traveling to Greece for conferences

see also:

• travel for international conferences - visas and travel authorisations
• travelling to Iceland for conferences
• travelling to conferences in Malta
• traveling to conferences in Italy
• traveling to Croatia for conferences
• daylight savings ends Oct 27th 2018, sunset Oct 28th then 1hr earlier at 5.30pm
• Ferries from island to island
• wikipedia - list of Greek islands
  • Ionian Islands are to the west of Greece (eg. Corfu, Kythira, Cephalonia, Zakynthos, Lefkada, Ithaka, Paxi )
  • the Argo-Saronic Islands in the Saronic gulf near Athens (eg. Hydra)
  • Aegean Islands are the northern-most to the east of Greece near Turkey (eg. Lesbos, Samos)
  • Cyclades islands are south-east of Greece in the Myrtoan Sea (eg. Mykonos, Santorini)
  • Dodecanese islands are further east of the Cyclades (eg. Kos, Rhodos)
  • the Sporades, a small tight group off the coast of Euboea
  • Cretan islands are the southernmost

• the desirable areas to stay in are the Plaka, Makrianni, Koukaki, Thission, Syntagma and Monastiraki. These areas all border the Acropolis and the archeological park around it.
• If you have an early flight you don't need to stay near the airport. Traffic is light in the morning and you can be there from central Athens in 30 minutes. If you have an early ferry there is no reason to stay in Pireaus either. From Monastiraki metro station you can be in the port of Pireaus in 15 minutes.
• https://www.hotelsofgreece.com/athens/index.html
• best economy hotels:
  • Hotel Attalos - rooftop cafe with a spectacular view of the Parthenon
  • Cecil Hotel
  • Hotel Central - roof garden with a bar, jacuzzi and a brilliant view of the Acropolis
• best A star hotels:
  • The Hotel Herodion - request a room with Acropolis view and you will be able to fall asleep every night gazing at the Parthenon
  • Athens Was Hotel
  • Athens Gate Hotel - Guests in the front have a view of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Mount Lykavettos, Guests on the top several floors of an unimpeded view of the Acropolis
• best luxury hotels:
  • The Hotel Grande Bretagne super expensive
  • Electra Palace Hotel - right in the Plaka and just 2 blocks from Syntagma Square and the Metro
  • The Athens Hilton - super expensive, Every room in the Hilton has a view of the Acropolis
  • The Royal Olympic Hotel - rooms are a bit dated; overlooks the Temple of Olympian Zeus and rooms also have a view of the Acropolis; nice roof top bar/restaurant with views;

• an unofficial Athens airport guide

• 18-19hrs flying time
• Emirates 22.5hrs there and 21.5hrs return via Dubai, UAE - 3hr stopover /change planes in Dubai
  • usually departs Melbourne either at:
    • 6am and arrives Athens 2030hrs that day after a 3.5hr stopover in Dubai - 19hrs flying time, 22.5hrs in total
    • 7pm, 2hr stopover in Singapore then a 6hr stopover/change planes in Dubai, arrives Athens 3pm next day - 28hrs in total
    • 10pm, 5.5hr stopover/change planes in Dubai, arrives Athens 3pm next day - 25hrs in total
  • usually departs Athens 5pm and arrives back in Melbourne around midnight following day
    • optional 10hr overnight stopover in Dubai for total duration of 28.5hrs arriving 0630hrs on day 2 - may get a 6hr or so sleep at Dubai transit hotel for around $AU260-300
• Etihad airways: 22.5hrs there and 20hrs return via Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Qatar airways: 21.5hrs there and 23hrs return via Doha, Qatar
• Scoot airlines: 27.5hrs there and 38hrs return via Singapore budget
• Qantas via London

• wikipedia
• https://www.greektravel.com/greekislands/santorini/
• island 200km from mainland created from a volcanic caldera and which has an area of 73 sq.km and a population of some 16,000
• The island is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan eruption (sometimes called the Thera eruption), which occurred c1600BC at the height of the Minoan civilization on nearby Crete (110km to the south). The eruption destroyed the sections of the ring between Aspronisi and Therasia, and between Therasia and Thera, creating two new channels and leaving a deposit of white tephra thrown from the eruption is found lying up to 60 m (200 ft) thick, overlying the soil marking the ground level before the eruption, and forming a layer divided into three fairly distinct bands indicating different phases of the eruption.
• a giant central, rectangular lagoon, which measures about 12 by 7 km, is surrounded by 300m high, steep cliffs on three sides
• The island's pumice quarries have been closed since 1986, in order to preserve the caldera.
• capital is Fira
• climate in October average temps 18-23degC, 38mm rainfall on 4 days /mth; 9 sunshine hours/day
• full moon Oct 25th
• water is scarce, no running rivers, water from the desal plant is non-potable
• flights to/from Santorini / Thira airport:
  • Transavia:
    • Paris Orly South
    • Netherlands?
  • Olympic Air / Aegean Airlines (Star Alliance partner):
    • Athens
  • RyanAir
    • Athens
    • Frankfurt
    • Vienna (Sun/Tues?)
  • Vueling Airlines
    • Rome Fiumicino Airport (2hr15m flight) - seasonal only but seems to operate Saturday flights year round; none on Sundays
    • Barcelona (3hr 15min flight) Sundays until end of Oct
• ferries from Athens to Santorini
  • SeaJets usually departs Athens 7am and takes 5hrs and costs ~70 Euro but luggage is hurled together and you can't access it once en route, you may not get to sit together and leg room is very tight, and if it gets rough it will be a horrible experience
  • Blue Star is MUCH bigger, less seasickness and more space, leaves Athens around 7.30am and takes 7.5hrs to arrive at 3pm, but you can pay the extra to get business class with smaller queues for food for around 56 Euro, or a luxury 2 berth cabin for ~90 Euro pp
  • book online then pick tickets up at dock, arrive at least 1hr earlier than departure - it can be mayhem - if you can find your ferry

Oia Blue, Kyklades

• whitewashed buildings in Kos Town
• long strips of clean, white beaches and rolling farmland rich in grapes, figs, olives, corn and wheat
• 14th century fortress built by The Knights of Saint John of Rhodes

• one of the most picturesque of the Greek isles with its charming old towns of cobblestone streets, whitewashed buildings and vibrant vines of bougainvillea
• makes a great base if you want to visit other islands in the Cyclades via ferry

• stunning pebble beaches and crystal clear waters, which are ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling
• ruins of the Temple of Hera as well as the Eupalinian aqueduct, which is regarded as an ancient engineering marvel

• separated from Turkey by a narrow strait and part of the Northeastern Aegean Islands, Chios is an ideal place for sightseeing.
• Nea Moni, an 11th century monastery

• one of the most northern of the Greek Islands, Skiathos features vast hills of lush pines and sandy beaches while offering plenty of wildlife viewing and a nature conservatory.
• ancient monasteries, medieval castles, Byzantine churches and fascinating museums

• medieval Old Town, the Temple of Apollo, the Acropolis of Lindos, the Governor’s Palace, Rhodes Footbridge and exotic, Turkish influences

• Mykonos Town (Chora) is a stunningly picturesque Greek town with a maze of tiny streets and whitewashed steps lanes
• traditional Cycladic architectural style and character has remained firmly intact

• one of the first of the Greek islands to develop mass tourism in the 1960s
• the island is large enough to enable you to find uncrowded stretches of coast, unspoiled inland villages, and to explore one of the most elegant island capitals in Greece crowd-free
• most young people speak English well
• the Serbian government and around 150,000 soldiers took refuge on the island during three years of WWI
• ferry from Italy, Patra, and Igoumenitsa on the mainland coast opposite
• Kapodistrias airport 4km from Corfu Town - flights from Athens
• transportation is divided into two services: the blue city buses serve Corfu Town and nearby resorts, while the green KTEL buses cover the rest of the island
• Corfu Town:
  • Old Fortress and its Byzantine Museum
  • New Fortress - completed by the Venetians in 1588
  • Asiatic Museum in the Palace of Sts Michael and George
  • cute seaside Faliraki
  • Archaeological Museum
  • Vlacherna Monastery
  • The Liston - expensive cafes and the magnificent church of Agios Spyridon and the other impressive church, the Mitropolis, and the picturesque Old Port.
  • grandiose colonial Achilleon Palace
  • Dassia beach is at the end of the blue city bus service
• Kassiopi
  • reached via Green Bus
  • One of the most attractive of the better known resorts, Kassiopi manages still to feel like a real village. Although the main beach is rather small, it has the added bonus of nestling beneath the remains of an Angevin castle, which lie on the headland behind it
• Mount Pantokrator
  • great views, many walks (get a guide book) and monastery at the peak
  • some delightful villages on the various approach routes, such as Strinylas and Palia Perithia which has some nice gourmet tavernas
• Canal D'Amour
  • just west of Sidari, is still worth a brief visit by boat so that you can admire the stunning sandstone outcrops and for a proper swim and more stunning geological scenery, the beach at Peroulades is another great option a few kilometers further west
• Paleokastritsa beaches
  • set along and at the end of the slowly descending peninsula that morphs into the resort
  • visit the atmospheric Theotokou Monastery on the rocky promontory at the end of the access road, the aquarium just below, and Angeloskastro 6km away
• Pelekas
  • the only real inland resort and famous for stunning sunsets beyond the nearby coast, most popularly viewed from Kaiser's Throne viewing tower
  • an appealing combination of genuine village and tourist facilities
• Sinarades Folklore Museum
• Boukari
  • a quiet strip of the southeast coast, 4km beyond the busy resorts of Moraitika and Messongi. Though it has no sandy beaches, the small pebbly coves are pleasant and fine seaside tavernas, but you have to walk from the nearest bus stop at Messonghi
• Laguna Korission
  • one of the most peaceful places on Corfu. The lake itself is an important wetland biosphere and home to a variety of birds. The real beauty of it, however, is that is is only separated from the sea by a strip of sand dunes, which hide one of the loveliest and least crowded beaches on the island, BUT you need to trudge all the way along the beach from Agios Georgios to the south, and there are no facilities.
  • the resort of Sidari is one of the busiest on the island, and not worth stopping at

• https://www.greecetravel.com/crete/
• https://www.greecetravel.com/crete/chania/taxi/index.html
• https://www.greecetravel.com/crete/chania/transportation/index.htm
• Youtube video - most beautiful places in Crete
• Crete is the largest Greek island - 260km wide from E-W and 12-60km wide N-S and is mountainous with a number of gorges, such as the Samariá Gorge, Imbros Gorge, Kourtaliotiko Gorge, Ha Gorge, Platania Gorge, the Gorge of the Dead (at Kato Zakros, Sitia) and Richtis Gorge and (Richtis) waterfall at Exo Mouliana in Sitia.
• population 600,000, climate is primarily Mediterranean rather than North African
• 1st human settlement 130,000yrs ago but pre-humans walked there 5.6mya
• was the centre of Europe's first advanced civilisation, the Minoan (c. 2700–1420 BC) and in 1420 BC, the Minoan civilisation was overrun by the Mycenean civilisation from mainland Greece
• The Gortyn code (5th century BC) is evidence for how codified civil law established a balance between aristocratic power and civil rights.
• in 1923, the muslim population left Crete in an exchange between Greece and Turkey
• unlike mainland Greece, thanks to Hercules, there are no animals that are dangerous to humans and the snakes are not poisonous to man
• 3 significant airports, the main one is Nikos Kazantzakis at Heraklion
• capital is Heraklion and 2nd main city is Chania while the city of Rethymnon is half way between
• The Palace of Knossos, a 6,000-year-old Minoan palace is 6km south of Heraklion port
• Old harbor in Chania and Venetian port, Agora market and Odos Skridlof, where you can buy great handmade leather goods.
• Pink sand beach Elafonissi, west of Chania while the 16km long Samaria Gorge and 2300m elevation sometimes snow covered peaks is south of Chania
• Lagoon Balos on the far north-west tip
• the east end has Gouves, Malia, Sisi and Agios Nikolaos (1hr drive from Heraklion)
• Phaistos Minoan Palace and the southern beach of Matala is 1hr drive south of Heraklion
• wild flowers are in abundance in May
• peak tourist season is from mid-July through August
• many hotels and restaurants close from late Oct-mid April or May
• rainfall can be heavy in Jan, Feb
• https://mel365.com/where-to-stay-in-crete/