Ghent had so much more to offer than I was expecting. I thought it would be a sleepy, little town where I would get bored after a few days. But that definitely was not the case. After five days, I kept finding more places I wanted to check out and I couldn’t fit everything in. I also found that the tourism website was very helpful, more so than I expected. I recommend visiting it for practical information as well as recommendations around town.
For the first two days, I was on my own and stayed at the Kaba Hostel. While I had a great stay there, it was further from the city center than I would have liked. But it also gave me a chance to check out the Southeast side of town before I moved to an Airbnb with a friend on the North side of town.
While in town, I took advantage of the good weather and wandered and meandered everywhere. I also took a boat tour, a free walking tour, and even rented a kayak from Hostel Uppelink.
Kayaking the calm canals of Ghent. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
I also took a free night walking tour. The guide, Ben, had a lot of very interesting history and knowledge about the city. And he timed the tour to end just at midnight.
I visited all of the churches in town and, of course, the Ghent Alterpiece (Adoration of the Mystic Lamb). For art lovers, this is essential. For everyone else, it’s also essential. Pay the €4, listen to the audio guide (offered in a bunch of languages), and learn about the incredibly interesting history of this artwork.
I also visited the Museum voor Schone Kunsten for an exhibition called Women of the Baroque. The entrance fee for both the permanent exhibit and the temporary exhibits was €14. All of the exhibits were wonderfully curated. I was also able to see the panels from the Ghent Alterpiece that were being restored.
But more than anything, I enjoyed the food in Ghent. The city has fully embraced the local and organic food movements. There are food co-ops, farm to table restaurants, and vegetarian options galore. My favorites where Lokaal, Soep Plus, and Le Botaniste. Note that Le Botaniste looks really fancy from the outside but is actually very casual. All three of these restaurants were affordable, healthy, and delicious.
I ordered a trio of hummuses at Le Botaniste. Yum!
I also checked out a few of the organic markets. My favorite was the Beo Markt. They do have a restaurant thought I didn’t eat there, I did buy delicious fruit and vegetables.
For drinks, I found a great little wine bar called Baravins. I liked the place so much I stopped by a second time during my visit. The bartender was friendly, helpful, and generous with the snacks.
I also ate some delicious Italian food while in Ghent. My friend and I had dinner at Shazanna after grabbing drinks at Baravins. Our pizzas were amazing and filling. My dinner and a glass of wine cost €22. I ate more Italian food a few days later when I visited Firenze for lunch. It is a cozy restaurant with a great family feel. If you are in the area, check it out.
Firenze was a delicious place to pop into after a visit to the art museum. The olives and wine tided me over until my pasta arrived.
On my way into town, I didn’t use public transportation when leaving the train station and hoofed it all the way to my hostel with my backpack in tow. But on my way out of town, I decided to take the tram to the train station. The cost for one ticket on the Lijnwinkel tram was €1.60. Later, I found out that this same transit system is in Antwerp, and possibly other cities in Belguim.
After spending a long weekend in Paris, I made my way to Reims for a few quiet days by myself. Most tourists probably spend an afternoon in Reims or skip it altogether, but not me. I was looking for a small, adorable town to wander through and that’s exactly was I got.
I booked an Airbnb for two nights on the southern end of town. My private bedroom with shared bath was stylish and oh so comfortable at $49USD per night. My host was friendly and helpful though her English was limited (as is my French). The apartment is a bit of a walk from the train station (Gare de Reims) in town but this did not deter me. Note that there is no left luggage facility at the Reims train station. There is, however, a new service called Nanny Bag that was suggested to me by the tourism office.
I visited both the cathedral and the basilica during my time in Reims. I cannot recommend these enough. Both buildings are awe inspiring to wander through. And, both are free. Plus, if you have just come from Paris, you will actually be able to enjoy and appreciate these spaces without hordes of tourists.
Our Lady of Reims.Our Lady of Reims shot from the park behind the cathedral.
I also visited the Surrender Museum (Musée de la Reddition) and really enjoyed this small but significant piece of history. While I consider myself generally knowledgeable about World War II, I had never heard of Reims and the important role the city played.
While in town, I treated myself to a decadent lunch at Anna S. The prix-fixe menu was seasonal and delicious. It was such a filling meal that I did not eat dinner that night. It was my only splurge while in town but at €42 (which included a glass of wine), it was well worth it.
I also ate some mussels while in town. I researched a few places but my Airbnb host recommended Le Grand Café and she did not steer me wrong. Once again, my meal was accompanied by wine (when in Rome…) and cost €22.
After two days in Reims, I was ready to move on to my next destination. For this, I needed to make my way out to the high speed train station (Gare Champagne TGV) just outside of town. I searched and searched (using my cell phone) for good information on local buses and tram lines and came up empty handed. Later, I was able to find this online map for the trams and local buses which opened on my laptop.
Before boarding the tram, you must buy a ticket and then validate it once on the tram. There is an option for paying via cell phone but I didn’t research this as I only used the tram once. The city is not that big and I love to walk and explore.
I spent two nights in Verona and while I was not as enamored with the town as others are, I do have a few recommendations if you plan on visiting.
I stayed at a small bed & breakfast which I cannot recommend enough. The owner was warm and inviting, the room was stylish and comfortable, and the breakfast was tasty and satisfying. Plus, I splurged on the room with a balcony and did not regret it. At $76USD per night, the room was more expensive than I usually budget for while traveling on my own, but a friend joined me at the last minute which helped with the cost and made the visit to Verona that much sweeter.
There are two restaurants that I enjoyed while in Verona. L’Imbottito delle 4 Ciacole is located on Via Giovanni della Casa and was delightful. My friend and I stopped in for lunch and were amazed by the affordable menu and the deliciousness that followed. In a country where dining out can add up quickly, we were very pleased with the quality of our meals and their prices. My lunch, which included a glass of wine, cost €15. The food was so amazing that we returned the following night for a little more food after drinking and snacking our way around town.
My other favorite place was Gastronomia Stella, a quaint little deli and restaurant in the center of town. My friend and I perused the deli options, ordered a few items, and then a few more from the menu. We then grabbed a table outside and ate to our hearts content. Once again, our meals were affordable, about €12 each, though the cost can climb as the some of the deli selections are priced by weight.
I stumbled across this funky yellow car while wandering the streets of Verona.
We rented a car at the Venice airport and drove around Slovenia for 12 days. We visited so many amazing places on our roadtrip and found the roads to be in good condition. Slovenia no long has active toll booths on their highways. Instead, you purchase a sticker for your car, called a vignette. There are no tolls to pay anymore but if you do not buy the sticker, and you get caught, the penalty is high. We purchased the monthly vignette for €30 at a gas station just after crossing the Italy/Slovenia board.
We stayed the night in a small hotel located in a picturesque valley near the Logar Valley. The hotel room was spacious and comfortable. And though the temperatures were dropping outside, we took full advantage of the balcony facing the mountains. We opted for dinner at the hotel as it is somewhat secluded (though signs are posted to help you find your way). Dinner consisted of three hearty courses though no menu was provided and our choices were limited. Dinner, with a drink each, cost €34. While we had a bumpy check-in process (our room wasn’t ready even though it was late in the afternoon), the hotel and farm itself were a wonderful treat. I wish we could have stayed longer.
Enjoying a glass of wine and the view from the balcony.
On the afternoon of our arrival in the area, we drove to the Logar Valley, walked around a bit, and enjoyed the scenery. We returned the next morning in hopes of taking more photos (the sun rises and therefore shines on the mountains in the morning and sets behind them in the evening) but discovered a man charging €7 to enter the valley. We did not think it was worth it as we had visited the day before (a Sunday) for free. So on we went along on our adventure with a little more money in our pockets.
Logar Valley in the late afternoon light.
We decided to visit Lake Bled but stay at Lake Bohinj and were very happy with our choice. We spent the day hiking above Lake Bled then drove to Lake Bohinj.
A panorama of Lake Bled and Slovenia’s only island.
When we drove the length of Lake Bohinj, we realized that none of the accommodations actually have a solid view of the lake. Knowing this, we decided to rent a small apartment at one end of the lake as it was cheaper than most of the other options. After checking in, we walked across the street, settled onto a bench and enjoyed the view (and our mugs of wine). At €56 per night, we couldn’t have asked for a better location.
For dinner, we wandered down the path on the East side of the lake to get to Restavracija Kramar. We grabbed a few drinks as the sun was setting and finished off the visit with a small salad and cevapi, lamb and beef sausages. Our dinner and drinks ended up costing €25. We also visited a restaurant in town specializing in burgers. Foksner, was bustling when we arrived and the recommendations from locals did not disappoint. Two burgers, fries, and two drinks, again, cost €25. The burger options could be more diverse but the food and the service were great.
While in the area, we visited the Vintgar Gorge. We arrived early to miss the tour buses and crowds. There is a boardwalk stretching along the one mile walk through nature. The visit was a highlight of our trip and was well worth the €5 ticket price per person.
We also visited the Savica waterfall near Lake Bohinj. The hike is short and the waterfall is a magnificent sight. The cost to access the waterfall was only a few euros.
Slap Savica in all of its glory.
After the waterfall, we tried hiking to Cero jezero, a lake high up in the mountains above the waterfall but the climb became too extreme for us. When we came upon chains dangling from boulders, we knew we were out of our element and turned back. Next, we drove through the mountains above Lake Bohinj and made out way to Planina Blato. The huts were deserted and we enjoyed our time alone in nature. We did pay €10 per car at the base of the mountain road but it was worth the views and the experience.
One of many huts in this valley surrounded by mountains and trees.
While in Triglav National Park we wandered through Kranska Gora, Bovec, and many other beautiful towns. We also drove the Vrsic Pass which has a total of fifty switchbacks. We were lucky enough to make the drive before the snow fell as I believe the pass is closed during the snowy months.
We also drove along the Soca River as it winds through the park. Along the river, there are many hanging bridges as well as hiking paths to explore.
We visited Venice in late September and were lucky to have warmer than average weather for the few days we were there. We stayed at Ca’ San Vio for two nights and spent our days wandering the city and enjoying the scenery with a glass of wine in hand. Our room was very small but breakfast was served in our room. The staff was very friendly and welcoming.
We also ate at Trattoria Bar Pontini for lunch one day. We arrived just in time to grab the last available table outside. The seafood dishes were delicious and fresh. Our total for two entrees and two glasses of wine came to about $46USD. Also, I was able to ask for (and receive) free tap water, acqua del rubinetto.
To get to and from the airport, we took the airport shuttle (€15 roundtrip) and then walked from the bus depot into the heart of Venice. Later in our trip, we returned to Venice with a rental car and stayed in the town of Mestre for the night at the Camping Village Jolly. While the accommodations were sparse and dated, the location and amenities (free parking, a pool, and a shuttle to Venice) were very well priced at $24USD a night. If you want to visit Venice of a tight budget, this is my recommendation instead of staying on the islands.
We booked an apartment on the edge of the city center via Booking.com. The price was right and the apartment was well furnished. Also, the location for parking was perfect. When we were looking to book a hotel, all of the hotels stated that parking was included but then when you would read reviews it was not explained very well that the parking available is actually public parking. When you’re in the very the middle of the city center, you must pay for parking. This is difficult because the parking meter machines only take coins which are very difficult to get your hands on. You can pay by SMS but only if you have a Romanian cell phone number. What we found was there if you park on the edge of the city center, parking is 100% free but finding a spot is difficult. If you are on a block with no parking signs or parking meters, then it is free.
We sent three nights in Brasov and while you could definitely see the highlights of the historic center in one day, it was nice to have the extra time to hike around the city walls and see all that the city has to offer. Due to bad weather, we did not have an opportunity to hike up to the famous Brasov town sign but we did get some time walking around the trails in some of the parks on the edge of the city.
The majority of our time in Brasov was spent wandering around the town and eating. While most of the restaurants we visited were in the center of town, they didn’t feel like tourist traps. Our favorites were Pilvax, La Ceaun, and Vino e Sapori. For drinks we frequented Cafe Central which had cheaper drinks than some of the bars closer to the center of town.
Guadalajara is not a pretty city in the conventional way but it has a lot to offer visitors. The city is large and sprawling. And in the four days that I was there with two friends, I did not get to see nearly as much of it as I would have hoped but that means I have lots of exploring to do when I return.
We stayed at an Airbnb near Parque Alcalde. The apartment was very nice and had a balcony which we took full advantage first thing in the mornings and then again in the afternoons when we needed a rest from wandering the city streets. I cannot recommend this Airbnb host enough. He was so accommodating, helpful, and gave us some great information on the city. And he has multiple properties in Guadalajara to choose from.
We had originally planned to stay near Avenida Chapultepec Norte and thus found bars and restaurants to check out in that neighborhood. We dined at El Sacromonte and I would highly recommend it. I had steak in a delicious sauce for around $250MXN. We also wondered down the way and split a bottle of wine at Romea. It was very chic and a bit on the expensive side (our bottle of wine cost $730MXN) but a nice treat to sit outside on a nice evening and enjoy some delicious wine. Later during our long weekend, we went to Pigs Pearls in the same neighborhood. We needed a break from traditional Mexican food and grabbed burgers. Lunch (a burger and a glass of wine) was perfect change of pace and only cost $85MXN.
We definitely ate a lot of food while we were in Guadalajara and it seems as though the street food was easier to find at night than during the day. Much like anywhere else, I would recommend if you’re eating street food find vendors that are busy with locals, saddle up, and eat everything. We did eat in the mercado in the city center one day for lunch and it was delicious. Also, we are here during Lent in the Catholic faith and there were a lot more fish options than I would have thought we’d find. Hopefully this is not just during the Lenten season but is all year round.
Usually when I sit down at any sort of food vendor in which prices are not listed, I ask what the prices are. But I found in Guadalajara that when I didn’t ask first, all of the prices were perfectly acceptable and I never had any issues with people over charging me. This might be because I speak enough Spanish to order food and ask questions. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. And while a lot of people here do speak English, I think that it was easier for everyone when I used my small amounts of Spanish.
This torta ahogada (the drowned torta) included pork, cabbage, onions, and a tart tomato sauce.
We also ate at a little place called Casa Mitote which serves Oaxacan dishes. It was so delicious and were so glad that we caught them on a night when they were actually opened.
We attended a performance by the Jalisco Philharmonic while we were in town. The music was just lovely and tickets were very affordable. We had wonderful seats in the center of the theater for $220MXN each.
We also visited Tlaquepaque on a Saturday which was a nice break from the city. It was also a great place to shop for locally-made crafts. Some of the items that we found here were very similar to other items we found in Oaxaca but at cheaper prices.
Few locals had amazing things to say about taxi drivers so we opted to use Uber when we needed to get around the city and could not walk the distance. We took one from our Airbnb to the city center and it cost about for $2USD one way. There are currently two train lines that serve parts of Guadalajara but since we were not here very long and we tend to walk a lot of places, we did not take advantage of the public transportation.
I also visited the Panteon de Mexquitan cemetery one afternoon. The architecture and stone work of the mausoleums was beautiful though some where in sad states of repair. I really enjoyed wandering the quiet paths and reflecting on this cities history and its people.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I flew down to Oaxaca, Mexico for vacation. We had read that the food was amazing, the people were friendly, and the town was beautiful. All of these things were exactly true.
We spent four days and four nights in the city of Oaxaca before heading to the coast for a few days and then returning for a few more days in the city.
From the airport, we took the colectivo (small van or bus) instead of a taxi. You need buy a ticket inside the airport after you leave baggage claim. You also wait in the same line if you want to get a taxi. The cost is $80MXN per person. We learned the hard way that you cannot buy tickets from the driver or other employees outside of the airport.
There are so many delicious options for food in Oaxaca, I didn’t know where to start. There are street food vendors, markets, and restaurants galore, all to fit any budget. Below, I have listed all of my favorite places to eat and drink. Also, I found a very helpful website explaining a handful of Oaxacan dishes everyone should try while visiting.
Mercado 20 de Noviembre
This mercado was more organized than those I have seen in other towns and cities in Mexico. It’s much more permanent and established than I was expecting. My advice is pick a food vendor that is busy with locals and grab a seat and a menu. We ate at one place and had a sopa amarillo con res (soup with beef) and a tamal (singular of tamales). Both were delicious and filing. For a total cost of $80MXN, it was a tasty light lunch.
Lunch at Mercado de 20 Noviembre
Mercado Organico
This place is not so much a traditional mercado as a collection of small food vendors in which vegetarian and organic options are the norm versus the regular mercados in which meat is the main option in most dishes. The options here are more interesting than the other mercados and a little more expensive, but not out of control. On the day we went, we had an empanada (closer in size of a quesadilla in the U.S. than a traditional Argentinian empanada) and two memelas. Neither of the items were huge but they were tasty and a great first stop for our food crawl. Our bill came to $135MXN.
Drinks on the terrace at Gozobi
The view is lovely and drinks were reasonably priced at about $70-90MXN for a cocktail and $30-50MXN for a beer. For the location, we deemed this to be a pretty good and average priced.
Biznaga
The food was good but I thought it was expensive for Oaxaca. While the dishes we ordered were delicious (steak in a mole sauce with goat cheese and chicken in a poblano pepper sauce), I think there are other places to go if you’re willing to spend the money. Both entrees and two drinks cost about $500MXN.
Mezquite
This was definitely my favorite “nicer” restaurant in Oaxaca. They have a small terrace which has great views and the food is amazing. We went there once and had a round of drinks and the flor de calabaza empanada (squash blossom and cheese empanada) and spent about $200MXN. We returned a few nights later and ordered five starters and a round of drinks. Some of the starter dishes were larger than we expected. It was definitely too much food, but still delicious. Even with way too much food and a good cocktail or two, the bill came to around $500MXN after tip.
La Santisima Flor de Lupulo
Santisima is a nanobrewery but also serves cocktails and wine. We visited a handful of times to eat and drink because they also offer local cheeses, sausages that are made in house, and gazpacho that I still think about.
El Olivo Gastrobar
They have a nice open upstairs area and serve Spanish tapas. I went there twice for drinks and a snack. The patatas bravas were not amazing but the drinks were tasty and a nice change up from mezcal. A glass of Mexican wine costs about $60MXN.
Praha
It’s a great little bar and restaurant where drinks are slightly cheaper than the other terrace bars that we went to. The food menu is very much targeted towards tourists and is not local food. If you are in need of a hamburger or salad this might be the place to go though. The service was good and it seemed that they had live music most nights.
Boulenc
I had an amazing croissant sandwich (kale, spinach, and goat cheese) here one morning and am sad I couldn’t eat it again (and again and again). This sandwich was one of my favorite things I ate while in Oaxaca and was only $47MXN. The bakery is really small and only has about seven seats so if you can’t stay, take things to go (“para llevar” in Spanish).
Alhondiga Reforma
We stumbled across this little food court which is set up kind of like Latinicity in Chicago or Mercado San Anton in Madrid. When we went, we shared a delicious salad and fish tacos from one food stall, an Argentinian empanada, and a small Spanish tapa from another, and drinks from another. All were good but the salad (spinach, cranberries, goat cheese, and nuts) and the shrimp tacos were the best.
Tortas La Hormiga
I frequented the Tortas La Hormiga food truck in Jardin Conzati so many times that the guys knew me by name (I went there four times in three days). These were by far the best tortas I had while in Oaxaca. While there aren’t many vegetarian options, there is a large assortment of meat options. I say try them all and keep going back. At $25-45MXN per torta, it’s an amazing deal for an amazing sandwich. They have a handful of locations so find the one closest to you and eat there. You won’t be disappointed.
These tortas were amazing. Even though I had four while I was there, I wish I would have had more.
Parque El Llano
We found great street food options in Parque El Llano on the northern side of town. Most of vendors seem to only be there during the day and close around 6 p.m. if not earlier. A few stuck around into the evening. Tortas, tacos, tlayudas, and memelas are the staples here, and they are delicious. This was the area in which we found the most street food on the north side of the city. I highly recommend going to this park especially Friday during the day when they have lots of food vendors and other vendors selling a little bit of everything. It’s also a very family-friendly and safe park, as lots of the parks in Oaxaca are. They even rent Power Wheels out to children to drive around the park. There was also a large bounce house that kids could pay to use.
Beyond eating, there’s lots to do in Oaxaca. We visited the Prehispanic Art Museum which was interesting but small. We also visited the Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo which is free to the public.
We also wandered the quite streets from church to cathedral to basilica. There are an extraordinary number of churches in Oaxaca and many are worth a peak inside.
We also came across a handful of cultural events (parades, live concerts, etc.) that were not listed anywhere I could easily find as a tourist. This was very frustrating to me and is my only complaint about the city of Oaxaca. The longer I was in town, the more I began to notice bills posted around town noting upcoming events. The tourism booths were not much help, so I would recommend keeping an eye out for bills and posters while wandering the streets or hope to stumble upon a parade or concert like we did.
On Friday and Saturday nights, there seem to be a lot of weddings at the Templo de Santo Domingo. I highly recommend hanging around this church in the late afternoon or early evening for some great people watching. This area comes alive in the evenings. Grab a drink with a view of the church and enjoy watching the Oaxacan wedding traditions unfold before you.
-Unless a price is specifically written out (and sometimes even then) know that almost everything is negotiable.
-Before ordering any food, ask the price and make sure that you understand what you are getting for that price. We had many vendors who would show us the bill corresponding with the cost when we would ask “how much?” (bao nhiêu in Vietnamese, pronounced bow n-you)
-We were occasionally quoted a price that was inflated tremendously. When we countered with a lower price they would usually take it immediately. I read that the Vietnamese expect and appreciate a good negotiation. They do not consider it rude. We found this to be true. In some countries, the negotiation seems like a way to try in a rip you off, but here it is seems more like it’s what they think they can get away with. When you press them, they’re fine with a lower price. This is not to say that you won’t run into people whose plan is to try and separate you from your money. Be cautious and always ask questions.
-Most of our taxi drivers spoke very little English, so we were thankful for the small amount of Vietnamese that we had learned. The taxi drivers also do not seem well versed in explaining what they are doing or where they are taking you.
-Only ride in taxis with meters and tell them to turn it on. We used the taxi company Vinasun exclusively as they have a great reputation and an app for your smart phone.
-When researching this trip I came around many accounts of travelers renting motorbikes (motorcycles, Vespas, etc.) even though it is technically illegal to do so. What I didn’t grasp until we were in the country was that motorbikes were the only real option for independent travel outside a city. While I am glad that we did not rent motorbikes as we had no prior experience riding them (and we met far too many travelers with motorbike injuries and accident stories to tell), I did not like that this limited in our transportation options. In Hoi An and Tam Coc, we were able to rent bicycles cheaply, but could not cover the distances that a motorbike could. On Cat Ba, the hills were too much for a mere pedal bike and the only other option for getting around the island was by tour bus. Before I visit Southeast Asia again, I would take the time to become more familiar with motorbikes and how to ride them safely.
– Taking domestic flights within Vietnam was definitely worth the money to save some time. We flew VietJet Air three times with the average price for a one-way flight at $53USD. Beware that the site is buggy and it took me multiple tries to book tickets on each attempt. The trains take too long when trying to cover long distances. The sleeper bus is doable if you’re short in stature and small in build, but if you taller than 5’8” you’ll have a hard time fitting in the reclined seat.
Here I am in a sleeper bus seat. I am 5’3″ tall so I fit but my husband and our friend (who are both much taller than I am) did not fit comfortably in their seats.
– Consider using a trip to Vietnam as a cheap shopping opportunity. Need new t-shirts and flip-flops…why not get them there? If you’re looking for custom dresses, suits, etc., it might be worth more of a look than we gave it. Even for everyday things (sandals, umbrellas, etc.), it’s usually way cheaper to get them in Vietnam than at home. Also, the pharmacies in Vietnam offer most pharmaceutical drugs over the counter. When we needed Cipro and cough medicine we bought it there and the prices were cheap.
– It was easier to find triple rooms in Vietnam than it has been in other countries. This was great since we could usually split a hotel room three ways and it was only a bit more expensive than all three of us staying in a dorm together (along with others).
– As a traveler you cannot drink the tap water in Vietnam. Thankfully, you can find bottled water everywhere. Just shop around in each town or city you visit to find the going rate. The best deal we came across was 6,000VND for 1.5L of water.
-Vietnam is an amazing country to travel in when you are on a budget. The cost for my husband and I for this three week trip was just under $2,000USD which includes all of our flights, food, transportation, etc. We definitely could have spent even less than we did in Vietnam, but we wanted a few creature comforts once in a while; privacy, a clean bathroom, imported wine, and hassle free transportation in the form of taxis and faster ferries.
– As Americans traveling to Vietnam, you need to have a visa to enter the country and it is advised that you obtain the visa before you get to Vietnam. When we went looking for visa information, we were directed to a website (http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/consular) and email address (dcconsular@gmail.com). Having the visa in our passports when we arrived saved a lot of time, energy, and confusion.
–Throughout our three week trip in Greece we noticed that the Greek people working in tourism do not make things easier on you when it comes to explaining how things work or posting signage. For example, we arrived on Santorini and went to the bus station; at the station, there is a kiosk with a person sitting inside. It appears that this is the person from whom you would buy tickets or to whom you could ask questions. When we asked this person questions, he seemed annoyed at having to answer them. Another example is that all the local buses on Santorini begin and end at the bus station in Fira. One would think that putting a sign in the front window of the bus listing the route would be helpful, but they do not do this. It begs the question: if Greek people are frustrated by having to help tourists repeatedly, why would they not make travel clearer and easier for tourists and locals alike?
–Greek house wine is cheap, but it is usually young wine and not amazing. Also, Greece is known for their white wines, not their reds as I would have hoped.
–Most restaurants charge around 1€ per person for a basket of bread. If you do not want it, you can usually say so and not pay for it. However, if you are going to eat it, don’t let the charge bother you and eat up. It’s usually delicious. We tended to ask for olive oil, salt, and pepper if they weren’t already on the table. Also, if we didn’t finish all of the bread, we would take it with us. If we paid for it, it’s ours.
–Sometimes, at the end of a meal in a restaurant, you get a free dessert or a shot of ouzo or raki. This seems to happen in the less touristy areas and restaurants. This definitely did not happen on Santorini, ever.
–Here is the rule of thumb I used when it came to drinking tap water: If restaurants serve you glasses of water (as many do and it’s free), it’s generally safe. If restaurants serve you bottled water (it is not usually free), it’s unsafe to drink the tap water. Generally the tap water on the mainland is drinkable and the tap water on the islands is not drinkable, but ask to be sure. We also tended to ask for tap water on the mainland to save some money. All of the waiters we asked either gave us tap water or gave us a reason why they only serve bottled water.
–Water (tap or bottled) is generally given for free with the purchase of coffee but not tea.
–My friend Rheanna and I found that we could easily share one appetizer and one entree and still be stuffed after eating at most restaurants.
–I would recommend visiting Greece in September or early October. We were there is late October and early November and while we really enjoyed ourselves, we definitely missed out on restaurants and shops that were already closed for the season. And after talking with locals, I cannot recommend going during the summer months. Everyone I spoke with said June through August is so overrun that it’s not as enjoyable for tourists as it could be earlier or later in the year.
–Learning about 50 words of Greek was very helpful. As usual, it endeared us to locals and helped us visit restaurants and bars that were off the beaten path.
–Here is a link to the ferry schedule. This site was much more accurate than we had expected even in the off season.
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