Are lodging reservations a must in Greece late Sept to mid-Oct?

Keep in mind that prior to departure, you'll need to include specific lodging information on the Greek government's Passenger Locator Form: "Temporary Address - Please list all the places you will be staying at during the 14 days following your arrival..."

For our Mid-Sept thru Mid-Oct 2019 trip to Crete, we went ahead and booked most lodging prior to leaving the U.S.A., and that helped us get rooms we wanted in the popular cities Iraklio and Hania, as well as in Tzermiado, what turned out to be a more out-of-the-way town. None of these were super expensive, but not bare-bones hostels by any means, either. Other places we were able to show up and book a room on the spot.

The place in Tzermiado gas one other guest one night, but we were the only ones there the other two nights. This, and other places in the interior of Crete, had space available. We showed up on another town, and had the pick of two available rooms. We didn’t have to go knocking on doors for other places, as everywhere we went had a good room at the start. Some more obscure places might not have had every place open by late September, so maybe availability wasn’t what it would’ve been in high summer tourist season, I don’t know. Places like Kato Zakros did have some visitors, but it wasn’t packed, yet there were several places open and available, so we had our pick. We weren’t limited to super-expensive places, but weren’t looking for super cheap, either, and didn’t have to look hard.

How this all will be after the Pandemic has happened I can’t guess, but in a typical year, it would seem that, unless you’re in big city in Crete, reservations definitely are not a must. The rest of Greece, I can’t guarantee. Enjoy your extended time!

Thanks, Kimalors and Cyn -
I bet changes often happen to planned itineraries and there isn't a way to edit the visitor form later. I'll provide the best info I can.

Thanks for the tip to at least book ahead in Crete cities, will do. Good to know reasonable rooms are "generally" available on the spot elsewhere, I'll hope that in this uncertain year that's the case as well.

We are in Greece now about halfway through a three month trip. Since we don’t have a set itinerary we are making reservations as we go, anywhere from two days to two weeks ahead. Tourism is below normal this year. You will find places in all price ranges with little notice. Sometimes we look at hotel booking sites and note our favorite places weeks ahead. If we don’t make reservations until the day before those favorites are usually unavailable but we still find decent rooms. Friday and Saturday nights are the most problematic as we are competing more with Greek tourists than foreign tourists. You should be fine winging it.

We are mostly traveling in the less well known (by tourists) islands using ferries and buses. Finding reliable schedules in English is not easy even when you are here. Plus they do change month to month. I gave up trying to understand Peloponnesus buses. You very well might have to use taxis for some connections. Don’t be disheartened. It’s all worth it once you are here.

Late Sept. will be off season so tourism is greatly reduced and more so with the virus so you'll have no problem finding a place to stay.

Athens should be at the end of your trip if possible.

However, I wouldn't waste valuable time "shopping around" for a place to stay.

As another poster mention it's a good idea to know what's available for lodging before arrival. That doesn't mean to book it but at least it gives you an idea of where to stay. You can also contact an accommodations and see what they recommend.

I think the Peloponnese would provide you with just about everything Greece has to offer.

Crete is lovely, one of Greece's best islands so that's an option.

Island hopping eats up valuable time unless you concentrate on island groupings with easy ferry connections.

Traveling the Peloponnese and relying on public transportation is do-able but it involves lots of planning and flexibility plus can be very frustrating when schedules change or buses are late.

You're best bet is to rent a car so you can go where you want when you want. In addition the Peloponnese is filed with villages, archeological/historic sites, beaches, and many other areas that public transportation doesn't go.

Forget about taxis as they can be very expensive.

You don't have to spend a lot on accommodations as prices are much lower off season. You can eat very well in Greece without breaking the bank.

Thanks 3lovetotravel and tommyk -

Great real time reports on the current situation in Greece. A car seems more like the way to go after all. I figured to start in the Pelopennese as I am there for my Menalon Trail hiking week. Then, head to Nafplio, I can rent a car to use throughout the Pelopennese. Getting to Napfplio from the end of the Menalon Trail may require taxi to Tripoli and then bus to Napfplio, or a taxi all the way. Any benefit to visiting Pelopennese twins in a particular order?

I can visit Hydra from Ermioni. Want to visit Crete for perhaps a week but requires getting back to Piraeus to ferry over. Other islands worth the time it takes to travel there? I am interested in hiking, seeing the towns and the archeological sites. Naxos maybe? Seems a shame to not at least pop by Santorini and/or Mykonos but perhaps they are too touristy and I won't have a car there to access hiking trails.

Janniedoll I suspect you are a different traveler than most people using this forum so be wary of advice, even mine. I have walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, but am an old man and just do short day trips in Greece. Be aware that the heat can be brutal even in September. Right now it’s 90F in many of the islands and over 100F in Athens. It might be nice in September or it could be HOT.

Advice on transportation depends greatly on your budget. Buses are cheap although not always convenient. Car rental prices have jumped recently at the major international chains like Hertz, Budget etc. We rented a car through Alamo in June for $32/day. Prices quoted for August are 3X that. Small local Greek rental companies in Nafplio are charging about 40-55€/day. Taxis might seem expensive but it depends on how often you drive the car.

Greece is big. Try not to see it all in one visit. The Peloponnesus has plenty of archeological sites. If you go to Hydra then also spend some days on Aegina, a lovely island without being overrun by tourists and hike to the Temple of Aphaia. You really can do some research then go to Greece without a lot of reservations and fixed plans and just go and enjoy yourself.

Car rental prices can vary especially off season and for how long you want the car and what type of vehicle.

I always get the smallest car available and have never had any issues driving anywhere in Greece whether it's back roads, dirt roads or paved roads.

I've gotten offers for 12 days from a number of small, local agencies for less than 20 euros a day.

I try to avoid the Big Name car rental agencies as most people feel only the Big Guys are reliable.

I've rented cars from local offices and have gotten far better offers and more "perks" through them the Big Name ones.

One way to get a better offer is to email directly to the small agency rather than try to book on line. Sometimes that personal touch can get you a lower offer.

Thanks, Tommy5k and 3lovetotravel -

Good advice on contacting the smaller car rental companies, (hopefully rates will drop again by Oct), and I will cetainly checkout Aegina!