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travelling to greece


regency

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we are thinking of travelling to greece from dunkirk. we don`t want to spend all day driving and would want to enjoy the trip there.

 

we plane to go the end of april

 

we are thrying to work out how long we need to do this. is 5 weeks enough time.

 

we also would like to know of any ideas you may have in suitable sites and cycling options.

 

thank you

 

jane

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regency - 2012-01-03 9:48 AM

 

we are thinking of travelling to greece from dunkirk. we don`t want to spend all day driving and would want to enjoy the trip there.

 

we plane to go the end of april

 

we are thrying to work out how long we need to do this. is 5 weeks enough time.

 

we also would like to know of any ideas you may have in suitable sites and cycling options.

 

thank you

 

jane

It would help to know where in Greece you want to go. It is a strangely shaped country with hundreds of islands, and getting around, especially between parts, can be quite time consuming.

 

I'm not clear whether your 5 weeks is for the whole trip, or just for the travelling.

 

It would also help to know whether you are planning on going via Italy and across the Adriatic, or overland via Bulgaria and Roumania.

 

Going via Italy took us 15 days return to Ancona (2,300 miles Ancona and back) with two one day breaks en-route. On that basis you would then have about 3 weeks for Greece which, if you are selective and don't spend too much time travelling, should allow you to see quite a bit. For example, three weeks got us about half way round the Peloponnese (we did about 1,500 miles actually in Greece, so about 3,800 miles total, with six weeks in Greece). However, I would add that once off dual carriageways, and especially if in the mountains, although there is not a lot of traffic generally, the roads are very twisting and slow. Greece is mountain country, so a lot of roads fall into that category.

 

Personal view: it is a long, and fairly costly trip for what would end up as a relatively a short visit. Bear in mind also that there will be some currency risk while you are there. It is by no means yet clear that Greece will remain inside the Euro.

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Hi Jane

 

totally agree with Brian. We love Greece but get to grips with the actual size and distances that are involved. Also as Brian pointed out some roads are slow and allow yourselves much more time than you normally would for the mileage to cover between places that you wish to visit.

With regard to the islands we have always found to the larger islands ferry crossings to be regular and fairly cheap if you are to venture off the main land. All the islands roads are again smaller / slower than the main land.

Our advice would be to do loads of homework (which is a good part of the trip anyway) and map out exactley where / what you want to see. Get a large scale good map and work out rough mileages and times between stops. Its a very beautiful country and we are sure you will love it but dont bite off too much !!

Have a great trip.

 

Neil & Lesley

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Anyone travelling to Greece does need to take the financial situation of this country into account. This article is behind a paywall - so I reproduce it in full rather than just post a link.

 

 

Greece: We will exit euro without new bailout deal

 

03 Jan 2012 | 11:15

 

By Dan Jones - Investment Week

Categories: Economics / Markets

Topics: Euro | Greece

 

A Greek government spokesman has said the country will leave the single currency if it fails to secure a second, €130bn bailout deal by March.

 

 

Officials from the EU, IMF and European Central Bank will return to Greece later this month to finalise a deal which was agreed in principle last October and called for a 50% ‘voluntary' haircut on privately-owned Greek debt.

 

Reports citing unnamed IMF officials have since suggested a 50% write down may no longer be enough in view of Greece's worsening economic situation.

 

Greek government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis told domestic television today the bailout agreement needed to be signed as a matter of urgency.

 

"The bailout agreement needs to be signed otherwise we will be out of the markets, out of the euro," Kapsis told Skai TV, according to Reuters. "The situation will be much worse."

 

Greece installed a technocrat government in November, with prime minister George Papandreou stepping down, in an effort to push through fiscal reforms.

 

Last week Greece's right-of-centre party dropped its demand for national elections to be held by 19 February, potentially giving the interim government more time to pass reforms ahead of the elections, which must be held by 15 April at the latest.

 

"The next three to fourth months are the most crucial and that is the reason this government exists," Kapsis said.

 

 

 

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