Tips for RS Athen & Heart of Greece

Patty,

I've taken that tour (also in May) but I can't think of anything in particular to know ahead of time or anything to take other than normal travel gear. A few thoughts though.....

• Good footwear and a hat or other "sunblock" are a really good idea, as it was HOT during my tour. Always take water when out touring.
• With the hot weather, you'll most likely have to do laundry at least once on the tour. The hotel in Kardamyli offered a "service wash" - laundry was dropped at the front desk and then picked up the next morning. Hopefully that's still possible there. I can't remember which other locations had laundry facilities.
• Get used to buying bottled water. In some cases, you'll be using that even in the hotels, as the tap water in some locations is dreadful. Two of the locations where you'll need to buy large bottles of water are Monemvasia (Gefira) and the island of Hydra.
• If you suffer from motion sickness, you might want to pack some med's along for the Hydrofoil ride from Ermioni to Hydra.
• One of my favourite locations on the tour was Nafpliion. A beautiful city and the hotel (Pension Marianna) was incredible!
• Sometime during the tour, you may want to try some Mastika. It has quite a distinctive taste, and I was wishing I'd brought more home.

I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time on that tour!

Happy travels!

Of all the RS tours I have taken (14 this year), this was definitely in the top 3 of my "favorites" list. We went mid October and the weather was perfect. I second everything in the above reply and would only add to be sure to take really comfortable and supportive walking shoes as I'm sure you'll be wanting to run the Olympics track! Personally, I didn't find this tour any more rugged than any of the others I have been on. Do take your adventurous spirit; the octopus was really good. And then there's that flushing (or rather not flushing) of toilet paper issue......no worries, you'll get used to it. Or maybe all that is different since 2010??? The Greeks are some of the nicest and friendliest folks I have encountered anywhere in Europe and I doubt that has changed. Emphatic agreement with assessment of Pension Marianna.

It was an amazing tour and I wish you at the very least all the fantastic "WOW" moments we experienced.

Patty, here is a link to the old tour review (feedback) pages for the Athens and Heart of Greece tour:

https://tours.ricksteves.com/evaluation/publicevals/questions.cfm?theParentID=250&id=939&code=GRE

Personally, I think the "old" tour reviews had a lot more valuable information. I'd advocate for a return to that format!!! Do take a look at those and get a better feel for waht you'll be doing/seeing.

@andi,

I forgot to mention the Greek "toilet etiquette" in my earlier reply (which also applies in Turkey and a few other countries). Thanks for the reminder.

Did the tour in 2012 and all of the above points still hold. I agree the walking tours were no more strenuous than on 4 other tours we have done. The Peloponesse peninsula is more mountainous than I realized, so be prepared to walk some hillsides, such as in Delphi. If you like hiking, there are opportunities in Kardamyli and Nafplio. Try to go a day or two early to Athens. There are walking tour podcasts that Rick Steves has done for Athens that my wife and I found interesting. We explored some of the city that we might not have gone to otherwise and tweaked our interest for the rest of the tour. (Also helped with jet lag) Our clothes packing was no different than for other trips to Ireland, Italy, (and more) other than also took a swimsuit to jump into the ocean at Kardamyli and Hydra. Eat octopus! and different olives! If you have David Willett for a guide, go with him on botany walks and evening meals if he offers. He will order a variety of food that everyone shares "family style" and you will not be disappointed. Have a great trip! Welcome to PM if you have other questions.

Thank you all for your replies. The information is exactly what I was looking for. I will take something for the motion sickness just in case. I hadn't caught that in my reading and I spent most of a hydrofoil ride between Cherbourg and Portsmouth with a group of similarly afflicted women as we huddled around the WC. I can muster through knowing I'll be sick, I just try not to impact fellow travelers.

I will eat the olives, octopus and drink all the local stuff. I will soak up all the sunsets with a good glass of something and raise a toast to all of you - thanks so much.

P.S. I had been waiting for the tour feedback from last year, but nothing was posted after June. I loved reading those as much for the info.as well a sense of how each tour went.

Patty,

"I will soak up all the sunsets with a good glass of something and raise a toast to all of you."

One important tip - BE CAREFUL with the Ouzo, as that has a way of sneaking up on you!

Καλό ταξίδι! (Kaló taksídi!)