Boomer Tips and Advice for Visiting Greece

Boomer Tips and Advice for Safe Enjoyable Visit to Greece

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Greece Boomer Travel Tips & Advice – Please note for full transparency most of our blog posts contain affiliate links including those from our association with Amazon. This means we may receive a small commission if you make a purchase after visiting any of these links within the blog post.

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Best time of Year to Visit Greece 

Greece Boomer Tips Advice – as boomers we generally have more options when it comes to when we want to travel. We suggest visiting Greece in May / early June or September i.e. avoid the heat of the summer as well as the busiest months for travelers including the local Greeks, who generally head to the beaches from mid July to mid August.

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Plan & Book Ahead 

If you must travel in the busy high season you should plan and book ahead for rental cars, ferries, hotels, etc., especially on the Islands. The Peloponnese is less crowded but it is still advisable to book rooms ahead of arrival in the summer months.

We research flights to Greece online using Bookings.com and Expedia to double check cost options as well as length of layovers. Expedia also offers Flight & Hotel Travel Packages to Greece, which is useful to check for short or long stays in the same place and can offer big savings.

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Immerse Yourself in the Greek Lifestyle

Allow yourself plenty of time to explore, experience, and adjust to the pace of life in Greece. We usually recommend a minimum of 10 days in the country.

Learn Some Basic Phrases in Greek

Speaking some Greek will win over more new friends and bring extra smiles to people faces when interact with the locals, basic phrases below

• Hello: YAH-soo (Γειά σου)
• How are you?: tee-KAH-nis? (Tι κανείς)
• Good morning: kah-lee-MER-ah (Καλημέρα)
• Good afternoon/evening: kah-lee-SPER-ah (Καλησπέρα)
• Goodnight: kah-lee-NEEKH-tah (Καληνύχτα)
• Thank you: eff-kha-ri-STOE (Ευχαριστώ )

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Pre-Select Locations and Places to Visit

Greece has over 2,000 Islands to choose from, and historic sites dating back thousands of years, so the difficult part of the vacation is selecting where to go and what to leave out. In my youth, island hopping by ferry was my choice of travel but it takes time and a lot of energy. These days I prefer driving on the mainland in the Southern Peloponnese exploring and revisiting my favorite places.

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Safety / Security

We have never encountered any safety problems when visiting Greece, but as with most busy travel environments, you always need to be on your guard for pickpockets, especially in crowded areas e.g. cities, historic sites, museums, beach bars / restaurants.

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Medications

Keep a list of ALL medications – Just in case and you will have no problem buying pills to cover you until your return. Keeping them in a medication caddy organizer is a good investment. Write a list of your medications, with dosage and your regular pharmacy for contact confirmation if necessary.

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What to Wear

For the safe sun experience, wear a good size hat. Sunglasses are needed especially in the bright summer days. An effective sunscreen (preferably one which won’t pollute the water or hurt the fish) will be needed in and out of the water. Good footwear for exploring is advisable, leave the flip flops for the Sandy beaches. Stone steps, walkways, and streets can be very slippery from rain – make sure your shoes can hike a bit and won’t send you flying. Comfortable and casual is the accepted dress style in Greece, but remember to dress respectively if you are visiting churches.

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Research Before Visiting

With the benefit of the internet you can do a lot of research and planning online well before your vacation. Doing your homework on the historic sites and the history of places you plan to visit. This will add a lot of enjoyment for when you are actually arrive there. 

Suggested reading if or when you venture to the “real Greece” in the Peloponnese:

Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese by Patrick Leigh Fermor

The Mani Guide – website worth reviewing

Southern Peloponnese 5 car tours, 50 long and short walks Paperback by Michael Cullen

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Cash or Credit Cards

Carry Euros in cash as well as credit cards for use at the small tavernas in villages or at the beach for beach lounger chairs. Visa & MasterCard are the preferred credit cards, American Express is not popular away from the tourist hot spots. Remember you will need cash at road tolls. An ATM card will easily generate Euros and give you best rates.

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Electrical Adaptors

This can be a confusing subject as Greece. Greece has two plug types. The first type has two round pins, and the second type of plug has two round pins with two earth clips on the side. Greece operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

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General Boomer Alerts:

a) There are some wonderful trails throughout the Peloponnese which can take you on some great, winding adventures. Hiking shoes / boots or a good pair of walking shoes are important. Take your camera / phone as you will discover ancient, hidden, abandoned gems. A small note book has come in handy for me as well.

b) The sun in the Peloponnese is hot and can be a painful reminder to wear sunscreen. There are a good variety of biodegradable sunscreens which won’t harm the water or the environment. We’ve found Reef Safe SPF 50 on Amazon and we try to remember to take it whenever we am planning on swimming but also use it out hiking. There are others available as well and more and more can be found in local shops (but not always).

c) Tipping in Restaurants in Greece is generally expected to be 10-15% for good service in restaurants, taxis, delivery, and we always tip the maid / cleaning service (yes, sometimes that’s mama). Also, your check won’t be presented after dinner until you request it.

d) Safe to drink the tap water? Yes, it’s considered safe.

e) Driving can be a challenge. Not impossible but challenging. Many roads long and winding following the hilly contours of the natural terrain, (watch out for goats) especially through and over the mountainous areas.

f) As when you visit another country where the language may be different than your’s, learn some of the basics.

g) Pack light! Most cars are small and there is no need for anything “just in case” as Greece has plenty of shops.

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