Please sign in to post.

Christmas Athens & Venice

We have air tickets that we must use over Christmas break. So, we thought we would take advantage of the low season to see what is typically hot and very crowded in the summer. Our current plan is to arrive in Athens on Dec. 22 and then go to Venice around Dec. 25 or 26. We would leave from Venice to return home on Dec. 31. Of the many issues is transportation from Athens to Venice. The most reasonable air tickets I could find were Aegean Airlines (which flies on Fridays and Sundays) but thier December schedule isn't posted yet. The boat which departs at 23:59 means a 3 hour trip to Patras on a national holiday. I guess my question is will anything (taverna, cafe) be open in Patras on Dec. 25 or 26? Is the 23:59 the departure time or the boarding time. If it is departure time, when do you think we can board? How likely is it to have ferry cancelation due to weather this time of year?
Thank you for your help,

Posted by
1383 posts

Charles We're generally in Greece on Christmas Day and I would be fairly confident somewhere to eat will be open in Patras. We've never been anywhere that hasn't had a couple of places open, and Patras is a major port. I'd be more concerned about being able to travel to Patras on Christmas Day. I've never used the rail network on 25th and their timetables are only available 2 months in advance but I suspect they don't run on the 25th. Certainly some of the regional KTEL buses don't run at all that day. This, for example, is the situation in Fokidas http://www.ktel-fokidas.gr/?pages_id=4&lang=en You should be OK on the 26th though, which isn't a big deal in Greece. Alan

Posted by
17646 posts

Did you ever consider going someplace where the winter weather adds to the experience rather than detracts? The Christmas markets of Central Europe. Winter is also the time when the high arts are in full swing. My guess would be less expensive too.

Posted by
17646 posts

Oh, and isn't Greek Orthodox Christmas in January? And just how are services impacted during the Eastern and Western days of observance? The January before last we took a quick trip to Moscow for Russian orthodox Christmas nd it was one of those great experiences.

Posted by
1383 posts

Guys, the idea that Christmas in Greece is in January is wrong. We've been there for every Christmas Day for the last 20 years and it is certainly on 25th December. The Russian orthodox Christmas is on 7th January but that is because the Russians use the Julian calendar. The Greeks use the Gregorian calendar. The split is between east and west, not orthodox and non-orthodox. If that's not already sent you to sleep there are more details here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar On the other hand Epiphany, on January 6th, is a bigger holiday in Greece than in many countries. This means the Christmas holidays stretch on for longer: it's common to see Santa Claus still about until 31st December for example. Alan

Posted by
9462 posts

Yes, this thought came to me too. I can't imagine that much is closed in Greece on Dec 25-26, since Christmas is Jan 7.

Posted by
17646 posts

I had no idea that's why I asked. I did a little quick research and among countries where the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church dominates, Russia, Georgia and Serbia celebrate Christmas on January 7. Armenia, on a slightly different calendar celebrates on January 6. The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on December 25. I also noted that the Eastern Orthodox churches that have adopted the Gregorian calendar had done so since WWI; so it's a pretty new idea. Fascinating.

Posted by
17646 posts

My first choice would be central Europe or possibly Germany where Christmas is an event. The Paris average in December/January is 35F to 45F and about 2 inches of rain. Paris without sidewalk cafes? Geeeee, I just don't know. It's winter and the weather will be cold and wet unless you change hemispheres. Maybe embrace the cold and go where it adds rather than subtracts from the event. If you move further east and north you have a better chance of colder temperatures but "dry" snow in lieu of the rain. Poland maybe? We spent a few days in Moscow last January. Stunning!

Posted by
9462 posts

I stand corrected! Fascinating! And now have learned something new. All good.

Posted by
46 posts

Thank you for your input. I think it is unadvisable to take two days out of a short trip waiting for and on a boat. Plus arriving Saturday and sites closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday if frustrating. So, we may have given up on this idea. I am simultaneously looking at Costa Rica and Carib destinations but it is PEAK, so Peak and very expensive. What do you think of Paris for this time period?

Posted by
2119 posts

This might be a good opportunity to visit somewhere off the beaten path ... Malta? Cyprus? Turkey? Sicily? Canary Islands? Egypt? If your air tickets would take you there, I would think any of these places would have be a great place to spend a week. And they're all a little south, so you might avoid the worst of the winter weather.