We were thinking of travelling to Greece for a 3 week vacation in May. With recent news of the economic crisis there and word of strikes, etc. would you recommend going for it or waiting til things settle more?
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
3401 posts
Jackie, the short answer is -- stop watching CNN, and your worries will abate. Economic troubles in Europe are not only about Greece, but also Portugal, Ireland and Spain -- but Greece gets the headlines. To get viewers, CNN and BBC etc portray demonstrations (students carrying placards) as riots, and one-day strikes as pervasive. They are not. Cutbacks on govt. jobs are causing protests, but it doesn't effect safety, and any job-actions are short-term and are always announced in advance.
I'm going to Greece in Mid-May for a month, and am not worried at all... but this is my 9th trip. Most people who are anxious seem to be newcomers to European travelers, on websites like this. I recommend you spend some time at a website like Trip Advisor Greece Forum, with many contribuotors who actually live in Greece, and can present a more realistic perspective. In the TA search slot put "Economc Crisis?" or "Strike actions" and read their reports.
Posted by
Manhattan, KS, USA
18 posts
I was actually going to ask a similar question. I'll be a first time traveler. We have our flight from Denmark to Athens on April 7th, provided it doesn't get canceled. We were relying on the train station to get to central Athens and then a few days later, going from Athens to Patras, and then a ferry ride to Bari...
Should I be worried? I know strikes happen. But how should I prepare for a "Plan B"?