see many places of the island and even grill fresh food for you. We booked with Caldera Yachting and their crew was a fantastic team in every way.
In conclusion: Hopefully the above info will help you in some way if you’re thinking about visiting Greece. With around 200 habitable islands and 3 of the five most beautiful European islands according to Travel & Leisure, you wouldn’t have to twist my arm to visit Greece again soon!